Saint-Huberty, Antoinette Cecile

1756-1812

Celebrated soprano, whose maiden name was Clavel, who was born at Toul, France. Her father was stage manager to a French Opera company at Warsaw, and at the latter place she studied four years under Lemoyne, the conductor of the orchestra. She went to Berlin and married there Chevalier de Croisy. She first appeared in public as a singer in Lemoyne's opera, Le Bouquet de Colette. She sang for three years at Strasburg; and then at Paris, in the performance of Gluck's Armide in 1777. In her, Gluck is said to have discovered qualities he had failed to find in more beautiful singers. Her first great success came in Piccini's Roland and she also appeared in Gossec's These, in Phedre, in Didon, and other operas by Gretry and Sacchini. Her death was a tragic one. She had remarried in 1790, her husband being Count d'Entraigues, in whose political schemes she became involved, and they were assassinated at their country home near London by a servant, probably for political reasons.