Research Forum - Cheryll Duncan - 26 February 2025 скачать в хорошем качестве

Research Forum - Cheryll Duncan - 26 February 2025

‘“Hissed by the whole Audience”: Reassessing the biography of Jane Barbier (c1694–1757)’ Cheryll Duncan (RNCM) The contralto Jane Barbier enjoyed a long and illustrious career on the London stage, performing in Italian and English operas, masques, pantomimes and afterpieces at leading theatres between 1711 and 1740. Her personal life was subject to colourful contemporary comment, particularly in response to her reported elopement in 1717 which continued to be rehearsed in the press long after her death. This paper presents a number of archival findings which expand Barbier’s known biography, including new information about her family, the man with whom she eloped, and various financial matters. Of particular interest are three lawsuits recently discovered in the records of the Court of King’s Bench which shed light on hitherto unknown aspects of her professional career at Lincoln’s Inn Fields and Covent Garden theatres. These findings prompt a reassessment of Barbier's reputation and allow a more nuanced portrait of the singer to emerge.