The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-16
SUCCESS BY WORK
Jenny Lind Met Failure, but
Was Not Discouraged.
Neyerbeer Predicted Brilliant
Future for the Singer.
NO PARIS ENGAGEMENT
Was Once Refused an Opening
at French Capital.
When Famous Refused 275, 1000
Francs for a Season.
NO PARIS ENGAGEMENT

Musical periodicals are INDUCING in
"reminiscences of musical celebrities.
The older composers are being treated
alphabetically and interpretative musi-
clans are coming in for their share.
An interesting article of the latter sort
IS that IN the Musk Woche of Munich,
which treats Of the relationship of
Jenny Lind and her teacher and guide.
Nine Charlotte -Pfefner, at al
most the beginning Of the great sing
er's career. In Paris. where Jenny
Lind. then almost unknown. yet just
passing from under the tutelage Of the
famous singing teacher, Manuel Car
cia, who had assisted in the develop
ment OF her naturally harsh and I'M
bending vOice'-for Lind was her own
best teacher; her will and the ideal
which she ever held before her carry
ing her to her goal more surely than
the Systematic training she received
she urst met MeyerDeer. He was de-
lighted with her and predicted brill
liant future But despite his assist
ance and q hearing at the opera. she
secured no engagement and this
treatment so EN- Filtered her that she
refused ever after to sing in Paris
again. although, when in the zenith
OF her fame, she had the monumental
oner, for that time, OF $4,000 francs
for the season extended TO her. After
ehe burning OF the old Royal theater
IA Berlin, a new edihce was at once
erected and it was planned TO open II
with a new opera and an unknown
artist OF the first rank. MeyerDeer,
who had returned to Berlin from
Paris, received the commission 10
write the new opera and secure the
singer. The opera was The camp IN
EfIesia - now known as Il EtOile du
Nord" and Jenny Lind was the artist
But the latter had to go through
serious course OF preparation for she
knew no German and but little of
oreratic work
She was taken into the home Of
Nine Birch feimer. q teach er OF long
experience, and here she was kept
during her training in slngularly
secretad way. First of all. the Swed-
ish girl had to learn German. and then
how TO I'LL the musical deelamaTory
and mimic demands OF her art and
the social forms and customs OF
which she was curiOuSly ignorant. She
passed as a boarder in the house, only
her teach eT's sister being in the Sc
cret. The taskmaster was a stern one
and Jenny found her work highly try
ing bat she stood 10 It pluckily- Nine
you think Of my jenny she IS a.
good, brave girl; 7 love her as
daughter. and she is deserving OF It
I know that she has much TO learn
and she is very industrious They take
our calling for an easy one, but there
IS much to it. Two hours a day she
has to read German, and TO speak II
and write it. an hour for defamation
and mimics two hours OF music and
the rest of the time practice But IL
cannot be done in any other way We
viii have our reward in her brilliant
success. At this period Jenny IS de-
scribed as Pretty she was not, twen-
ty-two years old, slender, thin, with
Czermanic features, beautiful blue
eyes. long. pale blonde curls, her ap-
pearauce decidedly attractive, Yet in
TO way indicating that she was fitted
to take a ranking place in the world
Eighteen thousand marks was her
compensation for six months work
She did not appear AT the dedication
OF the new theater on December Z,
1874, but eight days later she came
upon the stage as Norma she was
still studying the part of Nielka in
THE Camp" and her application was
so intense and her progress SO rapid,
that on January g. 1S45, she appeared
in Meyerbeer's opera. and achieved
so marked a success that II gave her
the name which Will ever remain as
one OF the greatest singers OF the lyric
stage. Moscheles. who was present at
the performance in Berlin. has re-
corded his impressions Jenny Lind
has fairly enchanted me she is
unique in her way. and her song with
two concertante flutes is. perhaps. the
most incredible feat in the way of
bravuEa singing that can possibly be
heard What q glorious singer she is
and 50 unDretentious withal'' After
her Berlin engagement Jenny went TO
London, and there created a furore
that has never been eouaIed in the
history of the stage. She had been
Doomed very heavily. and as Grove
puts IL as a result pages could be
filled by describing the excuses OF the
public ChOrley says prices rose to
a fabulous height In short, the town
sacred and profane. went mad about
the Swedish nightingale" Yet this
singer despite her great operate
success. remained on the lyric stage
only a short time. for she impaired