Maddalena Laura Sirmen facts for kids

Maddalena Sirmen

Maddalena Sirmen (born December 9, 1745 – died May 18, 1818) was a talented Italian composer, violinist, and singer. She became famous in the 1700s for her amazing violin playing and her beautiful music.

Her Life Story

Maddalena Laura Lombardini was born in Venice, Italy. Her family was noble but very poor. When she was seven, she started studying music at a special school called San Lazzaro dei Mendicanti. This was one of four big schools in Venice that taught music to girls who didn't have families.

Maddalena dreamed of becoming a professional violinist. This was hard because most famous musicians at the time were men. She was sometimes allowed to leave the school to study with a very skilled violinist and composer named Giuseppe Tartini. Tartini was so impressed with her talent that he even paid for her music lessons himself!

Becoming a Professional Musician

When Maddalena was 21, she earned her "maestro" license from the school. This meant she was a master musician and could start her own music career outside of Venice.

In 1767, she married another famous violinist, Ludovico Sirmen. They started performing together that same year. Ludovico really supported Maddalena's career. He respected her compositions and was proud of her success as a solo artist. Maddalena quickly became known as one of the best violinists and composers who ever trained in a Venetian school.

Her Amazing Performances

People loved Maddalena's playing. A critic named Quirino Gasparini wrote about her:

"She won the hearts of all the people of Turin with her playing . . . It will make [Tartini] all the happier, since this student of his plays his violin compositions with such perfection that it is obvious she is his descendant."

Maddalena Lombardini was also a very successful composer. In 1768, she and her husband performed in Paris. They played a special double violin concerto that they wrote together. A French newspaper, the "Mercure de France," praised their performance of their own music.

In 1771, Maddalena performed her "Concerto on the Violin" in London. It received great reviews and a lot of support. Her music showed off the violin's amazing sounds in a style that was popular in the early Classical period.

Maddalena visited London one last time in 1772, but this time she performed as a singer. Even though her career became less active in her later years, she is remembered as a creative and brilliant performer and composer from the 1700s.

Her Musical Works

Maddalena Sirmen wrote many pieces of music. Here are some of her most famous works:

• "Six Trios à deux violons et violoncelle obligé" (Six Trios for two violins and cello)
• "Six Quartettes à deux violons, alto, et basse" (Six Quartets for two violins, viola, and bass)
• "6 Duets for 2 violins, dedicated to the Duke of Gloucester"
• "6 Concertos for violin with accompaniment for oboe, 2 horns & strings" (written between 1771 and 1773)
• "Six Sonates à deux violons" (Six Sonatas for two violins)
• "Six Concertos adapted for the Harpsichord by Signor Giordani" (These were her violin concertos arranged for a harpsichord)

See also

In Spanish: Maddalena Laura Sirmen para niños