1870 premiere of Leo Delibes's ballet Coppélia at the Théâtre Impérial l'Opéra in Paris, about an inventor, Dr Coppelius, who has made a life-size dancing doll.
1878 premiere of Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore; their 4th operatic collaboration and their first international sensation, it contributed significantly to the development of modern musical theater.
1961 premiere of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s opera Il Mercante di Venezia (The Merchant of Venice) at the Maggio Musicale Festival in Florence, Italy; had won first prize in the highly prestigious Campari competition conducted by the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan in 1958.