This silk programme was produced for the inaugural performance in New York's prestigious Metropolitan Opera House in the Lincoln Centre for Performing Arts, on 16 September 1966. The production was the world premiere of Samuel Barber's opera <i>Antony and Cleopatra</i>. Silk and satin prgrammes were regularly produced in the 18th an 19th centuries to mark the production of special events in the theatre, so this 20th century silk programme was following that tradition, and the gold sunburst motifs on the programme reflect the chandeliers in the auditorium.
The Metropolitan Opera was founded in 1883, with its first opera house built on Broadway and 39th Street by a group of wealthy businessmen who wanted their own theatre. In the company’s early years, the management changed course several times, first performing everything in Italian (even Carmen and Lohengrin), then everything in German (even Aida and Faust), before finally settling into a policy of performing most works in their original language, with some notable exceptions. The Opera House in the Lincoln Centre is on Broadway at Lincoln Square, in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.