Opera Libretti, Translations, and Opera History

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Norma: Side-by-Side Italian–English Opera Libretto
Norma: Side-by-Side Italian–English Opera Libretto
Experience Bellini's Norma with the original Italian libretto and a faithful side-by-side English translation.
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Norma: Italian–English Side-by-Side Libretto With Translation
July 19, 2026
Norma libretto with translation are now available

Today in Opera History — July 19

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1814
French composer Victor Massé, best known for the operas "Les noces de Jeannette" and "Paul et Virginie", was born in Lorient.
1834
French composer Edgar Degas, who later collaborated on several opera-related productions and designed stage works, was born in Paris.
1868
Birth of American amateur coloratura soprano Florence Foster Jenkins, known later as the ‘world’s worst opera singer’, born in Wilkes‑Barre, Pennsylvania.
1886
Franz Liszt's oratorio "Die Legende von der heiligen Elisabeth" received its first staged performance at Bayreuth under the direction of Hans Richter.
1941
American dramatic soprano Eileen Farrell made her professional operatic debut in a concert performance of Verdi's "Aida".
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