September 19 — On This Day in Opera

The revised version of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin", incorporating new music for the Act III ball, received its first performance in St. Petersburg under Eduard Nápravník.

The original 1871 version of Antonín Dvořák's opera "King and Collier", long believed to have been destroyed, received its modern premiere in a concert performance at the Dvořák Prague International Music Festival.

Cezary Duchnowski's "The Best City in the World: An Opera About Warsaw", with a libretto by Beniamin M. Bukowski after Grzegorz Piątek's novel, received its world premiere at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw.

Birth of Swedish soprano Fredrika Stenhammar, a leading prima donna of her time and later a teacher at the Royal Swedish Opera.

Katharina Klafsky, Hungarian dramatic soprano who became especially acclaimed in Wagner roles including Isolde and Brünnhilde and later appeared with the Damrosch Opera Company in the United States, was born in Szent-János, Hungary.

Blanche Thebom, American mezzo-soprano who spent more than two decades at the Metropolitan Opera and became particularly renowned for Wagner roles such as Brangäne in "Tristan und Isolde" and Fricka in "Die Walküre", was born in Monessen, Pennsylvania.

Death of Italian dramatic soprano Elena Bianchini-Cappelli, known for her performances with Enrico Caruso and her interpretations of Tosca and Wagnerian roles.

Death of Welsh baritone Sir Geraint Evans, celebrated for roles such as Falstaff, Figaro in *The Marriage of Figaro*, and numerous others in the opera repertoire.

László Polgár, Hungarian bass particularly celebrated as Bluebeard in Bartók's "Bluebeard's Castle" and for roles including Sarastro, Philip II, and Gurnemanz, died in Zürich.

Stephen Gould, American heldentenor closely associated with the Bayreuth Festival and internationally acclaimed as Tristan in "Tristan und Isolde", Siegfried in "Der Ring des Nibelungen", and the title character of "Tannhäuser", died in Virginia.