A quarter of a century is a long reign for any queen, a brilliant one
for an opera queen in these modern days, when the "wear and tear" of
stage-life is so exacting. For so long a time lasted the supremacy
of Mme. Grisi, and it was justified by a remarkable combination of
qualities, great physical loveliness, a noble voice, and dramatic
impulse, which, if not precisely inventive, was yet large and
sympathetic. A celebrated English critic sums up her great qualities
and her defects thus: "As an artist calculated to engage, and retain
the average public, without trick or affectation, and to satisfy by her
balance of charming attributes--by the assurance, moreover, that she was
giving the best she knew how to give--she satisfied even those who had
received much deeper pleasure and had been impressed with much deeper
emotion in the performances of others. I have never tired of Mme. Grisi
during five-and-twenty years; but I have never been in her case under
one of those spells of intense enjoyment and sensation which make an
epoch in life, and which leave a print on memory never to be effaced by
any later attraction, never to be forgotten so long as life and power to
receive shall endure."
Giulietta Grisi was the younger daughter of M. Gaetano Grisi, an Italian
officer of engineers, in the service of Napoleon, and was born at Milan,
July 2, 1812. Her mother's sister was the once celebrated Grassini, who,
as the contemporary of Mrs. Billington and Mme. Mara, had shared the
admiration of Europe with these great singers. Thence probably she and
her sister Giuditta, ten years her elder, inherited their gift of song.
Giuditta was for a good while regarded as a prodigy by her friends, and
acquired an excellent rank on the concert and operatic stage, but she
was so far outshone by her more gifted sister, that her name is now
only one of the traditions of that throng of talented and hard-working
artists who have contributed much to the stability of the lyric stage,
without adding to it any resplendent luster. Delicate health prevented
the little Giulia from receiving any early musical training, but her own
secret ambition caused her to learn the piano-forte, by her own efforts;
and her enthusiastic attention, and attempt to imitate, while her sister
was practicing _solfeggi_, clearly indicated the bent of her tastes. She
soon astonished her family by the fluency and correctness with which
she repeated the most difficult passages; and Giuditta, who appreciated
these evidences of vocal and mimetic talent, would listen with delight
to the lively efforts of her young sister, and then, clasping her fondly
in her arms, prophesy that she would be "the glory of her race." "Thou
shalt be more than thy sister, my Giuliettina," she would exclaim. "Thou
shalt be more than thy aunt! It is Giuditta tells thee so--believe
it." The only defect in Giulia's voice--certainly a serious one--was a
chronic hoarseness, which seemed a bar to her advancement as a vocalist.
Her parents resolved that Giulia should have regular lessons in singing;
and she entered the Conservatory of her native town, where her sister
had also obtained her musical training. The early talent she developed,
under the direction of the composer Marliani, was remarkable. That she
might continue her studies uninterruptedly, she was sent to Bologna,
to her uncle, Colonel Ragani, husband of Grassini, by whom she was put
under the care of the learned Giacomo Guglielmi, son of the celebrated
composer, who during three years devoted himself entirely to her
musical education. Gradually the lovely quality of her voice began to
be manifest, and its original blemishes disappeared, her tones acquiring
depth, power, and richness.
Giuditta was deeply interested in her young sister's budding talents,
and finally took her from the Conservatory, and placed her under the
tuition of Fillippo Celli, where she remained for three months, till the
_maestro_ was obliged to go to Rome to produce a new opera. Giulia
Grisi was remarkably apt and receptive, and gifted with great musical
intelligence, and she profited by her masters in an exceptional degree.
Industry cooperated with talent to so advance her attainments that her
sister Giuditta succeeded in the year 1828 in securing her _début_ in
Rossini's "Elmira," at Bologna. The part was a small one, but the youth,
loveliness, and freshness of voice displayed by the young singer
secured for her a decided triumph. Rossini, who was then at Bologna, was
delighted with Giulia Grisi, and predicted a great career for her, and
Giuditta shed tears of joy over her beloved _protégée_. The director of
the theatre engaged her immediately for the carnival season, and in
1829 she appeared as prima donna in many operas, among which were "Il
Barbiere," "Towaldo e Dorliska," and "La Sposa di Provincia," the latter
of which was expressly written for her by Millotatti.
Our young singer, like many another brilliant cantatrice, in the very
dawn of her great career fell into the nets of a shrewd and unprincipled
operatic speculator. Signor Lanari, an _impressario_ of Florence,
recognized the future success of the inexperienced young girl, and
decoyed her into an engagement for six years on terms shamefully low,
for Giulia's modesty did not appreciate her own remarkable powers.
Alone and without competent advisers, she fell an easy prey to the
sharp-witted farmer of other people's genius. Among the operas which she
sung in at this early period under Lanari's management were Bellini's "I
Montecchi ed i Capuletti," which the composer had just written for her
sister Giuditta at Venice; "Il Barbiere," and "Giulietta e Romeo,"
written by Vaccai. She was pronounced by the Italians the most
fascinating _Juliet_ ever seen on the stage. At Bologna her triumph
was no less great, and she became the general topic of discussion and
admiration. Lanari was so profiting by his stroke of sharp business
that he was making a little fortune, and he now transferred his musical
property for a large consideration to Signor Crevelli, the director of
La Scala at Milan. Here Julia Grisi met Pasta, whom she worshiped as a
model of all that was grand and noble in the lyric art. Pasta declared,
"I can honestly return to you the compliments paid me by your aunt, and
say that I believe you are worthy to succeed us." Here she enjoyed
the advantage of studying the great lyric tragedienne, with whom she
occasionally performed: not a look, a tone, a gesture of her great model
escaped her. She was given the part of _Jane Seymour_ in Donizetti's
"Anna Bolena," which she looked and acted to perfection, Pasta
personating the unfortunate Queen. Madame Pasta, struck with the genius
displayed by her young rival, exclaimed: "_Tu iras loin! tu prendras ma
place! tu seras Pasta!_" Bellini, who was then in Milan, engaged in
the composition of his "Norma," overwhelmed her with applause and
congratulations, intermingled with allusions to the part he had in
contemplation for her--that of _Adalgiza_.
In November, 1831, there was a strenuous rivalry between the two
theatres of Milan, La Scala and the Carcano. The vocal company at the
latter comprised Pasta, Lina Koser (now Mme. Balfe), Elisa Orlandi,
Eugénie Martinet, and other ladies; Kubini, Mariani, and Galli being
the leading male singers. The composers were Bellini, Donizetti, and
Majocchi. At the Scala, which was still under the direction of Crivelli,
then a very old man, were Giulietta Grisi, Amalia Schütz, and Pisaroni,
with Mari, Bonfigli, Pocchini, Anbaldi, etc. To this company Giuditta
Grisi was added, and a new opera by Coccia, entitled "Enrico di
Montfort," was produced, in which both the sisters appeared. The company
at the Scala received an accession from the rival theatre, the great
Pasta, and soon afterward Donzelli, who ranked among the foremost tenors
of the age.
Bellini had just completed "Norma," and it was to be produced at the
Scala. The part of the Druid priestess had been expressly written for
Pasta. This Bellini considered his masterpiece. It is related that a
beautiful Parisienne attempted to extract from his reluctant lips his
preference among his own works. The persistent fair one finally overcame
his evasions by asking, "But if you were out at sea, and should be
shipwrecked--" "Ah!" said the composer, impulsively, "I would leave all
the rest and save 'Norma'"! With Pasta were associated Giulia Grisi
in the _rôle_ of _Adalgiza_, and Donzelli in _Pollio_. The singers
rehearsed their parts _con amore_, and displayed so much intelligence
and enthusiasm that Bellini was quite delighted. The first performance
just escaped being a failure in spite of the anxious efforts of the
singers. Donzelli's suave and charming execution, even "Casta Diva,"
delivered by Pasta in her most magnificent style, failed to move the
cold audience. Pasta, at the end of the first act, declared the new
opera _a fiasco_. The second act was also coldly received till the great
duet between _Norma_ and _Adalgiza_, which was heartily applauded. This
unsealed the pent-up appreciation of the audience, and thenceforward
"Norma" was received with thunders of applause for forty nights.
Encouraged by Pasta, Giulia Grisi declared that she, too, would become a
great tragedienne. "How I should love to play _Norma!_" she exclaimed
to Bellini one night behind the scenes. "Wait twenty years, and we shall
see." "I will play _Norma_ in spite of you, and in less than twenty
years!" she retorted. The young man smiled incredulously, and muttered,
"_A poco! a poco!_" But Grisi kept her word.
Her genius was now fully appreciated, and she had obtained one of those
triumphs which form the basis of a great renown. With astonishing ease
she passed from _Semiramide_ to _Anna Bolena_, then to _Desdemona_, to
_Donna Anna_, to _Elena_ in the "Donna del Lago."
The young artiste had learned her true value, and was aware of the
injury she was suffering from remaining in the service to which she had
foolishly bound herself: she was now twenty-four, and time was passing
away. Her father's repeated endeavors to obtain more reasonable terms
for his daughter from Lanari proved fruitless. He urged that his
daughter, having entered into the contract without his knowledge, and
while she was a minor, it was illegal. "Then, if you knew absolutely
nothing of the matter, and it was altogether without your cognizance,"
retorted Lanari, imperturbably, "how did it happen that her salary was
always paid to you?"
But the high-spirited Giulietta had now become too conscious of her
own value to remain hampered by a contract which in its essence was
fraudulent. She determined to break her bonds by flight to Paris,
where her sister Giuditta and her aunt Mme. Grassini-Ragani were then
domiciled. She confided her proposed escapade to her father and her old
teacher Marliani, who assisted her to procure passports for herself
and maid. Her journey was long and tedious, but, spurred by fear and
eagerness, she disdained fatigue for seven days of post-riding over
bad roads and through mountain-gorges choked with snow, till she threw
herself into the arms of her loving friends in the French capital.