Stephens, Catherine (1794–1882)
Stephens, Catherine (1794–1882)
English soprano and actress. Name variations: Catherine Capell-Coningsby, countess of Essex. Born in London, England, on September 18, 1794; died in London on February 22, 1882; married the earl of Essex, in 1838 (died 1839).
Born in London in 1794, Catherine Stephens began studying singing in 1807 with Gesualdo Lanza. By 1812, she had begun singing small parts with an Italian company at the Pantheon in London. She made her debut as Mandane in Arne's Artaxerxes at Covent Garden on September 23, 1813. From 1813 until 1822, Stephens appeared at Covent Garden. She performed at Drury Lane from 1822 to 1828, when she returned to Covent Garden. Stephens fashioned herself as a singer with "English style based on Italian rudiments," and her technique made her one of the most popular artists of the period. Her frequent appearances would be considered extraordinary by modern standards, as Stephens sang in ballad operas, operas, and other entertainments. In 1819, she sang Susanna in the first performance of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, and she continued singing until 1835 when she retired. She married the aging earl of Essex three years later.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia