Henriette Sontag
H. Sontag
Portrait of Henriette Sontag with a decorative border
Born: 3 January 1809
Died: 17 June 1854
Years active: 1823-1854
Henriette Sontag was a German soprano opera singer. She was born in Germany to actor Franz Sontag and singer and actress Franziska Sontag. After studying at Prague Conservatory she quickly rose to fame and made her operatic debut in 1821 in François-Adrien Boieldieu’s Jean de Paris. Her success continued as she spent the next few years touring across Europe. In 1828 Sontag secretly married Count Carlos Rossi of Sardinia. She left the stage for 19 years, until her husband's financial situation deteriorated. Her successful career returned and continued for many years, before she contracted cholera and sadly died in 1854.
“Nature gave her a pure soprano voice of rare and delicate quality united with incomparable sweetness.”
George T. Ferris
Great Singers: First Series
1899
Costume de M'elle Sontag, rôle de Rosine, dans le Barbier de Séville
Lithograph
Portrait of Henriette Sontag as Rosine in the opera
The Barber of Seville
Madame Sontag, role de Luisa,
dans Le Tre Lozze
Lithograph
Portrait of Henriette Sontag as Luisa in the opera Le Tre Lozze
“It reached such a height that the two singers refused to meet each other socially, and on the stage when they sang together their jealousy and dislike showed itself in the most undisguised fashion.”
A description of the rivalry between Sontag and Malibran
George T. Ferris
Great Singers: First Series
1899
Mad'lle Sontag
Portrait of Henriette Sontag with a decorative border
Mad'lle Sontag (1828)
Printed sketch
Portrait of Henriette Sontag as Rosine in the opera
The Barber of Seville