Anastasia Robinson facts for kids
Anastasia Robinson (born around 1692 – died April 1755), later known as Anastasia, Countess of Peterborough, was a famous English singer. She started as a soprano and later became a contralto. She lived during the Baroque period, a time known for its grand and dramatic music.
Anastasia is best known for working with the famous composer George Frideric Handel. She sang in many of his operas. She was the first to play important roles in several of Handel's operas. These included Zenobia in Radamisto (1720) and Cornelia in Giulio Cesare (1724). She also sang as Irene in Muzio Scevola (1721) and Elmira in Floridante (1721). Other roles were Matilda in Ottone (1723) and Teodata in Flavio (1723).
Early Life and First Steps in Music
Anastasia Robinson was the oldest daughter of Thomas Robinson. Her father was a portrait painter. He worked in Italy for some time, and Anastasia might have been born there.
She first learned music privately at home. Her earliest performances were at private concerts. These concerts took place at Golden Square, where her father owned a house. At these events, she would sing and play the harpsichord herself.
In the early 1710s, her father's eyesight began to get worse. Anastasia needed to earn money for her family. So, she decided to become a professional singer.
A Star on Stage
Anastasia started working with Handel around 1714. He wrote a special solo part for her in his Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne. She joined his music company that year. Her first big performance was in an opera called Creso. This was a pasticcio, which means an opera made from music by different composers.
London audiences really liked her singing. Her career grew quickly. In 1715, she played Almirena in a new version of Handel's Rinaldo. She also created the role of Oriana in Handel's Amadigi. Handel even wrote a new scene just for her in a 1717 performance of Amadigi.
Around 1719, Anastasia had an illness. This caused her voice to change. She went from being a soprano (high voice) to a contralto (lower voice).
When Handel's Royal Academy of Music was formed in 1719, Anastasia was hired. She earned a very good salary of £1000 a year. She created many new roles for this company. Her most famous role was Cornelia in Giulio Cesare. This role was full of deep feelings and sadness. She also sang in works by other composers like Bononcini.
Soon after Giulio Cesare opened in February 1724, Anastasia stopped performing on stage. In 1722 (or maybe 1723), she secretly married Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough. He was a very important person. He did not tell everyone they were married until 1735, just before he passed away. Until then, they lived separately.
Anastasia seemed to return to performing in some way by 1745. She created the role of Dejanira in Handel's opera Hercules.
Her Singing Style
Anastasia Robinson was known for her beautiful voice. People said it had a sweet sound. She was also very good at showing feelings and had a strong stage presence. She wasn't known for showing off with difficult vocal tricks.
Handel made sure his music supported her voice well. The demanding roles she played in operas like Giulio Cesare showed she was also a talented actress. A diplomat visiting London in the 1720s even said she was as good as the amazing singer Margherita Durastanti.
Some of her letters are still kept today in a collection in Modena. These letters, along with her popularity, suggest she was a very charming person.
See Also
- List of entertainers who married titled Britishers
