The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent. (Port Gibson, Claiborne Co., Miss.) 1848-18??, 1850-09-27
JENNY LIND.

As this Swedish Songstress is now one Of
the principal themes of conversation, and of
newspaper paragraphs, we copy below, from
the New York Day Book, the following criti-
cism by one who processes to be familiar with
the subject upon which he writes. Notwith-
standing her inability, as the writer would ex-
press it, to cope with certain Italian artists,
yet We are satisfied from his description of her
style, that we should prefer her to them all,
even as we prefer the note of the sky-lark,
singing joyously as he scars upward to the
scraping of violin.
'ln the first place, then, Jenny Lind possess
ses the most remarkable throat q speak of its
inside lining only ever created. There is
scarcely any limit to her capacity for producing
smooth and pleasant sounds, soft and silvery
as the breathing of flute, and uttered in de-
fiance of all difficulties of interval or stretch
of compass, with an ease and facility almost
incredible. The triling of a lark or canary,
the mellowness of the nightingale, the you-
bility OF your own mocking bird, are all sur
passed by the musical utterances of Jenny Lind.
Nor are her warblings, like the birds, devoid of
expression and feeling. A certain kind of arch
simplicity and homebred pathos are hers in an
eminent degree, As to what is understood by
vocal execution, in the mere mechanical sense
of the phrase, Jenny Lind has never been sur
passed in the history of modern music, and
was equaled only by Persiani. Her compass
is Understanding up with ease to F in ait,
and her organ is of remarkable eYenness and
equality through all its registers. Add to this
that, generally speaking, her intonation is fault
less, and that her style of singing and embel-
fishing bstrays always good taste in the detail,
though the general effect is often marred by
over tioridity-and you have the means of for
ming an impartial Judgment of what Jenny
Lind is.
What she is not, is soon said She is not
vocalist of the modern Italian school; and
neither her method, style nor voice at all an
swers the acquisitions of that school-that
school of which Gulia Grisi is the acknowl-
edged head and interpreter, and whose masters
and pupils alone Of all the earth have carried
vocal music to the point Of giving expression
to high art OF this school, the academies of
Bologna and other cities of Italy, the stage of
the San Corlos at Naples and La Scala of
Milan, and the boards of the Conservatory and
the Italian Opera in Paris, are the only recog-
nised cradles and homes. 1t is true that this
style of music is heard in great perfection at
her MaJesty's theatre in London-its brightest
ornaments being lured there by the bribe of
immense salaries; but then the audience is
wanting. To nine-tenths of those who crowd
the Italian Opera in London, selection of
Scotch ballads, Irish love songs, and English
glees, would be a great deal more satisfactory
than the sublimest strains of the eloquence Of
melody, the passion of song, the inspiration of
musical expression, which constitute the true
Italian Opera.
The voice Of Mile Lind is sweet and pretty,
as have said; but it is entirely from her throat.
That which is known ameng the Italians as the
r0ce d. petto, the r0ce del cqntare and which has
been developed and perfected nowhere else
but IN the Italian school, is not possessed by
Jenny Lind. In common with all the voealists
in Vienna, Berlin and Germany, her voice is
wholly from the throat or head-and conse-
quently lacks that vibrating, palpitating quail
ty that makes the hearers heart pant as if he
were listening to a Demosthenean burst of elo-
quence. 1t was this that caused Garcia, in
1912, to discourage the aspirations of the am
bilious Swedish girl; and it was this that has
forever prevented her from appearing in Paris,
or at the San Carlos in Naples, or La Scala in
Milan This was profoundly wise. Wonder
ful as are her gifts of voice and facilities of
execution, at either of these places she would
have failed
Thus, then, we can readily settle the true
position of Mile Lind in New York. Those
who know nothing of music practically, and
who love to be astonished, viii be delighted
with her graceful and winning manners, and
with the musical pyrotechnics she lets off from
her beautiful throat; but those who really and
truly understand and appreciate the highest
form Of vocal music, will be disappointed and
disenchanted.
Think what you like Of this, and do what
you like with it. But tell yo1 it is true.
THE BERBET"
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