October 24 — On This Day in Opera

André Campra’s opéra-ballet "L'Europe galante", with a libretto by Antoine Houdar de La Motte, received its first performance at the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s "Le nozze di Figaro", performed in German as "Die Hochzeit des Figaro", received its Mannheim premiere at the Nationaltheater.

Gioachino Rossini’s "La donna del lago", with a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola after Walter Scott, received its world premiere at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

Johann Strauss II’s operetta "Der Zigeunerbaron", with a libretto by Ignaz Schnitzer, received its world premiere at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna.

Gian Francesco Malipiero’s opera "I Capricci di Callot" received its world premiere at the Teatro Reale dell'Opera in Rome.

Birth of Italian opera composer Franco Leoni, remembered for L’oracolo (premiered at Covent Garden; later taken up by the Met).

Birth of Emmerich Kálmán, major Hungarian operetta composer (Die Csárdásfürstin, Gräfin Mariza).

Italian baritone Tito Gobbi was born in Bassano del Grappa; he became one of the 20th century’s leading singing actors, particularly celebrated for Verdi roles and Scarpia in Puccini’s "Tosca".

Birth of Scottish coloratura soprano Anne Sharp, closely associated with Britten’s English Opera Group.

Austrian operatic soprano Sena Jurinac was born in Travnik; she became one of the leading Mozart and Richard Strauss singers of the postwar era, especially admired as Cherubino, Octavian and the Marschallin.

Italian composer Luciano Berio, whose music-theatre works include "La vera storia" and "Un re in ascolto", was born in Oneglia, Liguria.

Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár, best known for the operetta "Die lustige Witwe", died in Bad Ischl.