September 6 — On This Day in Opera

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera seria "La clemenza di Tito", with a libretto adapted by Caterino Mazzolà from Pietro Metastasio, received its world premiere at the National Theatre in Prague as part of the celebrations for the coronation of Leopold II as King of Bohemia.

World premiere of Hans Werner Henze’s concert opera "Phaedra" at the Berlin State Opera.

Death of Italian Baroque composer Francesco Provenzale, considered a founder of the Neapolitan school of opera.

Daniele Barioni, Italian tenor who became a leading singer at the Metropolitan Opera and was particularly associated with Puccini and the roles of Turiddu in "Cavalleria rusticana" and Alfredo in "La traviata", was born in Copparo, Italy.

Henry Kimball Hadley, American composer and conductor whose operas include "Cleopatra's Night", the first opera by an American composer to receive a regular-season production at the Metropolitan Opera, died in New York.

Luciano Pavarotti, one of the most internationally celebrated operatic tenors of the twentieth century and a major interpreter of the Italian lyric repertoire, died at his home in Modena, Italy.

Christiane Eda-Pierre, French coloratura soprano of Martinican origin whose repertoire ranged from Mozart and French Baroque opera to contemporary works, died in Deux-Sèvres, France.