Bland, Maria Theresa (1769–1838)

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Bland, Maria Theresa (1769–1838)

English soprano. Name variations: Maria Romanzini. Born in London, England, in 1769; died in London on January 15, 1838; daughter of Italian Jews named Romanzini; studied with Dibdin; married George Bland (an actor), in 1790; children: Charles (a tenor) and James (1798–1861, a buffo bass).

Maria Theresa Bland first sang in London at the Hughes' Riding School in 1773. She made her debut at Drury Lane in 1786. A member of the Drury Lane Company from 1789 to 1824, she excelled in the operas of Storace and Arnold; she also sang at the Haymarket and Vauxhall. In 1824, suffering from depression, she abandoned her career.

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