Damoreau, Laure Cinthie Montalant

1801-1863

She was born in Paris and attained to much prominence as a singer. Her parents were moderately well-to-do, her father being a professor of languages and her mother a woodengraver. When a little girl she was taken to Catel and astonished him by singing with great feeling  and accuracy the finale to The Marriage of Figaro. Her uncle, M. Plautade, taught her singing, and while studying she was also composing. She was admited to the Conservatory in 1808 and became highly proficient as a performer on the piano. She made her debut in opera at the Paris Opera, in La Cosa Kara, in the part of Lilla. Her first really important part was that of Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro. While appearing at the Theatre Italien she understudied all of the prime donne, and upon advice changed her name to Cinti. She was engaged by Ebers to sing in London and made her first  appearance there in 1822 as Rosina in The Barber of Seville. She was not well received, so returned to Paris, and there appeared in many operas, among them Don Giovanni, and Romeo and Juliet. Rossini about this time heard her sing and taking an interest in her engaged her to sing in his Moses in Egypt, and this opera crowned her success. In Brussels she married M. Damoreau, an actor, and from then on was frequently heard in London, Paris and many of the continental cities. In 1841 she made her farewell appearance in France. As a concert singer she came to the United States in 1843, and on returning to Paris accepted   the post of professor of singing in the Paris Conservatory. In 1849 she published her Methode de Chant, used by the Conservator)'. She also published some charming compositions and taught many pupils who afterwards became distinguished.