Record Number: 28082

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Elizabeth Carter to Catherine Talbot, 10 July 1754: 'After that exquisitely beautiful sonnet [by Carlo Maria Maggi, opening 'Care dell'alma stanca Albengatrici...'] you sent me, I am quite ashamed to let you see poor Metastasio's love song [as previously promised], but the simplicity of it pleased me, and simplicity is an excellence not often to be met with in any modern compositions, except those of our own country, of which I think it is the characteristic.'

Century:

1700-1799

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1754 and 10 Jul 1754

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Elizabeth Carter

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

16 Dec 1717

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Writer

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Metastasio

Title:

'love song' opening 'Ecco qual fiero istante'

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

28082

Source:

Print

Author:

n/a

Editor:

Montagu Pennington

Title:

A Series of Letters between Mrs Elizabeth Carter and Miss Catherine Talbot, from the year 1741 to 1770. To which are added, Letters from Mrs Elizabeth Carter to Mrs Vesey, between the years 1763 and 1787

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

1809

Vol:

2

Page:

175-176

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Montagu Pennington (ed.), A Series of Letters between Mrs Elizabeth Carter and Miss Catherine Talbot, from the year 1741 to 1770. To which are added, Letters from Mrs Elizabeth Carter to Mrs Vesey, between the years 1763 and 1787, (London, 1809), 2, p. 175-176, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=28082, accessed: 12 January 2025

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Additional Comments:

Carter had named, and promised to send, this text to Talbot in a letter of 18 March 1754 (see p.165 in source). Metastasio was the pseudonym of the Italian poet Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi (3 January 1698 – 12 April 1782).