Giulia Grisi in her, she was the first to play the part of Adalgisa in Bellini's "Norma" in Milan, in which the dramatic soprano Giuditta Pasta took the title role. Grisi appeared in Paris in 1832 in the title role of Semiramide in Rossini's opera and was a great success; in 1834 she made her debut in London as Ninetta in "La gazza ladra"; and, again in Paris, in 1835 she created the role of Elvira in the premiere of Bellini's final opera, "I puritani" at the Théâtre-Italien. In 1842, Donizetti wrote the parts of Norina and Ernesto in "Don Pasquale" for
Academy of Music (New York City) role and Giuseppe Mario as Pollione headlining the performance under Max Maretzek's baton. The first season's repertoire was ambitious, and included "Semiramide" and "The Barber of Seville" by Rossini; "Norma" and "La Sonnambula" by Bellini; and "Don Pasquale", "Lucrezia Borgia", "La Favorita" and "Lucia di Lammermoor" by Donizetti. Maretzek's company performed an annual season at the Academy through 1878. His company was not the only group active at the opera house as the theater during this time. Musicologist George Whitney Martin writes: New York's Academy of Music, from 1854 to 1883 the city's leading house for opera, did not offer