The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-22
WEALTHY pRIMA DoNNAs.
Grisi Made Three Fortunes and other
singers Grew Rich.
London Telegraph

London Telegraph.
Altogether. an inquiry into the varied
fortunes of famous prima donnas would be
a fascinating subject for the artistic biog-
raphers. In the early days of Italian and
French opera the principal female artists
were poorly paid; in England the priIna
donna was somewhat cavalierly called the
u, rtir exe slnglng 81 wo 2 Weak ana One he ef s she s,r raret
performers of the kind was a young lady
known as Margherita or Margheretta, who
fiourished in the reign of Queen Anne, and
who seems to have made considerable
sums, in addition to her earnings at the
theater In the Haynarket, as a solo singer
at the houses of the nobility and gentry,
the stipends of the first singing women,
were Insignificant in comparison with the
prodigious sums bestowed upon the male
.'soprani." The most notable OF these was
Carlo Broschi. surnamed Farinelli, in con-
sequence, it Is supposed, of his father hav-
ing been a miller. He was a pupil of the
famous Porpora and IN 1874. his master hay
italian opera, Farinelli visited England,
from which he took away. after
ampled briliiancy, many thousands Of
pounds. In Paris two years afterwards
d dis elhnean tbe gmu yHsaii aaethy s s9c f.egis xV U
but it was in Spain that he achieved his
greatest triumphs. He went to Madrid
with the intention of remaining five weeks,
and he stopped there five and twenty years.
Philip v had been for a long period a prey
entreaty of the Queen Farinelh sang re-
peatedly before the afflicted monarch, who,
reused from his somber melanchol~ bade
the artist name whateyeE reward he chose.
The soprano replied that he should be
sufficiently recompensed If his Majesty
would get shaved and preside at the next
Cabinet council. He became the courtly as
well as the artistic favorite of the King.
Spanish capital by Dr. Burney, the father
of the inimitable authoress of "Evelina,'
the soprano mournfully. told the English
pay for his favor at court. Philip only
liked four songs, and this quartet of ditties
evening. After an absence OF eight and
twenty years Farinelli returned to his
native country and built himself a mag
nificent palace at Bologna, but he found
himself alone in the world, without family
and without friends. and his only solace
pecially the English who came to see him.
As regards lady ~artistes of the lyric stage,
the Orfeo in Glucks exquisitely beautiful
opera of that name ought to have made a
list who sang the captivlting "Che faro sem
"a, Euridice." in Paris was not a contralto.
like the delightful Mile. Ravosli. but a male
counter-tenor named Legros. WHO sang de-
there : must be recalled Nine. Grassini. q
musical genius as superb. whose singular
fortune it was to win the hearts OF both
Waterloo. Her portrait is at Apsley House.
As for GIulla Grfsi. that delicious song
continent. in England and n the United
States; but, although she built for herself
a beautiful villa in the vicinity of
Florence, she did not die possessed
of great wealth. Nine. BInfi.
VINO was the contemporary of our
Mrs. Ellington. and who had been in
her girlhood. like the tragedienne Rachel,
q street ballad singer. gained and squan-
dered immense treasures, but at her death
she had little to leave beyond her larnyx,
which she bequeathed to the Academy at
Bologna. Mrs. Ellington herself, who had
also an enthusiastic admirer in Napoleon,
is said TO nave made 10000 in a single
years engagements: but she did not die in
afiuence. On the other hand. Nine. Cafala-
nj realized a prodigious fortune. which she
was sensible enough 10 keep Mafibran
died too early to be accounted a millionaire