Adelaide Ristori (29 January 1822 â€" 9 October 1906) was a
distinguished Italian tragedienne, who was often referred to as the
Marquise.She was born in Cividale del Friuli, the daughter of
strolling players and appeared as a child on the stage. At fourteen
she made her first success as Francesca da Rimini in Silvio Pellico's
tragedy. At eighteen she was playing Mary Stuart in an Italian version
of Friedrich Schiller's play of the same name. She had been a member
of the Sardinian company and also of the Ducal company at Parma for
some years before her marriage to the marchese Giuliano Capranica del
Grillo in 1846. After a short retirement from her career, she returned
to the stage and played regularly in Turin and the provinces.It was
not until 1855 that she paid her first professional visit to Paris,
where the part of Francesca was chosen for her début. In this she was
rather coldly received, but she took Paris by storm in the title role
of Alfieri's Myrrha. Furious partisanship was aroused by the
appearance of a rival to the great Rachel. Paris was divided into two
camps of opinion. Humble playgoers fought at gallery doors over the
merits of their respective favourites. The two famous women never
actually met, but the French actress seems to have been convinced that
Ristori had no ill feelings towards her, only admiration and respect.
distinguished Italian tragedienne, who was often referred to as the
Marquise.She was born in Cividale del Friuli, the daughter of
strolling players and appeared as a child on the stage. At fourteen
she made her first success as Francesca da Rimini in Silvio Pellico's
tragedy. At eighteen she was playing Mary Stuart in an Italian version
of Friedrich Schiller's play of the same name. She had been a member
of the Sardinian company and also of the Ducal company at Parma for
some years before her marriage to the marchese Giuliano Capranica del
Grillo in 1846. After a short retirement from her career, she returned
to the stage and played regularly in Turin and the provinces.It was
not until 1855 that she paid her first professional visit to Paris,
where the part of Francesca was chosen for her début. In this she was
rather coldly received, but she took Paris by storm in the title role
of Alfieri's Myrrha. Furious partisanship was aroused by the
appearance of a rival to the great Rachel. Paris was divided into two
camps of opinion. Humble playgoers fought at gallery doors over the
merits of their respective favourites. The two famous women never
actually met, but the French actress seems to have been convinced that
Ristori had no ill feelings towards her, only admiration and respect.
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