Otello: The Night a 73-Year-Old Verdi Conquered La Scala
On February 5, 1887, Giuseppe Verdi's Otello premiered at La Scala in Milan — the triumphant comeback of a composer who had retired from opera fifteen years earlier.
Tagged: opera
The Night La Bohème Premiered in Turin
Puccini's La Bohème premiered at Turin's Teatro Regio on February 1, 1896, to a chilly reception from the critics — then went on to become one of the most beloved operas ever written.
Booed in Paris: The Night Carmen Premiered
On March 3, 1875, Bizet's Carmen shocked Paris with a heroine who lived free and died onstage — the audience hated it, and the composer never knew it would conquer the world.