Thomas Moore in Rome - 3 November, 1819
from Diary of Thomas Moore, 3 November 1819, page 62:
Went to the Opera: “L’Italiana in Algieri.” Never was anything so pestiferous as the smell of the house. Monballi [sic] by no means a pleasing singer; all art, no voice.
Thomas Moore, Diary of Thomas Moore, 3 November 1819. In Thomas Moore, and Lord John Russell (ed.), Memoirs, Journal and Correspondence of Thomas Moore, volume 3 (London, 1853), p. 62. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1595060649316 accessed: 25 April, 2024
Listeners
Listening to
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L'Italiana in Algieri
written by Gioachino Rossini |
performed by Ester Mombelli [?] |
Experience Information
| Date/Time | 3 November, 1819 |
| Medium | live |
| Listening Environment | in the company of others, indoors, in public |
Notes
It is likely that Moore has misremembered or misheard the name of the singer. The Mombellis were a family of well-known singers. Both Ester and her sister Anna were particularly associated with Rossini's operas, but Anna had retired from the stage shortly after her marriage in 1817. It's therefore likely that the singer that Moore heard on this occasion was Ester.