Fifty years ago, the Metropolitan Opera opened its doors at Lincoln Center and that first season was one of the greatest housewarming parties in opera history. At 9 pm on Tuesday, May 2, tune in for highlights from that first season, with performances from Leontyne Price, Joan Sutherland, John Vickers and more.

Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham is your host for this special hour of highlights, recorded live, during the Met’s 1966-67 season at Lincoln Center.

Program playlist:

Samuel Barber
Antony and Cleopatra
“From Alexandria, this is the news”
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Thomas, Schippers, conductor
Sept. 16, 1966

Giuseppe Verdi
Aida
“O patria mia”
Leontyne Price, soprano
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Thomas Schippers, conductor
Feb. 25, 1967

Gaetano Donizetti
Lucia di Lammermoor
“Quando rapito in estasi”
Joan Sutherland, soprano
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Richard Bonynge, conductor
Dec. 31, 1966

Giuseppe Verdi
Otello
“Niun mi tema”
James McCracken, tenor
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Zubin Mehta, conductor
March 11, 1967

Giacomo Puccini
Turandot
Conclusion of Act One
“Signore, ascolta!” and “Non piangere, Liù
Mirella Freni, soprano
Franco Corelli, tenor
Robert Nagy, tenor; Charles Anthony, tenor
Theodor Uppman, baritone
Bonaldo Giaiotti, bass
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Kurt Adler, chorus master
Zubin Mehta, conductor
Dec. 3, 1966

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Die Zauberflöte
“Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen”
Roberta Peters, soprano
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Josef Krips, conductor
March 4, 1967

Richard Strauss
Die Frau ohne Schatten
“Mir anvertraut, dass ich sie hege”
Christa Ludwig, mezzo
Walter Berry, bass-baritone
Karl Böhm, conductor
Dec. 17, 1966

Benjamin Britten
Peter Grimes
“In dreams I’ve built myself some kindlier home “
Jon Vickers, tenor
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Colin Davis, conductor
Feb. 11, 1967

Giuseppe Verdi
Rigoletto
“Cortigiani, vil razza dannato”
Cornell MacNeil, baritone
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Lamberto Gardelli, conductor
April 8, 1967

Amilcare Ponchielli
La Gioconda
“E un anatèma!” and
"L’amo come il fulgor del creato"
Renata Tebaldi, soprano
Rosalind Elias, mezzo-soprano
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Fausto Cleva, conductor
April 15, 1967

Giacomo Puccini
Madama Butterfly
“Vogliatemi bene”
Renata Scotto, soprano
George Shirley, tenor
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, conductor
March 18, 1967

Giuseppe Verdi
Aida
“Vieni, o guerriero vindice”
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Chorus Master, Kurt Adler
Thomas Schippers, conductor
Feb. 25, 1967

All excerpts are from the 22-CD set The Inaugural Season: Extraordinary Met Performances From 1966-67.