Constance was born in 1846 and grew up in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham in England. She showed huge promise as a musician, studying music at the Conservatorium in Munich. When an injury to her right hand put a stop to her budding career, she moved to London and built a new life as a lecturer and a literary translator from German into English.
Constance was particularly well-known for her sensitive translations of musical librettos, particularly works by Liszt, Mozart, Humperdinck, and Schumann, and much sought-after at a time when performing operas in translation was much more popular than it is today.
Constance died in 1903, aged 57. Her translations of some of the great works of German opera are still performed today. We look forward to the revival of opera in local languages rather than the language of origin.
Photo Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/an-ornate-theater-with-empty-red-seats-Hne6drySGfQ
