December 6 — On This Day in Opera

Birth of German operatic soprano Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient in Hamburg, later famed for her intensely dramatic performances in works by Mozart, Beethoven, Weber, and Wagner.

Birth of Italian contralto Barbara Marchisio in Turin, celebrated for her bel canto and Rossini roles and often performing with her soprano sister Carlotta Marchisio.

World premiere of Hector Berlioz’s "La damnation de Faust" (légende dramatique) at the Opéra-Comique in Paris.

First performance of Verdi’s opera "La traviata" in France, given in Italian by the Théâtre-Italien at the Salle Ventadour in Paris.

World premiere of Berlioz’s grand opera "Les Troyens" at the Großherzogliches Hoftheater in Karlsruhe, Germany.

World premiere (Old Style 6 December / New Style 18 December) of Tchaikovsky’s one-act opera "Iolanta" at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, on a double bill with "The Nutcracker."

Birth of English soprano Elsie Griffin in Bristol, later renowned for her performances in the Savoy Operas with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.

Birth of Dutch operatic coloratura soprano Wilma Driessen (Wilhelmina Jacoba Driessen), noted for her versatility in opera, operetta, and musical theatre.

Swedish-American soprano Astrid Varnay makes a sensational last-minute Metropolitan Opera debut as Sieglinde in Wagner’s "Die Walküre" in New York, one of the most celebrated debuts in Met history.

Birth of Czech operatic soprano Ludmila Vernerová in Prague, later a long-time member of the Prague State Opera and noted for roles from Baroque to Romantic repertoire.

Birth of Italian soprano Silvia Piccollo in Genoa, active in concert and opera, particularly in Baroque and Classical repertoire.

Death of American soprano and composer Lillian Evanti (Annie Wilson Lillian Evans) in Washington, D.C., a pioneering African American opera singer who performed with major European companies.

Death of Swiss tenor Hugues Cuénod in Vevey at the age of 108; noted for his extraordinarily long career and wide repertoire from early music to modern works.