July 23 — On This Day in Opera

This page lists notable events in opera history that happened on July 23, including world premieres, composer births, deaths, and important milestones.

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Premieres & milestones

1824

First London performance of Weber’s opera "Der Freischütz", considered a milestone that ushered in Romantic opera in England.

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1976 Premiere

The Santa Fe Opera presented the world premiere of Thomas Pasatieri's "Black Widow".

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Births & deaths

1724 Born

French composer Christophe Willibald Gluck, a pioneer of eighteenth-century opera reform and composer of "Orfeo ed Euridice", was born in Erasbach, Bavaria.

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1796 Born

Birth of Swedish composer Franz Adolf Berwald, whose operas include "Sångfåglarne" and "Estrella di Soria".

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1833 Born

Birth of Norwegian soprano Borghild Bryhn-Langaard (also Borghild Brunelli), a leading voice at the Vienna Imperial Opera.

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1866 Born

Italian composer Francesco Cilea, best known for the operas "Adriana Lecouvreur" and "L'arlesiana", was born in Palmi, Calabria.

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1885 Born

German soprano Frida Leider, one of the twentieth century's greatest Wagnerian singers, was born in Berlin.

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1904 Born

Italian tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano, celebrated for performances in "La bohème", "Rigoletto", "Tosca", and many other Italian operas, was born in Motta Sant'Anastasia, Sicily.

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1909 Born

Birth of American director and artistic leader Frank Pandolfi, founder of Connecticut Opera Association.

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2010 Died

Italian soprano Fedora Barbieri, celebrated for her Verdi and Rossini mezzo-soprano roles, died in Florence.

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