Francilla Pixis [SEP] voice type
Francilla Pixis
Francilla Pixis (15 May 1816 – ?1888) was a German mezzo-soprano. She was born Franziska Helma Göhringer in Lichtenthal near Baden-Baden. She was initially trained by the pianist and composer Johann Peter Pixis who adopted her when she was 15 but also studied with Henriette Sontag and Ferdinando Paer. She made her concert debut in London in 1833 and her operatic debut in 1834 in Karlsruhe. She subsequently sang in Vienna, Paris, London, and Italy both on the opera stage and in successful
, Francilla married and not long after that retired from the stage. Pixis then turned his attention to the musical training of his nephew Theodor Pixis (1831-1856), who subsequently became concertmaster in Cologne and instructor in the Rheinische Musikschule but died suddenly. Johann Peter Pixis continued to teach the piano until his death in 1874.
Works.
The opus numbers of Pixis's published works run to about 150, a total not unusual for the era, and include compositions in a variety of genres but especially chamber music