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December 22 — On This Day in Opera

This page lists notable events in opera history that happened on December 22, including world premieres, composer births, deaths, and important milestones.

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1858
On 1858-12-22, Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Turandot) was born in Lucca.
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1902
On 1902-12-22, Italian operatic baritone Afro Poli was born in Pisa.
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1916
On 1916-12-22, Swiss bass Fernando Corena (noted for opera buffa roles, long Met career) was born.
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1935
On 1935-12-22, American contralto and opera singer Sophie Braslau died in Manhattan, New York City.
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1965
On 1965-12-22, Montserrat Caballé made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Marguerite in Gounod’s "Faust" (the same performance also marked Sherrill Milnes’s Met debut).
Faust
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1998
On 1998-12-22, Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera "The Golden Cockerel" had a new Royal Opera (London) production premiere at Sadler’s Wells Theatre.
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2010
On 2010-12-22, French baritone Ernest Blanc died (one of the leading French baritones of his era).
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