Caroline Unger facts for kids
Caroline Unger (born October 28, 1803 – died March 23, 1877) was a very talented singer from Austria-Hungary. She was a contralto, which means she had a deep, rich female singing voice. People sometimes spelled her name Ungher, and she was also known as Karoline, Carolina, or Carlotta.
Contents
Caroline Unger's Life and Music
Caroline was born in Vienna, a big city in Austria. She traveled to Italy to study music and become an even better singer. Some of her teachers were famous musicians like Aloysia Weber Lange and Domenico Ronconi.
Early Performances and Big Breaks
Caroline first performed on stage in her hometown of Vienna in 1821. She sang in an opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart called Così fan tutte. A very famous composer, Franz Schubert, even helped her practice for a short time!
Three years later, in 1824, Caroline had two incredibly important performances. She sang in the very first performances of Ludwig van Beethoven's amazing Ninth Symphony and his Missa solemnis. These were huge events in music history!
Singing in Italy and New Roles
After 1825, Caroline spent a lot of time performing in Italy, especially in Naples. She became engaged to Domenico Barbaia, who was in charge of the famous Teatro di San Carlo opera house.
Many composers wrote special singing parts just for Caroline! Some of these roles included:
- Isoletta in Vincenzo Bellini's opera La straniera (in 1829)
- Parts in Gaetano Donizetti's operas like Parisina (in 1833), Antonina in Belisario (in 1836), and Maria de Rudenz (in 1838)
- Bianca in Saverio Mercadante's Le due illustre rivali (in 1838)
Success in Paris and Rossini's Praise
In October 1833, Caroline had a huge success at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris, France. Another famous composer, Gioachino Rossini, was so impressed by her voice that he said she had "the ardour of the south, the energy of the north, brazen lungs, a silver voice and a golden talent." That's a lot of praise!
Retirement and Legacy
In 1841, Caroline married a French writer named François Sabatier-Ungher. She decided to stop performing on stage in 1843. Caroline Unger passed away in Florence, Italy, in 1877. She was buried in the cemetery of the San Miniato al Monte basilica there.
Caroline Unger is also remembered for a famous story about Beethoven. At the first performance of his Ninth Symphony, Beethoven was deaf and couldn't hear the audience's applause. It's said that Caroline gently turned him around so he could see the audience cheering loudly for his incredible music.
