Charlotte Brent (17 December 1734 – 10 April 1802) was a child prodigy and celebrated soprano singer of the 18th century.

Life

She was the daughter of Catherine and Charles Brent (1693–1770). He was a Handelian

counter-tenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a ...

, and

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...

-master. She was a pupil and mistress of

Thomas Arne Thomas Augustine Arne (; 12 March 17105 March 1778) was an English composer. He is best known for his patriotic song " Rule, Britannia!" and the song "A-Hunting We Will Go", the latter composed for a 1777 production of '' The Beggar's Opera'', wh ...

(the composer of

Rule, Britannia! "Rule, Britannia!" is a British patriotic song, originating from the 1740 poem "Rule, Britannia" by James Thomson and set to music by Thomas Arne in the same year. It is most strongly associated with the Royal Navy, but is also used by the ...

) and later the wife of the violinist

Thomas Pinto Thomas Pinto (1728–1783) was a British violinist, who led notable London orchestras of the day. Life Pinto's father, Guglielmo Pinto, left a high-ranking position in Naples for political reasons, and settled in England; he married, and he and ...

(whom she married in 1766). She was an active performer in London from 1758-1769, and in 1759 she appeared to great success in

The Beggar's Opera ''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of satiri ...

Vauxhall Gardens Vauxhall Gardens is a public park in Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth, England, on the south bank of the River Thames. Originally known as New Spring Gardens, it is believed to have opened before the Restoration of 1660, being ...

. The following year she appeared again at Vauxhall alongside Isabella Vincent which invited comparison in the press. Brent was noted at the time for her bravura singing and her neat, distinct, and rapid execution. Brent was the step grandmother of the composer and keyboard virtuoso George Pinto. Brent had a long musical partnership with Arne, often appearing in his opera productions and performing his works in concerts. Among the roles she originated were Mandane in Arne's '' Artaxerxes'', Sally in Arne's '' Thomas and Sally'', and Rosetta in Arne's '' Love in a Village''. Brent is said to have died in obscurity on 10 April 1802.

References

External links

Thomas Augustine Arne
1735 births 1802 deaths 18th-century British women opera singers English sopranos {{UK-opera-singer-stub