BRENT, Charlotte, soprano singer, was the daughter of a fencing master and alto singer, who was the original Hamor in Handel's 'Jephtha' in 1752, and who, on the production at Ranelagh in 1759 of Bonnell Thornton's burlesque 'Ode on St. Cecilia's day,' with Burney's music, admirably accompanied Beard in the Salt-box song 'on that instrument.' Miss Brent was a pupil of Arne's, and first appeared as a singer in Feb. 1758 at a concert given by Cecilia Davies, and next on March 3, 1758, at Drury Lane in Arne's opera 'Eliza,' performed oratorio-wise for his benefit. She sang in opera at Drury Lane during 1758 and 1759. She was then engaged by Beard for Covent Garden, where she appeared Oct. 10, 1759, as Polly in 'The Beggar's Opera,' and where she continued until the close of her theatrical career. In 1762 she reached the summit of her reputation by singing the part of Mandane in Arne's 'Artaxerxes' (produced Feb. 2), which had been written expressly for her. In 1765 she sang at Hereford Festival, in 1766 at that of Gloucester, and in 1 767 at Worcester. In November 1766 she became the second wife of Thomas Pinto, the violinist. [See Pinto.] She continued to sing at Covent Garden until about 1770, when she took to touring with her husband. On April 22, 1784, she appeared for one night in 'Comus' at Covent Garden for the benefit of Hull, the stage-manager. Charles Dibdin described her as 'possessing an exquisite voice,' and being 'a most valuable singer. Her power was resistless, her neatness was truly interesting, and her variety was incessant;' and a later writer said, 'her bravura singing had considerable merit, her execution being neat, distinct, rapid, and at that time unrivalled.' She survived her powers, and lived, forgotten by the public, till April 10, 1802, when she died, in very straitened circumstances, at No. 6 Vauxhall Walk. She was buried April 15, in the churchyard of St. Margaret, Westminster.
[ W. H. H. ]
BRESLAUR, Emil. See vol. ii. 735a.
[1]BREUNING, a family mainly interesting for its connexion with Beethoven. Christoph von Breuning in 1761 was Chancellor of the Commandery of the Teutonic order at Mergentheim. His five sons, George Joseph, Lorenz, Johann Philipp, Emanuel Joseph, and Christoph, all received important offices either in the Order or in the Electorate; and Emanuel Joseph, born in 1741, became at twenty a 'Conseilleractuel' at the Court in Bonn, and, Jan. 3, 1750, married Helène, daughter of Hofrath Stephan von Kerich. The good influence of this excellent woman upon the young Beethoven renders a word upon her character pertinent. She was brought into close relations with the literary and scientific circles of the little capital, and was a woman of singular good sense, culture and i-efinement; mild, kindly, affectionate in her domestic relations; as wife and mother irreproachable.
On Jan. 15, 1777, a fire in the Electoral Palace caused the death of thirteen persons, including Emmanuel Joseph Breuning, in the 36th year of his age. His widow, who had just entered her 28th year, was left with three children:—Christoph, born May 13, 1771; Eleonore Brigitta, born April 23, 1772; Stephan, born Aug. 17, 1774; to whom a fourth was added a few months later:—Lorenz (Lenz), born in the summer of 1777.
She remained in the house where her husband died, which is still standing, across the square from the Minster Church. Immediately after the death of Emmanuel, his brother, Canon Lorenz came from Neuss to reside with her, as guardian and instructor of the children. Notwithstanding the presence of two ecclesiastics in the house as members of the family, Wegeler, writing of a time some ten years later than Breuning's decease, testifies to the broad and liberal spirit, the free and unconstrained tone that reigned; and this is confirmed by the fact that neither of the sons was educated for the priesthood. Besides classical studies, exceptional attention appears to have been paid to the rising German literature and the works of the leading English authors.
Into this family, in his 18th year, Beethoven came first as music-teacher of Eleonore and Lenz, and soon almost as a member of it. [See vol. i. 164.] The good influence upon his intellectual development and moral character of this intercourse with the Breunings cannot be over-rated, and a short notice of the members of that household more closely connected with him will not be out of place.
Eleonore Brigitta married Franz Gerhard Wegeler, Beethoven's biographer, at Beuel, March 28, 1802, and died at Coblenz, June 13, 1841, in her 70th year. [See Beethoven, vol. i. p. 166b.]
Stephan (Lorenz Joseph Judas Thaddeus) the well-known friend of Beethoven in later years, also studied jurisprudence at Bonn and Göttingen. Shortly before the fall of the Electorate, Max Franz, Elector of Cologne and Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, gave him a position in the Order at Mergentheim. A grand chapter held in Vienna in the summer of 1801 brought Stephan v. B. thither in the spring of that year, where he renewed his intimacy with Beethoven, begun in their boyhood, when both were pupils of Franz Ries on the violin. As the Teutonic Order no longer afforded the opportunity of a career, Stephan obtained a place in the Austrian War Office, and in 1818 advanced to the dignity of Hofrath. This rapid rise (in the Austrian service) of a young man who lacked the advantages of noble birth and aristocratic protection, and was not even an Austrian by descent, confirms the traditions of his remarkable executive ability, his great industry and extreme fidelity to duty. In Oct. 1825, Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern-Heckingen, became President of the Imperial Council of War. From this moment Breuning was exposed to vexations and mortifications, which rapidly undermined his health, and he died, ten weeks after the decease of his friend
- ↑ Copyright 1889 by A. W. Thayer
