Opera Singer. She was a dramatic soprano whose two octave range enabled her to sing roles from the light-lyric to those written for contralto. Related to the Greek Royalty, she was raised in a musical family and made her 1828 operatic debut at Bologna as Emma in Rossini's "Zelmira". On December 26, 1831, she sang in the La Scala Milano world premiere performance of Vincenzo Bellini's "Norma" in the secondary role of Adalgisa with Giuditta Pasta in the lead; she first assayed the part of Norma at London in 1835 and for the rest of her life the character was virtually her own. She initially appeared in Paris in 1832 as the title heroine of Rossini's "Semiramide"; her 1834 London debut came in the same composer's "La gazza ladra". Madame Grisi created the role of "Norina" in Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" on January 3, 1843 at the Theatre Italien in Paris with her lover and future husband tenor and Italian nobleman Giovanni Matteo De Candia, popularly known as "Mario", as Ernesto. Over the course of her career she sang in all the leading opera houses of Europe, and with Mario toured America in 1854. Her repertoire spanned a wide variety of vocal requirements; she sang a number of Mozart's roles including Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni", both Papagena and Pamina from "The Magic Flute", and Susanna in "The Marriage of Figaro", as well as Rosina from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", and the mezzo part of Azucena in Verdi's "Il Trovatore". Madame Grisi died of the effects of a train accident while returning from St. Petersburg, Russia, and was buried under her married name.
Opera Singer. She was a dramatic soprano whose two octave range enabled her to sing roles from the light-lyric to those written for contralto. Related to the Greek Royalty, she was raised in a musical family and made her 1828 operatic debut at Bologna as Emma in Rossini's "Zelmira". On December 26, 1831, she sang in the La Scala Milano world premiere performance of Vincenzo Bellini's "Norma" in the secondary role of Adalgisa with Giuditta Pasta in the lead; she first assayed the part of Norma at London in 1835 and for the rest of her life the character was virtually her own. She initially appeared in Paris in 1832 as the title heroine of Rossini's "Semiramide"; her 1834 London debut came in the same composer's "La gazza ladra". Madame Grisi created the role of "Norina" in Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" on January 3, 1843 at the Theatre Italien in Paris with her lover and future husband tenor and Italian nobleman Giovanni Matteo De Candia, popularly known as "Mario", as Ernesto. Over the course of her career she sang in all the leading opera houses of Europe, and with Mario toured America in 1854. Her repertoire spanned a wide variety of vocal requirements; she sang a number of Mozart's roles including Donna Anna in "Don Giovanni", both Papagena and Pamina from "The Magic Flute", and Susanna in "The Marriage of Figaro", as well as Rosina from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", and the mezzo part of Azucena in Verdi's "Il Trovatore". Madame Grisi died of the effects of a train accident while returning from St. Petersburg, Russia, and was buried under her married name.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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