Marie Carandini, Marchioness of Sarzano (born Maria Burgess; 1 February 1826 – 13 April 1894) was an English-Australian opera singer.

Early life

Carandini was born in Brixton, Surrey, the daughter of coachman James Burgess (died 1834) and Martha Burgess (née Medwin). Her mother was a cousin of

Thomas Medwin Thomas Medwin (20 March 1788 –2 August 1869) was an early 19th-century English writer, poet and translator. He is known chiefly for his biography of his cousin, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and for published recollections of his friend, Lord Byron. ...

, Byron's companion and biographer, and her father claimed a close relationship to Shelley. She was brought by her parents to

Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sep ...

(now

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

) in 1833. At the age of 17, she married an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

nobleman, Jerome Carandini, the Marquis of Sarzano (1803–1870), who was a political refugee. Marie's musical training and first performances were in Hobart.

Career

The Carandinis came to Sydney around 1845 and studied under

Isaac Nathan Isaac Nathan (15 January 1864) was an English composer, musicologist, journalist and self-publicist, who has been called the "father of Australian music". Early success Isaac Nathan was born around 1791 in the English city of Canterbury to a '' ...

, Sara Flower and Lewis Henry Lavenu. Ann K. Wentze
Carandini, Marie (1826-1894)
'' Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Vol. 3, MUP, 1969, pp. 351-352; retrieved 25 April 2010 Marie soon established a reputation as a concert singer and operatic prima donna, both in Sydney and

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, and was a popular favourite in many other centres in Australia. She was frequently billed as "The Australian Jenny Lind". She has the distinction of having been Australia's first Adalgisa in Bellini's opera ''Norma'' (1852,

Royal Victoria Theatre, Sydney The Royal Victoria Theatre was a theatre in Sydney, Australia, the first large theatre in the city. It opened in 1838; operas, plays, pantomimes and other events were held, and leading entertainers performed at the theatre. It was destroyed by fi ...

) beside the Norma of Sara Flower. Her husband, having received a pardon from the Italian government, went to Italy in 1870, but died at Modena of gastric fever and inflammation of the lungs soon after his arrival. Madame Carandini continued to sing in concerts for some years in Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, with visits to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. In November 1858 Carandini sang Leonora in

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

's ''

Il trovatore ''Il trovatore'' ('The Troubadour') is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play ''El trovador'' (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. It was García Gutiérrez's mos ...

'' in a twenty-seven performance season at the

Princess Theatre, Melbourne The Princess Theatre, originally Princess's Theatre, is a 1452-seat theatre in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1854 and rebuilt in 1886 to a design by noted Melbourne architect William Pitt, it is the oldest surviving entertain ...

. The Carandini troupe performed what may have been New Zealand's first full opera production when they performed Henry Bishop's ''

Guy Mannering ''Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer'' is the second of the Waverley novels by Walter Scott, published anonymously in 1815. According to an introduction that Scott wrote in 1829, he had originally intended to write a story of the supernatural, ...

'' at Dunedin's Princess Theatre in September 1862.

Late life and legacy

Carandini's last Australian appearance was in farewell concert on 3 February 1892 at the

Melbourne Town Hall Melbourne Town Hall is the central city town hall of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and is a historic building in the state of Victoria since 1867. Located in the central business district on the northeast corner of the intersection between ...

; she sang "Jessie the flower of Dumblane" with a strong voice for her age. Soon afterwards she left for England. In her late life, Carandini lived at Richmond Hill, near Bath, with her daughter; she died there on 13 April 1894, aged 68.

Family

Carandini had eight children, of whom five daughters were musical and took part in her tours. Her eldest daughter Rosina Palmer was a notable soprano in Australia. Her great-grandson (by her daughter, Countess Estelle Marie (''née'' Carandini di Sarzano); (1889–1981)) was actor Sir Christopher Lee and her great-great-granddaughter is Dame

Harriet Walter Dame Harriet Mary Walter (born 24 September 1950) is a British actress. She has received a Laurence Olivier Award as well as numerous nominations including for a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011 ...

. She was also the great-grandmother of the actress

Hermione Hannen Hermione Hannen (26 January 1913 – 1 October 1983) was an English theatre and film actress. She was born in London, the daughter of Nicholas "Beau" Hannen, who was also an actor on the stage and in film. Biography Hermione Hannen was born on ...

through her daughter Fanny Ellen Hannah Louisa Carandini who married Sir Henry Morland.

Tribute

A street in the Canberra suburb of Melba is named in her honour.

References

External links

Marie Carandini at Project Gutenberg Australia
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Carandini, Marie 1826 births 1894 deaths

Marie Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...

English emigrants to colonial Australia English operatic sopranos People from Brixton People from Tasmania Singers from London Singers from Sydney Women of the Victorian era 19th-century English musicians