Susannah Maria Cibber

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Susannah Maria Cibber (née Arne; February 1714 – 30 January 1766) was an English singer and actress. She was the sister of the composer Thomas Arne. Although she began her career as a soprano, her voice lowered in the early part of her career to that of a true contralto. She was admired for her ability to move her audiences emotionally, both as an actress and as a singer. Possessing an expressive and agile singing voice with a wide vocal range, Cibber was an immensely popular singer even if at times her voice was criticized for a lack of polished technique. Charles Burney wrote of her singing that "by a natural pathos, and perfect conception of the words, she often penetrated the heart, when others, with infinitely greater voice and skill, could only reach the ear". Cibber was particularly admired by Handel, who wrote numerous parts especially for her including the contralto arias in his 1741 oratorio Messiah, the role of Micah in Samson, the role of Lichas in Hercules and the role of...

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