Inaugural Season: Extraordinary Met Performances

On September 16, 1966, the new Metropolitan Opera House opened in Lincoln Center with the world premiere of Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra, with Leontyne Price and Justino Díaz in the title roles. That first season in the Met’s new home not only ushered in a new age of theatrical possibility, it also featured an embarrassment of vocal riches, with such incomparable artists as Birgit Nilsson and Franco Corelli facing off in an unforgettable Turandot; Joan Sutherland delivering a Lucia di Lammermoor mad scene for the ages; and Jon Vickers making a historic role debut in Peter Grimes. Now, ten performances from that inaugural season—plus a bonus CD of highlights—have been collected and remastered in this essential milestone set, also featuring such legends as Grace Bumbry, Mirella Freni, Christa Ludwig, Anna Moffo, Roberta Peters, Leonie Rysanek, Renata Tebaldi, Carlo Bergonzi, Robert Merrill, and Richard Tucker, among others.