December 13 — On This Day in Opera

World premiere of Giovanni Legrenzi's opera "Eteocle e Polinice" at the Teatro San Salvador in Venice.

Birth of Pauline Anna Milder-Hauptmann in Constantinople, an operatic soprano later celebrated for early performances of Beethoven's "Fidelio."

The Teatro La Fenice in Venice is devastated by a major fire during the night of 13 December, destroying the famous opera house.

Birth of Romanian composer George Stephănescu in Bucharest, later a central figure in the formation of Romanian national opera.

Death of Italian tenor Carlo Guasco, renowned for creating leading roles in Verdi's operas "I Lombardi alla prima crociata," "Ernani," and "Attila."

Birth of Romanian conductor Jonel (Ionel) Perlea in Ograda, later internationally associated with Italian and German opera repertory.

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.

Birth of Lebanese soprano Majida El Roumi in Kfarshima, who became one of the Arab world's leading classical and crossover singers.

Death of Russian lyric-coloratura soprano Valeria Barsova, a leading soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre in the first half of the 20th century.

Birth of American soprano Jonita Lattimore in Chicago, later active in opera, concert, and oratorio repertoire.

Death of Belgian lyric soprano Fanny Heldy in Paris, long admired for her roles at the Opéra-Comique and Paris Opéra.

Birth of Russian mezzo-soprano Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, who would go on to appear at major European opera houses in bel canto and Russian repertoire.

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.

Death of Hungarian-German operatic coloratura soprano Sylvia Geszty in Stuttgart, noted for roles such as the Queen of the Night and Zerbinetta.