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Scan 447
Biographical dictionary of musicians, 1940
10 lines. Read by computer on 8 September 2026. Printed page 427. See the scan on archive.org.
1a pupil of Flotow, later of Saint-Saëns, in composition. Made her début as a composer with a Mass and a Stabat Mater (perf. in various churches); under various pen-names (Valgrand, Tesier, Blangy, Jesper, etc.) she produced the operas Le Sou de Lise (Paris, 1860), Les Fiancés de Rosa (ib., 1863), La Comtesse Eva (ib., 1864), La Pénitente (ib., 1868), Piccolino (ib., 1869), Atala (ib., 1888), Mazeppa (Bordeaux, 1892); also wrote a dramatic poem, La Forêt (1875); an oratorio, 'drame sacré', St. Agnes (1876); dram. scenes La fille de Jaïre (won Prix Rossini, 1879) and Jeanne d'Arc; Esquisses symphoniques; songs.
3Grant-Schaefer, George Alfred, b. Williamstown, Ont., July 4, 1872; d. Chicago, May 11, 1939. Pupil of D. Ducharme (pf.) and G. Couture (voice) in Montreal, of V. Garwood (pf.) and A. Weidig (theory) in Chicago, and of C. A. Harris (org.) in London; org. and choirm. at Centenary Ch., Chicago, 1896–1908; head of the vocal dept. at the Northwestern Univ. School of Mus., Evanston, Ill., 1908–20; thereafter lived in Evanston. Composed operettas for grade and high schools (Tom Sawyer, Treasure Island, An Old Kentucky Garden [life of Stephen Foster]), pedagogic and moderately difficult pf.-pieces, and numerous songs (The Eagle, The Sea, Thirty-six Songs for Children, etc.). Made arrs. of French Canadian folk-songs.
5Grasse, Edwin, b. New York, Aug. 13, 1884. Although he became blind in infancy, he began to study the violin with Carl Hauser; went to César Thomson in Brussels, in 1898; ent. the Cons. the following year, and won 1st prize in 1900; awarded 'Prix de Capacité' in 1901; début in Berlin, playing the Sinding concerto with the Philh. Orch.; Amer. début, New York, Nov. 12, 1903, with Brahms' concerto; has toured Europe and America successfully several times; living in N. Y. in 1940.—Works: Symph. in G; Symph. in D; Suite in C for orch.; Amer. Fantasie for vln. and orch.; vln.-concerto in E m.; 3 pf.-trios; 7 vln.-sonatas; vln.-pieces (Wellsenpiel, Scherzo Capriccioso, In a Rowboat, etc.); Sonata in D for vln. and org.; Pastorale in B♭ for do.; 3 organ-sonatas; organ-pieces (Nocturne, Serenades, etc.); vcl.-sonata; pf.-pieces ([address hidden], Scherzo, Études, [address hidden] on Horseback, [address hidden]).
7Grassi'ni, Giuseppina or Josephina, celebrated contralto; b. Varese, Lombardy, 1773; d. Milan, Jan. 3, 1850. St. at the Milan Cons.; 1789–90, first appeared at Ducal Th., Parma, and at La Scala, Milan, in works of Cimarosa, Guglielmi, etc., then turned to serious opera, and sang at Vicenza (1792), Venice (1793), and Milan; thereafter appeared triumphantly on all the leading Ital. stages, and, with especial succ., in Cimarosa's Gli Orazi e i Curiazi in Venice (1797); 1800, appeared at Milan in a concert for Napoleon Buonaparte, who engaged her for Paris; 1804–6, succ. Banti in London, where she was obliged to vie for popular favor with the celebrated Mrs. Billington; then sang at the French court until the change of dynasty and the decline of her voice caused her dismissal; returned to Milan, sang in Trieste and Ferrara in 1822, and in Paris in 1829. She appears to have been again in Paris in 1841. Among her pupils were Pasta (q.v.), and her nieces, Giuditta and Giulia Grisi (q.v.).—Cf. Ant. Cipollini, G. G.; A. Pougin, Une cantatrice 'amie' de Napoléon: G. G. (Paris, 1920).
9Grau, Maurice, operatic impresario; b. Brünn, Moravia, 1849; d. Paris, March 14, 1907. At the age of 5 he came to the U. S., where he was educated at the public schools and Columbia Law Sch. In 1872 he associated himself with C. A. Chizzola and managed the Amer. tours of Rubinstein, Wieniawski and Aimée; the next year he organized the Kellogg Opera Co., and later brought over Salvini, Ristori, Offenbach, Sarah Bernhardt, etc.; in 1890, together with Henry Abbey, he presented a post-season of 21 perfs. at the M. O. H. with casts including Patti, Albani, Nordica and Tamagno, which very probably influenced the boxholders in their decision of a year later to dispense with German opera in favor of an Italian and French répertoire; from 1891–97 the M. O. H. was leased to the partnership of Abbey, Schoeffel and Grau, and, upon the death of Abbey, to the Maurice Grau Opera Co. from 1898–1903. This period (1891–1903) was characterized by a profusion of vocal brilliancy, and, literally, by 'all-star' casts which have since remained unrivaled. In 1903 G. retired owing to ill health, living thereafter at Croissy-Chatou on the Seine, near Paris. The secret of his success was an extraordinary ability to feel the pulse of the public; with him opera was frankly a business; he knew the public wanted great stars, and he gave them Nordica, Melba, Eames, Calvé, Ternina, Homer, Schumann-Heink, the de Reszkes, Plançon, Maurel, Lasalle, Scotti, Van Rooy and others; all other factors received scant attention; the répertoire was determined and limited by the favorite rôles of the stars. Although personally G. had no sympathy for Wagner's art, he nevertheless added the master's works to the répertoire (in German), including the first uncut 'Ring' to be prod. in N. Y., as soon as Damrosch had shown that there was a decided demand for them; it was the immense popularity of Wagner that contributed chiefly toward the financial success of G.'s last seasons. He also introd. La Bohème and Tosca, perf. Carmen
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