# Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Caradori-Allan, Maria Caterina Rosalbina

​CARADORI-ALLAN, MARIA CATERINA ROSALBINA (1800–1865), vocalist, was born at the Casa Palatina, Milan, in 1800. Her father. Baron de Munck, was an Alsatian, who held a post in the French army. Her mother, whose maiden name was Caradori, was a native of St. Petersburg. Owing to her father's death she was forced to adopt music as a profession, though the only training she received was from her mother. After a tour in France and part of Germany by the exertions of Count St. Antonio she was engaged for the King's Theatre, where she made her first appearance as Cherubino in the 'Nozze di Figaro,' 12 Jan. 1822. Her salary for this season was 300l. In 1823 she was re-enaged, at a salary of 400l., and appeared as Vitellia in Mozart's ' Clemenza ai Tito,' and as Carlotta in Mercadante's 'Elisa e Claudio.' In 1824 she was married to Mr. E. T. ​Allan, the secretary of the King's Theatre, where she was again engaged at a salary of 500l., singing with Catalani in Mayr's 'Nuovo Fanatico per la Musica,' and (for her own benefit) as Zerlina in 'Don Giovanni,' In following year her chief parts were Carlotta in Generali's 'L'Adelina,' Fatima in Rossini's 'Pietro l'Eremita,' and Palmida in Meyerbeer's 'Crociato;' in the latter opera was associated with the sopranist Velluti. In 1826 her salary, which had been lowered to 400l., was raised to 700l., and she sang with Pasta in Zingarelli's 'Romeo e Giulietta,' and as Rosina in 'II Barbiere di Seviglia.' In the following year her salary was 1,200l., but this was the last season of Italian opera for some time, and Mdme. Caradori-Allan went abroad. She sang in Venice 1830, but in 1834 reappeared in Italian opera London, and after 1835 remained in England until her death. She sang the soprano solo music at the first performance of Beethoven's ninth symphony in England, 21 March 1826, in the same year took part in the York festival. In 1826 she was at Gloucester, and 1827 at the Leicester and Worcester festivals. In 1834 she sang in the Handel festival in Westminster Abbey, in 1836 at the Winchester festival with Malibran, and in 1846 took part in Mendelssohn's 'Elijah' at production at the Birmingham festival. In latter years of her career she abandoned stage for oratorio and concert singing, which she achieved great success. She retired about 1845, and died at Elm Lodge, Surbiton, on Sunday, 15 Oct. 1865. Mme. Caradori-Allan all her life enjoyed great popularity; personally she was very accomplished, at the same time most amiable and unaffected. Her singing was more remarkable for finish than for force; her voice was sweet, deficient in tone, and it was said of her 'she always delighted, but never surprised,' her audiences. As an actress she was charming. There are portraits of her as Creusa in 'Medea,' by Hullmandel after Hayand in Ebers's 'Seven Years of the King's Theatre.'
[Grove's Dict. of Music, i. 307; Lord Mount-Edgcumbe's Musical Reminiscences of an Old Amateur (ed. 1827), p. 165; Ebers's Seven Years of the King's Theatre, pp. 143, 154, &c.; Somerset House, i. 380, ii. 88; Orchestra for 21 Oct. 1865; Quarterly Musical Magazine, 1825, p. 347; Times, 19 Oct. 1865.]
W. B. S.