Giulia Grisi [pp. 22-23]

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roofs and groined cathedral arches. Here, as we sit together and love
you, alike in our memories and our anticipations, take a word of counsel. We must preach when you come. We are already gathering
green emblems from among the snows, to make the place of the sanctuary of the Christ-Child glorious. You must help us, when we perform
the priest's office. Tell the children that Christ was the Christ of
children; that "He appeared among men ag a child upon His mother's
bosom, that He might teach men to feel for Him and with Him, and to
be sure that He felt for them, and with them; that He took the form
of a little child to draw out all their love, all their tenderness, and all
their pity." Come among men with lessons of manly strength in the
love of truth and goodness. Come to age, and, with the ever-fresh
tidings of a life ever new in the exercise of a Christian trust, teach
it that its waning years but precede the dawning of another and longer
day. Come to sorrow, and minister better things to it than lessons
of endurance. Come to the mart, and teach it honesty; come to the
state, and teach it rightcousness; come to the pulpit, and bid it tell
not alone what faith is, but also Ihoo faith works; come to the nations,
and teach them peace; come to the world, and help to make it more
and more a dwelling-place for "the King in His beauty."
"Bid the waits sing,
Bid the chlimes rilng."'
"Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be."
GIULIA GRISI.
To almost every musical amateur of the present generation the
name of Giulia Grisi stands as the highest type of the lyric
,actress. In the leading operas of the day, excepting those by Gout
nod, her voice has been heard, while her genius has stamped with
peculiar individuality the creations of Donizetti, Bellini, and Meyerbeer.
All these masters of musical art had preceded her to the tomb; and
now the voice of the "singing-woman" who gave vitality to their inIspirations is mute forever.
There is a conflict of opinion as to the date of Grisi's birth, some
of her numerous biographers stating it to be July 2, 1812, and others
putting it four years later-in 1816. But, in either case, her public caTeer extends far back enough to connect her with Pasta and Grassiui,
and even MIara, who for long years have only been traditional names in
the history of art. It is unnecessary here to give a detailed account of
'her life, and we would now only hurriedly glance at her earlier triumphs, reserving more space for her American career.
Her aunt was Grassini, who was in 1804 the reigning singer in
Paris, and was appointed by Napoleon direetress of the Paris Opera.
Talma said of this great artiste that he had never seen an actress endowed with a physiognomy so expressive, or with features so mobile.
The Grecian outline of her profile, her beautiful forehead, rich black
hair and eyebrows, superb dark eyes, and magnificent figure, all aided
to form "that astonishing ensetmble of perfections which Nature had
collected in her, as if to renew all her gifts in one person." She died
in 1850, at the advanced age of eighty-five years.
The fame of Grassini was naturally enough the peculiar pride of
the family to which she and Grisi belonged; and Giuditta Grisi, an
elder sister of Giulia, emulated her by going on the stage in her eighteenth year, and in time becoming a noted singer at Milan, Parma,
Florence, Genoa, Venice, and Paris. Cui'lia was a delicate child, and.
was never intended for the stage; but, with scarcely any musical instructioni, she was accustomed to imitate her sister, and her talent
became so marked that in her fourteenth year she was placed in the
Conservatory of her native town of Milan. Here, and at Bologna, she
studied under the best masters of her day,; and at the latter place,
when in her seventeenth year, she made her first appearance on the
stage in the minor part of Emma, in Rossini's "Zelmira." Her success was so great that a Florentine impressario offered her an engagement for six years, at an absurdly low rate, and in her inexperience,
not knowing her real value, she signed the contract. In 1829, she
sang in "I1 Barbiere;" and in the same year a now forgotten composer, named Milototti, wrote for her an equally forgotten opera called
-' La Sposa di Provincia."
He had just written, for her sister Giuditta, his opera, "I Montecchi
ed i Capuletti," a work based on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet,"
and, though but little known here, very popular in Italy. In this the
two sisters appeared at Venice. Giulia also sang in Vaccai's" Romeo
e Giuletta," and was considered a perfect realization of Juliet. She
next sang at Bologna and Pisa, in Pacini's " Vestale," and in the
"Semiramide," " Otello," and "Tancredi," of Rossini. For her dbutt
at Milan, " II Corsare," an opera by Pacini, on the subject of Byron's
"Corsair," was selected. Here she made the friendship of Pasta, who
predicted her future fame, and declared that she would be in time the
recognized successor of herself and Grassini.
In 1831, at Milan, there wvas an event of more than usual significance in the operatic world. Two rival compafnies were playing in the
city, and, there being a demand for novelty, Bellini with difficulty
managed to get his opera of "Norma" put on the stage. Amateurs
here who are familiar with this superb work, who have heard it with
La Grange, Cortesi, Medori, Gazzaniga, Zucchi, Briol, and the numberless other lyric artistes who have essayed the leading part, will
scarcely understand how such a work could have been accepted only
with reluctance, how thie earlier acts could be reeived in dead silence,
or how the Casta Diva, though sung by Pasta, could elicit no applause.
Yet so it was; and only the duets for the two sopranos, Pasta and
Grisi (the latter taking the part of Andalgisa), saved the opera from
failure.
Grisi soon after this felt an ambition to play NVor)ma herself, and
confided her aspirations to Bellini, who pu-t her off coldly, by telling
her to "wait twenty years." Long before that time, however, she had
assumed the part so peculiarly associated with her name.
In 1832 Grisi broke her Italian engagement, and ran away to Paris,
crossing the Alps in the uncomfortable diligences of the day. Here
she joined her aunt Grassili, and appeared before a Parisian audience
in "Semiramide," at once winning general regard. In " Don Giovanni" at this period she used to take the part of Zerlina. In 1833 she
undertook "Anna Bolena," and Niinetta in the "Gazza Ladra;" and
later in the same year she sang Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni," and
became fairly recognized as a great prima donna.
Bellini wrote his last opera, "Puritani," in 1834, for Grisi, Rubini,
Tarmbuirini, and Lablache, and its success was immediate; but, on its
production a few months later by the same singers in London, the
work was denounced as weak and ineffective, though Grisi's great abilities were at once acknowledged.
For the next twenty years Grisi alternated between London and
Paris, with occasional visits to St Petersburg. I1er famne constantly
increased, but LVormna was ever her favorite part, and her exquisito
singing of the "Casta Diva " won for her the title of "La Diva" (literally "The Goddess "), which has since been often applied to prominent prima donnas, and which is to-day given by the foreign critics to
Adelina Patti. Dutring this long period of ascendency at the leading
capitals of the world, Grisi sang in all the prominent operas of the
time. In 1839 "Lucrezia Borgia" was produced, and in this rich and
sensuous lyric drama she made a success only equalled by her
"Norma," or her "Semiramide." Many operas were written for her,
and all classes of characters, from the tragic to the comic she essayed,
never knowing what it was to fail. In the latter line, her ANorina, Sicsannah, and Rosina, were her leading successes; and in tragic opera,
besides the parts mentioned, may be noted Alice in " Robert le Diable," Lconeora in "La Favorita," and, above all, Valentina in the
"IHuguenots." Of course, this list includes but a tithe of the parts
which she assumedl, for to give them all would be to give a list of all
the most admired operas of Bellini, Donizetti, Pacini, Mozart, Verdi,
and Mercadante.
In 1854, Mr. Hackett, the well-known Falstafr of the American
stage, engaged Grisi and Mario-who had for years been associated
with her for a season in this country; and these two magnificent artistes appeared on the evening of the 18th of August, at Castle Garden,
in "Lucrezia Borgia." They were here the excitement of the day.
The prices of admission to the so-called opera-house were largely increased, but the place was crowded; and, on that memorable evening,
the two world-renowned singers fully justified all their reputation.
Grisi was at this time in the full ripeness of her powers, and had arrived at that point when an operatic artiste, feeling that she has passed
the zenith, is impelled to greater efforts than ever before. Flippant
critics have said that Grisi came to America only after she had ceased
Bellini was then a young composer beginning to attract attention., to attract in Europe; but this is not so. Her foot was just beginning
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