Catarina Gabrielli, an Italian vocalist, born in Rome in 1730, died in 1796. She was the daughter of a cook employed by Count Ga-brielli, who, being struck with the girl's remarkable voice, had her educated by Garcia and Porpora; and about 1747 she gave her first performance at Lucca, assuming the name of her protector. In 1750 she excelled to such an extent as Dido in Jomelli's opera of that name, that Metastasio engaged her as first prima donna for the Vienna opera. She was as celebrated for her amours, prodigality, and eccentricities as for her vocal and histrionic talent. In Parma she was the mistress of the infante Don Ferdinand, whose excessive jealousy impelled her to escape to St. Petersburg, where Catharine II. received her with open arms. She asked 5,000 rubles a month, and the empress remarking that this salary exceeded that of field marshals, Gabrielli proposed to her to make those warriors sing. After her return to Italy, the tenor Pacchia-rotti was so overcome by her wonderful singing that he fled from the stage while performing with her in Venice in 1777. She had tempting offers from London managers, but would not go to England, where she feared that her whims would not be tolerated.

Her last performances were at Milan, where she sang together with her rival Marchesi, and the opera-goers of that city formed two parties which led to disturbances. She ended her life in retirement in Rome.-Francesca Gabrielli (1755-"95) was another renowned vocalist, who became known as Gabriellina, to distinguish her from the preceding.