Great Singers, Second Series Malibran To Titiens   By: George T. Ferris (1840-)

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"; Arsène Houssaye's "Galerie de Portraits"; Countess de Merlin's "Mémoires 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 Début 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 Bériot. 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 SCHRÖDER DEVRIENT.