January 9 — On This Day in Opera

World premiere of Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville’s opera "Titon et l’Aurore" at the Académie royale de musique (Paris) on 9 January 1753.

George Frideric Handel completed the first act of his opera "Serse" by 9 January 1738 (composition timeline notes Act I composed between 26 Dec 1737 and 9 Jan 1738).

Birth of Spanish tenor Julián Gayarre (Sebastián Julián Gayarre Garjón), born in Roncal (Navarre) on 9 January 1844.

World premiere of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera "May Night" ("Майская ночь") at the Mariinsky Theatre on 9 January 1880.

Georges Bizet’s "Carmen" received its first Metropolitan Opera (New York) performance on 9 January 1884.

Birth of opera impresario Sir Rudolf Bing (longtime General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera), born in Vienna on 9 January 1902.

World premiere of Kurt Weill’s opera "Street Scene" at the Adelphi Theatre (New York City) on 9 January 1947.

First performance of the revised version of Benjamin Britten’s opera "Billy Budd" at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London) on 9 January 1964.

Death of American opera singer Maria Ewing; died on 9 January 2022.