TRANSCRIPTION
Friday Eve.
My Dear Sir,
I called today
again on Madame Ronzi1.
She is gone out of town
but is expected to return
on Monday next; when
I will make it a point
to see her. I rather
think you will not be
able to dispense with
the talents of her husband2
also!
Yours faithfully,
Henry R. Bishop.
NOTES
1)
Undoubtedly referring to opera soprano Giuseppina Ronzi (Claudine de
Begnis).
She was born in 1800 in Milan and died in 1883. She was the wife of renown
Italian
bass Guiseppe de Begnis. They married in 1816. Ronzi was known to have sung in
Il Turco in Italia by Rossini while in London with her husband between
1821-1827.
This fact probably dates this letter from that period, possibly 1823 or
1824.
2) Guiseppe de Begnis (AKA Ronzi)
was born in Lugo, Romagna, 1793 and died in New York,
August 1849. Début: Modena 1813 in Pavesi’s Ser Marcantonio. He
developed into the leading
buffo of his day and as such engaged by Rossini in 1817 to create Dandini
in La Cenerentola.
He sang in London from1821-1827, debut as Don Geronio (Il Turco in Italia)
with his wife
Giuseppina as Fiorilla 1823-1824. He directed the opera season in Bath, England
and in Dublin
1834-1837 where he had first sung in 1829. Source: The Concise Oxford
Dictionary of Opera,
(Oxford: 1980) p. 124.
ABOUT THE
COMPOSER
Sir Henry
Rowley Bishop (1786-1855), distinguished
English opera conductor,
composer and arranger of dramatic works. Bishop's most famous song is Home
Sweet Home.
This song is considered by some to have been the most popular song of the
nineteenth century.
It was composer in 1823 for the operetta Clari. It was written in a
collaboration with
American John H. Payne. Bishop was also professor of music at Oxford College
until his death
in 1855. He was succeeded by Sir Frederick
Ouseley.
REV. 01/23/2004
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To
the memory of Sir Henry Rowley Bishop KNT