Cecilia Davies
Encyclopedia
Cecilia Davies was an English classical soprano
who had an active international career in concerts and opera
s during the second half of the 18th century. In Italy she was dubbed with the name "l'Inglesina". She was the sister of Marianne Davies
who was the first professional glass harmonica
musician. She sang in several world premieres during her career, including Thomas Arne's Love in a Village
(1762, Margery) and Josef Mysliveček
's La Circe
(1779, title role).
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
who had an active international career in concerts and opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s during the second half of the 18th century. In Italy she was dubbed with the name "l'Inglesina". She was the sister of Marianne Davies
Marianne Davies
Marianne Davies was an English musician, and the sister of the classical soprano Cecilia Davies.In 1762 she became the first person to publicly perform on the glass harmonica , an instrument consisting of variously sized and tuned glass bowls that rotate on a common shaft, played by touching the...
who was the first professional glass harmonica
Glass harmonica
The glass harmonica, also known as the glass armonica, bowl organ, hydrocrystalophone, or simply the armonica , is a type of musical instrument that uses a series of glass bowls or goblets graduated in size to produce musical tones by means of friction The glass harmonica, also known as the glass...
musician. She sang in several world premieres during her career, including Thomas Arne's Love in a Village
Love in a Village
Love in a Village is a ballad opera in three acts that was composed and arranged by Thomas Arne. A pastiche, the work contains 42 musical numbers of which only five were newly composed works by Arne. The other music is made up of 13 pieces borrowed from Arne's earlier stage works, a new overture...
(1762, Margery) and Josef Mysliveček
Josef Myslivecek
Josef Mysliveček was a Czech composer who contributed to the formation of late eighteenth-century classicism in music...
's La Circe
La Circe
La Circe is an opera in three acts by Josef Mysliveček set to a libretto by Domenico Perelli that is based on Greek legends about the sorceress Circe...
(1779, title role).