Elisabetta de Gambarini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elisabetta de Gambarini
portrait by Nathaniel Hone
Born	7 September 1730
Died	9 February 1765  (aged 34)
Occupation	Singer, composer

Elisabetta de Gambarini (born September 7, 1730 – died February 9, 1765) was a very talented English musician from the 1700s. She was a composer, singer, organist, harpsichordist, pianist, and even an orchestral conductor! Her music mixes styles from the late Baroque and Classical periods.

Elisabetta was known for being a well-rounded musician. She performed and composed for many different instruments and for singing. She was also the first female composer in Britain to publish a collection of music for keyboard instruments.

Early Life and Family

Elisabetta de Gambarini was born on September 7, 1730, in London, England. Her father, Charles Gambarini, was a nobleman from Italy. He worked as a counsellor for a German ruler. Her mother, Joanna Stradiotti, was also from a noble family.

Elisabetta was the third of four children. Sadly, she was the only one who lived to become an adult. Her name sometimes appears in different ways, like Elizabeth Gambarini or Elisabetta Gambarini.

Marriage and Later Life

On March 20, 1764, Elisabetta married Etienne Chazal. She gave one concert after her marriage, performing as "Mrs. Chazal."

Less than a year later, on February 9, 1765, she passed away at her home in London. She was buried on February 14. We know from her mother's will that Elisabetta had a daughter named Giovanna Georgiana Chazal. Not much else is known about her husband or daughter.

Musical Training

We don't have many details about Elisabetta de Gambarini's formal music lessons. However, some people think she might have studied with Francesco Geminiani. He was a famous composer known for his work called The Inchanted Forest.

During the 1700s, more and more women started getting involved in music. Many young women from noble families learned music from a young age. Music was seen as an important skill for women. It showed that their family was refined and helped them fill their free time. For young ladies, being musical could even help them find a husband.

Women often played music at home for fun. They would sing or play instruments like the lute or harpsichord. These instruments were good for playing alone or for supporting their own singing. Playing string instruments like the violin was less common for women. This was because of the way you had to hold the larger instruments. So, many women chose to play the smallest member of the viol family, called the pardessus.

Music Career

Elisabetta started her career as a singer. She performed in famous composer Handel's works. These included his Occasional Oratorio (1746–1747), Judas Maccabaeus (1747), and Joseph and his Brethren (1747). Her name also appears in scores for Handel's Samson and Messiah.

By 1748, Elisabetta was well-known enough to put on her own concerts. She would sing and play her own music on the organ. That same year, she published her first two collections of music. She was the first British woman to publish a collection of keyboard music. This collection, called The Six Sets of Lessons for the Harpsichord, was published when she was still a teenager. Many important people subscribed to her music, including Handel and Geminiani, as well as dukes and lords.

Later in 1748, she published Lessons for the Harpsichord Intermix'd with Italian and English Songs. This was dedicated to the Prince of Wales. In 1750, she published XII English & Italian Songs, for a German flute and Thorough Bass...Opera III. This collection was mainly for woodwind players.

Throughout her career, Elisabetta performed at famous venues like the Haymarket Theatre in London. She often gave "benefit concerts," where she performed as a composer, harpsichordist, organist, and singer.

Women in Music

As the 1700s went on, women composers started writing more complex music. In the 1600s, noblewomen mostly wrote simple songs for family. But later, daughters of musicians began composing operas, ballets, and even oratorios. Many women achieved great things in music during this time. This was partly due to big changes happening in Europe.

A very important invention was the piano. The piano made it easier for women to get involved in music. It led to many new pieces written for solo piano and for small groups. The lied (a type of German song) also became popular. This style of music was perfect for playing at home, where women were already accepted as performers. Large public performances, like operas or orchestral music, were often off-limits to women.

We don't know if Elisabetta de Gambarini composed lied music. However, other female composers like Corona Schröter and Maria Theresia Paradis were known for their lied compositions.

Elisabetta's Music

Elisabetta's Six Sets of Lessons for the Harpsichord are pleasant pieces, mostly written for two voices. In 1759, she published three sets of songs and harpsichord pieces. Her songs were short, with the longest being only 53 measures. The words in her songs often taught moral lessons or referred to classical stories.

Concerts in the 1700s often mixed different types of music. So, Elisabetta's short keyboard pieces and songs would have fit well into a varied program. The title of her Opus 2: Lessons for the Harpsichord Intermix'd with Italian and English Songs shows this mix. Her songs could be performed in different ways: by a singer, a flute, a keyboard, or even a voice and flute together. Her writing style was simple and clear, making her music lively and appealing.

Known Works

• The Six Sets of Lessons for the Harpsichord (Op. 1), 1748
• Lessons for the Harpsichord Intermix'd with Italian and English Songs (Op. 2), 1748
• XII English & Italian Songs, for a German flute and Thorough Bass...Opera III
• War March
• Victory for voice and organ
• Forest Scene for horns and timpani
• Tho Mars, Still Friends to France
• The Friendly Wish
• Forgive Ye Fair
• Honour, Riches, Marriage-Blessing from The Tempest
• Overture for French horns
• Overtures
• Organ concertos
• Solos for piano and violin
• Ode for chorus

Instruments Elisabetta Played

Elisabetta de Gambarini was skilled at playing several instruments, including:

• Violin
• Harpsichord
• Piano
• Organ

Recordings of Her Music

You can listen to Elisabetta de Gambarini's music on these recordings:

• 18th Century Women Composers – Music for Solo Harpsichord, Vol. 1. Performed by Barbara Harbach, harpsichord. Gasparo Records GSCD-272 (1995).
• Anthony Noble, Elizabeth Gambarini: Complete Works for Harpsichord. Herald Records HAVPCD 244 (2000).

Images for kids

• 

  portrait by Nathaniel Hone

See also

In Spanish: Elisabetta de Gambarini para niños