Anna Mombelli, born Marianna Mombelli, (1795 – after 1817) was an Italian opera singer who sang both

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...

and

contralto A contralto () is a classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range is the lowest of their voice type, voice types. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare, similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to ...

roles. She is primarily known for having created the role of Siveno in Rossini's first opera ''

Demetrio e Polibio ''Demetrio e Polibio'' (; ''Demetrius and Polybius'') is a two-act operatic ''dramma serio'' by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Vincenzina Viganò-Mombelli. The opera was orchestrated for flute, oboes, clarinets, basson, horns, trumpets, and ...

'' in 1812. Mombelli was born in Naples, the second of

Domenico Mombelli Domenico Mombelli (13 January 1755 – 15 March 1835) was an Italian operatic tenor and composer. Born in Villanova Monferrato, Mombelli was the head of a distinguished family of singers and musicians that included his first wife, Luisa Laschi, ...

and Vincenza Viganò-Mombelli's twelve children. She was trained in singing by her father who had been a prominent tenor in the 1780s and 90s. She often appeared in the Mombelli family's opera troupe along with her elder sister

Ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...

in further productions of ''Demetrio e Polibio'' as well as in the premiere of

Carlo Coccia Carlo Coccia (14 April 1782 – 13 April 1873) was an Italian opera composer. He was known for the genre of opera semiseria. Life and career Coccia was born in Naples, and studied in his native city with Pietro Casella, Fedele Fenaroli, a ...

's ''Evellina''. She also appeared with her sister in the world premiere of Vincenzo Migliorucci's

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

''Paolo e Virginia''. According to Fétis, she sang with success in Milan during the 1814, 1815, and 1816 seasons and also appeared as Tisbe to Ester's Angelina in ''

La Cenerentola ("Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant") is an operatic in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the libretti written by Charles-Guillaume Étienne for the opera '' Cendrillon'' with music by Nico ...

'' at the

Teatro Carignano The Teatro Carignano (Carignano Theatre) is a theatre in Turin and one of the oldest and most important theatres in Italy. Designed by Benedetto Alfieri, it is located opposite the Palazzo Carignano. Building commenced in 1752 and the theatre wa ...

in 1817. Mombelli retired from the stage shortly after her marriage in 1817 to the journalist Angelo Lambertini whom Henry Prunières described as "a savant and a fool, an excellent violin player and an intimate friend of Rossini's."

Roles created

*Siveno in Rossini's ''

'',

Teatro Valle The ''Teatro Valle'' (literally Valley Theater) is a theatre and former opera house in Rome, Italy. It was built in 1726 for the Capranica family. In the middle of the 19th century, it switched from staging opera and theatre to only performances ...

, Rome, 18 May 1812 *Paolo in Vincenzo Migliorucci's ''Paolo e Virginia'', Teatro Valle, Rome, 4 July 1812 *Edregardo, Conte di Douglas in

's ''Evellina'', Teatro del Re, Milan, 26 December 1814

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mombelli, Anna 1795 births 19th-century deaths Italian operatic contraltos Italian operatic mezzo-sopranos 19th-century Italian women opera singers 19th-century Neapolitan people Musicians from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies