The New York herald., 1871-10-07
MRS. MOULTON.
The New American Primn D0uua-Sketch Of
Her Life In Paris-A Diva di Cant0 Before
Her Debut.

drumming his piano. "Vt0ld Ia rOiI, que raj
chfrclleP and he hustled ABOUT with Italian VI
vacity, and with more than the usual Italian
sincerity in his face. The singer was woman,
the voice limpld mezzO soprano, that ran
with the freedom OF o brook over the pebby notes
OF some western song 1T is the voice." he con-
tinued, with animation, 'that sings to me in my
imagination when l am composing 1t was no
common gift which could elicit this ideal compll-
ment fromIhe quaint old maestro; nor was IL COM
mon praise. True, the American woman, who was
neither prima donna nor novice, was not unaccus-
toned to these tributes.
"Voild la FoiI' had rung often enough in her
ears In America She had heard 1t from girlhood in
every phrase 1t had caped hot from the throals OF
1atterers, but 1t had likewise and honest
from the wisest admirers in a mulltudnous circle
Now that the dto dsHa mustca himself repeated it
that fecund ana versatile genius whose potent art
had swept the strings OF the world--the singer
Dlusned, through all the indifference Of lifetime,
with womanly PRIDE
Rosslni, at least, knew q dvinely-ordained singer
when he heard one; for, being divinely-ordained
himself, he possessed The faculty Of instantaneousy
recognizing beauty In whatever form OF nature or
art II clothed itself.
Whether Rossini's endorsement helped to fix Mrs.
public we cannot say, nut we know that she was
never ayerse to the step from any purely conven-
ona feelings mo Of ne own s artists a team
the natural impulse TO confer upon others what had
been SO lavishly bestowed upon herself led her to
sense duty. Nevertheless, up to the present
time in obedience to the wishes of numer
GUS and influential friends, she has kept her
gifts within the crcumscribed arena OF private lite.
venurng only at long intervals beyond Its limits at
1he 1adng ol o OF charity Now nat tne announce % &
day" that Shelley has called cloud, liaht, sus,
rStpt fun and hin oinPh hnr fro
and her ART with her, there seems to he no indt
creton IN telling the story Of her life unquestion-
call u,le uotr p1enon1enale IL attracted the aten
tion of sensitive cars before It naa yet adapted II
se 70 e @ use M o. Ina pom ba py s mar
tation OF delicaiely organized singing nature.
She came OF clean blooded, strong-wilied Puritan
Stock inheriting the picked virtues Of three four
generations. and bringing to her own new heritage
OF dark beauty, and Southern temperament ar
dent vvaclous, iutuitive. About her early home IN
Rochester fingers yet host of pleasant traditions
OF childish beauty and intelligence all OF which,
sne one important fact sSas her musical taeas ny
its argencss and excellence forced itself into re-
cognltion at an unusually early period i was,
however, as Is always the case With every diviney
equipped artist, the normal and harmonious de-
veopment OF a richly organized nature, ana not
pense of all others.
The noticeable incident in the early career Of
MIS- Moultom ili1srative OF her rapid growth INTO
later has led SO many subjects IN loving submission
occurred when she was fourteen and was living
Diva; and "Ernani involamis at charity concert.
The intelligence OF that venerable town was assem-
not not have @ been drammed '1i ~ % in New Eng Eng.
land by the charitable efforts OF score
of towns. 1t was prepared to smile lenently on The
benevolent warblcrs; allowing, let us believe, the
motive OF the volunteers TO redeem. aud even
glorfy, their efforts. That it was mainly unevent-
IN Cambridge and elsewhere, is easily surmised,
from the fact that nothing Of It has been preserved
oy Miss Lille Who resSy
back from the not over careful training OF an Italian
singing master IN Boston. II seems that the indul-
gent ana somnoent assemblage were suddenly
awakened from benevolent indifference to eager as
tonlshment by Relllni's strains. poured upon them
with the efficacy OF youth and oeanty. One and all
said in some sort. what Rossini was to put into
authoritative phrase:- Az
"yOld Ia rOiIp'
The young singer here betrayed her secret OF in
toSicattng entrdt1enent She sung as one having
melted. in her mouth. to fiuencI self-possesscd
with "full-thr0ated ease,' she unconsciOusly ex-
nISted W, the innate snpe,,Ory Of the born arste
strange that her subsequent education and training
leaned strongly in the direction OF art Her own tastes
and strong will must have given them that bias, even
had She not been happily surrounded by liberal and
cultivated relations and friends. so when she
mother VINO took up her residence in Dresden, with
the avoMed purpose or afloraing her her daughter The
aass KS si oas gs ssys
secluson Of privacy. it Is certain the voice Soon
enough penetrated any barriers that may have been
erected and found It's way to the ears oil the King OF
Il was during her residence here that she met, at
the house OF the director Of the Dresden Gallery,
Devrient, then sixty years old, who evinced much
interest in her studies, and earnestly counselled
her TO give her life TO an art for which the Great
Master had evidently created her From Dresden
she went TO Paris and began preliminary course OF
French and Italian. The atmosphere Of The French
capital, however, oppressed the American girl at
that time, and she was soon after sent to London
and placed under the instruction OF Garcia-of
ilusirious family, and then al the head OF the many
vocal teachers in the North. A
you know nothing OF singing y said this techno-
logist when she had sung him her nlst song.
True" answered La Volx, "or should not have
come TO you ~ a.
opera, for said he, your powers Of imitation
are active that you insensibly catch the charac
terstics OF all the singers you hear IL Is better to
develop your own."
Mrs. Moul,onis voice ut this time may he said 10
have been fully developed, ana It's capabilities were
OF the most promising character ON visiting Italy
with n party OF Americans they encountered III
Florence the celebrated singing master RomanL
Garcia had already written to him OF his pupil, and
the veteran was expecting her anXlousy. r'It IS
one OF the most beautiful voices ever heard" he
on the lyric stage M and f be the he rHt singer Of % the
age. can teach you nothing but pronunciation"
But he did teach her; and it happened that at the
trying to recover by the aid Of art was study.
ing with him. II Was hls practice TO place :he once
coquettish little "Ierna" behind tue screen during
Miss Greenough's lessons saying, You shall listen
well, and remember
From Italy Miss Greenough returned to France,
where she received additonal lessons from Nine.
Viardot the half sister OF Garcia, one OF the most
thorough artistes In her line that the age has pro-
auced. These lessons took the form Of opera re-
the singer learning entire r0tes and
cutting them at vardot's house, as II for the lyric
stage. Indeed the character OF the studies and the
influence or Nine. Viardot were such as 10 force the
pupil to the contemplation OF professional life, and
there is reason TO believe that the persistent and
not unskilIul endeavors OF the shrewd teacher aud
adviser had their effect upon her. At all events,
no stone was left unturned IN the efforts get Miss
Greenough 10 accept European engagement, and
when she returned to America 1t was avowedly with
the intention or consulting her friends the ad-
Visibility OF step which seemed all but inevitable. \
The family was opposed TO 1t. AS Is usual IN such
cases. the opposition dld not take the form OF valid
reasons but IT was none the less operative In being
only loving prejudces. She remained q
year in America with her friends, sing-
ing very little, bat studying quietly. The
mother and daughter then returned to Paris
and in the early summer the latter was married 10
Mr.. Charles Mouton. Tne festivities incident TO
this step threw her into the gayest ana most Illus.
trfous circles OF the French metropolis. when the