Francesca Lebrun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Francesca Lebrun
Francesca Lebrun, in the collection of the Art Gallery of South Australia
Background information
Birth name	Franziska Dorothea Danzi
Born	24 March 1756 Mannheim, Germany
Died	14 May 1791
Occupation(s)	German singer and composer
Instruments	keyboard

Francesca Lebrun (born Franziska Dorothea Danzi; 24 March 1756 – 14 May 1791) was a famous German singer and composer from the 1700s. She was not only a talented singer but also a skilled composer and keyboard player. She wrote twelve sonatas for piano or harpsichord with violin music. These were first published in London, England, between 1779 and 1781. Her music was also printed in Paris and other German cities.

Early Life and Musical Family

Francesca Lebrun was born Franziska Dorothea Danzi in Mannheim, Germany. She came from a very musical family. Her father, Innocenz Danzi, was a cellist from Italy. Her younger brother, Franz Danzi, also became a famous composer and cellist.

Francesca was the oldest child. Her mother, Barbara Sidonia Margaretha Toeschi, was a dancer. Her father and mother were important performers at the Mannheim court in the 1750s. Her brothers, Franz and Johann Baptist, were also successful musicians and composers. Her uncle, Karl Joseph Toeschi, was a violinist, composer, and conductor.

Francesca was known for her amazing singing voice. Important composers like Anton Schweitzer and Antonio Salieri wanted her to sing the main roles in their operas.

Her Amazing Career

Francesca first sang in public when she was 16 years old. The next year, the Mannheim Opera hired her. She quickly became a lead singer. She performed in important operas like Anton Schweitzer's Alceste (1775). She also sang the role of Anna in Holzbauer's Günther von Schwarzburg (1777). This role was written just for her voice.

When she was 21, she traveled to London. There, she sang in four opera shows by J.C. Bach and Sacchini.

Marriage and European Tours

In 1778, she married Ludwig August Lebrun. He was a talented oboe player and composer from Mannheim. After they married, Francesca became known as Signora Lebrun. That summer, she and Ludwig toured Italy.

On August 3, 1778, Francesca was the main female singer at the opening of the Teatro Alla Scala opera house in Milan. She sang in Antonio Salieri's opera Europa Riconosciuta. In 1779, she amazed audiences in Paris. She could sing Italian words to instrumental parts of symphonies.

The Lebruns lived in London from 1779 to 1781. During this time, Francesca performed at the King's Theater. In 1780, the famous English artist Thomas Gainsborough painted her portrait.

A Celebrated Soprano

Francesca was a celebrated soprano, which means she had a very high singing voice. She sang on major opera and concert stages across Europe. She performed in England, Germany, and Italy, and everyone loved her performances.

A musician named C.F.D. Schubart said she could sing a very high A note. He noted that she sang it with "clarity and distinctness." Another writer, Charles Burney, said that when she and her husband performed together, their music blended perfectly.

Francesca also started a family. Her daughter Sophie Lebrun was born in London in June 1781. Her second daughter, Rosine, was born in Munich in 1783. Francesca and Ludwig toured Europe again in 1785. They spent a season in Naples, then went to Berlin and London. Ludwig died in London in 1790. Francesca performed only twice after his death. She passed away on May 14, 1791, at the age of 35. She was born and died in the same year as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Her daughters also became well-known musicians. Rosine Lebrun (1783–1855) was a successful opera singer and actress. Sophie [Dülken] (1781–1863) became a famous pianist and composer. Sophie's daughters and granddaughters also became musicians, continuing the family's musical legacy.

See Also

In Spanish: Franziska Lebrun para niños