Caterina Magdalena Giuseppa Cavalieri (18 March 1755 – 30 June 1801) was an Austrian soprano. Born as Katharina Magdalena Josepha Cavalier in

Lichtental Lichtental is a part of the district of Alsergrund, Vienna. It was an independent municipality until 1850. Notable people * Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein (1657–1712) lived here. * Caterina Cavalieri (1755–1801), opera singer, was bo ...

, Vienna, Cavalieri studied voice with composer

Antonio Salieri Antonio Salieri (18 August 17507 May 1825) was an Italian composer and teacher of the classical period (music), classical period. He was born in Legnago, south of Verona, in the Republic of Venice, and spent his adult life and career as a subje ...

. Her stage debut was in 1775 in

Pasquale Anfossi Pasquale Anfossi (5 April 1727 – February 1797) was an Italian opera composer. Born in Taggia, Republic of Genoa, he studied with Niccolò Piccinni and Antonio Sacchini, and worked mainly in London, Venice and Rome. He wrote more than 80 ope ...

's opera ''

La finta giardiniera ' ("The Pretend Garden-Girl"), Köchel catalogue, K. 196, is an Italian-language opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart wrote it in Munich in January 1775 when he was 18 years old and it received its first performance on 13 January at the in M ...

''. This was followed by

Ignaz Umlauf Ignaz Umlauf (1746-1796) was an Austrian composer. He was Kapellmeister of the new German National Singspiel of Emperor Joseph II beginning from 1778 to his death. His son Michael Umlauf (1781-1842) was also a notable composer, and his daughter Eli ...

Singspiel A Singspiel (; plural: ; ) is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera. It is characterized by spoken dialogue, which is alternated with ensembles, songs, ballads, and arias which were often strophic, or folk- ...

''Die Bergknappen'' in 1778 and the role of Nannette in Salieri's ''

Der Rauchfangkehrer ' (''The Chimney Sweep, or The Indispensable Betrayers of Their Lordships out of Self-interest'') is an opera in three acts by Antonio Salieri to a German libretto by Leopold Auenbrugger. Originally designated as a ' (musical comedy), the work ha ...

'' on 30 April 1781, a role specifically written for her to display her virtuosity. Similarly,

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

wrote the role of Konstanze in his Singspiel ''

Die Entführung aus dem Serail ' () (Köchel catalogue, K. 384; ''The Abduction from the Seraglio''; also known as ') is a singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Gottlieb Stephanie, based on Christoph Friedrich Bretzner's . The plot concer ...

'' for her, which she premiered on 16 July 1782. On 1 June 1785 she sang the role of Enrichetta in the première of

Stephen Storace Stephen John Seymour Storace (4 April 1762 – 19 March 1796) was an English composer of the Classical era, known primarily for his operas. His sister was the famous opera singer Nancy Storace. He was born in London in the Parish of St Maryleb ...

's '' Gli sposi malcontenti''. On 7 May 1788, Cavalieri sang the role of Donna Elvira in the Vienna première of Mozart's ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

''. Other works by Mozart written for her are ''

Davide penitente Davide is an Italian given name (common) and an Italian/ Filipino surname (relatively rare). Notable people with these names include: Given name * Davide Alviti (born 1996), Italian basketball player * Davide Ancilotto (1974–1997), Italian ba ...

'' (1785) and the role of Mademoiselle Silberklang in ''

Der Schauspieldirektor ' (''The Impresario''), Köchel catalogue, K. 486, is a comic ''singspiel'' by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, set to a German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, an Austrian ''Schauspieldirektor''. Originally, it was written because of "the imperial command ...

'' (1786). After 1790, Cavalieri gradually withdrew from the stage and retired on 1 March 1793. She died unmarried in Vienna in 1801, aged 46. Cavalieri is a nonspeaking role in

Peter Shaffer Sir Peter Levin Shaffer (15 May 1926 – 6 June 2016) was an English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He is best known for the plays '' Equus'' and '' Amadeus'', the latter of which was adapted for the screen by Miloš Forman, with an ...

's play ''

Amadeus Amadeus may refer to: People and fictional characters * Amadeus (name) Amadeus is a theophoric name, theophoric given name derived from the Latin words ' – the Imperative mood, imperative of the word ' ("to love") – and ' ("god"). As a Compou ...

'' and she is portrayed as Salieri's love interest. The speaking role of Cavalieri in the 1984

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-winning film based on that play is played by

Christine Ebersole Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress, singer and comedian. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage (theatre), stage. She has received two Tony Awards, and a Drama Desk Award as well as a nomination for a ...

and sung by

Suzanne Murphy Suzanne Murphy (born 15 October 1941) is an Irish soprano. Life and career Suzanne Murphy was born in Limerick on 15 October 1941. She began her career working as a folk singer before training as a classical soprano at the Dublin College of Mus ...

. In the film, it is suggested that Cavalieri and Mozart had an affair during the rehearsals of ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail''.

Notes

General references

* * 1755 births 1801 deaths Singers from Vienna Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's singers 18th-century Austrian women opera singers Austrian operatic sopranos {{Austria-opera-singer-stub