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October 13 — On This Day in Opera

This page lists notable events in opera history that happened on October 13, including world premieres, composer births, deaths, and important milestones.

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Premieres & milestones

Gioachino Rossini’s "Il barbiere di Siviglia" received its Covent Garden premiere, presented by the Henry Harris and John Philip Kemble Company.
1818 Premiere
Gioachino Rossini’s "Il barbiere di Siviglia" received its Covent Garden premiere, presented by the Henry Harris and John Philip Kemble Company.
Il barbiere di Siviglia
Gioachino Rossini
Source
Adolphe Adam’s opéra-comique "Le postillon de Lonjumeau" received its first performance at the Opéra-Comique’s Salle de la Bourse in Paris.
1836 Premiere
Adolphe Adam’s opéra-comique "Le postillon de Lonjumeau" received its first performance at the Opéra-Comique’s Salle de la Bourse in Paris.
Le postillon de Lonjumeau
Adolphe Adam
Source
Giacomo Puccini’s "Tosca" was performed in Paris for the first time, at the Théâtre national de l’Opéra-Comique.
1903
Giacomo Puccini’s "Tosca" was performed in Paris for the first time, at the Théâtre national de l’Opéra-Comique.
Tosca
Giacomo Puccini
Source
1929 Premiere
The second version of Carl Orff’s stage work "Orpheus" received its world premiere at Munich’s Residenztheater.
Source
Gaetano Donizetti’s early opera "Il Pigmalione", composed in 1816, received its first performance at Bergamo’s Teatro Donizetti.
1960 Premiere
Gaetano Donizetti’s early opera "Il Pigmalione", composed in 1816, received its first performance at Bergamo’s Teatro Donizetti.
Gaetano Donizetti
Source
Rufus Wainwright’s opera "Hadrian" received its world premiere with the Canadian Opera Company at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre.
2018 Premiere
Rufus Wainwright’s opera "Hadrian" received its world premiere with the Canadian Opera Company at Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre.
Source
Hans Abrahamsen’s opera "The Snow Queen" received its world premiere at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen.
2019 Premiere
Hans Abrahamsen’s opera "The Snow Queen" received its world premiere at the Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen.
Source
2023 Premiere
Gregg Kallor’s opera "Frankenstein" received its world premiere at Arizona Opera’s Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix.
Source

Births & deaths

1912 Born
American composer Hugo Weisgall, known especially for opera and vocal music, was born in Ivančice, Moravia.
Source
1940 Born
Birth of Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, celebrated for her performances at the Bolshoi Theatre and international opera houses.
Source
1949 Born
American operatic soprano Leona Mitchell was born in Enid, Oklahoma.
Source
1964 Born
German operatic tenor Endrik Wottrich, later a prominent Wagner singer at the Bayreuth Festival, was born in Celle.
Source
1970 Died
Death of Dutch mezzo-soprano Julia Culp, known as the “Dutch nightingale,” who was admired for her art song interpretations and subtle expressivity (though she never sang staged opera).
Source
2010 Died
Danish operatic bass Ulrik Cold, widely known as Sarastro in Ingmar Bergman’s film of "The Magic Flute", died.
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