August 31 — On This Day in Opera

Mozart's "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" was performed at the Nationaltheater in Mannheim with Ludwig Fischer, who had created the role of Osmin at the opera's Vienna premiere, appearing again as Osmin.

Giacomo Meyerbeer's "Robert le diable" received its first Viennese performance at the Kärntnertortheater, an important step in the spread of French grand opera into the Habsburg capital.

Italian opera composer Amilcare Ponchielli was born in Paderno Fasolaro near Cremona. He became best known for "La Gioconda" and later taught composers including Giacomo Puccini and Pietro Mascagni at the Milan Conservatory.

Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's "Die Dreigroschenoper" ("The Threepenny Opera") received its world premiere at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin. The work, based on John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera", became one of the most influential music-theatre works of the twentieth century.

Austrian tenor, composer, and theatre director Johann Ignaz Walter was born in Radonitz, Bohemia. He later became a prominent operatic tenor in Prague and Riga and sang roles including Belmonte and Tamino.

Italian dramatic tenor Francesco Tamagno died in Varese. He had created the title role in the world premiere of Verdi's "Otello" at La Scala in 1887 and became one of the most celebrated heroic tenors of the late nineteenth century.

Death of Austrian American soprano Inez Fabbri (born Agnes Schmidt), a leading operatic figure in 19th-century San Francisco who also became a voice teacher and impresaria.

Birth of Chilean dramatic tenor Ramón Vinay, acclaimed for his powerful voice and dramatic roles in mid-20th-century opera.

Birth of American conductor Everett Lee, who became the first African American to conduct a major American opera company and made significant contributions to inclusivity in opera.