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April 17 — On This Day in Opera

This page lists notable events in opera history that happened on April 17, including world premieres, composer births, deaths, and important milestones.

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Italian composer Giovanni Battista Martini, an important theorist and teacher whose work influenced opera composers of the 18th century, was born in Bologna.
1656
Italian composer Giovanni Battista Martini, an important theorist and teacher whose work influenced opera composers of the 18th century, was born in Bologna.
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1714
Death of Philipp Heinrich Erlebach, German composer, in Rudolstadt.
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1764
Death of Johann Mattheson, German composer, music theorist, and lexicographer, in Hamburg.
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1790
The premiere of Vicente Martín y Soler's opera "L'arbore di Diana" took place in Vienna, becoming one of the composer's most successful works.
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1888
Birth of English soprano Dame Maggie Teyte in Wolverhampton. Known for her performances in French opera and as a student of Jean de Reszke.
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1897
Italian composer Luigi Illica, librettist of operas such as "La bohème" and "Tosca", died in Colombarone.
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1906
The Metropolitan Opera performed Bizet's 'Carmen' in San Francisco, featuring Enrico Caruso and Olive Fremstad. The following morning, the city was struck by a devastating earthquake.
Carmen
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1919
The premiere of Ottorino Respighi's opera "Belfagor" took place at La Scala in Milan.
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1973
Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, a major interpreter of Russian operatic repertoire, gave a notable performance at the Bolshoi Theatre shortly before her emigration.
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