Adriana Ferrarese del Bene

Francesca Gabrieli (c. 1755 in Ferrara, † after 1804 in Venice) was an Italian, active in Vienna opera singer.

Life

Gabrieli was one of the most famous sopranos of Mozart's time, including as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro and as Fiordiligi in Cosi first performed fan tutte. Her soprano register is incredibly high and the voice also surprisingly deep, as you've never heard it in Vienna.

From the singer several names have survived. In Ferrara, born as Adriana Gabrieli, she was later called La Ferrarese. Charles Burney describes in your journal a musical journey as he heard in 1770 a fantastic, young Francesca Gabrielli several times in Venice. Under this name, it became a celebrity in Vienna.

Here also sang more often her sister Louise Villeneuve, with Francesca was the second sister Dorabella in Così fan tutte at the premiere of 28.Jänner 1790. The principal of the opera, Emperor Joseph II died three weeks later and a long court mourning began, so that the opera was canceled despite great success from the board and only after Mozart's death, continued its triumphant.

As Francesca Luigi del Bene married in 1782, she called herself Adriana Ferrarese del Bene. Her first name was often written Andre Anna, her stage name also Ferrara.

Her singing studies had Francesca Adriana made ​​in Venice, then went to London and came to Vienna in 1780, where she quickly made ​​a name by serious roles in the opera buffa.