Lot Essay
John Braham (1774?-1856), tenor and singer was born in London to German Jews who died when he was young. At the synagogue in Duke's Place, he met Leoni, a chorister who adopted him and discovered his prodigious talent and instructed him in singing and music. He started his career singing at the Royalty Theatre in Wellclose Square. Braham's reputation was heightened with the production of 'Mahmoud' in 1796 and in the following year he decided to go to Italy to study singing. He journeyed via Paris where he gave several concerts under the patronage of Joséphine de Beauharnais. At Genoa, he sang with the famous sopranist Marchesi in 'Lodoiska' and studied composition under Isola. On his return to England, Braham enjoyed immense success and popularity and during his career he had accumulated a huge fortune. In 1831 he entered into business with Yates to buy the Colosseum in Regent's Park and in 1835 built the St. James's Theatre but both these speculations proved to be disastrous and Braham was force to return to the stage and to continue to give concerts and performances. Braham retired in 1852 and until his death in 1856 lived at the Grange, Brampton.