MALIBRAN MARIA: (1808-1836)

MALIBRAN MARIA: (1808-1836)
MALIBRAN MARIA: (1808-1836) Spanish Mezzo-Soprano. One of the most best-known opera singers of the 19th century for her dramatic performances and her extraordinary voice. She became a legendary figure after her very early death at the age of 28. Rare and lengthy A.L.S., `M. Malibran´, three pages, 8vo, Brizay, 10th July 1828, to Ludovic Vitet, in Paris, in French. Malibran first refers to a recent performance and states in part `…j´avais chargé Mr. Ateny de remercier les M. Mrs de l´orchestre et leur chef. J´ai remercié tous mes autres compagnons de vive voix, excepté Mr. Bordogni que j´ai à peine apperçu… Mme Naldi será charmée d´apprendre ce qui va se passer pendant les débuts de Mme Catalani, souvenez-vous que vous lui aves promis de lui rendre compte de tout ce qui concernera la débutante…´ (Translation: “I had instructed Mr. Ateny to thank all the Mr. Mrs. of the orchestra and their conductor too. I thanked all my other companions in person, except Mr. Bordogni whom I barely saw... Mrs. Naldi will be delighted to learn what will happen during Mrs. Catalani's debut, remember that you told her that you promised to report to her on everything concerning the debutante…”) Further Malibran in a funny way refers to her correspondent in the third person, and describes herself in a foolish way, saying `J´ai eu Presque envie de me fâcher avec un certain Mr. Ludovic Vitet qui se permettait de supposer que je pouvais oublier les bons Parisiens, mais j´ai réfléchi qu´il l´a peut-être écrit le nez au vent, sans regarder son papier en pensant à autre chose. C´est pourquoi je ne lui cherche pas querelle – Je mange comme un loup, je cours comme un lièvre, je chante alternativement…. Otello, je me porte parfaitement bien, et je dors comme une marmotte. Tout va bien comme cela et j´espère pouvoir remplacer en cas de maladie, Mme Rossi. N´est-ce pas que je dis des bêtises? Oh oui, je m´en aperçois…´ (Translation: “I almost wanted to get angry with a certain Mr. Ludovic Vitet who allowed himself to suppose that I could forget the good Parisians, but I thought about it and considered that he perhaps wrote it with his nose in the wind, without looking at his sheet of paper while thinking of something else. That's why I won't quarrel with him – I eat like a wolf, I run like a hare, I sing alternately…. Otello, I'm perfectly fine, and I sleep like a log. Everything is fine like that and I hope to be able to replace Mrs. Rossi in case of illness. Am I talking non sense? Oh yes, I see it…”) a lengthy and curious letter written by a 20 years old young Malibran. With address leaf, bearing two ink stamps. Overall creasing, otherwise G

Marco Bordogni (1789-1856) Italian Tenor of great popularity. In 1825 he created the role of Conte di Libenskof in Rossini's opera Il Viaggio a Reims. He sang for many years at the Theatre des Italiens in Paris. He became a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire in 1823 and continued to teach there until his death.

Henriette Sontag (1806-1854) and after her marriage, entitled Henriette, Countess Rossi. German operatic Soprano of great international renown. She moved to Paris in 1828 and married a few months before the present letter was written, the Ambassador of Sardinia to France, Count Rossi.
During Sontag´s stay in Paris, her rivalry with María Malibrán, two legends of their time, was notorious. Despite the initial tensions and divisions among the public, both singers became sincere friends. It has been reported that Malibran was one of the few people who knew about Sontag's marriage. During the period in which the marriage was kept secret, Count Rossi tried unsuccessfully to obtain a noble title for the Sontag so that the marriage between them would have the necessary validity in the eyes of the European courts. This wish was never fulfilled and the political pressure exerted on the count led the couple to make their marriage public. Sontag then decided to step aside and retired from the stage in 1830 at only 24 years of age and at the peak of her popularity and artistic possibilities.