faithful to her "old" master and partner crescentini's musical ideals, grassini would always stand beside such singers as the castrato gaspare pacchiarotti, the tenors matteo babini, giovanni ansani and giacomo david, the prime-donne brigida banti and luísa todi de agujar. these were the singers who opposed the "belcanto" drift of the second half of the 18th century, with its break-neck run after extremely high notes and aimlessly pyrotechnic, inexpressive, and therefore absurd "coloratura"; and who endeavoured, instead, to recover “the passion and vigour” that had permeated the golden age of singing of the first half of the century.