e La Scala, Milan, and she speedily laid a
good foundation for her future renown. She sang at Florence with
Duprez, and Donizetti, who was then in the city, composed his "Rosmonda
d'Inghilterra" for these artists. For two years there was nothing of
specially important note in Mme. Persiani's life except a swift and
steady progress. An engagement at Vienna made her the pet of that city,
which is fanatical in its musical enthusiasm, and we next find her back
again in Italy, singing greatly to the satisfaction of the public in
such operas as "Romeo e Giulietta," "Il Pirata," "La Gazza Ladra,"
and "L'Elisir d'Amore." Mme. Pasta was singing in Venice when Persiani
visited that city, and the latter did not hesitate to enter into
competition with her illustrious rival. Indeed, the complimentary
Venetians called her "la petite Pasta," though the character of her
talent was entirely alien to that of the great tragedienne of music.
Milan and Rome reechoed the voice of other cities, and during her stay
in Rome she appeared in two new operas, "Misantropia e Pentimento" and
"I Promessi Sposi." Among the artists associated with her during the
Roman engagement was Ronconi, who was then just beginning to establish
his great reputation. One of the most important events of her early
career was her association, in 1834, at the San Carlo, Naples, with
Duprez, Caselli, and La-blache. The composer Donizetti had always been
charmed with her voice as suiting the peculiar style of music in
which he excelled, and he determined to compose an opera for her. His
marvelous facility of composition was happily illustrated in this case.
The novel of "The Bride of Lammermoor" was turned into a libretto for
him by a Neapolitan poet, Donizetti himself, it is said, having written
the last act in his eagerness to save time and get it completed that
he might enter on the musical composition. The opera of "Lucia di
Lammermoor," one of the most beautiful of the composer's works, was
finished in little more than five weeks. The music of _Edgardo_ was
designed for the voice of M. Duprez, that of _Lucia_ for Mme. Persiani,
and the result was brilliantly successful, not only as suiting the
styles of those singers, but in making a powerful impression on the
public mind. Mme. Persiani never entered into any rivalry with those
singers who were celebrated for their dramatic power, for this talent
did not peculiarly stamp her art-work. But her impersonation of _Lucia_
i