Dorothy Kirsten shows her vocal flexibility and a top D

THE SONGBIRD: Dorothy Kirsten (1910 - 1992) was a very popular lyric soprano in post-war America. Born into a musical family in New Jersey, Kirsten began singing on the radio and mentored under Grace Moore. Her early career appearances included Manon in Chicago (1940) and roles by Puccini, Gounod, and Bizet with New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, New York Philharmonic, and Philadelphia Opera. Kirsten debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Mimi in 1945, and sang with the Met for over thirty years, her final performance there was Tosca in 1979. She made a few Hollywood musical films and appeared often on television.

THE MUSIC: Victor Herbert was the leading American composer of operetta with several blockbuster hits in the genre. "The Fortune Teller" was written for soprano Alice Nielson, who had started her own opera company. Nielsen received not one but three roles: Irma, an heiress from Budapest; her twin brother Fedor; and Musette, a gypsy fortune teller. It premiered on Broadway in 1898, then travelled to London for a long run. Her big showpiece is "Romany Life" celebrating the free and wandering lifestyle of Magyar culture.