Marie Carandini

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drawing of Marie Carandini on the cover of I Cannot Sing To Night (comp. Lewis Henry Lavenu)

Marie Carandini (1826-1894) was an English born Australian opera singer.

Born in 1826 in Brixton, London daughter of W. H. Burgess, she was brought by her parents to Tasmania in 1833. At the age of 17 she married Jerome (originally Girolamo) Carandini, an Italian of noble birth who was a political refugee. She came to Sydney in 1846 and studied under Isaac Nathan and other teachers. She soon established a reputation as a concert singer and as an operatic prima donna, both at Sydney and Melbourne, and was a popular favourite throughout Australia. Her husband having received a pardon from the Italian government went to Italy in 1870, but died at Modena soon after his arrival. Madame Carandini continued to sing in concerts for some years throughout Australia and New Zealand, with visits to America and India. She had eight children of whom five daughters were musical and took part in her tours. She died at London in 1894. Her eldest daughter, Rosina Palmer was a notable soprano in Australia and her great grandson (by her son Major Frank James (Francesco Giacomo) Carandini, 11th Marquess of Sarzano) is the actor Christopher Lee.