Opera timeline
Rusalka, by the Czech composer Anton Dvorák, is performed in Prague
Claude Debussy's opera Pelléas et Mélisande has its premiere in Paris
Italian tenor Enrico Caruso makes his US debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera
Leos Janacek's opera Jenufa, based on a play by Gabriela Preissová, has its premiere in Brno
Giacomo Puccini's opera Madama Butterfly falls victim at La Scala to claques paid for by rivals
Richard Strauss's Salome, based on Oscar Wilde's play, has wide success in spite of censorship difficulties
Franz Lehár's operetta The Merry Widow opens in Vienna at the start of an immensely successful run
Ethel Smyth's most successful opera, The Wreckers, is premiered in Leipzig
Sergei Diaghilev presents Fyodor Chaliapin in Boris Godunov at the Paris Opera
The opera Elektra, the first collaboration between Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal, has its premiere in Dresden
Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Golden Cockerel has its premiere in Moscow
Giacomo Puccini's opera Girl of the Golden West premieres in New York
Richard Strauss changes musical direction with his opera Der Rosenkavalier, once again with libretto by Hugo von Hoffmannsthal
The Berlin Opera Ballet is founded to perform in the city's new opera house
The opera Ariadne auf Naxos, by Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal, has its first premiere in Stuttgart
The tenor Beniamino Gigli wins an international singing competition in Parma, and makes his operatic debut later in the same year
The opera Goyescas, by Spanish composer Enrique Granados, has its premiere in New York
The success of Jenufa in Prague finally brings international recognition to Leos Janacek, already in his sixties
Béla Bartók's opera Duke Bluebeard's Castle is finally staged in Budapest, nine years after its composition
Janacek's opera Kátya Kabanová, based on Ostrovsky's play The Storm, has its premiere in Brno
Albert Roussel's opera-ballet Padmâvâti is premiered in Paris
Leos Janacek's opera The Cunning Little Vixen, based on verses by Rudolf Tesnohlídek, is premiered in Brno
Giacomo Puccini dies without finishing his opera Turandot, which is subsequently completed by Franco Alfani
Maurice Ravel and Colette provide music and libretto for the opera The Child and the Enchantments
Alban Berg's opera Wozzeck has its premiere in Berlin