The Yazoo Democrat., 1854-08-23
Grisi and Mario.

1t is now generally understood and believed
that these distinguished artists will soon visit
this country under the management and control
of Mr. Hackett Madame GRIsI is the most eel
ebrated soprano-tra actress of modern times,
and short history of her life may not be unin-
teresting. The following is taken from the
Home Journal:
GUI1A GR1sI, was born at Milan, in the year
1916, and must, consequently, at the present mo-
ment, be some thirty-six years of age. She has,
therefore, scarcely stepped beyond her prime, as
a great and leading vocalist Coming from
strictly musical iamily-for Grassini, the lyrical
tragedian, was her aunt, and Guiditta Grisi, the
prinaa donna at London in 1872 or 1888, was her
sistef-lt xoufu al nose seem flsft aE1elesJ Jvs9s
her natural Inheritance. At all levents, while she
was very young. the composer, Marliani, was so
struck by her talent for music, that be offered to
lend it his assistance, and to cultivate it for the
operate stage.
This offer was accepted by her friends. and so
rapid was her progress under his tuition, that
when she was yet no more than seventeen years
Old she made her debut upon the lyric scene
This was in the Theatre of La Scala at Milan.
The role in which she first appealed to critical
Judgment, was that of AdalgiSa, the great Pasta
supporting the part of Norma. 1t will. of
course be necessary to say that it was In Belinis
opera of the same name.
Nothing could well have been more decided
than her success. Immediately after the termi-
nation of Pasals engagement, she was given the
leading characters to support, and these were so
triumphantly embodied in her, that N the year
following she was offered an engagement, and in-
ducsd to appear in Paris, where she first became
know to the fnusiccl world of Western Europe.
This was in. 1884. while she was still under the
tuition of Marliani. Her beauty. for she was
then very lovely, combined with her superb
voice in insuring her fattering reception in the
part of Etpird, In Bellnis g Puritani. When
the curtain fell upon her, she had made most
brilliant success. Her pure and fresh Italian
tstye, her most exquisite voice, with It's finished
vocalism, and the innocent gayety which she at
times displayed, confbined, with the deep and
passionate feeling which she threw into the more
serious portions of the opera, in rendering herin
every respect the most promising QrtiSte then
upon the Italian stage.
Nor, should it be remembered, in those days,
had she TO contend with rivals who did not de-
mand high degree of genius to cope with them.
There were then giants and giantesses, who stood
upon, and moved athwart the lyric scene. The
marvellous Rubin, Tamburini, and the voice Of
thunder the prodigious Lahlache, held the Pari-
sian and English operatic stage as their own, by
right of CONQUEST. Pasta still trod upon it, gi-
ganlic in her excellencies as she was huge in her
defects. Sontag was bewitching London and
Grazing Paris, or bad been doing SO, with her del
4soo9e- -~ocalieta-s ard AIalihran who was. per-
maps, the greatest singer that has ever lived, was
III the full flood of her wide spread and marvel
lous reputation. Yet, in spite of this, in the fol-
lowing year Grisi was called to London, and, at
the age Of nineteen, had confirmed her Tepula-
tion as one of the greatest of living yocallsts.
Indeeds her tragic genius has stamped her as the
first Of living artists, after the death Of AIalibran
Only one other has ever threatened her suprema-
| cy. Need we say that this was Jenny LiRd.
Novelty, combined with the sundoubted comic
genius Of this great vocalist, made her. in the
year when she first appeared in London, the Lead
I ing star. 1t was only when she laid daring
hand upon the hem of GuiIia Crisis rnantle that
it was recognised she had superior. Need we
say that this was when she venturedto touch the
opera Of Z. Norma" From that moment the le-
gtimate s1praEnacy of Grisi was restored, TO her
from whom It had only momentarily been taken
by the popular love ofnoyelty, and she was uni
versally acknowledged to be the greatest Of liv-
ing vocalists. We must. however, do justice to
the French. Ficlde as they are, they have never
waveredi n their allegiance, or ceased 10 consid-
er her, at once the legitimate inheritrix both Of
Pasta and Malibran.
The reason why reformation proceeds slow
", Is because every man would have. others
ss,F1 ,aex-es. 4I~@,I-s 1sav,-