[1] According to John Warrack and Ewan West, writing in The Oxford Dictionary of Opera: "His voice was clear and vibrant, but he lacked dramatic gifts.

[4] In 1851, at the Théâtre-Italien's Salle Ventadour in Paris, Graziani sang Gennaro in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia with Marianna Barbieri-Nini in the title role and Fortini as the Duke of Ferrara.

[1][5] The following season he went to La Fenice in Venice where he was heard as Idreno in Rossini's Semiramide, the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, the title role of Verdi's Stiffelio, and in the premieres of several operas by minor Italian composers.

The production was poorly received, and Verdi, who was depressed and disappointed, described Graziani's singing as "marmoreal" and "monotonous",[2][6] although most of the blame for the opera's lack of success was reserved for the baritone Felice Varesi, who sang Giorgio Germont.

Other Verdi roles at La Scala included the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto and Enrico (Henri) in Giovanna de Guzman (the name used for the first Italian version of Les vêpres siciliennes).