1674
Premiere
World premiere of Giovanni Legrenzi's opera "Eteocle e Polinice" at the Teatro San Salvador in Venice.
December 13 — On This Day in Opera
This page lists notable events in opera history that happened on December 13, including world premieres, composer births, deaths, and important milestones.
Premieres & milestones
1836
The Teatro La Fenice in Venice is devastated by a major fire during the night of 13 December, destroying the famous opera house.
2017
Premiere
World premiere of Violeta Cruz's opera "La princesse légère" at the Opéra de Lille, with a libretto by Gilles Rico based on George MacDonald's fairy tale.
Births & deaths
1785
Born
Birth of Pauline Anna Milder-Hauptmann in Constantinople, an operatic soprano later celebrated for early performances of Beethoven's "Fidelio."
1843
Born
Birth of Romanian composer George Stephănescu in Bucharest, later a central figure in the formation of Romanian national opera.
1876
Died
Death of Italian tenor Carlo Guasco, renowned for creating leading roles in Verdi's operas "I Lombardi alla prima crociata," "Ernani," and "Attila."
1900
Born
Birth of Romanian conductor Jonel (Ionel) Perlea in Ograda, later internationally associated with Italian and German opera repertory.
1945
Born
Birth of Swiss operatic coloratura soprano Karin Ott in Wädenswil near Zürich, later known for roles such as Konstanze and the Queen of the Night.
1956
Born
Birth of Lebanese soprano Majida El Roumi in Kfarshima, who became one of the Arab world's leading classical and crossover singers.
1967
Died
Death of Russian lyric-coloratura soprano Valeria Barsova, a leading soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre in the first half of the 20th century.
1969
Born
Birth of American soprano Jonita Lattimore in Chicago, later active in opera, concert, and oratorio repertoire.
1973
Died
Death of Belgian lyric soprano Fanny Heldy in Paris, long admired for her roles at the Opéra-Comique and Paris Opéra.
1993
Born
Birth of Russian mezzo-soprano Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, who would go on to appear at major European opera houses in bel canto and Russian repertoire.
2018
Died
Death of Hungarian-German operatic coloratura soprano Sylvia Geszty in Stuttgart, noted for roles such as the Queen of the Night and Zerbinetta.
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