A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Albertazzi, Emma

ALBERTAZZI, Emma, the daughter of a music-master named Howson, was born May 1, 1814. Beginning at first with the piano, she soon quitted that instrument, to devote herself to the cultivation of her voice, which gave early promise of excellence. Her first instruction was received from Costa, and scarcely had she mastered the rudiments, when she was brought forward at a concert at the Argyll Rooms. In the next year, 1830, she was engaged at the King's Theatre in several contralto parts, such as Pippo in the 'Gazza Ladra,' and others. Soon afterwards she went to Italy with her father, and got an engagement at Piacenza. It was here that Signor Albertazzi, a lawyer, fell in love with her, and married her before she was seventeen. Celli, the composer, now taught her for about a year; after which she sang, 1832, in Generali's 'Adelina,' at the Canobbiana, and subsequently was engaged for contralto parts at La Scala. There she sang in several operas with Pasta, who gave her valuable advice. She sang next at Madrid, 1833, for two years; and in 1835 at the Italian Opera in Paris. This was the most brilliant part of her career. In 1837 she appeared in London. Madame Albertazzi had an agreeable presence, and a musical voice, not ill-trained; but these advantages were quite destroyed by her lifelessnees on the stage—a resigned and automatic indifference, which first wearied and then irritated her audiences. To the end of her career—for she afterwards sang in English Opera at Drury Lane—she remained the same, unintelligent and inanimate. Her voice now began to fail, and she went abroad again, hoping to recover it in the climate of Italy, but without success. She sang at Padua, Milan, and Trieste, and returned in 1846 to London, where she sang for the last time. She died of consumption, Sept. 1847.

[ J. M. ]