1822-1825 - Haymarket (Westminster)
Soprano Giuseppina Ronzi was born in Milan on 11 January 1800, the daughter of Gaspare Ronzi, a famous dancer and choreographer. Her mother was a ballerina. She made her debut in Naples at the Teatro dei Fiorentini in 1814 in Giovanni Cordella’s L’Avaro. In 1816 she married the bass singer Giuseppe de Begnis in Bologna and they worked together until their separation in 1825. In January 1819, Giuseppina and her husband moved to Paris where they sang for the re-opening of the Théâtre Italien. The couple arrived in Britain in April 1822 where their debut took place in Rossini’s Il Turco in Italia. Giuseppina spent three years at the King’s Theatre, Haymarket, where she enjoyed success in performing Rossini roles. Ronzi returned to Italy. Her marriage had fallen apart and she might have had problems with her voice. Her former husband remained in London he stayed on in London as Primo Buffo of the King’s Theatre. In Italy she rebuilt her career and became a highly appreciated performer of roles created by Bellini and Donizetti. She died in June 1853 in Florence.
