Anastasia Robinson

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Anastasia Robinson on harpsichord ( mezzotint by John Faber the Younger after a painting by John Vanderbank from 1723)

Anastasia Robinson (also Anastasia Mordaunt ; * around 1695 ; † April 1755 in Bath ) was an English opera singer who is best known for her collaboration with George Frideric Handel in the period from 1714 to 1724. Her voice was initially soprano , later alto . She rose to the English nobility by marriage and was a Countess of Peterborough and Monmouth .

Anastasia Robinson should not be confused with the soprano Ann Turner Robinson .

Life

She was the daughter of the portrait painter Thomas Robinson, nothing is known about her mother. Anastasia received her musical and vocal training from William Croft , Pietro Giuseppe Sandoni and Johanna Maria Lindelheim.

Since her father became blind and could no longer support the family, she was forced to pursue a professional career as a singer. She initially sang in private and public concerts. Her collaboration with Handel probably began in 1714 with the birthday code for Queen Anne Eternal Source of Light Divine , where she sang the soprano solo.

Anastasia Robinson appeared on the opera stage for the first time on January 27, 1714 as Climenide in the pasticcio Creso Re di Lidia . In the revivals of Handel's Rinaldo in 1714 and 1717, she sang Almirena, and in 1715 he composed the part of Oriana in Amadigi di Gaula for her . She sang next to the famous Kastrat en Nicolino . 1716-1717 she took part in performances of Alessandro Scarlatti's Pirro e Demetrio .

The Robinson had to switch from the soprano to the old position around this time, according to Charles Burney because of an illness, but it is also conceivable that the original classification as soprano was simply too high. In the opening season of the Royal Academie in 1720 she sang Lidia in the world premiere of Numitore by Giovanni Porta , and then Zenobia in the world premieres of Handel's Radamisto , and the role of Eco in Domenico Scarlatti's Narciso . She was paid a verifiable fee of £ 500 - which in the early 21st century corresponds to a sum of more than £ 50,000 pounds (or about $ 80,000 dollars ); In addition, there were usually valuable gifts.

In 1721, Anastasia Robinson sang for the first time alongside Margherita Durastanti and the famous Senesino (Francesco Bernardi) in the world premieres of Giovanni Bononcini's L 'odio e l'amore and the opera Muzio Scevola , a joint effort by Handel, Bononcini and Filippo Amadei. In December of the same year Handel had her perform as Prima donna Elmira in Floridante .

From 1723 Robinson belonged to the legendary ensemble with Francesca Cuzzoni , Senesino, Durastanti and the bass Giuseppe Maria Boschi . That year she was the first Matilda in Handel's Ottone and the first Teodata in his Flavio . Perhaps the most beautiful, best-known and also the last part that Handel created for her is the grieving widow Cornelia in Giulio Cesare (1724).

In the last two years of her career she also appeared in Bononcini's operas Farnace (1723) and Calfurnia (1724), as well as in several works by Attilio Ariosti (including Il Vespasiano ). Then she withdrew from the stage.

According to Charles Burney , Anastasia Robinson had a good and personable character who, together with her musical abilities, “ensured success in whatever she should undertake ”. She was not only friends with the composer Giovanni Bononcini (both were Roman Catholic ) and with the poet and satirist Alexander Pope , but also frequented the salons of higher society.

According to Misses Delany, a friend and supporter of Handel, Robinson secretly married Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough and 1st Earl of Monmouth, around 1722 . He kept the improper marriage a secret until his death in 1735 and did not mention his wife in his will . Although she lived on his estate until her death in 1755, Anastasia Robinson was never recognized by her husband's family.

literature

  • Irene Brandenburg: Robinson, Anastasia, married Countess of Peterborough , article in: MGG online (full access only with subscription; accessed June 22, 2020)
  • Rebecca Cypess: Anastasia Robinson , short biography in: Encyclopaedia Britannica online (English; accessed on June 22, 2020)

Web links

Commons : Anastasia Robinson  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
  • Anastasia Robinson, Countess of Peterborough and Monmouth , entry in the British Museum (English; accessed June 22, 2020)

Individual proof

  1. ↑ Some sources give as the year of birth "around 1692". According to Brandenburg, she was born in Italy around 1692 to 1695. In view of the fact that the age of singers at that time was often under 20 at their debut, and 15, 16 or 17 years were not uncommon, and in view of the "sinking" of Robinson's voice from 1720 at the latest, a later year of birth like 1698 would be conceivable and logical. Irene Brandenburg: Robinson, Anastasia, married Countess of Peterborough , in: MGG online (full access only with subscription; accessed on June 22, 2020)
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Rebecca Cypess: Anastasia Robinson , in: Encyclopaedia Britannica online (English; accessed on June 22, 2020)
  3. ↑ Anastasia Robinson, Countess of Peterborough and Monmouth , entry from the British Museum (English; accessed June 22, 2020)
  4. ↑ a b c d e Irene Brandenburg: Robinson, Anastasia, married Countess of Peterborough , in: MGG online (full access only with subscription; accessed June 22, 2020)
  5. ^ Pirro e Demetrio (Alessandro Scarlatti) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  6. ↑ L 'odio e l'amore (Giovanni Bononcini) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  7. ^ Il Muzio Scevola (Filippo Amadei) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  8. ↑ Roles for "Anastasia Robinson" on the ossia editions website (accessed June 22, 2020)
  9. ^ Il Floridante (Georg Friedrich Handel) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  10. ^ Farnace (Giovanni Bononcini) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  11. ↑ Calfurnia (Giovanni Bononcini) in Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  12. ^ Il Vespasiano (Attilio Ariosti) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  13. ^ Cajo Marzio Coriolano (Attilio Ariosti) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  14. ↑ Aquilio consolo (Attilio Ariosti) in Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  15. ↑ Anastasia Robinson, Countess of Peterborough and Monmouth , entry from the British Museum (English; accessed June 22, 2020)
personal data
SURNAME Robinson, Anastasia
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mordaunt, Anastasia; Anastasia Robinson, Countess of Peterborough and Monmouth (Title)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English opera singer (soprano, alto)
DATE OF BIRTH around 1692
DATE OF DEATH April 1755
Place of death Bath