The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-08-13
Pasta's Last Appearance.


In Chorley's "Recent Art and So
ciety" is found the following aTher,
remains a strange scene to be spoken q,
the last appearance of this naagnif
cent musical artist Pastal when She
allowed herself, many years later, to be
seduced into giving one performance al
Her MaJesty's Theatre, and to sing in 3
concert for the italian cause at tbs
Royal italian Opera. Nothing more
lll-advised could have been dreamed of.
Mime. Pasta, had long ago thrown of
the stage and all its belongings. =
Her voice, which, at its best. had
required esaseless watching and prae-
tlce, had been long ago given up by her.
Its state OF utter ruin on the night in
question passes description. She had
been neglected by those who at least
should have presented her person TO
the best advantage admitted bv time.
Her queenly robes (she was to sing some
scenes from Anne Boleyn0 in nowise
suited or disguised her figure. Her
halr-dresser had done some tremendous
things or other with her head-or rather
had left everything undone. A more
painful disastrous spectacle could hard
~ be looked on. There were artists
present who had then, for the first time.
to derive some impression of renowned
artist-perhaps with the natural feeling
that her reputation had been exagger-
ated. Among these was Rachel, whose
bitter ridicule of the entire sad show
made itself heard throughout the whole
theatre, and drew attention to the place
where she sat, one might even say sar-
castically enjoying the scene. Among
the audience, however, was another
gifted woman, who might far more
legitimately have been shocked at
the utter wreck of every musical
means of expression in the singer.
WHO might have been more natur-
ally forgiven if some humor of
-glOriication had made her severely
just-nOt worse-toa an old prima donna:
mean Nine. Viardot. Then, and not
till then, she was hearing Nine. Pasta.
But truth will always answer to the ap-
peal of truth. Dismal as was the spec
tacle-broken, hoarse, and destroyed as
was the vOice-the great style of the
singer spoke to the singer. The first
scene was Anne Boleyn's duet with
Fame Seymour. The old spirit was
heard and seen in Nine. Pasta's 'SorRi.'
and the gesture with which she signed
to her penitent rival to rise. Later. she
attempted the final mad scene of the
Opera-that most complicated and bril-
liant among the mad scenes on the mod
ern musical stage-with its two calatI-
bile movements, its snatches of recita-
tive, and its 6rGUurG of despair, which
may be appealed to as an example of
vocal display, till then unparagoned,
when turned to the account of frenzy,
not frivolity-perhaps, as such, com
by the superb creative artist.
By that time, tired, unprepared, ruin as
as she was, she had rallied little. When
on Anne Boleyn's hearing the corona
tiOn music for her rival, the heroine
searches for her own crown on her brow
Mime. Pasta widely turned in the
direction of the festive sounds, the old,
irresistible charm broke out nay, even
in the final song, with its rOllLades and
its scales of shakes, ascending by a
semitone, the consummate vocalist and
able to combine form with
moment of the situation,
with such personal and musical display
as forms an integral part, of operatic art
was indicated, at least, to the appre-
hension of a young artist. You are
right ? was Nine. Viardot's quick and
heartfelt response (her eyes full Of
tears) to a friend beside her. You are
right it is like the SO Cenacola of Da
Ninci at Milan-a wreck of a picture,
but the picture is the greatest picture in
the world"