The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-03-21
WEALrHY PR11rA DOWNS.
erlsl Made Three Fortunes and othsr


IFrom the London telegraph
Altogether, an inquiry into the varied
fortunes Of famous prima donnas would
be a fascinating subject for the artistic
biographer. In the early days of Ital.
ian and French opera the principal fe-
male artists were poorly paid; in Eng
land the prima donna was somewhat
cavalierly called the first singing wo-
man." and her salary rarely exceeded
eight pounds IA week. One of the ear
Hest performers Of the kind was a
young lady known as Margherita or
Margheretta, who dourished in the
reign of Queen Anne, and who seems to
have made considerable sums, in addi-
ton to her earnings at the theater in
the Haymarket, as solo singer at the
houses Of the nobility and gentry; but
until late in the eighteenth century the
stipends of the FIRST singing women"
were Insignificant in comparison with
the prodiglous sums bestowed on the
male "soprani" The most notable of
these was Carlo Broschi, surnamed
FarineMi in consequence, it is supposed
of his father having been miller. He
was pupil of the famous Porpora
and in 1884, his master having been APP
| pointed director of the London italian
opera, Farinelli visited England, from
which he took away, after campaign
of almost unexampled brilIiancy, many
thousands Of pounds In Paris, two
years afterwards, his enchanting vocal
ization succeeded in dispelling the mu-
steal apathy of Louis XIV; but it was in
Spain that he achieved his greatest fri
umphs. 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 to the darkest hypochrondrlasis;
but at the entreaty Of the queen Fart
nelli sang repeatedly before the afflict-
ed monarch, who, reused from his SOM
bre melancholy, bade the artist name
whatever reward he chose. The sopra-
no replied that he should be sufficiently
recompensed IL his majesty would get
shaved and preside at the next cabinet
council. He became the courtly as we'll
as the artistic favorite of the king; but
in 1771, when he was visited in the
Spanish capital by DIR. Burney, the
father of the inimltable authotess, OF
"Evelina," the soprano mournfully told
the English physician the price which
he had had to pay for his favor at
court. Philip only liked four songs,
and this quartet Of ditties Farinelli had
to sing for his majesty every EVENING"
After an absence of eight
years Farinelli returned to his native
country and built himself a nagnifl-
cent palace at Bologna; but he found
himself alone in the world, without
family and without friends, and his
only solace was to converse with the
foreigners, especially the English, who
came to see him.
AS regards lady artistes of the lyric
stage, the Orfeo in Gluck's exquisltely \
beautiful opera of that name ought to
have made large fortune; only, up
fortunately the vocalist who sang the
captivating "Che faro senza, Euridi-
CO." in Paris was not contralto like
the delightful Mile Ravogli, but male
countef-tenor named Legros. who sang
detestably To find a wealthy prima
donna in the closing years of the last
century there must be recalled Nine.
Grassini, a mezzo-soprano of supreme
beauty and a musical genius as superb,
whose singular fortune 1T was to win
the hearts Of both Napoleon the Great |
and of the victor of Waterloo. Her por
trait is at Apsley House. AS for Giulia |
Grisi, that delicious sohgstress made at
least three fortunes on the continent, |
in England and in the United States; |
but, although she built for herself a |
beautiful villa in the vicinity Of Flor
ence, she did not die possessed of
wealth. Nine Banti, who was the CO.
of our Mrs. Ellington, and
who had been in her girlhood, like the
Lragedienne Rachel, a street ballad |
singer, gained and squandered inn
nense treasures; but at her death she
had little to leave beyond her larynx;
which she bequeathed to the Academy |
1t Bologna. Mrs. Ellington herself
aad also an enthusiastic admirer In Ma
ooleon, is said to have made ten thou
sand pounds sterling in a single years
but she did not die in
lffluence. on the other. hand, Nine
realized a prodigious fortune,
which she was sensible enough to keep.
Malibran died too early to be accounted
/ millionaire prima donna Henrietta
sontag, Countess Rossi, acquired q
arge fortune, but was ruined by the
vents of 1S4S was forced to return to
he stage and died in Mexico. Sophie
Jruvelli was % favorite of fortune,
While at least two English prima donnie
ose to high rank, as well as to celeb
ity and affluence. Lavina Fenton, the
riginal Polly of "The Beggar's Opera"
lied Duchess Of Bolton, and the fasci-
ating Kitty Stephens became Countess
f Essex