Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-10-15
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i A=AA@A SAtA@5% AAkeS AE@aAN5 HUE
the town Of Vexioe, province d
Sundland, Sweden. Her parents
we're humble In condition-peas-
ants laboring upon, an inextensivC
farm. Before the age Of ten the
musical ability OF little Christine
asserted itself in various meagre
ways. The child was known foI
. singularly sweet voice and for q
fair knowledge Of the violin, pick.
ed up haphazard. Occasionally
parents would send her to the fairs
held in the different villages and
small towns of the district, where
the little maids beauty and fresh,
clear singing earned a few copper
pieces, welcome enough 70 the
hard-working couple at home
When singing one day to her own
violin accompaniment, before q
crowd of peasants at fair, stroll.
ing juggler offered her an engage.
ment at twenty riksdalers a year.
The future artist declined, how.
ever. She did not join the man Of
cups and balls, for we find her Of
length-somewher about the age
of thirteen or fourteen-domi.
ciled with the Baroness oi
Lennusen, a lady once celebrated
in her country as a singer under
the name of Mile. Valerius. A
gentleman amateur named Toner
ielhm was the means Of persuad-
ing Christine to dedicate herself
formally to music, and through
his Introduction the young girl
took up a position in the baron.
ness's household, and received her
first lessons from her.
She was an apt scholar, and in
short time her instruCtress
judged her fit to leave Gothen.
burg, where the baroness lived,
for Stockholm. Here Christine
studied under Franz Berwald, and
here, as one of his pupils, she at.
tracted the notice of royalty
From Stockholm her patrons sent
her to Paris, where she completed
her musical education under War.
tel, a very Warwick Of his craft; O
true Divamaker. A dozen prime
dOnne owe their celebrity to the
care and shrewdness of this teach.
er; but had he trained only Q
Christine Nilsson his fame would
be complete. She made her
debut in public at the Le.
grique in Paris, as Violetta, il
Traviata, in October, 1864. She
was now eighteen years of age
fair, slender, graceful in carriage
with the light blue eyes of the
Scandinavian race. AS the cur
tain rose the audience were aware
of an unaccustomed apparition; {
Violetta gentle and dignified rath
er than passionate, displaying
grace instead of sensuous Ian
guors, innocence in the place o
recklessness. The traits of Mile
Nilsson's performance, of thl,
character are now of European
notoriety; but it was new to the
French audience in 1864. Herr
was a wide departure from thu
traditional role; Violetta shorn o
her naughtiness, Violetta will
fair hair, light blue eyes, a calm
brow; full of love, but q love con
sistent with self-sacrilce; not thu
Sybarite passion of previous
Traviatas; something very diff
ferent and much more agreeable
to contemplate. Needless to say
her debut was a complete success
After series of continued tri
umphs in Paris, the Queen oil
Song went to London. The 10tl
of June was advertised for thC
new singers appearance; anC
some presentiment of delight
more likely some knowledge o
the lyrique artists excellence
borne hitherward by those who
had seen her in Paris-crowd
ed her Majesty's Theatre tC
the roof. 1t was the story
ofParis repeated. Christine Nils.
son appeared and London capitula
lated. "One glance" wrote the
Saturday Review, quoting Robert
Schumann's remark on Schubert
zone glance, and the world shonC
fresh again" A murmur of ad.
miration, harbinger of the interest
to be gained, ran through the
house at the apparition ofthe pale
slender, fair. haired divinity who
was such q satire upon the naughty
words she had to utter. Christine
had arrived in the very nick Of
time for Mr. Mapleson, and, by
virtue of her coming, defeat turned
to victory. Once more the old
opera house reared its head and
deGcd its adversary. That the
season of 1867 declared for Nils.
son was unmistakable. She was
the new idea-the sensation. II
remained for after appearances to
solify the sensation into an abid.
ing sense. She returned to Paris
only to renew her triumphs
Another visit to London establish.
ed her as the favorite of that
capital.
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