Jane Barbier

Jane Barbier (will proved 9 December 1757) was an English contralto of the 18th century, best known for her performances in the operas of George Frideric Handel. She created the roles of Dorinda and Arcano (Il pastor fido and Teseo, respectively), and also sang in Rinaldo. After leaving Italian opera she performed in the masques of Johann Pepusch, and worked for John Rich in various pantomimes and English-language operas. Thomas Arne's Rosamond (1733), where she took the role of King Henry, marked the end of her successful career, and after this she largely disappears from the historical record.

References

• Olive Baldwin and Thelma Wilson: "Barbier, Jane", Grove Music Online ed L. Macy (Accessed 5 March 2011), grovemusic.com, subscription access.