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
La fille du régiment beautiful and worthy for the cordial hospitality which France offers him in all her theatres, subsidized or not." Despite its bumpy start, the opera soon became hugely popular at the Opéra-Comique. During its first 80 years, it reached its 500th performance at the theatre in 1871 and its 1,000th in 1908. The opera was first performed in Italy at La Scala, Milan, on 3 October 1840, in Italian with recitatives by Donizetti replacing the spoken dialogue. It was thought "worthless" and received only six performances. It was not until 1928 when Toti Dal Monte sang Marie that the opera began