Obituaries Australia

Marie Carandini, 1863

State Library of New South Wales, P1 / 302

It will be with regret that all classes of society will learn of the death of Madame Carandini, which took place on April 13, at the residence of her daughter, Lady Moreland, at Bath, England, at the ripe age of 69. When quite a child Madame Carandini, then Marie Burgess, arrived with her parents in Tasmania, wither Mr. Burgess had been ordered for the sake of his health by his medical advisers. At the age of 17 Miss Marie Burgess married the Marquis Carandini, an Italian nobleman, whose patriotism had deprived him of all his property and exiled him from his native land. Madame Carandini's musical career began in Sydney as far back as 1841 and 1842. In 1854 she went from Tasmania to Melbourne, and by her exquisite singing as well as by her personal qualities took the public by storm. Her beautiful voice, her finished style, and that sympathetic quality which always put her in touch with her audience rendered Madame Carandini a most popular favorite throughout Australia. She was the first to establish operatic singing in the colonies, and in fact largely aided in the development of high class music here. In 1855, when Catherine Hayes visited Australia, the production of an opera became an established fact, and she appeared in La Sonnambula at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, on October 22, 1855, ably supported by Madame Carandini, of whose talents she had the highest possible opinion. The rest of the company was fairly satisfactory and a chorus of 50 voices was got together for the occasion. La Sonnambula was followed by Lucia di Lammermoor, Norma, The Bohemian Girl, and Lucrezia Borgia, in each of which Madame Carandini appeared in conjunction with Catherine Hayes. After the departure of the latter a series of representations were given from time to time, in which the leading artistes were Madame Carandini, Signor Borsotti, and Madame Cailly. In 1858 an opera season was commenced in the Princess Theatre, and in the year following in the Theatre Royal, Madame Carandini appearing in both with Farquharson and Walter Sherwin. In subsequent years all the well-known operas were produced, and excellent singing, orchestration, and mounting were provided. In 1867 Mr. C. E. Horsley, a composer of repute, who had come to reside in Victoria, arranged some "Musical festivals," at which high-class music was supplied by Madame Carandini, assisted by her daughters, Rosina and Fannie. Till 1892 Madame Carandini lived in retirement, when she left the colonies for England with her daughter, Lady Moreland. On the occasion of her departure farewell concerts were given in her honor both in Melbourne and Adelaide. The latter took place on February 16, 1892, and a large and enthusiastic audience gathered in the Town Hall to do honor to an artiste whose name had been associated for so many years with the growth of music in the colonies. Among the audience were many who in the early days had frequently heard her and her talented daughters, and who in renewing these pleasant memories doubtless recalled again the scenes and forms of the days that were. Madame Carandini rendered the charming old Scotch song Jessie, the Flower o' Dunblane, and "The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls, and the genuine feeling displayed by the audience during the rendering of those songs unmistakeably showed in what affectionate remembrance she was held. Lady Moreland and Mrs. Palmer, her daughters, also sang on that occasion and were received with enthusiasm. Lady Moreland left Australia nearly 20 years ago with the family on a concert tour to India, and whilst there married Captain Sir Henry Moreland, the head of the fort of Bombay, which position he held till his death, some four years ago. After the marriage she continued to lend her voice and musical talent in aid of the different charities of Bombay. Mrs. Palmer did not accompany her mother to England, but has since been a resident of Melbourne.