Great Singers, Second Series

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Great Singers, Second Series

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Title: Great Singers, Second Series Malibran To Titiens
Author: George T. Ferris
Release Date: January 4, 2006 [EBook #17465]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Produced by David Widger

GREAT SINGERS
MALIBRAN TO TITIENS
SECOND SERIES
BY GEORGE T. FERRIS
NEW YORK
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1891
Copyright, 1881, By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY.

NOTE.
In the preparation of this companion volume of "Great Singers," the same limitations of purpose have guided the author as in the case of the earlier book, which sketched the lives of the greatest lyric artists from Faustina Bordoni to Henrietta Sontag. It has been impossible to include any but those who stand incontestably in the front rank of the operatic profession, except so far as some account of the lesser lights is essential to the study of those artistic lives whose names make the captions of these sketches. So, too, it has been attempted to embody, in several of the articles, intelligent, if not fully adequate, notice of a few of the greatest men singers, who, if they have not aroused as deep an enthusiasm as have those of the other sex, are perhaps justly entitled to as much consideration on art grounds. It will be observed that the great living vocalists have been excluded from this book, except those who, having definitely retired from the stage, may be considered as dead to their art. This plan has been pursued, not from any undervaluation of the Pattis, the Nilssons, and the Luccas of the present musical stage, but because, in obeying that necessity imposed by limitation of space, it has seemed more desirable to exclude those whose place in art is not yet finally settled, rather than those whose names belong to history, and who may be seen in full perspective.
The material from which this little book is compiled has been drawn from a variety of sources, among which may be mentioned the three works of Henry F. Chorley, "Music and Manners in France and Germany," "Modern German Music," and "Thirty Years' Musical Kecollections"; Sutherland Edwards's "History of the Opera"; Fetis's "Biographie des Musiciens"; Ebers's "Seven Years of the King's Theatre"; Lumley's "Reminiscences"; Charles Hervey's "Theatres of Paris"; Ars��ne Houssaye's "Galerie de Portraits"; Countess de Merlin's "M��moires de Madame Malibran"; Ox-berry's "Dramatic Biography and Histrionic Anecdotes"; Crowest's "Musical Anecdotes" and Mrs. Clayton's "Queens of Song."

CONTENTS.
MARIA FELICIA MALIBRAN.
The Childhood of Maria Garcia.--Her Father's Sternness and Severe Discipline.--Her First Appearance as an Artist on the Operatic Stage.--Her Genius and Power evident from the Beginning.--Anecdotes of her Early Career.--Manuel Garcia's Operatic Enterprise in New York.--Maria Garcia is inveigled into marrying M. Malibran.--Failure of the Garcia Opera, and Maria's Separation from her Husband.--She makes her _D��but_ in Paris with Great Success.--Madame Malibran's Characteristics as a Singer, a Genius, and a Woman.--Anecdotes of her Generosity and Kindness.--She sings in a Great London Engagement.--Her Eccentric and Daring Methods excite Severe Criticism.--Her Reckless Expenditure of Strength in the Pursuit of her Profession or Pleasures.--Madame Malibran's Attachment to De B��riot.--Anecdotes of her Public and Private Career.--Malibran in Italy, where she becomes the Popular Idol.--Her Last London Engagement.--Her Death at Manchester during the Great Musical Festival
WILHELMINA SCHR?DER-DEVRIENT.
Mme. Schr?der-Devrient the Daughter of a Woman of Genius.--Her Early Appearance on the Dramatic Stage in Connection with her Mother.--She studies Music and devotes herself to the Lyric Stage.--Her Operatic _D��but_ in Mozart's "Zauberflote."--Her Appearance and Voice.--Mlle. Schr?der makes her _D��but_ in her most Celebrated Character, Fidelio.--Her own Description of the First Performance.--A Wonderful Dramatic Conception.--Henry Chorley's Judgment of her as a Singer and Actress.--She marries Carl Devrient at Dresden.--Mme. Schr?der-Devrient makes herself celebrated as a Representative of Weber's Romantic Heroines.--Dissolution of her Marriage.--She makes Successful Appearances in Paris and London in both Italian and German Opera.--English Opinions of the German Artist.--Anecdotes of her London Engagement.--An Italian Tour and Re?ngagements for the Paris and London Stage.--Different Criticisms of her Artistic Style.--Retirement from the Stage, and Second Marriage.--Her Death in 1860, and the Honors paid to the Memory of her Genius
GIULIA GRISI.
The Childhood of a Great Artist.--Giulietta Grisi's Early Musical Training.--Giuditta Grisi's Pride in the Talents of her Young Sister.--Her Italian _D��but_ and Success.--She escapes from a Managerial Taskmaster and takes Refuge in Paris.--Impression made on French Audiences.--Production of Bellini's "Puritani."--Appearance before the London Public.--Character of Grisi's Singing and Acting.--Anecdotes of the Prima Donna.--Marriage of Mlle. Grisi.--Her Connection with Other Distinguished Singers.--Kubini, his Character as an Artist, and Incidents of his Life.--Tamburini, another Member of the First Great "Puritani"