October 4 — On This Day in Opera

Gioachino Rossini's "Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra" received its world premiere at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, with Isabella Colbran in the title role.

The substantially revised version of Arrigo Boito's "Mefistofele" received its first performance at the Teatro Comunale in Bologna, establishing the form in which the opera became successful.

The revised version of Richard Strauss's "Ariadne auf Naxos", with a prologue and one-act opera, received its first performance at the Vienna Court Opera.

Wolfgang Rihm's music-theatre work "Oedipus" received its world premiere in Berlin, conducted by Christof Prick and staged by Götz Friedrich.

Birth of American contralto Jenny Twitchell Kempton, who had a long opera and concert career in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

English mezzo-soprano Anna Reynolds was born in Canterbury; she later became particularly associated with Wagner, singing at Bayreuth and the Metropolitan Opera.

American character tenor Andrea Velis died in North Conway, New Hampshire; during a 33-season Metropolitan Opera career he sang more than 1,600 performances and appeared in the world premieres of "Antony and Cleopatra" and "The Ghosts of Versailles".