31:
534:
and had rather a narrow vocal range. She could however rely upon a voice of great power and volume and, at the same time, of considerable pliability, to which she added excellent interpretative capability and extraordinary physical beauty. This last quality made her not only the subject of many love
1023:
Sources generally state 18 April 1773 as the date of
Grassini's birth. However, Bruno Belli recently found her baptismal certificate in the registers of baptisms kept in the Prepositural Archive of the Basilica of San Vittore in Varese. The certificate, which is reproduced in photocopy on p. 161 of
581:
She was therefore one of a particular group of leading singers who in this way helped to establish a new artistic trend, which soon evolved into 'the
Rossini grand finale' of an entire musical era. Being the youngest of all the mentioned singers, Grassini herself formed a living link between them
1142:
Comme cantatrice Mme Pasta est trop jeune pour avoir pu voir à la scène la Todi, Pacchiarotti, Marchesi ou
Crescentini; elle n'a même jamais eu, ce me semble, l'occasion de les entendre au piano; et pourtant les dilettanti qui ont entendu ces grands artistes s'accordent à dire qu'elle semble leur
598:
or
Crescentini; nor, as far as I can discover, did she ever have occasion to hear them later, after their retirement, in private performances or at concerts; yet every connoisseur who ever heard these great representatives of the Golden Age voices the general opinion that she appears to have
1033:
Crescentini was in reality only seven years older than
Grassini, but, given the very early training undertaken by the castrati, the separation between them in terms of duration of experience and artistic maturity probably appeared
501:
and, in 1817, again at La Scala, without, however, achieving such success as formerly she had been accorded. She retired from the stage in 1823 and finally settled in Milan, giving herself up also to teaching, among other pupils,
363:, where she sang in several concerts. Grassini's relationship with the First Consul was probably not convenient, but it was a sign of her modern, free attitude, so that when she, in turn, took a liking to the violinist
1024:
Belli's book, reads that "Gioseppa Maria
Camilla", daughter of Antonio Grassini, was baptized on 9 April 1773, and that she was born on the "antecedent around eighteen hours", namely on 8 April.
128:, and a singing teacher. She was a celebrity of considerable stature, noted for her beauty and regarded as one of the best singers in Europe. Giuseppina was also known for her affairs with
289:(1798, title role). Her year of glory, however, was 1796, when she created two roles which remained in the repertoire for some decades and are now famous, in both appearing beside the
250:
522:
Although critics as usual could not agree, Giuseppina
Grassini was undoubtedly one of the greatest stage singers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Commonly classed as a
367:, she did not hesitate to embark upon a fresh affair with him (practically under the nose of the future Emperor), and to quit Paris for an 1801 concert tour in the
807:
572:
drift of the second half of the 18th century, with its break-neck run after extremely high notes and aimlessly pyrotechnic, inexpressive, and therefore absurd
282:
421:
In 1806 Grassini returned to Paris together with her former master
Crescentini, where she was appointed first chamber virtuosa of Emperor Napoleon. At the
41:
348:
328:
599:
inherited their style. The only teacher from whom she has received singing-lessons is
Signora Grassini, with whom she once spent a season in Brescia",
1212:
1207:
656:
578:; and who endeavoured, instead, to recover “the passion and vigour” that had permeated the golden age of singing of the first half of the century.
1043:
Much the same may be said of
Giacomo David, not because he was younger, but owing to his exceptionally long career and teaching activity.
198:. These first comic performances were not a great success, and Grassini was driven to resume the study of singing and to turn to drama.
542:
Faithful to her "old" master and partner Crescentini's musical ideals, Grassini would always stand beside such singers as the castrato
299:, who was also Grassini's master and whose teachings she followed faithfully throughout her life. Nicola Zingarelli wrote the part of
463:
1197:
1155:
909:
466:. He was at that time appointed British ambassador in France, but Grassini was soon forced to leave French territory because
418:, too, and the two prima-donnas confronted each other in a singing contest from which the Italian singer emerged triumphant.
355:
at La Scala, Milan, Grassini (who was, by this time, already well known for her unruly love affairs) made a strong hit with
603:
and alongside whom—Stendhal could have added—she had been an ideal Curiatius in several revivals of Cimarosa's opera.
978:
941:
30:
1202:
1217:
1143:élève. Elle n'a d'obligation pour le chant qu'à Mme Grassini, avec laquelle a chanté pendant une saison à Brescia
255:
227:
963:
660:
485:, she eventually made her way back to Italy and there continued to sing in operatic theatres. She sang in
1192:
169:
854:
235:
145:
944:(quoted from the Italian translation, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Biblioteca Storica del quotidiano
383:
594:"(She) is too young to have heard Signora Todi on the stage; nor can she have heard Pacchierotti,
1003:
960:«E voi pupille tenere», uno sguardo furtivo, errante, agli «Orazi» di Domenico Cimarosa e altri
860:
761:
467:
315:
1187:
1182:
667:
543:
459:
415:
395:
296:
157:
8:
309:, staged at Milan's La Scala on 30 January, while Domenico Cimarosa composed the role of
356:
245:
133:
125:
426:
937:
905:
707:
474:
344:
305:
270:
262:
156:
After growing up under the musical guidance of her mother, an amateur violinist, and
137:
922:
786:
478:
422:
551:
434:
189:
141:
611:
The list below although not exhaustive is representative of Grassini's career.
595:
587:
536:
511:
503:
327:, on 26 December. In that same year, Grassini took part in a third première of
1176:
973:
559:
555:
547:
531:
55:
563:
507:
470:
was unwilling to tolerate the great popularity of Napoleon's former lover.
455:
451:
403:
73:
36:
535:
affairs but also the ideal model for many contemporary painters including
902:
Giuseppina Grassini. Del canto più soave e drammatico inimitabile modello
646:
582:
and the following generation. Acute (as usual) when writing about opera,
368:
364:
164:, and Antonio Secchi in Milan, Grassini made her stage début in 1789 in
574:
439:
240:
650:
527:
523:
324:
278:
319:, staged instead in northern Italy's second most important theatre,
988:
583:
568:
498:
293:
223:
194:
177:
129:
999:(translated by Richard N. Coe), London, Calder & Boyars, 1970)
473:
After a further stay in London, where she had been engaged at the
494:
486:
372:
290:
219:
207:
379:
320:
215:
211:
161:
490:
360:
206:
From 1792 she returned fully to the stage in the theatres of
165:
122:
425:
Grassini was on stage as the protagonist in the première of
447:
136:. She sang in various productions by composers such as
359:. He enrolled her among his lovers and brought her to
663:, Sebastiano Nasolini and Nicola Antonio Zingarelli,
586:
observed his favourite singer of the new generation,
335:, which was by no means as successful as the others.
201:
338:
919:, vol 4, Longanesi &C. Periodici S.p.A., Roma
1174:
1002:This article is a substantial translation from
1154:Casaglia, Gherardo, Casaglia, Gherardo (2005).
343:On 4 June 1800, shortly before the victory at
477:, and where she took part in the première of
121:(8 April 1773 – 3 January 1850) was a noted
1140:, ch. XXXV, p. 386 (French original text: "
386:, she sang in some revivals of Andreozzi's
378:In the years 1804 and 1805 Grassini was in
29:
566:. These were the singers who opposed the
35:Giuseppina Grassini in the title role of
1213:19th-century Italian women opera singers
1208:18th-century Italian women opera singers
982:, Oxford University Press, 1992, vol 4,
936:, Paris, Edition Robert Laffont, 1997,
917:Grande enciclopedia della musica lirica
222:. She sang (among others) in the first
1175:
1058:she Curiatiused several times with her
995:, Paris, Boulland, 1824 (quoted from:
966:'s Programme for the performances of
606:
514:. She died at the age of 76 in 1850.
454:, she went back to Paris during the
176:, and the following year at Milan's
1162:. L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia
1060:"), jests Morelli in his essay (in
904:, Varese, Macchione editore, 2019,
13:
929:, Discanto Edizioni, Fiesole, 1983
732:tragedia per musica (1st version)
685:tragedia per musica (opera seria)
277:(première, 1797) and in the first
202:Beginnings and Italian career apex
14:
1229:
979:The New Grove Dictionary of Opera
847:Chant national du 14 juillet 1800
653:(dramma per musica, 2nd version)
530:which would later be ascribed to
517:
402:, as well as in the premières of
458:. Having stayed there after the
339:Napoleonic period and retirement
1148:
462:, she also became the lover of
450:during Napoleon's exile on the
414:. In “Il ratto” there appeared
1198:18th-century Italian actresses
1130:
1117:
1104:
1091:
1078:
1046:
1037:
1027:
1017:
851:operatic-patriotic hymn-scene
813:Naples, Real Teatro San Carlo
750:Telemaco nell'isola di Calipso
375:, returning finally to Italy.
267:Telemaco nell’isola di Calipso
1:
1071:
885:Paris, Théâtre des Tuileries
668:Teatro (Venier) San Benedetto
526:, Grassini sang, in fact, in
151:
7:
835:Venice, Teatro alla Fenice
738:Venice, Teatro alla Fenice
716:Venice, Teatro alla Fenice
234:(1793), in the première of
10:
1234:
915:Salvatore Caruselli (ed),
894:
688:Nicola Antonio Zingarelli
1006:in the Italian Knowledge.
775:Artemisia regina di Caria
691:Milan, Teatro alla Scala
275:Artemisia regina di Caria
96:
88:
80:
62:
50:
28:
21:
1114:, I, p. 296; III, p 818.
1010:
832:Marcos Antônio Portugal
779:dramma serio per musica
1203:Italian stage actresses
100:Affairs with famous men
1218:Mistresses of Napoleon
601:
408:Il ratto di Proserpina
287:La morte di Semiramide
184:including Guglielmi's
107:Gioseppa Maria Camilla
1062:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
968:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
962:”, essay included in
855:Étienne-Nicolas Méhul
808:Giuseppe Maria Curcio
787:Real Teatro San Carlo
757:Giovanni Simone Mayr
728:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
592:
392:La morte di Cleopatra
347:, while interpreting
316:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
303:for her in his opera
269:(première, 1797), in
829:tragedia per musica
564:Luísa Todi de Agujar
544:Gaspare Pacchiarotti
416:Elizabeth Billington
297:Girolamo Crescentini
174:La pastorella nobile
158:Domenico Zucchinetti
109:, commonly known as
16:Italian opera singer
1158:Giuseppina Grassini
1125:Storia del Belcanto
1112:Grande Enciclopedia
1004:Giuseppina Grassini
958:Giovanni Morelli, “
927:Storia del belcanto
861:Hôtel des Invalides
800:Consalvo di Cordova
388:La vergine del sole
353:La vergine del sole
186:La bella pescatrice
23:Giuseppina Grassini
1193:Italian contraltos
782:Domenico Cimarosa
762:Teatro Sant'Angelo
754:dramma per musica
735:Domenico Cimarosa
713:Gaetano Marinelli
607:Main roles created
558:, the prime-donne
446:After settling in
357:Napoleon Bonaparte
134:Duke of Wellington
126:dramatic contralto
1054:più volte con lei
964:Teatro dell’Opera
910:978-88-6570-589-6
892:
891:
888:30 November 1809
863:(Temple de Mars)
838:26 December 1798
741:26 December 1796
719:12 November 1796
708:dramma per musica
681:Giulietta e Romeo
661:Francesco Bianchi
475:Haymarket Theatre
329:Gaetano Marinelli
306:Giulietta e Romeo
251:Orfeo ed Euridice
104:
103:
1225:
1167:
1165:
1152:
1146:
1134:
1128:
1121:
1115:
1108:
1102:
1095:
1089:
1082:
1065:
1050:
1044:
1041:
1035:
1031:
1025:
1021:
923:Rodolfo Celletti
882:Luigi Cherubini
766:16 January 1797
694:30 January 1796
632:première's date
614:
613:
423:Tuileries Palace
311:Horatia (Orazia)
259:
69:
37:Peter von Winter
33:
19:
18:
1233:
1232:
1228:
1227:
1226:
1224:
1223:
1222:
1173:
1172:
1171:
1170:
1163:
1153:
1149:
1138:Life of Rossini
1135:
1131:
1122:
1118:
1109:
1105:
1096:
1092:
1083:
1079:
1074:
1069:
1068:
1051:
1047:
1042:
1038:
1032:
1028:
1022:
1018:
1013:
997:Life of Rossini
897:
816:13 August 1797
657:Francesco Gardi
633:
609:
552:Giovanni Ansani
520:
506:and her nieces
341:
281:performance of
261:(Euridice), in
253:
226:performance of
214:, Milan again,
204:
154:
76:
71:
67:
58:
46:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1231:
1221:
1220:
1215:
1210:
1205:
1200:
1195:
1190:
1185:
1169:
1168:
1147:
1129:
1116:
1103:
1090:
1076:
1075:
1073:
1070:
1067:
1066:
1045:
1036:
1026:
1015:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1008:
1007:
1000:
993:Vie de Rossini
986:
971:
956:
951:André Gavoty,
949:
930:
920:
913:
896:
893:
890:
889:
886:
883:
880:
879:dramma lirico
877:
872:
868:
867:
864:
857:
852:
849:
844:
840:
839:
836:
833:
830:
827:
822:
818:
817:
814:
811:
805:
802:
797:
793:
792:
789:
783:
780:
777:
772:
768:
767:
764:
758:
755:
752:
747:
743:
742:
739:
736:
733:
730:
725:
721:
720:
717:
714:
711:
710:(opera seria)
705:
700:
696:
695:
692:
689:
686:
683:
678:
674:
673:
670:
664:
654:
644:
639:
635:
634:
630:
627:
624:
621:
618:
608:
605:
588:Giuditta Pasta
537:Andrea Appiani
532:mezzo-sopranos
519:
518:Artistic style
516:
512:Giuditta Grisi
504:Giuditta Pasta
384:King's Theatre
382:where, at the
340:
337:
203:
200:
153:
150:
102:
101:
98:
97:Known for
94:
93:
90:
86:
85:
82:
78:
77:
72:
70:(aged 76)
66:3 January 1850
64:
60:
59:
54:
52:
48:
47:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1230:
1219:
1216:
1214:
1211:
1209:
1206:
1204:
1201:
1199:
1196:
1194:
1191:
1189:
1186:
1184:
1181:
1180:
1178:
1161:
1159:
1151:
1144:
1139:
1133:
1126:
1120:
1113:
1107:
1100:
1094:
1088:1997, p. 273.
1087:
1081:
1077:
1063:
1059:
1056:" (that is: "
1055:
1049:
1040:
1030:
1020:
1016:
1005:
1001:
998:
994:
990:
987:
985:
981:
980:
975:
974:Stanley Sadie
972:
970:, Rome, 1989.
969:
965:
961:
957:
954:
950:
947:
943:
942:2-221-09796-3
939:
935:
931:
928:
924:
921:
918:
914:
911:
907:
903:
900:Bruno Belli,
899:
898:
887:
884:
881:
878:
876:
873:
870:
869:
866:14 July 1800
865:
862:
858:
856:
853:
850:
848:
845:
842:
841:
837:
834:
831:
828:
826:
823:
820:
819:
815:
812:
809:
806:
803:
801:
798:
795:
794:
791:12 June 1797
790:
788:
784:
781:
778:
776:
773:
770:
769:
765:
763:
759:
756:
753:
751:
748:
745:
744:
740:
737:
734:
731:
729:
726:
723:
722:
718:
715:
712:
709:
706:
704:
701:
698:
697:
693:
690:
687:
684:
682:
679:
676:
675:
671:
669:
665:
662:
658:
655:
652:
648:
645:
643:
640:
637:
636:
631:
628:
625:
622:
619:
616:
615:
612:
604:
600:
597:
591:
589:
585:
579:
577:
576:
571:
570:
565:
561:
560:Brigida Banti
557:
556:Giacomo David
553:
549:
548:Matteo Babini
546:, the tenors
545:
540:
538:
533:
529:
525:
515:
513:
509:
505:
500:
496:
492:
488:
484:
480:
476:
471:
469:
465:
461:
457:
453:
449:
444:
442:
441:
436:
432:
428:
424:
419:
417:
413:
409:
405:
401:
397:
393:
390:, Nasolini's
389:
385:
381:
376:
374:
370:
366:
362:
358:
354:
350:
346:
336:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
317:
312:
308:
307:
302:
298:
295:
292:
288:
284:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
260:
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252:
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243:
242:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
209:
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183:
179:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
75:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
44:
43:
38:
32:
27:
20:
1164:(in Italian)
1157:
1150:
1141:
1137:
1132:
1124:
1119:
1111:
1106:
1098:
1093:
1085:
1080:
1061:
1057:
1053:
1048:
1039:
1029:
1019:
996:
992:
983:
977:
967:
959:
953:La Grassini,
952:
945:
933:
926:
916:
901:
874:
846:
824:
804:opera seria
799:
774:
749:
727:
702:
680:
641:
610:
602:
593:
580:
573:
567:
541:
521:
482:
472:
456:Hundred Days
452:Isle of Elba
445:
438:
430:
420:
411:
407:
399:
391:
387:
377:
352:
342:
332:
314:
310:
304:
300:
286:
274:
266:
249:
239:
231:
205:
193:
185:
181:
173:
155:
118:
114:
110:
106:
105:
68:(1850-01-03)
40:
1188:1850 deaths
1183:1773 births
1110:Caruselli,
1099:La Grassini
955:Paris, 1947
946:Il Giornale
932:Max Gallo,
672:8 May 1793
647:opera seria
468:Louis XVIII
460:Restoration
369:Netherlands
365:Pierre Rode
254: [
244:(1794), in
182:opere buffe
168:singing in
81:Nationality
1177:Categories
1136:Stendhal,
1123:Celletti,
1072:References
875:Pimmalione
771:Artemisia
703:L'Issipile
677:Giulietta
638:Polissena
575:coloratura
483:Aristodemo
464:Wellington
440:Pimmalione
404:von Winter
396:Fioravanti
241:Demofoonte
228:Zingarelli
146:Zingarelli
111:Giuseppina
89:Occupation
1127:, p. 112.
1064:, p. 27).
699:Issipile
651:pasticcio
626:composer
528:tessiture
524:contralto
435:Cherubini
431:La Didone
349:Andreozzi
325:La Fenice
301:Giulietta
232:Artaserse
180:in three
170:Guglielmi
152:Biography
142:Cherubini
115:Josephina
113:(or also
1097:Gavoty,
1086:Napoléon
989:Stendhal
984:ad nomen
934:Napoléon
821:Alceste
810:(Curci)
785:Naples,
760:Venice,
746:Calipso
666:Venice,
629:theatre
596:Marchesi
584:Stendhal
569:belcanto
499:Florence
333:Issipile
294:castrato
283:Nasolini
271:Cimarosa
236:Portugal
195:La cifra
178:La Scala
138:Cimarosa
132:and the
130:Napoleon
119:Grassini
1084:Gallo,
895:Sources
871:Venere
859:Paris,
843:mother
825:Alceste
724:Orazia
495:Trieste
487:Brescia
479:Pucitta
433:and in
400:Camilla
373:Germany
345:Marengo
291:soprano
246:Bertoni
220:Ferrara
208:Vicenza
190:Salieri
123:Italian
84:Italian
1034:wider.
976:(ed),
940:
908:
623:genre
620:opera
508:Giulia
380:London
321:Venice
279:Fenice
216:Naples
212:Venice
162:Varese
92:Singer
56:Varese
45:(1805)
1101:1947.
1011:Notes
642:Pirro
617:role
491:Padua
412:Zaira
361:Paris
258:]
224:Scala
166:Parma
74:Milan
42:Zaïra
938:ISBN
906:ISBN
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427:Paër
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63:Died
51:Born
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313:in
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160:in
1179::
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649:-
590::
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