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Gaetano Donizetti's opera "Anna Bolena" premieres in Milan

Fausta is a melodramma, or opera seria, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was partly written by Domenico Gilardoni, who died while doing so: the remainder was written by...

Fausta is a melodramma, or opera seria, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was partly written by Domenico Gilardoni, who died while doing so: the remainder was written by Donizetti. The literary source of the opera's libretto is Crispo, a tragedy improvised by Tommaso Sgricci on 3 November 1827.

The opera successfully debuted on 12 January 1832 at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, and was written with prima donna Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis in mind; she was rumored to be the king's mistress.

Although the libretto had irked the chief censor, the production went ahead, supposedly because of Ronzi de Begnis' influence in high places. Donizetti wrote this opera for the birthday of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies.

Historical Significance

Fausta is a melodramma, or opera seria, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti.

Events Before

  1. Robert Peel introduces the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 into Parliament to establish a unified police force for London,

    Robert Peel introduces the Metropolitan Police Act 1829 into Parliament to establish a unified police force for London, the city's first modern police force

  2. William Austin Burt patents America's first typewriter, the typographer

    The typographer was an early typewriter invented by William Austin Burt. Intended to aid in office work, the machine worked by using a lever to press characters onto paper one at a time.

  3. First units of the London Metropolitan Police appear on the streets of the British capital, the city's first modern poli

    First units of the London Metropolitan Police appear on the streets of the British capital, the city's first modern police force

  4. German composer Fanny Mendelssohn (23) weds German artist Wilhelm Hensel (35), until her death in 1847 [1]

    German composer Fanny Mendelssohn (23) weds German artist Wilhelm Hensel (35), until her death in 1847 [1]

  5. Britain outlaws "suttee" in India, a Hindu practice where a widow burns herself to death on her husband's funeral pyre

    Sati or suttee is a chiefly historical Hindu practice in which a widow burns alive on her deceased husband's funeral pyre, either voluntarily, by coercion, or by a perception of the lack of...

Events After

  1. Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador),

    Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador), the only plantation diary to survive from the Bahamas (ends Dec 1832) [1]

  2. Soldier and future Confederate General Robert E. Lee (24) marries Mary Custis (22) at Arlington House, Arlington Virgini

    Soldier and future Confederate General Robert E. Lee (24) marries Mary Custis (22) at Arlington House, Arlington Virginia

  3. "America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)" with lyrics by Samuel Francis Smith has its first public performance at Park Street

    "America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)" with lyrics by Samuel Francis Smith has its first public performance at Park Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts

  4. Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Head of State of modern Greece, is assassinated in Nafplion

    Count Ioannis Antoniou Kapodistrias, sometimes anglicized as John Capodistrias, was a Greek statesman who was one of the most distinguished politicians and diplomats of 19th-century...

  5. Michael Faraday demonstrates his dynamo invention, an electric generator

    Michael Faraday (22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the study of electrochemistry and electromagnetism.

More from the 1830s

Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador),

Slave plantation owner Charles Farquharson begins his diary at Prospect Hill Plantation, Watlings Island (San Salvador), the only plantation diary to survive from the Bahamas (ends Dec 1832) [1]

Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people

Curaçao census: 2,602 white people, 6,531 free people, 5,894 enslaved people

German Zollverein (Customs Union) comes into effect

The Zollverein, or German Customs Union, was a coalition of German states formed to manage tariffs and economic policies within their territories.

First official horse race in South Australia takes place in Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the fifth-most populous city in Australia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on December 26, 1830?
Fausta is a melodramma, or opera seria, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was partly written by Domenico Gilardoni, who died while doing so: the remainder was written by Donizetti. The literary source of the opera's libretto is Crispo, a tragedy improvised by Tommaso Sgricci on 3 November 1827.
Why is Gaetano Donizetti's opera "Anna Bolena" premieres in Milan significant?
Fausta is a melodramma, or opera seria, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti.

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December 26 in HistoryYear 1830