Great Singers, First Series

A free download from http://www.dertz.in


Great Singers, First Series

Project Gutenberg's Great Singers, First Series, by George T. Ferris
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Great Singers, First Series Faustina Bordoni To Henrietta Sontag
Author: George T. Ferris
Release Date: January 4, 2006 [EBook #17464]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GREAT
SINGERS, FIRST SERIES ***

Produced by David Widger

GREAT SINGERS
FAUSTINA BORDONI TO HENRIETTA SONTAG

FIRST SERIES
BY
GEORGE T. FERRIS
1891
Copyright, 1879, By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.

NOTE.
In compiling and arranging the material which enters into the following
sketches of distinguished singers, it is only honest to disclaim any
originality except such as may be involved in a picturesque
presentation of facts. The compiler has drawn freely from a great
variety of sources, and has been simply guided by the desire to give the
reading public such a digest of the more important incidents in the
careers of the celebrities treated of as should be at once compact, racy,
and accurate. To serve this purpose the opinions and descriptions of
writers and critics contemporary with the subjects have been used at
length, and no means overlooked to give the sketches that atmosphere
of freshness which is the outcome of personal observation. All that a
compilation of this kind can hope to effect is best gained in preserving
this kind of vividness, instead of revamping impressions and opinions
into second-hand forms. Pains have been taken to verify dates and facts,
and it is believed they will be found trustworthy.
It will be observed that many well-known singers have been omitted, or
treated only incidentally: among the earlier singers, such as Anas-tasia
Robinson, Mingotti, Anna Maria Crouch, and Anna Selina Storace;
among more recent ones, such as Mmes. Fodor, Cinti-Damoreau,
Camperese, Pisaroni, Miss Catherine Stephens, Mrs. Paton-Wood,
Mme. Dorus-Gras, and Cornelie Falcon. This omission has been
indispensable in a work whose purpose has been to cover only the lives
of the very great names in operatic art, as the question of limit has been
inflexible. A supplementary volume will give similar sketches of later

celebrities.
The works from which material has been most freely drawn are as
follows: Bernard's "Retrospection of the Stage"; Dr. Burney's various
histories of music; Chorley's "Thirty Years' Musical Recollections";
Dibdin's "Complete History of the English Stage"; Ebers's "Seven
Years of the King's Theatre"; Fétis's "Biographie des Musiciens";
Hogarth's "Musical Drama"; Sutherland Edwards's "History of the
Opera"; Arsène Houssaye's "Galerie des Portraits"; Michael Kelly's
"Reminiscences"; Lord Mount Edgcumbe's "Musical Reminiscences";
Oxberry's "Dramatic Biography and Histrionic Anecdotes"; Mrs.
Clayton's "Queens of Song"; Arthur Simpson's "Memoirs of Catalani";
and Grove's "Dictionary of Music and Musicians."

CONTENTS.
FAUSTINA BORDONI.
The Art-Battles of Handel's Time.--The Feud between Cuzzoni and
Faustina.--The Character of the Two Rivals as Women and
Artists.--Faustina's Career.--Her Marriage with Adolph Hasse, and
something about the Composer's Music.--Their Dresden
Life.--Cuzzoni's Latter Years.--Sketch of the Great Singer
Farinelli.--The Old Age of Hasse and Faustina
CATARINA GABRIELLI.
The Cardinal and the Daughter of the Cook.--The Young Prima
Donna's _Début_ in Lucca.--Dr. Burney's Description of
Gabrielli.--Her Caprices, Extravagances, and Meeting with
Metastasio.--Her Adventures in Vienna.--Bry-done on
Gabrielli.--Episodes of her Career in Sicily and Parma.--She sings at
the Court of Catharine of Russia.--Sketches ol Caffarelli and
Pacchierotti.--Gabrielli in London, and her Final Retirement from Art
SOPHIE ARNOULD.

The French Stage as seen by Rousseau.--Intellectual Ferment of the
Period.--Sophie Arnould, the Queen of the most Brilliant of Paris
Salons.--Her Early Life and Connection with Comte de
Lauraguais.--Her Reputation as the Wittiest Woman of the Age.--Art
Association with the Great German Composer, Gluck.--The Rivalries
and Dissensions of the Period.--Sophie's Rivals and Contemporaries,
Madame St. Huberty, the Vestrises Father and Son, Madelaine
Guimard.--Opera during the Revolution.--The Closing Days of Sophie
Arnould's Life.--Lord Mount Edgcumbe's Opinion of her as an Artist
ELIZABETH BILLINGTON AND HER CONTEMPORARIES.
Elizabeth Weichsel's Runaway Marriage.--__Début__ at Covent
Garden.--Lord Mount Edgcumbe's Opinion of her Singing.--Her
Rivalry with Mme. Mara.--Mrs. Billington's Greatness in English
Opera.--She sings in Italy in 1794-'99.--Her Great Power on the Italian
Stage.--Marriage with Felican.--Reappearance in London in Italian and
English Opera.--Sketch of Mme. Mara's Early Life.--Her Great
Triumphs on the English Stage.--Anecdotes of her Career and her
Retirement from England.--Grassini and Napoleon.--The Italian Prima
Donna disputes Sovereignty with Mrs. Billington.--Her Qualities as an
Artist.--Mrs. Billington's Retirement from the Stage and Declining
Years
ANGELICA CATALANI.
The Girlhood of Catalani.--She makes her __Début__ in Florence.
--Description of her Marvelous Vocalism.--The Romance of Love and
Marriage.--Her Preference for the Concert Stage.--She meets Napoleon