Francesca Lebrun
Franziska Dorothea Lebrun - Danzi and Lebrun, born Danzi ( born March 24, 1756 in Mannheim, † May 14, 1791 in Berlin) was a German soprano singer and composer.
Life
Franziska was the first child of the court musician Innocent Danzi (around 1730-1798 ). Singing lessons when she was like Franz Ignaz Danzi also her brother, first by her father and composing, she learned at Georg Joseph Vogler. Later, she probably got singing lessons from the Prima donna of the Court Opera Dorothea Wendling (born Spurni ), perhaps also by the tenor Pietro Sarselli who was friends with the family. Early age of 16 she became a member of the Mannheim court orchestra and made her debut as Rosina in " L' amore artigiano " by Florian Leopold Gassmann in Schwetzingen, the summer residence of the Elector Karl Theodor pair and Elisabeth Auguste. In May 1778 married in London colleagues Ludwig August Lebrun. With the relocation of the residence of Karl Theodor after the death of the Bavarian Elector Maximilian III. the young couple moved to Munich (→ Cuvilliés Theatre ) and Franziska Lebrun has performed at various famous opera houses in Europe.
In Milan, Paris, London, Vienna, Prague, Naples, Munich and Berlin, the singer was celebrated enthusiastically. The perfectly matched instrumental and vocal artistry of the couple Lebrun, the numerous composers was particularly renowned for unpaid by arias with obbligato oboe tribute, such as Ignaz Holzbauer in Günther von Schwarzburg (1777 ), Antonio Salieri in L' Europe riconosciuta ( 1778) or George Joseph Vogler in Castore e Polluce (1787 ). The musicologist Charles Burney wrote about appearances of the pair:
" Franziska Danzi and the excellent oboist Lebrun Usually travel together, and It Seems as though she has listened to nothing other than his instrument, for whenthey perform together in Thirds and sixths one can not hear Which is the upper or the lower voice! "
Franziska Lebrun was one of the few recognized composers in a time when women were reserved as a singer or instrumental virtuoso rather musical career. From their works, however, only a few have received, including several sonatas for violin and piano, which were made now through various editions and recordings of the wider audience.
After the death of her husband in December 1790 they had to supply two daughters. To secure the livelihood paid Karl Theodor its celebrated prima donna of the Court Opera, contrary to the court music Statutes continued her salary of 1,500 guilders. My 1790 got engagement at the Royal Opera in Berlin, she could no longer compete. In May 1791 the singer died, apparently they could not get over her husband's death.