A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Davies, Misses

DAVIES, the Misses Marianne and Cecilia, were daughters of a relative of Benjamin Franklin [App. p.608 "there is no evidence to support the statement that the sisters were related to Benjamin Franklin"]. Marianne, the elder, attained some distinction as a performer on the harpsichord and pianoforte, but about 1762 achieved much more repute for her skill on the harmonica, or musical glasses, then recently much improved by Franklin. [App. p.608 "Marianne was born in 1744, and first appeared at Hickford's rooms on April 30, 1751, when she played a concerto for the German flute, and a concerto by Handel on the harpsichord, besides singing some songs."] Cecilia, born 1740, won considerable renown as a vocalist. She made her first public appearance at the Concert Room in Dean Street, Soho, April 28, 1756. [App. p.608 "The date of Cecilia's birth is certainly later than 1740, and probably 1750 is the right date. Her first appearance seems not to have taken place till Aug. 10, 1767, in 'some favourite songs from the opera of Artaxerxes and Caractacus.'"] In 68 the sisters quitted England and went to Paris, and Vienna. Whilst there, Metastasio wrote and Hasse composed an ode, which was sung by Cecilia, accompanied by Marianne on the harmonica [App. p.608 "June 27, 1869"]. Metastasio, in a letter dated Jan. 16, 1772, describes the beautiful tone of the instrument, and the admirable manner in which Cecilia assimilated her voice to it, so as to render it difficult to distinguish the one from the other. From Vienna the sisters went to Milan, where Cecilia appeared in 1771, with great success, in the opera of Ruggiero, written by Metastasio and composed by Hasse, being the first Englishwoman accepted in Italy as prima donna. The Italians bestowed on her the sobriquet of 'L'Inglesina,' and confessed her to be superior to any Italian singer but Gabrielli. She afterwards sang at Florence. In 1773 the two ladies returned to London, where Cecilia appeared at the Italian Opera with the greatest success [App. p.608-9 "singing Sacchini's 'Lucio Vero,' on Nov. 20. In the following year she sang at the Hereford Festival"]. She is described as having no great power or volume of voice, but a remarkably neat and facile execution. She subsequently revisited Florence, and performed there until about 1784, when she returned to England. [[App. p.609 "She sang after her return from Florence at the Professional concert on Feb. 3 1787, and made her first appearance in oratorio in 1791 at Drury Lane, soon after which she fell into great poverty."] Marianne's nerves had become so seriously affected by her performance on the harmonica (a so frequent result of continued performance on the instrument as to have occasioned official prohibition of its use in many continental towns), that she was compelled to retire from her profession. She died in 1792, and Cecilia shortly afterwards also ceased to perform. About 1817 she published a collection of six songs by Hasse, Jomelli, Galuppi, etc. She survived until July 3, 1836, having for years suffered from the accumulated miseries of old age, disease, and poverty. [App. p.609 "During the last years of her life she was assisted by the National Fund, the Royal Society of Musicians, etc. (Dict. of Nat. Biog.)"]

[ W. H. H. ]