Giulia Grisi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giulia Grisi
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Grisi as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni
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| Born | 22 May 1811 Milan, Italy
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| Died | 29 November 1869 (aged 58) Berlin, Germany
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| Nationality | Italian |
| Occupation | Opera singer (soprano) |
| Spouse(s) | Giovanni Matteo Mario |
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Giulia Grisi (born May 22, 1811 – died November 29, 1869) was a famous Italian opera singer. She performed all over Europe, the United States, and South America. Many people consider her one of the best sopranos of the 1800s.
Her second husband was Giovanni Matteo Mario de Candia, also known as "Mario the Tenor." He came from a noble family. Giulia Grisi is buried in Paris at Père Lachaise Cemetery. Her grave is marked "Juliette de Candia," using her married name.
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Early Life of a Star
Giulia Grisi was born in Milan, Italy. Her father, Gaetano Grisi, was an officer for Napoleon. Her mother was Giovanna Grassini. Giulia came from a very musical family!
Her aunt, Giuseppina Grassini, was a popular opera singer in Europe and London. Giulia's older sister, Giuditta, was also a singer. Her cousin, Carlotta, was a ballet dancer. Giuditta was the first to play the role of Romeo in Bellini's opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi.
Giulia was trained to be a singer. She made her first stage appearance as Emma in Rossini's opera Zelmira in Bologna in 1828.
Her Amazing Opera Career
Both Rossini and Bellini were very interested in Giulia Grisi's talent. She was the first to play the part of Adalgisa in Bellini's opera Norma in Milan. In that opera, the famous soprano Giuditta Pasta sang the main role.
Giulia Grisi performed in Paris in 1832 as Semiramide in Rossini's opera and was a huge success. In 1834, she made her debut in London as Ninetta in La gazza ladra. In 1835, she created the role of Elvira in the first performance of Bellini's last opera, I puritani, at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris.
In 1842, Donizetti wrote the parts of Norina and Ernesto in Don Pasquale especially for Grisi and Giovanni Matteo de Candia (Mario). Mario would become the love of her life.
Giulia Grisi's voice was described as a dramatic soprano. During her best years, music critics praised her voice for its amazing beauty, evenness, and smoothness. Her career lasted for 30 years. She was also a noted actress. She often performed in London with famous singers like Luigi Lablache, Giovanni Battista Rubini, and Antonio Tamburini, as well as her husband, Mario.
In 1854, after they were married, Giulia and Mario went on a very successful tour of the United States. There, they were treated like major international celebrities.
Her Family Life
Giulia Grisi was married twice. Her first marriage was unhappy and ended.
In 1844, Giulia married "Mario the tenor" (Giovanni Matteo de Candia) in London. They lived in Paris and London. The couple had six daughters:
- Bella Maria de Candia, born in 1857.
- Clelia de Candia, born in 1855. She married Sir Arthur Powys Vaughan.
- Cecilia Maria de Candia, born in 1853. She married Godfrey Pearse.
- Maria Angelina de Candia, born in 1850.
- Rita de Candia, born in 1849.
- Giulia de Candia, born in 1842.
They often returned to Italy, spending time at the Villa Salviati in Florence. Mario had bought this property in 1849. Grisi wrote in her diary about the exciting times they had there with important guests from the opera world and noble families. However, she preferred their private family vacations at their cottage in Bordighera, where she felt most at home.
Her Final Days
During a trip to Saint Petersburg, Russia, Giulia Grisi was traveling by train with her family. They were involved in an accident after crossing the border into Germany. She was taken to a hotel in Berlin, where she spent her last days. She died there on November 29, 1869, at the age of 58. Her husband took her body to Paris, where she was buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery. Her tomb has a simple white stone with the inscription "Juliette de Candia."
Her Lasting Legacy
Giulia Grisi's amazing opera career was recorded in musical records, pictures, and paintings. After she passed away, her husband gave a large amount of money to create scholarships for sopranos at the Paris Opera. This was the theater that first made Giulia's voice famous.
One of her daughters with Mario, Cecilia Maria de Candia, became a recognized writer. She married an English gentleman named Godfrey Pearse. In 1910, she published a book called The Romance of a Great Singer – A Memoir of Mario, which told her father's story.
See also
In Spanish: Giulia Grisi para niños
