From Florence, 1972 under Riccardo Muti, I bring you William Tell with the following cast:

Nicolai Gedda, Norman Mittleman, Eva Marton, Agostino Ferrin (Gualtiero), Luigi Roni (Gessler), Flora Rafanelli (Edwige), Maria Casula (Jemmy), Mario Rinaudo (Melchtal).   (70 min.)

   Having sung the magnificent Mme.Butterfly on Friday evening, and retiring about 5:00 A.M., Kristine Opolais was awakened at 7:30, as The Met asked her if she could replace Mme.Hartig as Mimi on the Met telecast/broadcast (aria heard here). In the history of the Met (132 years), no other singer had ever sung two role debuts back-to-back.

 Imagine her then getting to the Met at 9:00 A.M. for a staging walk-through, vocalizing while they did her makeup, and when they could not find a properly fitting black wig, they used a blond one, and she had the sense,in act two, to change "bruni" to "biondi." This is what you call a real "trouper."

  The reviews were ecstatic, and she made music history in New York with this double-triumph. I am so thrilled for her, a lovely and brilliantly talented artist, who won the hearts of so many!!!!