The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-04-29
MendeIssohn and Jenny Lind.

tracts upon its original appearance In
England, has just been published in
beautiful style by Messrs Leypoldt and
Holt, of New York The following pas
sage relates to the artistic association of a
great composer with the great singer.
nDuring the last winter of Mendels
sohn's active labors in the concerts OF the
Gewaldhaus, the apparition of Jenny
Lind fell like a ray Of light in the check
cred world Of phenomena.
There is a high and holy band
Whose inspiration needs no guide,
No ancestry of power and pride,
To lead them to the promised land.
Says Yoltair; and such beng was the
fair Swede, whose youthful history Char.
lotte Birch feiffer has so POLITICALLY des-
cribed. Even when still child of three,
she seemed the lark of her parents dusky
house; as girl of nine, she attracted the
attention of all lovers of music; and en-
tered the Conservatorium at Stockholm as
a pupil, where her charming voice, her
fine ear, her IN eli Us music,l memory,
her industry, and her captivating modes.
ty, made her the faYorite of her singing
master-the most meritorious OF musicians
and composers-Berg. She appeared in
various childish parts, written expressly
for her, and the public was enchanted
with the silvery tones that streamed from
the lips the little fairy. Probably her
continuous studies at SO tender an age,
was the cause OF her sudden loss Of voice,
to the horror Of her teacher.
During four long years did Jenny Lind
with astonishing perseverance, pursue her
theoretical and technical musical studies
in spite of her organ being almost extinct;
and the iull, sweet sounds came back al
most as sudd My as they had vanished.
Her faithful master greeted with pleasure
the melting tones of that sweet voice OF
which his beloved pupil had been SO long
deprived, and again brought her forward
in triumph before the astonished pubic.
She appeared as Agatha, in Webers
Freischutz,' amid an unparalleled storm of
applause and delight. But there burned
within her soul the nsing to learn more,
hear more; the wings Of this great arts
tic soul futtered impatiently; the limits
were too confined; 80 Jenny Lind went to
Paris in order to study with Manuel Gar
cia, the accomplished brother of Malibran
and Pauline Viardot, those wondrous
double stars in the armament Of vocal art.
The severance from her home, the fatigue
of the journey, and feeling of isolation
ffected the tender organ of the young
girl to such an extent that the celebrated
maestro, after having tried the voice Of
his new pupil, uttered that well known
verdict: Mon enfant, rous place. plus de
Uoir Take entire rest for three months,
exercise yOnr voice with caution, 'et p,Iis
je Se1u5 chd1n1e de cous reUoir -
A quier fearful year ensued-a year Of
hopeless study, or deepest sorrow and ar
dent longing for home. After the lapse
of three months Jenny Lind began to
study, with incompatible energy, under
the direction of Garcia day by day. she'd
ding tears on her pillow by night, and
dreaming of her distant home; but, amid
all her dreams, she seemed always to hear
that pittiless voice, saying mon e1Jaa,t,
VOuS n'roez plus de co5r!' Like the young
palm tree, however, under the pressure
of the heavy rock. which every one
thought must have crushdd it, did this
regal talent continue to shoot upward to
the blue sky, under the heavy weight of
Inconsistencies Still, no word of praise
escaped CARCASS lips; he only commend
ed the industry, perseverance, and the
facile organ of his pale, quiet pupil.
whose Voice appeared to him IRENE diably
injured and feeble. Many other brilliant
vocal talents, too, were at that very time
blooming in his paTtorre, before whose
glowing tints the water lily paled.
1t was reserved for grand and fervent
artistic soul to discover her value, and to
transport her from darkness into light.
Searching artistic eyes found her out; the
most exquisite artistic ear felt the ineffa-
BILE magic of her voice To Giacome Mey-
erbeer the world is indebted for the gift
Of Jenny Lind. He heard her one even
ing sing Alice's aria in Robert Vat la,
Git-eLle, man enfant!' and was deeply
moved No other voice had conveyed
this sweet and tender entreaty of dying
mother to her son with such touching fer
yor; it became almost prayer, and the
composer of Robert felt that it was such
tones as these that had fioated through
his soul when he wrote down that last
greeting from departing spirit
Jenny Lind now returned for a short
space to her northern home, in order pre-
viousiy to study the German Language il
Dresden, and to prepare in entire seclu-
sion for her first appearance in Berlin
In October, 1914, she made her debut in
the Royal Opera House as Norma and
then as 'ViellSa,' Meyerbeer's 'Feldlager,
exciting degree of enthusiasm quite un
paralleled on those boards either before
or since.
When she appeared in Leipzig, Deem
Der 4th, 1o45, the concert public were in
. state of feverish excitement; and when
at length she came upon the platform,
n slender, girlish form, with luxuriart
fair hair, dressed IN pink silk, and whit.
and pink camelias on her breast and in
her hair, in all the chased grace of her
department, and so utterly devoid of all
pretention, the spell was dissolved, and
the most joyous acclamatidns ensueS.