Grisi

Grisi, GIULIA, a celebrated singer, was born at Milan in 1811, and made her first appearance in 1828, at Bologna, in Rossini's Zelmira. Her fame spread rapidly over Europe; in 1832 she appeared in Paris in Semiramis, where the purity, melodiousness, and volume of her voice, as well as her classical beauty of features (Heine wrote of her as 'the singing flower of beauty'), secured general admiration. Bellini's Puritani and other operas were written for her, but Norma always remained her greatest part. London was the scene of her grandest and most successful performances; and here she married in 1836 the Marquis de Melcy, after whose death she became in 1856 the wife of the tenor, Mario, with whom she sang in America. She died in Berlin, 28th November 1869.