September 5 — On This Day in Opera

World premiere of Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s opera seria "Il prigionier superbo" at Teatro San Bartolomeo in Naples.

World premiere of Johann Christoph Vogel’s opera "La toison d’or" (The Golden Fleece) at the Paris Opera.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed "La clemenza di Tito" and entered it in his catalogue, one day before the opera's premiere in Prague for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia.

Giuseppe Verdi's second opera, "Un giorno di regno", with a libretto by Felice Romani, received its world premiere at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

A substantially revised version of Giacomo Puccini's "Edgar" was performed at the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca after the unsuccessful original production at La Scala.

Giacomo Meyerbeer, German-born composer who became one of the defining figures of nineteenth-century French grand opera with works including "Robert le diable", "Les Huguenots", "Le prophète", and "L'Africaine", was born in Tasdorf near Berlin.

Giacomo Meyerbeer, German-born composer who became one of the defining figures of nineteenth-century French grand opera with works including "Robert le diable", "Les Huguenots", "Le prophète", and "L'Africaine", was born in Tasdorf near Berlin.

Renato Simoni, Italian playwright, critic, and opera librettist best known for collaborating with Giuseppe Adami on the libretto of Puccini's "Turandot", was born in Verona.

Meta Seinemeyer, German spinto soprano acclaimed in Wagner and Verdi and a member of the celebrated Dresden Opera ensemble under Fritz Busch, was born in Berlin.

Death of Austrian operatic soprano and voice teacher Marie Hanfstängl.

Birth of Finnish operatic soprano Karita Mattila, who has appeared at major houses like the Metropolitan Opera and Royal Opera House.

Carmen Balthrop, American soprano who made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Pamina in "Die Zauberflöte" and starred in Houston Grand Opera's landmark production of Scott Joplin's "Treemonisha", died at age 73.