November 4 — On This Day in Opera

World premiere of Antonio Cesti’s opera "L’Argia" at the Innsbruck court theatre, presented during Queen Christina of Sweden’s visit.

World premiere of Antonio Sacchini’s opera seria "Creso" at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

Catherine Hayes makes her La Scala debut in Donizetti’s "Linda di Chamounix."

World premiere of Berlioz’s "Les Troyens à Carthage" (Acts 3–5 of "Les Troyens") at the Théâtre Lyrique, Paris.

Alexander Borodin's opera "Prince Igor", completed and orchestrated after his death by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov, received its world premiere at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.

Moscow premiere of Tchaikovsky’s "The Queen of Spades" at the Bolshoi Theatre.

World premiere of Italo Montemezzi’s opera "La nave" at La Scala, Milan.

Paola Prestini's opera "The Old Man and the Sea", with a libretto by Royce Vavrek and direction by Karmina Šilec, received its world premiere at ASU Gammage in Tempe, Arizona.

Death of famed Italian mezzo-soprano Faustina Bordoni.

Felix Mendelssohn, German composer and conductor whose operatic works include "Die Hochzeit des Camacho" and the unfinished "Die Loreley", died in Leipzig at the age of 38.

Death of Swedish mezzo-soprano Augusta Öhrström-Renard in New York City.

Gabriel Fauré, French composer whose "Pénélope" is his only completed opera, died in Paris at the age of 79.

Birth of Australian soprano Glenys Fowles.

Luciana Serra, Italian coloratura soprano especially renowned for the Queen of the Night in "Die Zauberflöte" and for roles in "Lucia di Lammermoor", "Rigoletto" and "La sonnambula", was born in Genoa.

Death of New Zealand bass Oscar Natzka in New York City.

Birth of Swedish mezzo-soprano Malena Ernman.

Birth of Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecień.

Birth of South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha.