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Life
Anna Bon is a fascinating figure among women composers in the 1700’s. Among the rarity of women composers, she is an enigma because not much is known of her.
Her only biography is available from the frontispieces and from the dedications of the only three works printed by her and published between 1756 - the year Mozart was born, and 1759 at the "Vedova di Baltas Schmidt in Norimerga".
From the data taken from the frontispieces, it is hypothesized that she was the daughter of the famous architect, scenographer, and Venetian painter Girolamo Bon and the Bolognese singer Rosa Ruvinetti, who were both linked to the court of Frederic the Great of Prussia.
Anna’s father, Girolamo, stayed in Germany in 1746, first in Berlin and then in Dresden, then went to Potsdam at the court of Frederico of Prussia in 1750. In 1754, he went to Frankfurt followed by Bayreuth in 1756 where he was a professor of architecture and prospectives at the "Academy of Fine Arts". He died in 1761.
Consequently, the coincidences of his whereabouts, and time frame, not to mention the last name, are important factors in figuring out Anna Bon’s life through the coincidences given.
Also, in 1752, Girolamo published "Sei facili sonate di violino con basso" in Noremberg, the exact same publishing house as the three works printed by Anna.
We learn that Anna was "virtuosa di musica da camera at the court of Potsdam in 1756 from the frontpieces of the "VI Sonate da Camera per il flauto Traversiere Violoncello o Cembalo - opera prima". It is here we lear she is 16 and thus was born in 1740.
Anna Bon’s first mentioned publication along with, "VI Sonate per il cembalo opera seconda" which was dedicated to Ernestina Augusta Sophia Princess of Sachsen, Weimar, and VI Divertimento per due flauti e cambalo opera terza" - 1759, dedicated to the prince select of Bavaria Carlo Teodoro, are the only three works of Anna’s that we know of today.
It is in 1767, where Anna lived in Hildburghausen in Turingia with her husband named Mongeri that future contact and traces of her are lost. It appears nothing more became of Anna’s career after that for no other known source of works by her is published nor any remnants of others remain about her.