Teresa Cornelys facts for kids
Teresa Cornelys (sometimes spelled Theresa; born Anna Maria Teresa Imer in 1723 in Venice – died August 19, 1797, in Fleet Prison, London) was a talented opera singer (soprano) and a successful event organizer. She became famous for hosting popular and fashionable parties at Carlisle House in Soho Square, London. She had a daughter.
Early Life and Opera Career
Teresa's father, Giuseppe Imer, organized opera shows, and her mother, Paolina, was an actress. Her sister Marianna was also an opera singer. In 1745, Teresa moved to Vienna with Angelo Pompeati, a dancer and choreographer. They got married in St. Stephen's Cathedral. However, she soon left Vienna for a singing job at the King's Theatre in Haymarket, London.
Her first child, Giuseppe, was born in Vienna in 1746. After traveling with the opera company of Gluck, her second child, Wilhelmine, was born in Bayreuth in 1753. Her daughter, Sophia Wilhelmina Frederica, was born in 1754. Later that year, Teresa moved to Paris. For a while, she managed theaters in the Austrian Netherlands. Sadly, Wilhelmine and another baby born in Paris passed away. Teresa faced financial difficulties and was held for debt in Paris. In 1759, Giuseppe was taken to be raised by his father.
Teresa's first performance in London in 1746 was not very successful. One person wrote that her singing was "masculine and violent." However, in 1759, a man named John Freeman convinced her to return to London, telling her she could earn a lot of money.
Life in London
Teresa returned to England in 1759 from Rotterdam. She used the name Madame Cornelys and presented herself as a widow, which gave her more respect. In 1760, she rented Carlisle House, a large house in fashionable Soho Square, for £180 a year. She was helped by Elizabeth Chudleigh, a well-known lady. That autumn, Teresa began hosting parties by selling tickets in advance.
Her parties were so successful that she bought the lease for the house. She then built a large extension, adding a concert hall or ballroom above a supper room that could seat four hundred people. On June 19, 1761, she placed a special copper plate in the foundations to thank her first supporters and Mrs. Elizabeth Chudleigh. She also decorated the house with beautiful furniture. Much of the furniture was rented, and she often paid for work with tickets to her events.
Despite some early money problems, her parties were a huge success, especially the fancy masked balls. She even had to add a new door because so many people came! Guests included members of the royal family, the Prince of Monaco, and the King of Denmark. In February 1770, Parliament even ended early so members could attend one of her masquerades. Famous writers like Laurence Sterne, Tobias Smollett, Thackeray, and Dickens wrote about how amazing her events were. For her concerts, she hired the best musicians, including Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedrich Abel.
She held events once or twice a month, mostly in the winter. When other places opened, she made her house even more luxurious. She redecorated rooms in a Chinese style and built a Chinese bridge. She advertised in newspapers, saying her house would be "the most magnificent place of public entertainment in Europe." She reportedly spent £5,000 between 1767 and 1772 on improvements.
Madame Cornelys kept her establishment very popular, even though it was often crowded. Frances Burney wrote in 1770 that the rooms were magnificent, but so full that it was hard to move.
Teresa Cornelys was a very successful event planner. She had a country house in Hammersmith with many servants. Her daughter received a good education. Teresa controlled many details of her events, including who could attend and what they could wear (hooped skirts were not allowed because they took up too much room). When carriages caused traffic jams outside her house, she created London's first one-way system for coaches. However, she was not good with money. She often spent more than she earned, had trouble paying her employees, and continued to borrow money.
In January 1771, she began to present operas, which was against the law without a special royal license. She claimed they were for charity, but she and a singer named Gaetano Guadagni were fined. For her next opera, she charged extra to cover the fine. She tried to get a license but was denied.
Financial Troubles and Later Life
Madame Cornelys faced financial difficulties many times. In 1772, Carlisle House and its contents were sold off to pay her debts. After being released from prison, she bought a hotel in Southampton, but it also failed. In 1775, back in London, she organized a Venetian boat race on the Thames. She then returned to Carlisle House, this time as a manager. She held two very successful "rural masquerades," decorating the rooms with fresh grass, hedges, flowers, and even pine trees. However, she again faced bankruptcy, and in 1779, she was held in the King's Bench Prison. She escaped in June 1780 during the Gordon Riots, but was caught again in August.
In 1795, she was using the name Mrs. Smith and selling donkeys' milk in Knightsbridge. She tried to organize a series of breakfast events with royal support, but it was not successful. Her son helped support her in her later years, but he passed away before her. Teresa Cornelys died in the Fleet Prison at the age of 74 from an illness.
