Felicita Casella facts for kids
Felicita Casella (born around 1820, died after 1865) was a talented singer and composer. She was born in Bourges, France, but became known as an Italian artist. She was the sister of another musician, Louis Lacombe.
Before 1849, Felicita married Cesare Casella, who was a cellist and composer from Italy. They moved together to Oporto, a city in Portugal.
Her Musical Journey
Felicita Casella wrote and performed many musical pieces. Her first opera was called Haydée. An opera is a play where the story is told mostly through singing, with music played by an orchestra.
Haydée was first performed in Oporto in 1849. Later, in 1853, it was performed again in Lisbon, Portugal. Felicita herself sang the main role in this performance.
Her next big opera was Cristoforo Colombo. This opera was performed in 1865 at the Théâtre Impérial in Nice, France.
What She Composed
Felicita Casella wrote two operas and many other types of music. She composed songs called romances, and pieces for voice and piano.
Here are some of her known works:
- Haydée: This was a Portuguese opera. Its story was based on the famous book Le Comte de Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. It was first performed in 1849.
- Cristoforo Colombo: This opera was performed in 1865. The words for the opera (called the libretto) were written by Felice Romani.
- Marcia funebre: This piece was written for the piano. It was a funeral march for Maria II, who was the Queen of Portugal.
- Ave verum: This was a piece written for voice and piano.
