Francesca Bertolli
Encyclopedia
Francesca Bertolli was an Italian contralto
of the 18th century. She is best remembered for her association with the composer George Frideric Handel
, in whose opera
s she sang.
Details of her early career are not known, but by 1728 she was in service to the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, singing at Bologna
and Livorno
. After the initial Royal Academy folded, Handel set up a second company of the same name, based at the King's Theatre, and for this purpose in 1729 he engaged Bertolli. She performed in approximately 15 of his operas, as well as works by Ariosti and a number of pasticcio
s. In 1733, however, she defected to the rival Opera of the Nobility
, along with Senesino
and Antonio Montagnana
, where she sang in operas by Porpora and Bononcini, in addition to Handel's Ottone
.
In 1736, however, she returned to Handel for another year and performed in 4 or 5 of his works. Upon the conclusion of this second engagement she returned to Italy, where she continued to sing until retiring from the stage in 1742. Her retirement was not total, for she is known to have sung in a private concert alongside Antonio Bernacchi
at Bologna in 1746.
Her Handel roles included (amongst others) Armindo in Partenope
, Medoro in Orlando
, Ramisa in Arminio
, and Selene in Berenice
. She specialised in trouser roles, and was renowned for her good looks: Mrs Pendarves, a close friend of Handel and commentator on the operatic scene of the time, labelled her "a perfect beauty, quite a Cleopatra". Her physical excellence brought the fruitless attentions of the Prince of Wales in 1733, but her voice did not match her features. Mrs Pendarves thought little of her ability as a singer, and her roles indicate a lack of virtuosity and range. Despite this, no other singer apart from Senesino and Anna Maria Strada
performed so often in Handel's operatic works.
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
of the 18th century. She is best remembered for her association with the composer George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
, in whose opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s she sang.
Details of her early career are not known, but by 1728 she was in service to the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, singing at Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
. After the initial Royal Academy folded, Handel set up a second company of the same name, based at the King's Theatre, and for this purpose in 1729 he engaged Bertolli. She performed in approximately 15 of his operas, as well as works by Ariosti and a number of pasticcio
Pasticcio
In music, a pasticcio or pastiche is an opera or other musical work composed of works by different composers who may or may not have been working together, or an adaptation or localization of an existing work that is loose, unauthorized, or inauthentic.-Etymology:The term is first attested in the...
s. In 1733, however, she defected to the rival Opera of the Nobility
Opera of the Nobility
The Opera of the Nobility was an opera company set up and funded in 1733 by a group of nobles opposed to George II of England, in order to rival the Second Royal Academy of Music company under Handel .Nicola Porpora was invited to be its musical director and Owen Swiny considered as its talent scout...
, along with Senesino
Senesino
Senesino was a celebrated Italian contralto castrato, particularly remembered today for his long collaboration with the composer George Frideric Handel.-Early life and career:...
and Antonio Montagnana
Antonio Montagnana
Antonio Montagnana was an Italian bass of the 18th-century who is best remembered for his association with the composer George Frideric Handel, whose operas Montagnana sang in....
, where she sang in operas by Porpora and Bononcini, in addition to Handel's Ottone
Ottone
Ottone, re di Germania is an opera by George Frideric Handel, to an Italian–language libretto adapted by Nicola Francesco Haym from the libretto by Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino for Antonio Lotti's opera Teofane. It was the first new opera written for the Royal Academy of Music 's fourth season...
.
In 1736, however, she returned to Handel for another year and performed in 4 or 5 of his works. Upon the conclusion of this second engagement she returned to Italy, where she continued to sing until retiring from the stage in 1742. Her retirement was not total, for she is known to have sung in a private concert alongside Antonio Bernacchi
Antonio Bernacchi
Antonio Maria Bernacchi was an Italian castrato, composer, and teacher of singing. He studied with Francesco Antonio Pistocchi. His pupils included Farinelli, for a brief period during 1727, and the tenor Anton Raaff...
at Bologna in 1746.
Her Handel roles included (amongst others) Armindo in Partenope
Partenope
Partenope is an opera by George Frideric Handel, first performed at the King's Theatre in London on 24 February 1730.-Background:...
, Medoro in Orlando
Orlando (opera)
Orlando is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel written for the Royal Academy of Music . The Italian-language libretto was adapted from Carlo Sigismondo Capece's L'Orlando after Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, which was also the source of Handel's operas Alcina and...
, Ramisa in Arminio
Arminio
Arminio is an opera composed by George Frideric Handel.- Performance History :Together with Giustino and Berenice, Arminio is one of three operas Handel wrote within a period of half a year in 1736. He began with the composition of Giustino on 14 August 1736, followed by that of Arminio on 15...
, and Selene in Berenice
Berenice (opera)
Berenice is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian libretto, written in Italy in 1709 and originally entitled Berenice, regina d'Egitto , by Antonio Salvi....
. She specialised in trouser roles, and was renowned for her good looks: Mrs Pendarves, a close friend of Handel and commentator on the operatic scene of the time, labelled her "a perfect beauty, quite a Cleopatra". Her physical excellence brought the fruitless attentions of the Prince of Wales in 1733, but her voice did not match her features. Mrs Pendarves thought little of her ability as a singer, and her roles indicate a lack of virtuosity and range. Despite this, no other singer apart from Senesino and Anna Maria Strada
Anna Maria Strada
Anna Maria Strada was an Italian soprano of the 18th century. She is best remembered for her association with the composer George Frideric Handel, in whose operas Strada sang.-Career:...
performed so often in Handel's operatic works.