Friederike Funk, married name La Grua bzw. Funk La Grua (14 November 1796 - after 1863Iris, 15 April 1863, (Numerized).) was a German operatic soprano and Royal Saxon Kammersinger in Dresden.
Life Born in Meissen, the daughter of a postmaster from her hometown received her vocal training from Johann Aloys Miksch in Dresden from 1813. In May 1816, she received her first engagement at the Dresdner Hoftheater under the direction of Francesco Morlacchi. Afterwards, accompanied by her brother and at the behest of the Saxon kingCf. Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung of 26 June 1839, sp. 498, she spent two years in Italy to perfect her voice. She received this royal scholarship through the mediation of Morlacchi.Cf. Karl-Josef Kutsch and Leo Riemens: Großes Sängerlexikon, 3rd vol., 4th expanded and updated ed., Munich 2003, . In Italy she performed among others in Naples and St. Carlo and took lessons in Naples with Niccolò Antonio Zingarelli and Luigi Mosca. In the autumn of 1818, now engaged at the Italian and German Operas in Dresden, she sang the title role in Rossini's Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra, and in 1822 Agathe in Weber's Der Freischütz. In 1824, she sang Eglantine in Weber's Euryanthe. She performed among others with the singers Anna Maria Neumann-SessiAllgemeine musikalische Zeitung, 8 January 1823, sp. 20 (Numerized). and Wilhelmine Schröder-DevrientMarie Börner-Sandrini: Erinnerungen einer alten Dresdnerin, Dresden 1879, . In 1827, after guest performances in Darmstadt, she went to Italy again, where she received an engagement in Palermo. After her marriage in Palermo to the tenorSee the report on a concert given by her daughter Emmy la Grua: Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, 17 January 1851, (aid=nzm&date=18510117&query=%22La+Grua%22&ref=anno-search&page=6 Numerized). Signor La Grua, she returned to Dresden in the 1830s, now under the name Friederike Funk La Grua, and worked as a singing teacher. Even after her marriage, she still performed sporadicallyCf. for example Allgemeiner Musikalischer Anzeiger, 16 January 1840, (Numerized). Lastly, she lived with her daughter Emmy, also a singer among others in Paris, Dresden, Vienna and Turin, as well as a singing teacher, in Paris.Damen Conversations Lexikon. Published in association with scholars and women writers by Carl Herloßsohn, Adorf 1835, ; Marie Börner-Sandrini: Erinnerungen einer alten Dresdnerin, Dresden 1879, ; vgl. auch Süddeutsche Musik-Zeitung, 17 April 1854, (Numerized). Emmy La Grua received singing lessons from Pauline Garcia and Caroline Ungher-Sabatier.See Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, 17 January 1851, (Numerized).
References
Further reading Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, 26 June 1839, Sp. 497–498 (Numerized) (brief biographical summary). Marie Börner-Sandrini: Erinnerungen einer alten Dresdnerin, Neue Folge, Dresden 1879 , (Numerized). Hans Schnoor: Dresden – 400 Jahre deutsche Musikkultur. Dresden 1948. Karl-Josef Kutsch and Leo Riemens: Großes Sängerlexikon, 3rd vol. 4th, expanded and updated ed., Munich 2003, .
External links
Funk Friederike on Operissimo Funk, Friederike on WeberGA Friederike Funk bei Stadtwiki Dresden