born Dec. 6, 1804, Hamburg
died Jan. 26, 1860, Coburg, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
German soprano.
Daughter of a baritone, she achieved international renown with her 1822 performance as Ludwig van Beethoven 's Leonora. Though her voice showed signs of wear by her 30s, she was known for her dramatic prowess
she genuinely cried onstage and was called the "Queen of Tears"
and she created three early Wagnerian (see Richard Wagner ) roles: Adriano ( Rienzi , 1842), Senta ( The Flying Dutchman , 1843), and Venus ( Tannhäuser , 1845).