The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-09-09
THE DAILY DISPATCH
From the Y. Tribune, seps. 6
ARRIVAL OF MADAME urNp.,
SONTAG, !, COUNTESS RossJ ,co,,rI Z
ROSSI, SIGNOR POZZILINI AMI
MONS. ECKERT.

| MONS. EChEhI.
AT about O'CLOCK last night the stean,sb;n
Arctic was telegraphed from Neversink. no,
by actual sight of her. but by her smoke, which
was visible at least an hour before her dark
hull loomed above the waves of the Atlantic
| The fact that the great song queen, Henriette
Sontag, was expected, was the cause of an
unusual excitement in musical and artstical
circles, and many of the profession were soon
astir TO wait upon the dIsting guest, al
though she had most emphatcally declined
anything in the way of public reception.
large crowd assembled at the Collins
Wharf as early es 9 O'Clock, and continHed to
increase until the arrival ofthe ship. AT I0I
O'Clock, two bright flashes announced The
steamers arrival off Governors Island. and
soon after brig rocket, making fiery ell
lipse in the sky and showering a rain of red
stars in its descent, proc clamed that the great
! Star was on board.
Al soon as the vessel was in hail of the pier.
inquiries for the fair singer were sent forth in
volleys and answered in broadsides, and some
| of the more enthusiastic sent I'D a round of
| hearty cheers.
On board thesteamer, we found the expected
party to consist of Madame Soniag, the Coun-
| tess Rossi, her husband Count Rossi. Sipnor
! Pozzilini, tenor, from The Imperial Opera and
| Monsieur Eckert, conductor, from the Italian
| OPea, Paris. The ship had encountered
rather boisterous passage, but the party had
| been in good health and were then in fine spi.
rits, anticipating many pleasant scenes in the
| land so new to them.
| The Countess Rossi was habited in light
colored silk, and wore heavy shawl, as if the
sharp airs of our bay had proved too much for
her. She wore thick veil to shade her fea-
lures from the gaze of the curious crowd. At
about II O'Clock the party got ashore, and
| took possession of a splendid carriage, ex.
pressly provided las we are intormed for the
Countess by some enthusiastic aGmirer, at
| cost of $1,000. They drove Immediately and
| as privately as possible to the Union place
| Hotel, where apartments had been previously
| engaged. They arrived at IL O'clock and at
once retired to rest.
We learn that Madame Sontag was most
highly appreciated und esteemed by the pas
sengers, nearly all of whom maue her acquan-
tance during the voyage. Just before the yes
sci reached our waters, the party gave most
excellent concert, the proceeds of which went
| to the purses of the gallant tars who manage
the noble steamer. We had a memorandum
of this concert, but have mislaid it. The per-
formance is enthusiastically praised by those
who heard it. Yesterday, Madame Sontag
sang at divine service on board the ship.
Among other testimonials ofesteem received
while on the voyage, we notice the following
letter addressed to Madame s. ON behalf of the
passengers
U. S. MAIL STEAMSHIP ARCTIC,
September 4, 1852
The passengers of the Arctic are unwilling
to separate without expressing to Madame
Sontag their respect and admiration for her
character and talents, their appreciation Of her
kindness and liberahty in appropriating the
proceeds OF her Concert to the crew Of the
ship, and their earnest wishes for her health.
hap har ~,
America.
II is the agreeable duty of the undersigned
committee TO express these feelings,and we be-
lieve that in adopting and repeating the senti-
meDt so enthusiastically received this day by
the whole of the passengers, we embody the
opinions and wishes of all whom we represent.
"Madame Sontag-rhe mistress of song
May her career be as brilliant as she deserves.
Her best friends and her warmest admirers
can ask for her no MORE"
With most sincere respect and esteem,
E;;:; T; 's Go; : |'ssss %ss,ss, S.' Committee.
Henriette Sontag was born In Coblentz on
| the 18th of May, 1905. Her parents were &C
| tors, and her father was considered, in South |
| ern Germany, as q thoughtful and excellent
| representative of comic characters-charac-
| ters which often require for their levity more
| really true gravity than the highest walks OF
| tragedy. recent German publication of
high authority says that ''the effect of Son.
tags first appearance upon the European stage
especially in Paris, was almost wonderful
Besides the extraordinary purity, clearness
and attractveness of her voice, and its rare
hexibility, she possessed III ghtness, neatness
| and elegance of uiterance quite unparalleled.
If Pasta surpassed her in strength and full
ness of expression. and Malibran in UNIVERSAL.
ty; if Catalan was her superior in facility and
greatness of style, yet Sontag stands far before
| them in that refined deiicacy Of art which
| springs only from perfect cultivation. She
| does not astonisi as much by ths imposing
strength of her tones, but she magically en-
chants us by their fute-like passages which
she for the most part produces with most per-
| feet articulation, moving her hearers chiefly
by the delicious quality Of simple singing.
l she be not wonderfully great in heroic and
the tragic, she is unparalleled in the senti
mental and the playful, and in general IN that
which rather touches the heart than the Judg-
ment OF her hearers.
With the exception of those above named
ito whom may probably be added Jenny Lind,)
il may be said that no songsiIess has or may
soon appear who can come near to Sontag 10
the exquisite taste and originally Of her
| style.
In 1880, she closed her dramatic career at
| Berlin, in the Semiramis OF Rossini. The en-
| ihusiasm. the excitement, the almost madness
of the public ON this occasion, IS indescnozo'e.
Every one felt that Art hud suffered great loss
| in the retiring OF this magnificent talent-
From Berlin she went 10 Russia singing at 81. |
| ps,ersburgh and Moscow with wonderful sue |
| cess and effect. She then returned to the Ne |
,herlands and sang at the Hague Tor the last
| time. in concerts only. Soon ailer TINS ner
nrav,onslv nriy.te consumaled marriage with |
| he Count Rossi was made public, and she
,henesiorward pIac,ieed her ar, only in private
H.sue and then for considerable time in
Frank kforr.am-Main. lnIe34, she went with
| her husband 10 Naples, @henee the Count ex-
pected TO go as isardinian Charge des Afaiies
| 10 Rio Janeiio; he was N iact banished into
I,onorable exile. Under all circumstances,
however, they have lived in perfect domestic
happiness"
Duriag lSa8-A9, Count Rossi lost all his
property, and since that period, as our readers
well know, his wife ha.. with that devotion
which is always CHARACTERISTIC ri the Hus wo-
I