DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

216 GRANDIOSO GRASSHOPPER
tions of motets, with and without accompaniment,
in 1610, 1613, 1614, 1616, 1619, 1620,
1621, 1629, and 1637. Two books of accompanied
madrigals appeared in 1616 and 1622 ;
and four books of ' Cantade et Arie a voce sola,'
were issued from 1620 onwards, only two of which
are now in existence. (^Qudlen-Lf.xikon.)
GRANDIOSO (Ital.). In a grand or broad
style.
GRANDSIRE. The name given to one of
the methods by which changes in ringing are
produced. It is supposed to be the original
method. [See Chan'ge-Rixging.] c. a. w. t.
GRAN.JON, Robert. Born about the beginning
of the 16th century at Paris, a type-founder
who was one of the first to introduce round notes
instead of square and lozenge-shaped ones, and
at the same time to suppress the ligatures and
signs of proportion, which made the notation of
the old music so difficult to read—and thus to
simplify the art. His efforts, however, apjpear
to have met with little or no success. His first
publications are said to be dated 1523, and the
first work printed on his new system, ' Le Premier
Trophee de j\Iusique,' a collection of chnnsons,
etc., in 1559, at which time he had left Paris
for Lyons ; he was at Rome in 1582, where he
printed the first edition oi GmAttti' s Diredorium,
having been called to Rome by the Pope in order
to cut the capital letters of a Greek alphabet.
Whether he or Briard of Bar-le-duc was the
first to make the improvements mentioned above
is uncertain. Briard's Garpeutras (printed in
the new style)was published at Avignon in 1532,
but Granjon appears to have made his invention
and obtained letters patent for it many years
before he had an opportunity of exercising it.
See Briard, and Fetis for more details. G.
GRANOil, Lewis Christian Au.stix, a composer
who flourished about the middle of the
18th century, and produced many songs and
pieces which were popular in their daj'. His
first work was 'Twelve Sonatas for the Flnte,'
published in 1751. He afterwards published
' Six Trios for the Flute,' 1755, and a collection
entitled 'The Monthly Miscellany,' consisting
of duets for fiutes, songs, etc. His 'Second
Collection of forty favourite English Songs, with
string accompaniments, in score ; dedicated to
Dr. Boyce, ' bears the opus number xiii. Nothing
is known of his biography. w. h, h.
GRAS, Julie Aim&e JosfepHE Dorus-, whose
family name was Steenkiste, was born at Valenciennes,
Sept. 7, 1805. Douus was the name
of her mother. She was the daughter of the
leader of the band, and educated by her father.
At the age of fourteen she made a debut in a concert
with such success as to obtain a subsidy
from the authorities to enable her to study at
the Conservatoire of Paris. There she was admitted
Dec. 21, 1821 ; and received instruction
from Henri and Blangini. With a good voice
and much facility of execution, she obtained the
first prize in 1822. Paer and Bordogni then
helped to finish her education. To the former
she owed her appointment as chamber-singer to
the king. In 1825 she began her travels, going
to Brussels first, where she sang with such success
as to receive jiroposals for the opera. She
now gave six months to study for the stage,
ami made a brilliant di'but. After the revolution
of 1830 she went to the Paris Opera, and
made her first appearance in the ' Comte Cry
with great applause. On the retirement of Mme.
Damoreau-Cinti from the Grand Opera in 1835
Mile. Dorus succeeded to the principal parts in
' LaMuette,' ' ' GuillaumeTell," FernandCortez,'
etc. She had already created the roles of
Theresina in ' Le Philtre, ' of Alice in ' Roljert le
Diable, ' the page in 'Gustave,' Marguerite in
' Les Huguenots,' and Eudoxie in 'LaJuive.'
In 1839 she visited London, wliere she had a
very warm reception. Having married M. Gras,
one of the pjrincipal violins at the Opera, April
9, 1833, Mile. Dorus for some years kept lier
maiden name on the stage. The management
of the theatre having passed into the hands of
M. Stolz, she had the mortification to see her
chief fiarts given toJIme. Stolz, and consequently
retired in 1845. She continued, however, to
sing occasionally in Paris and in the provinces.
In 1847 she reappeared in London, and renewed
her former triumiihs ;
as she did again in 1848
and 1849, singing in the latter year Auber's
Italianised ' Masaniello.' In 1850-51 Mme.
Dorus-Gras remained in Paris, singing in a few
concerts ; but after tiiat her artistic career came
to an end, [although she lived until the age of
ninety-one, dying in Paris, Feb. 6, 1896.
Baker's Dict.~\ j. ii.
GRASSET, Jeak-Jacques, a distinguished
violin player, born at Paris about 1769. He
was a pupil of Berthaume, and is reported to
have excelled by a clear, though not powerful
tone, correct intonation and technique. After
having been obliged to serve in the army for
several years—wdiich he apipears to have spent
not without profit for his art in Germany and
Italy—he returned to Paris and soon gained
a prominent position there. On the death of
Gavinies in 1800 he was appointed professor of
the violin at the Conservatoire, after a highly
successful competition with a number of eminent
performers. Soonafterwardshe succeeded Bruni
as ' ' chef d'orchestre at the Italian Opera, which
post he filled with eminent success till 1829,
when he retired from ]iublic life. He published
three Concertos for the Violin, five books of
Violin-Duos, and a Sonata for "Piano and Violin,
which are not without merit. He died at Paris
in 1839. p. D.
GRASSHOPPER or HOPPER, in a square
or uiu'ight pianoforte of ordinary London make,
is that part of the action known technical!}^ as
the escapement lever or jack, so constructed \\ith
base mortised into the key and backpiece, that