Caterina Gabrielli

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Caterina Gabrielli as Diana , 1751, painting by Pompeo Batoni

Caterina Gabrielli (also: Gabrieli ; * November 12 or 13, 1730 in Rome ; † February 16 or April 16, 1796 in Rome or Bologna ) was a famous Italian opera singer ( soprano or coloratura soprano ), who u. a. when prima donna appeared in works by Galuppi , Gluck , Traetta and Mysliveček . She was also known as " la coghetta ", " la cochetta " or " cochettina ", which refers to her origins as the daughter of a cook , but is also a play on words with the French " la coquette " (the coquette ).

The singer Francesca Gabrielli , who accompanied her on her travels and often appeared at her side as seconda donna or in supporting roles, was her sister.

Life

She was born as Caterina Fatta in Rome, where her father worked as a cook for Prince Gabrielli. It is said that he discovered her talent for singing when he heard 14-year-old Caterina sing an aria by Galuppi while walking in his garden . The prince was so impressed by her singing and her natural voice that he had her trained first with Garzia ( Francisco Javier García Fajer , known as " il Spagnoletto ") - so she later took the prince's family name out of gratitude; later she studied with Porpora . Even during her training, Prince Gabrielli had the young girl perform in concerts, to the delight of Roman society.

She made her operatic debut in 1747 at the age of 17 in Lucca in Galuppi's Sofonisba . The old castrato Guadagni is said to have given her advice and formed her taste, although she almost sang it “on the wall” with her bravura . In the following years she appeared at various theaters in Italy before making her debut in Jommelli's Didone at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in 1750 . With her performance of the aria “Son regina e son amante” from this opera, she is said to have so enthusiastically excited the audience that her reputation was secured from then on.

In addition to her singing skills, Gabrielli was also known for her eccentric and capricious demeanor, and since she was quite pretty, she had multitudes of male admirers . There are a number of colorful anecdotes about her life , and in some Italian cities she is even said to have been thrown out for “bad behavior”.

1755–56 she was in Vienna , where she worked at the Kaiserhof and in the Burgtheater a . a. participated in some world premieres of Gluck : in La danza , L'innocenza giustificata , Il re pastore and in 1760 also in Tetide . The imperial court poet Metastasio referred to her as " l'astro novello del cielo musicale " (new star in the musical sky) and is said to have advised her on theatrical declamation . Emperor Franz I Stephan was also delighted with her. Gabrielli is also said to have had crowds of worshipers in Vienna, as in all her ways, including the ambassadors from Portugal and France . An anecdote reported that the latter she caught the affair with a lover, and almost in a fit of jealousy with his sword had stabbed, only her corset of whalebone had prevented the worst. However, she forgave the perpetrator on the condition that he gave her the weapon so that she could have the following slogan engraved on it: "Monsieur's sword ... who dared to stab Gabrielli, date, etc.". However, Metastasio persuaded her to return the sword.

At the end of the 1750s she was back at various Italian theaters and was used by Galuppi in several first performances as prima donna: in L'Ipermestra (January 14, 1758, Milan ), Demofoonte (June 1758, Padua ) and in La clemenza di Tito (December 26, 1759, Turin ). At that time also began Caterina Gabrielli's fruitful and long cooperation with Tommaso Traetta than they in Parma first female title role in the Ippolito ed Aricia sang (UA on May 9, 1759), then in carnival 1760 in Turin in Enea nel Lazio and Spring 1760 in Parma the Telaira in I Tindaridi .

In 1760 she was in Vienna again and sang in the world premieres of Hasse's Alcide al bivio (October 8, 1760) and of Traetta's Armida (January 3, 1761).

From 1761 she appeared again at various theaters in Italy, a. a. in Turin and Milan, especially again in operas by Traetta. Above all, she had an engagement in Naples between 1763 and 1767 at the important Teatro San Carlo , at the same time as the famous tenor Anton Raaff and Francesca Gabrielli. Besides these she sang u. a. in a series of world premieres by important opera composers, such as in Guglielmi's L'olimpiade (November 4, 1763), Sacchini's Lucio Vero (November 4, 1764), Piccinnis Il gran Cid (November 4, 1766), and in Mysliveček's Il Bellerofonte (20. January 1767).

This was followed by an episode in Sicily , of which a famous anecdote relates: Gabrielli snubbed the viceroy in Palermo because she first forgot an invitation and then sang only sotto voce (in half a voice) in the theater . When she refused to sing in full voice at his orders, she was sent to jail for 12 days , where she not only sang her entire repertoire to the inmates, but also paid off their debts .

In 1772 Gabrielli went to St. Petersburg to the court of Catherine the Great , who reacted in astonishment to the singer's fee demands and is said to have exclaimed: “5000 ducats  ! Not even my field marshals get that much . ”Gabrielli replied,“ Then let your field marshals sing for you. ”The tsarina is said to have reacted with humor and understanding and generously rewarded the singer. During her time in Russia until 1775 she worked again with Tommaso Traetta and sang a. a. as prima donna in the world premieres of his operas Antigona (1772), Amore e Psiche (1773) and Lucio Vero (1774).

Subsequently (1775–76) Caterina Gabrielli was invited to England , where she was received a little cooler and more reserved than usual. In London she sang a. a. in Piccinnis Caio Mario and in some works by Venanzio Rauzzini ( Didone abbandonata and L'ali d'amore ). In all of these performances Rauzzini himself sang the leading male roles, and Francesca Gabrielli was also part of the role.
Charles Burney wrote of Caterina Gabrielli:

“There was such grace and dignity in her gestures and demeanor that it attracted every disinterested eye; in fact, it filled the stage and occupied the audience's attention so much that no one paid any attention while it was on. "

Regarding her singing skills, he emphasized the precision and accuracy of her execution and intonation, and the absolutely enchanting quality of her voice. He also found her to be "the most intelligent and well-behaved virtuoso I have ever spoken to, not just about music but about any subject that a well-behaved lady who had seen the world could know about."

Back in Italy she sang several performances in Venice in 1777 with the young Pacchierotti . She is said to have sung her first bravura aria so wonderfully that the soprano feared that he had no chance against her, he took refuge behind the scenes and is said to have exclaimed: “ Povero me, povero me! Questo un portento! "(" Poor me, poor me! This is a miracle! "). It is said that it was difficult to get him to go back on stage, but when he finally sang, Gabrielli was just as enthusiastic about it.

At the Carnival in Milan in 1780, Caterina Gabrielli performed alongside the soprano Luigi Marchesi (in Myslivecek's Armida ), and although she was now 50, there is said to have been a real war between the two virtuosos' respective supporters, and it did not only occur in the theater for hall battles, but also on the streets and in cafes.

Towards the end of her stage career, she worked in Venice. The last works written for her include the role of Antiope in Galuppi's L'Anfione (premiered May 27, 1780, Venice) and Pasquale Anfossis Nitteti (Assumption 1780, Venice, Teatro San Benedetto) and Zemira (26. December 1781, ibid).

Then she withdrew from the opera stage and went to Rome, where she still sang in concerts from time to time. However, she otherwise lived a secluded life and made generous donations for charitable causes. According to Ferris, she spent her final years in Bologna.

In April 1796 she died of a neglected cold.

voice

Caterina Gabrielli was one of the most famous and important singers of the 18th century and, from today's perspective, a typical coloratura soprano . According to Jérôme Lalande (in: Voyage en Italie ) her voice ranged from the low b to c '' '"with full voice", and to f' '' "in falsetto"; her voice was extraordinary because of its fullness, balance, flexibility and lightness, and all the singers in Italy tried to imitate it.

Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart dedicated an enthusiastic description of Gabrielli in his ideas for an aesthetic of the art of sound (Stuttgart, 1806):

“Katharina Gabrieli ( sic! ) Is the triumph of today's singing art! It has an extraordinary height and an unusual depth; reads at lightning speed; and brings out all the passages, both fast and slow, with unusual skill. With this they are united by another peculiarity of the heart; and such a pure feeling that she is rightly counted among the first singers that Welschland produced. But all connoisseurs claim that it is only suitable for the theater and that it does not play a particularly favorable role in the church. This is easy to understand if one thinks of the immense runners ( sic! ) To which she has got used. Her genius also seems to lean more towards the comic than the tragic . It therefore arouses more astonishment, clipping or even laughter than a quiet, sweet brooding feeling. But it will be difficult to find a female singer ( sic! ) If it is not our great German Mara who matches her flexibility of throat, melting of notes, and especially portamento . "

- Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart

literature

  • George T. Ferris: Caterina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I ("Faustina Bordoni to Henrietta Sontag, First Series"), D. Appleton & Co, New York 1889, p. 32–. Online at: [10] (as of August 31, 2019)
  • François-Joseph Fétis : "Gabrielli (Catherine)", in: Biographie universelle des musiciens , Vol. 4, 2nd edition, Paris 1860–1868, pp. 230–232. Online at: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France (French; accessed August 29, 2019)
  • Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart: Ideas for an Aesthetics of Tonkunst Stuttgart, 1806, p. 56, online at archive.org (accessed on February 11, 2020)

Web links

Individual notes

  1. ↑ other name variants: Catterina , Catarina or Cattarina ; Last name also: Gabbrielli . See: “Gabrielli, Catarina”, in: Christoph Willibald Gluck. Complete works , GluckWV-online, URI: http://www.gluck-habenausgabe.de/gwv/habenregister/eintrag/gabrielli-catarina.html (September 3, 2019)
  2. ↑ actually (partly dialectal): La Coghetta , Goghetta , Cuoghetta . See: “Gabrielli, Catarina”, in: Christoph Willibald Gluck. Complete works , GluckWV-online, URI: http://www.gluck-habenausgabe.de/gwv/habenregister/eintrag/gabrielli-catarina.html (September 3, 2019)
  3. ↑ Gabrielli, Caterina (1730–1796), in: Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia , 2002, online at: "encyclopedia.com" (accessed August 31, 2019)
  4. ^ A b c d e f g François-Joseph Fétis : “Gabrielli (Catherine)”, in: Biographie universelle des musiciens , Vol. 4, 2nd edition, Paris 1860–1868, pp. 230–232. Online at: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France (French; accessed August 29, 2019)
  5. ↑ a b c George T. Ferris: Caterina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I ("Faustina Bordoni to Henrietta Sontag, First Series"), D. Appleton & Co, New York 1889, pp. 32-55, here P. 33. Online at: [1] (as of August 31, 2019)
  6. ↑ a b c d "mauvaise conduite". "Caterina Gabrielli, dite la cochetta", in: http://www.quellusignolo.fr/sopranos/gabrielli.html (French; accessed on September 3, 2019)
  7. ^ "Gabrielli, Catarina", in: Christoph Willibald Gluck. Complete works , GluckWV-online, URI: http://www.gluck-habenausgabe.de/gwv/habenregister/eintrag/gabrielli-catarina.html ( http://www.gluck-habenausgabe.de/person/0 ) ( September 3, 2019)
  8. ↑ a b c d François-Joseph Fétis : “Gabrielli (Catherine)”, in: Biographie universelle des musiciens , Vol. 4…, pp. 230–232, here: 231. Online at: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France
  9. ↑ List of performers of the UA on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  10. ↑ List of performers of the UA on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  11. ↑ Data from the UA on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  12. ↑ Data from the UA on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  13. ↑ Data from the UA on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  14. ↑ Data from the UA on Corago (accessed September 3, 2019)
  15. ↑ List of performers of the UA on Corago (accessed September 3, 2019)
  16. ↑ List of artists on Corago (accessed September 3, 2019)
  17. ↑ List of artists on Corago (accessed September 3, 2019)
  18. ↑ List of artists on Corago (accessed September 3, 2019)
  19. ↑ List of artists on Corago (accessed September 3, 2019)
  20. ↑ List of artists on Corago (accessed September 3, 2019)
  21. ↑ There could have been good reasons for this, such as B. a temporary indisposition. But in the sources it is always interpreted as the typical caprice of a prima donna.
  22. ↑ George T. Ferris: Catarina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I, ..., New York 1889, pp. 32–55, here: pp. 39–40. Online at: [2]
  23. ↑ Data on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  24. ↑ List of artists on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  25. ↑ Data on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  26. ^ "There was such grace and dignity in her gestures and deportment as caught every unprejudiced eye; indeed, she filled the stage, and occupied the attention of the spectators so much, that they could look at nothing else while she was in view. "George T. Ferris: Catarina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I, ..., New York 1889, pp. 32-55, here: pp. 33-34. Online at: [3]
  27. ↑ " Furthermore, he extols the precicion and accuracy of her execution and intonation, and the thrilling quality of her voice ." George T. Ferris: Catarina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I, ..., New York 1889, p. 32–55, here: p. 52. Online at: [4]
  28. ↑ "... the most intelligent and best-bred virtuoso with whom he ever conversed, not only on the subject of music, but on every subject concerning which a well-educated female, who had seen the world, might be expected to have information. “George T. Ferris: Catarina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I,…, New York 1889, pp. 32–55, here: pp. 51–52. Online at: [5]
  29. ↑ Ferris dates the incident to 1765, which is perhaps more realistic since Pacchierotti was still very young and relatively inexperienced at the time. George T. Ferris: Catarina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I,…, New York 1889, pp. 32–55, here: pp. 47–48. Online at: [6]
  30. ^ François-Joseph Fétis : "Gabrielli (Catherine)", in: Biographie universelle des musiciens , Vol. 4…, here: 231–232. Online at: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France
  31. ↑ George T. Ferris: Catarina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I, ..., New York 1889, pp. 32–55, here: pp. 47–48. Online at: [7]
  32. ↑ List of artists on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  33. ^ A b François-Joseph Fétis : "Gabrielli (Catherine)", in: Biographie universelle des musiciens , Vol. 4…, here: 232. Online at: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France
  34. ↑ List of artists on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  35. ↑ List of artists on Corago (accessed September 4, 2019)
  36. ↑ George T. Ferris: Catarina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I,…, New York 1889, pp. 32–55, here: p. 53. Online at: [8]
  37. ↑ George T. Ferris: Catarina Gabrielli , in: Great singers , Vol. I, ..., New York 1889, ... here: p. 54. Online at: [9]
  38. ^ “ La Gabrielli avait depuis si b jusqu'en ut de pleine voix, & jusqu'au fa en fausset; cette étendue est très-rare, sa voix l'était également par la plénitude, l'égalité, la souplesse & la légèreté; cette voix était faite pour être au-dessus des rossignols, elle a gâté les chanteuses d'Italie, qui toutes ont voulu l'imiter “. Here after: "Caterina Gabrielli, dite la cochetta", online at: http://www.quellusignolo.fr/sopranos/gabrielli.html (French; September 3, 2019)
  39. ↑ Christian Friedrich Daniel Schubart: Ideas for an Aesthetic of Sound Art Stuttgart, 1806, p. 56, online at archive.org (accessed on February 11, 2020)
personal data
SURNAME Gabrielli, Caterina
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gabrieli, Caterina; Gabrielli, Catarina; la Coghetta; la Cuoghetta; la cochetta; la Cochettina
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian opera singer (coloratura soprano)
DATE OF BIRTH November 12, 1730 or November 13, 1730
PLACE OF BIRTH Rome
DATE OF DEATH February 16, 1796 or April 16, 1796
Place of death Rome or Bologna