Angelica Catalani facts for kids
Angelica Catalani (born May 10, 1780 – died June 12, 1849) was a famous Italian opera singer. She was known for her amazing voice, a dramatic soprano that could reach almost three octaves! Her voice was incredibly powerful and flexible, making her one of the best "bravura" singers ever. Bravura means singing with great skill and brilliance. Angelica also taught singing to others, and she was friends with famous composers like Beethoven and Rossini.
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Her Early Life and Amazing Voice
Angelica Catalani was born in Sinigaglia, Italy, on May 10, 1780. Her father was a tradesman. Around age 12, she went to a convent school near Rome. There, her beautiful voice quickly became very popular. People often applauded her singing during church services!
Her voice was pure, strong, and had a wide range. She could sing very high notes with a sweet, clear sound. She was also incredibly fast and precise when singing difficult musical scales. Some people say no singer has ever been better than her at these fast, tricky parts.
Starting Her Career
After leaving the convent, Angelica's parents faced financial difficulties. This meant she had to start performing in public. Her singing training at the convent wasn't perfect. She had some habits that made certain notes sound a bit shaky. However, her voice was so powerful and clear, and her singing was so natural, that she quickly became very successful.
At first, the popular style of singing was more emotional and gentle. Angelica wasn't as famous for this style. But she became a huge hit with songs that showed off her amazing vocal tricks and powerful voice.
In 1795, at just 16 years old, she got her first job at the La Fenice opera house in Venice. She performed in an opera called 'Lodoiska'. Her looks, stage presence, and voice made her an instant success. This success lasted for almost 30 years! She then sang in other Italian cities like Leghorn, Florence, Milan, Rome, and Naples. Everywhere she went, people were amazed by her voice.
Moving to Portugal and Marriage
Her fame reached the Prince Regent of Portugal. He hired her to sing at the Italian Opera in Lisbon. She arrived there around 1804. She earned a very high salary, about £3,000, which would be a huge amount of money today.
While in Portugal, Angelica met Paul Valabrègue, a French diplomat. They got married in 1804. Her husband helped manage her career and finances. They traveled to Madrid and Paris, where she sang in concerts and became even more famous. Even Napoleon wanted to hire her!
Success in London
On October 26, 1805, Angelica signed a contract to sing at the King's Theatre in London. She was paid £2,000 for the season, plus money for her travel. She also got a special "Benefit Night" where she could perform a new opera.
When she arrived in London in 1806, two other famous singers had just retired. So, Angelica became the biggest star. People were amazed by her voice. One famous critic, Lord Mount Edgcumbe, said her voice was "of a most uncommon quality" and could do "exertions almost supernatural." He noted how powerful and agile her voice was, able to jump over two octaves at once! However, he also felt she sometimes used too many fancy vocal tricks instead of just trying to please the audience with simple beauty.
Angelica made her London debut on December 15, 1806, in an opera written just for her. She also sang in other operas, including Mozart's 'Nozze di Figaro' (The Marriage of Figaro), where she played the role of Susanna. She was so good that she could sing both leading female parts and even male parts! She also did well in comic operas, where she sang with more simplicity.
Financial Gains and Challenges
Angelica's earnings became enormous. She was the main reason people came to the theatre. In 1807, she earned about £5,000 from the theatre and over £16,000 from concerts and tours. This was an incredible amount of money for a single artist at that time.
Sometimes, she had trouble getting paid by the theatre managers. Once, she refused to sing until she received £1,000 she was owed. She even earned as much as 200 guineas for singing patriotic songs like 'God Save the King' and 'Rule Britannia'.
Despite earning so much, she didn't save a lot of money. Her husband, Paul Valabrègue, was not good with money and made some poor financial decisions. Angelica stayed in England for seven years, becoming the most important singer there. Her husband used to say, "My wife and four or five dolls – that's all you need!" meaning she was the only star required for an opera.
Later Career and Retirement
Angelica left the London theatre at the end of the 1813 season. She even tried to buy the theatre herself, but it didn't work out. After London, she managed the Italian opera in Paris for a while. However, this project wasn't successful. She cut costs too much and didn't hire other good singers, which hurt the quality of the shows.
After Napoleon returned to power in 1815, she left Paris and toured through Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. Everywhere she went, she was met with huge admiration. She returned to Paris and tried to run the opera again, but the same problems continued. She focused on her own performances, often adding her famous songs into other operas.
In 1818, she left the opera management completely and started touring again. This tour lasted almost ten years! She visited Vienna, Germany, Italy, and Paris again, though her performances in Paris were not as successful this time. She also sang in Poland and Russia. By 1827, her voice was still beautiful and strong, but it was starting to lose some of its highest notes. She decided to stop singing in public.
Final Performances and Legacy
However, she did return to England one more time in 1828 to sing at the York Festival. Lord Mount Edgcumbe heard her that year and said she had gained more expression in her singing, even if her voice was slightly less powerful. She still "electrified" audiences with 'Rule Britannia'.
After this, she retired to a villa she bought near Florence, Italy. On stage, she sometimes seemed nervous, which made her exaggerate her performances. She once said that singing in the theatre was painful for her, but singing in concerts was delightful.
Angelica Catalani was known for her kindness, modesty, and generosity. She performed countless charity concerts, raising an estimated 2,000,000 francs for good causes. At her home, she even started a singing school for young girls.
Angelica Catalani died in Paris on June 12, 1849, from cholera.
Her sister-in-law, Adelina Catalani, was also a soprano singer, but not as famous. She was sometimes called la Catalani juniore (the younger Catalani) to tell her apart from Angelica.
Images for kids
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Angelica Catalani, 1806 by Louise Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
See also
In Spanish: Angelica Catalani para niños
