Stephen Dickson "Pagliacci", and "Faust". In 1987, he sang Papageno in the NYCO's nationally televised production of "The Magic Flute" with Jon Garrison as Tamino. In the early 1980s, Dickson's career began to take off with a series of important engagements with America's top opera companies. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera on November 24, 1981, as Papageno to the Pamina of Gail Robinson, Tamino of David Kuebler, and Queen of the Night of Zdzisława Donat. He later returned to the Met to sing Harlekin in "Ariadne auf Naxos" annually from 1985 to 1988 with casts that notably included Jessye
Mozart and Salieri (opera) on his "Requiem", which a stranger in black commissioned from him. Mozart recalls Salieri's collaboration with Pierre Beaumarchais and asks if it could be true that Beaumarchais once poisoned someone, for genius and criminality are surely incompatible. Salieri then surreptitiously pours poison into Mozart's drink. Mozart begins to play at the keyboard, as Salieri begins to cry. Mozart sees this, but Salieri urges Mozart to continue. Mozart begins to feel ill, and leaves. Salieri ends the opera pondering Mozart's belief that a genius could not murder: did not Michelangelo kill for his commissions at the Vatican, or were those idle