Every day brings a new story. And each day contributes to the art of story telling -- in prose and poetry, in music, on the stage, on the screen, and, of course, in books.
Today is a story of January 13th.
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It is the 13th day of the year, leaving 352 days remaining in 2023.
It told the stories of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, two classic Italian operas. More importantly, the operas arose from a live showing at the New York Metropolitan Opera, with the songs performed by, among others, tenor Enrico Caruso, who became an international superstar largely because of recordings.
The performance was recorded by the Lee de Forest Radio Telephone Company at the Metropolitan Opera. Microphones were suspended above the stage, and members of the press and public, stationed at various locations around the city, picked it up on open telephone lines and sent it, potentially, around the world.
In actuality, few radio receivers existed at the time, but those in and around New York City -- including on ships in the city's harbor -- did manage pick it up. But let's face it, the sound wasn't great. The microphones were unable to hear and playback most of the singing. Static made what could be sent out uneasy on the ears.
The New York Times, reporting on the event, said the interference "kept the homeless song waves from finding themselves."
Still, the event is credited with ushering in the era of radio and live broadcasting. Waiting for the daily newspaper to arrive was out: turning on the dial and getting instant news was in.
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