The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-02-10

80
violinist, are taken from an article in the Dublin
University Magazine, entitled Leaves from the
Port Folio of a Manager" 1t shows conclusively
that JENNY Lind is not the first artis. who has bee
paid. well: A ss '.-'a7~.- r.
"Catalani, Pasta, Sontag, Malibran, Grsi, Tag
lioni, Rubin, Mario, Tamburini, Lablache, cum
nsuAis aiiis, have received their thousands, and
tens of thousands but, until the Jenny Lind
mania left every thing else at an immeasurable dis
tance, Paganini obtained larger sums than had
ever before been received in modern times. He
came with prodigious flourish of trumpets, vast
continental reputation, and few personal legends
of the most exciting character twas said that he
had killed his wife in ht of jealousy, and made
fdde-strings of her ntes,ines; and that the devil
had composed sonata for him in dream, as he
formerly did for Tartini. When you looked at
him, you thought all this, and more, very likely to
be His talent was almost supernatural, while
his get up and mise scene, original
and unearthly, such as those who him will
never forget and those who did not can with diff
Guilty conceive. The individual and his perform
were equally unlike any thing that had ever
been exhibited before.
"No picture or description can convey an ade-
quate idea of his entrance and his exit To walk
simply on and off the stage appears common
place operation enough, but Paganini did this in
a manner peculiar to himself which baffled all imi
taton. While am writing Of it, his first appear
ance in Dublin, at the great musical festival Of
1880, presents itself to my minds eye as an
event of yesterday When he placed himself in
position to commence, the crowded audience were
hushed into death-like silence. His black habil-
iments-his pale, attenuated visage, powerfully ex
pressve-his long, silky raven tresses, and the
flash OF his dark eye, as he shook them back over
his shoulders-his thin, transparent figure, unu-
sually long-,he mode in which he grasped his
bow, and the tremendous length to which he drew
it, and climax of all, his sudden manner of placing
both bow and instrument under his arm, while he
tn ew his hands behind him, elevated his head, his
features almost distorted with smile OF ecstacy,
and his very hair instinct with life, at the conclu-
sion OF unparalleled fantasia And there he
stood, immovable and triumphant, while the thea
tire rang again with peals peals of applause,
and shouts of the widest enthusiasm None who
witnessed this will ever forget it, they
likely again to see the same effect produced by
mortal energy.
"The one string feat I always considered un-
worthy this great master of his art. 1t has been
ne by fifty others, and is at best but imperfect
exhibition a perfect instrument piece of
cLarlatanry, or theatrical gag to profess
slonal term, sufficiently Ineligible There have
been, and are, mighty musicians on the violin.
Spagnoletti, De Beriot Ole Bull, (who according
to some plays without any string at all,) Sivori,
Joachim, Ernst, Levey, etc, all in the list of
great players; but there never was more than one
Paganini, he is unique and unapproachabie
"In Dublin, in $780, Paganini saved the Musical
Festival, which would have failed but for his ind-
vidual attraction, although supported by an army
of talent in every department. All was done in
frst-rate style, not to be surpassed. There were
Brahdm, Madam Stockhausen, H. Phillips, De
Begnis, ETC., Sir G. Smart, for conductor Cramer,
| Mori, 7. Cooke, for leaders, Lndley, Nicholson,
| Anfoss, Lidel Hermann, Pigott, and above ninety
musicians in the orchestra and more than one hun
| dred and twenty singers in the chorus. The festi-
| val was held in the Theatre Royal then, as now
| the only building in Dublin, capable OF accommo.
| dating the vast number which alone could render
| such speculation remunerative. The theatre can
hold two thousand six hundred persons, all of whom
| may see and hear, whether in the boxes, pit, o
galleries. The arrangement was, to have oratoro,
| kept distinct on certain mornings and misceane
Gus concerts on the evenings of other days. The
| concerts were crushers, but the first oratorlo wal
| decidedly break down.
"The committee became alarmed; the expenses
| were enormous, and heavy liabilities stared them il
the face. There was no time to be lost, and at tn,
| second oratorio duly announced, there stood Paga
mini, in front OF the orchestra violin in hand
| advanced PLATFORM overhanging the pit, not unk
orator Henely's tub, as immortalized by the poet
Between the acts of the Messiah and the Creation
he iddled the Witches at the Great Walnut Tre
OF Benevento, with other equally appropriate inter
polatons, to the ecstatic delight OF applaudin.
thousands, who cared not pin for Hadyn or Han
| del, but came to hear Paganini alone, and to tn
small scandal of the select few, who thought tn
| episode little the North side of consistency
|
body was paid, the committee escaped withou
damage, and hazardous speculation, undertake
by few spirited individuals was wound up wit
| deserved success.
"When the festival was over, the town empty
and annonball might have fired down Sackvill
street, without doing much injury, Paganini wa
engaged by himself for series of five performance
in the theatre. For this he received E1143. Hi
dividend on the first nights receipts amounted
E330 Ql0rresco referens y without shilling
outlay incurred his part He had the lion
share with vengeance, the manager cleare
with difficulty f200. The terms he demanded an
obtained were clear two-thlrds of each night
4 receipts, twenty nine gulneas per night for the
vice of two auxiliaries, worth about as many shi
lings, the full value allowed for every free ticke
Y and express stipulation that if he required
e | rehearsal dark morning, when extra lg
. should not fall on him-a contingency which by I
II possible conrivance could involve responsible
l. exceeding five six shings."
|
st On Monday evening pretty young lady, han'
], somey DIRE ssed, called at the jewelry store of M
IS J. Alexander Simpson, in Second street, beo
Market, and purchased gold ring, valued at fl
le dollars. She appeared to be very much of lad
It. She gave five dollar note for the ring, and to-
y her departure. On Tuesday morning, at ear
1t hour, just the store about to be opene
another young lady called and sought intervie
~ with the proprietor. She asked him if a youl
ly lady had purchased ring there the previo
evening, and if so, what kind of money she paid
10 it. On receiving an answer, her worst fears we
. realized-she burst out crying. This strange a
venture excited the surprise of Mr.. Simpson,
mr. well as his sympathy, and he endeavored to t