Tofts, Catherine (c. 1685–1756)
Tofts, Catherine (c. 1685–1756)
English operatic soprano. Name variations: Katherine Tofts. Born around 1685; died in 1756 in Venice; married John Smith (a British consul to Venice).
One of the earliest English prima donnas, Catherine Tofts began her career singing in concert from 1703 to 1704. The following year, she joined Drury Lane, London, where she sang until 1709, when she retired from the stage. Tofts, a rival of Margherita de l'Épine , was the first English-born singer to perform Italian opera in England, and her pleasant voice and graceful stage presence was admired by such critics as Cibber and Burney. She sang in Arsinoe (1705), Rosamond, Love's Triumph, and other operas, and also sang in such pasticcios as Camilla, Thomyris, and Phyrrus and Demetrius. Tofts earned a fortune during her career, and retired to Venice in 1709. There, she married British consul John Smith. Tofts lived until 1756, and reportedly died insane.
Elizabeth Shostak , M.A., Cambridge, Massachusetts