Great Singers, First Series Faustina Bordoni To Henrietta Sontag

ELIZABETH BILLINGTON AND HER CONTEMPORARIES.

Elizabeth Weichsel's Runaway Marriage.--__Début__ at Covent Garden.--Lord Mount Edgcumbe's Opinion of her Singing.--Her Rivalry with Mme. Mara.--Mrs. Billington's Greatness in English Opera.--She sings in Italy in 1794-'99.--Her Great Power on the Italian Stage.--Marriage with Felican.--Reappearance in London in Italian and English Opera.--Sketch of Mme. Mara's Early Life.--Her Great Triumphs on the English Stage.--Anecdotes of her Career and her Retirement from England.--Grassini and Napoleon.--The Italian Prima Donna disputes Sovereignty with Mrs. Billington.--Her Qualities as an Artist.--Mrs. Billington's Retirement from the Stage and Declining Years

ANGELICA CATALANI.

The Girlhood of Catalani.--She makes her __Début__ in Florence. --Description of her Marvelous Vocalism.--The Romance of Love and Marriage.--Her Preference for the Concert Stage.--She meets Napoleon in Paris.--Her Escape from France and Appearance in London.--Opinions of Lord Mount Edgcumbe and other Critics.--Anecdotes of herself and Husband.--The Great Prima Donna's Character.--Her Gradual Divergence from Good Taste in singing.--_Bon Mots_ of the Wits of the Day.--The Opera-house Riot.--Her Husband's Avarice.--Grand Concert Tour through Europe.--She meets Goethe.--Her Return to England and Brilliant Reception.--She sings with the Tenor Braham.--John Braham's Artistic Career.--The Davides.--Catalani's Last English Appearance, and the Opinion of Critics.--Her Retirement and Death

GIUDITTA PASTA.

Greatness of Genius overcoming Disqualification.--The Characteristic Lesson of Pasta's Life.--Her First Appearance and Failure.--Pasta returns to Italy and devotes herself to Study.--Her First Great Successes in 1819.--Characteristics of her Voice and Singing.--Chorley's Review of the Impressions made on him by Pasta.--She makes her Triumphal _Début_ in Paris.--Talma on Pasta's Acting.--Her Performances of "Giulietta" and "Tancredi."--Medea, Pasta's Grandest Impersonation, is given to the World.--Description of the Performance.--Enthusiasm of the Critics and the Public.--Introduction of Pasta to the English Public in Rossini's "Otello."--The Impression made in England.--Recognized as the Greatest Dramatic Prima Donna in the World.--Glances at the Salient Facts of her English Career.--The Performance of "Il Crociato in Egitto."--She plays the Male _Rôle_ "Otello."--Rivalry with Malibran and Sontag.--The Founder of a New School of Singing.--Pasta creates the Leading _Rôles_ in Bellini's "Sonnambula" and "Norma" and Donizetti's "Anna Bolena."--Decadence and Retirement

HENRIETTA SONTAG.

The Greatest German Singer of the Century.--Her Characteristics as an Artist.--Her Childhood and Early Training.--Her Early Appearances in Weimar, Berlin, and Leipsic.--She becomes the Idol of the Public.--Her Charms as a Woman and Romantic Incidents of her Youth.--Becomes affianced to Count Rossi.--Prejudice against her in Paris, and her Victory over the Public Hostility.--She becomes the Pet of Aristocratic _Salons_.--Rivalry with Malibran.--Her _Début_ in London, where she is welcomed with Great Enthusiasm.--Returns to Paris.--Anecdotes of her Career in the French Capital.--She becomes reconciled with Malibran in London.--Her Secret Marriage with Count Rossi.--She retires from the Stage as the Wife of an Ambassador.--Return to her Profession after Eighteen Years of Absence.--The Wonderful Success of her Youth renewed.--Her American Tour.--Attacked with Cholera in Mexico and dies.

GREAT SINGERS, FROM FAUSTINA BORDONI TO HENRIETTA SONTAG.

FAUSTINA BORDONI.

The Art-Battles of Handel's Time.--The Feud between Cuzzoni and Faustina.--The Character of the Two Rivals as Women and Artists.--Faustina's Career.--Her Marriage with Adolph Hasse, and something about the Composer's Music.--Their Dresden Life.--Cuzzoni's Latter Years.--Sketch of the Great Singer Farinelli.--The Old Age of hasse and Faustina.