The human show On this day in 1902 Debussy’s Pelleas et Mellisande premiered in Paris. Vincent d&8217;Indy: “The composer has in fact simply felt and expressed the human feelings and human sufferings in human terms, despite the outward appearance the characters present of living in a dream.” //www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSzvx0upPMY Happy International Jazz Day! //www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy_uXNwWkYw Source: Music-2 The human show Read More »

Super-artistry On this day in 1928, the Metropolitan Opera on tour in Ohio presented La Gioconda with Rosa Ponselle, Marion Telva and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi.  William G. Smith in the Cleveland Press Ponchielli’s intriguing opera “La Gioconda,” held the stage of Public Hall and an audience of something over 6,000 in thrall Wednesday night. And the latter instance is easily accounted for since it was another operatic disclosure that only the significant word superb can qualify. ... Read More »

Bless this day On this day in 2007: the Metropolitan Opera debut of tenor Lawrence Brownlee as Almaviva.  //www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ8-0uxLFe0 On this day in 1970 Stephen Sondheim’s musical Company opened on at the Alvin Theatre, to run 705 performances. Birthday anniversary of playwright and poet William Shakespeare (baptismal day in 1564). //www.youtube.com/watch?v=za4OPxQYWi4 Happy 48th birthday soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek. //www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwTWsA6LqL4 Source: Music-2 Bless this day Read More »

Mehr gabst du, Wunderfrau, als ich zu wahren weiß Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of soprano Astrid Varnay.  //www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vICgUdPS0k When Varnay was eight years old, Puccini’s opera Turandot premiered in Milan. //www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwJA1b2l7g Also today marks the Birthday anniversaries of bass Italo Tajo (1915), singer Ella Fiztgerald (1917) , soprano Irene Jordan (1919) and bass Fritz Hübner (1933). Happy 72nd birthday tenor Seppo Ruohonen, and 69th birthday mezzo-soprano Cynthia Clarey. Source: Music-2 Mehr ... Read More »

In the old tradition On this day in 1950, Met audiences thrilled to hear a vivid singing actress performing the title role of Tosca for the first time… in Atlanta, Georgia.  One of the outstanding things about last night’s “Tosca” was the introduction to Atlanta audiences of a red-haired bombshell from Bulgaria, who burst with such terrific force that people here will be talking about it for a long time. Singing and acting the title ... Read More »

And the sheep sails on On this day in 1775 Mozart’s Il re pastore premiered in Salzburg.  //www.youtube.com/watch?v=31endWVIG3U Born on this day in 1857 composer Ruggero Leoncavallo. //www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbdT6SbPY5s Source: Music-2 And the sheep sails on Read More »