Nancy Storace

{{short description|English operatic soprano}}

{{Short description|English operatic soprano}}

{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}}

{{needs IPA|English|language=en}}

[[File:Nancy Storace Portrait By Pietro Bettelini 2.jpg|thumb|300px|Portrait of Nancy Storace, circa 1788 by [[Pietro Bettelini]]. Retouched version; click for [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nancy_Storace_Portrait_By_Pietro_Bettelini_-_original_scan.png original].]]

[[File:Nancy Storace Portrait By Pietro Bettelini 2.jpg|thumb|300px|Portrait of Nancy Storace, circa 1788 by [[Pietro Bettelini]]. Retouched version; click for [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nancy_Storace_Portrait_By_Pietro_Bettelini_-_original_scan.png original].]]

'''Anna''' (or '''Ann''') '''Selina Storace''' ({{IPA|it|stoˈraːtʃe|lang}};Robbins Landon 1989, p. 163 states: "the [Storace] family pronounced her name in the Italian [manner]".{{needs IPA|English|language=en}} 27 October 1765{{snd}}24 August 1817Emerson p. 97; Highfill p. 295), known professionally as '''Nancy Storace''', was an English operatic [[soprano]]. The role of Susanna in [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s ''[[The Marriage of Figaro|Le nozze di Figaro]]'' (''The Marriage of Figaro'') was written for and first performed by her.

'''Anna''' (or '''Ann''') '''Selina Storace''' ({{IPA|it|stoˈraːtʃe|lang}};Robbins Landon 1989, p. 163 states: "the [Storace] family pronounced her name in the Italian [manner]".27 October 1765{{snd}}24 August 1817Emerson p. 97; Highfill p. 295), known professionally as '''Nancy Storace''', was an English operatic [[soprano]]. The role of Susanna in [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s ''[[The Marriage of Figaro|Le nozze di Figaro]]'' (''The Marriage of Figaro'') was written for and first performed by her.

Born in London, she began her singing career as a child prodigy in England by the age of 12. This led to further study in Italy and to a successful singing career there during the late 1770s. While in [[Monza]] (or shortly before in [[Milan]]) in 1782,Pesqué 2017, p. 56-57 quotes a letter dated November 1785 from Poet Giovanni Battista Casti who informs his correspondent that Storace and Benucci have been already recruited for Vienna. she was recruited to form part of Emperor [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]]'s new [[Italian opera]] company in [[Vienna]], where the assembled singers who joined her "created in the two years leading up to the premiere of ''The Marriage of Figaro'', were welded into the finest buffa ensemble anywhere."

Born in London, she began her singing career as a child prodigy in England by the age of 12. This led to further study in Italy and to a successful singing career there during the late 1770s. While in [[Monza]] (or shortly before in [[Milan]]) in 1782,Pesqué 2017, p. 56-57 quotes a letter dated November 1785 from Poet Giovanni Battista Casti who informs his correspondent that Storace and Benucci have been already recruited for Vienna. she was recruited to form part of Emperor [[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]]'s new [[Italian opera]] company in [[Vienna]], where the assembled singers who joined her "created in the two years leading up to the premiere of ''The Marriage of Figaro'', were welded into the finest buffa ensemble anywhere."

Storace sang in Haydn's [[oratorio]] ''[[Il ritorno di Tobia]]'' in March 1784. Haydn later visited Storace with her brother Stephen in their home and played chamber music.Geiringer 1982, p. 104 He also wrote a cantata "for the voice of my dear Storace", thought to be ''Miseri noi'', H. XXIVa.Webster 2002, pp. 22 and 66

Storace sang in Haydn's [[oratorio]] ''[[Il ritorno di Tobia]]'' in March 1784. Haydn later visited Storace with her brother Stephen in their home and played chamber music.Geiringer 1982, p. 104 He also wrote a cantata "for the voice of my dear Storace", thought to be ''Miseri noi'', H. XXIVa.Webster 2002, pp. 22 and 66

Storace would have worked closely with Mozart on ''The Marriage of Figaro'', which premiered in Vienna on 1 May 1786; it is possible that her lively acting style was the inspiration for the central character of Susanna.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} Mozart evidently made on-the-spot changes to the vocal part in response to Storace's special needs. Author {{Interlanguage link multi|Piero Melograni|it}}, expanding on earlier claims of musicologist [[Alfred Einstein]], suggested that Mozart and Storace may have had a love affair.Melograni 2006, p. 241

Storace would have worked closely with Mozart on ''The Marriage of Figaro'', which premiered in Vienna on 1 May 1786; it is possible that her lively acting style was the inspiration for the central character of Susanna.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} Mozart evidently made on-the-spot changes to the vocal part in response to Storace's special needs. Author {{Interlanguage link|Piero Melograni|it}}, expanding on earlier claims of musicologist [[Alfred Einstein]], suggested that Mozart and Storace may have had a love affair.Melograni 2006, p. 241

When she was about to leave Vienna, Storace performed in a farewell concert on 23 February 1787. For this occasion Mozart wrote the concert [[recitative]] and [[aria]] "[[Ch'io mi scordi di te?]] [...] Non temer, amato bene" for her. The work, which is headed "Recitativo con Rondò. Composto per la Sigra: storace ''/'' dal suo servo ed amico W: A: Mozart. ''/'' viena li 26 ''/'' di decbr: 786", is a duet for soprano and piano with orchestra which, in view of Mozart's note in his own thematic catalogue ("Scena con Rondò mit klavierSolo. für Mad:selle storace und mich."), was very likely performed by her, with Mozart himself playing the piano part, at her farewell concert. In 2011 the British composer [[Peter Seabourne]] was commissioned by [[Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie]] to write an orchestral work ''Tu Sospiri'' taking words from this concert aria as a starting point.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pecht.info/texte/2011/20111011d.html|title=2011-10-11d Vorbericht}}

When she was about to leave Vienna, Storace performed in a farewell concert on 23 February 1787. For this occasion Mozart wrote the concert [[recitative]] and [[aria]] "[[Ch'io mi scordi di te?]] [...] Non temer, amato bene" for her. The work, which is headed "Recitativo con Rondò. Composto per la Sigra: storace ''/'' dal suo servo ed amico W: A: Mozart. ''/'' viena li 26 ''/'' di decbr: 786", is a duet for soprano and piano with orchestra which, in view of Mozart's note in his own thematic catalogue ("Scena con Rondò mit klavierSolo. für Mad:selle storace und mich."), was very likely performed by her, with Mozart himself playing the piano part, at her farewell concert. In 2011 the British composer [[Peter Seabourne]] was commissioned by [[Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie]] to write an orchestral work ''Tu Sospiri'' taking words from this concert aria as a starting point.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pecht.info/texte/2011/20111011d.html|title=2011-10-11d Vorbericht}}

*Link, Dorothea (2002), ''Arias for Nancy Storace''. A-R Editions, Inc.

*Link, Dorothea (2002), ''Arias for Nancy Storace''. A-R Editions, Inc.

*Matthews, Betty (1969) "The Childhood of Nancy Storace." ''[[The Musical Times]]'' 110:733–735.

*Matthews, Betty (1969) "The Childhood of Nancy Storace." ''[[The Musical Times]]'' 110:733–735.

*{{Interlanguage link multi|Piero Melograni{{!}}Melograni, Piero|it|3=Piero Melograni}} (2006) ''Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Biography''. Translated by Lydia G. Cochrane. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

*{{Interlanguage link|Piero Melograni{{!}}Melograni, Piero|it|3=Piero Melograni}} (2006) ''Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: A Biography''. Translated by Lydia G. Cochrane. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

*(fr) Pesqué, Emmanuelle (2017) ''Nancy Storace, muse de Mozart et de Haydn''. Paris: Pesqué. {{ISBN|978-2-9560410-0-9}}

*(fr) Pesqué, Emmanuelle (2017) ''Nancy Storace, muse de Mozart et de Haydn''. Paris: Pesqué. {{ISBN|978-2-9560410-0-9}}

*[[H. C. Robbins Landon|Robbins Landon, Howard Chandler]] (1976) ''Haydn in England, 1791–1795 (Haydn: Chronicle and Works, Vol.III)''. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

*[[H. C. Robbins Landon|Robbins Landon, Howard Chandler]] (1976) ''Haydn in England, 1791–1795 (Haydn: Chronicle and Works, Vol.III)''. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.