Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-08
BY GENEvRA JoHNsToNE-BIsHo1r
Jenny Lind
"The Swedish Nightingale"
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TTTHEN we recall the name of Jenny
wv Lind, household word familiar
all over the world, we think of her
charming individuality as a woman, as
much as of her great and enduring fame
as an artist. Her relation to art was OF
the highest, her fame was great, but her
life was higher and greater than these.
Titiens, Nilsson. Malibran and Patti are
also familiar names, but their meaning
and luster belong wholly to the footlights.
Jenny Lind comes home to us, as 1t were,
and touches our hearts and sympathies
to a higher issue of praise and admira-
tion, because somehow we have never dis
ISOLATED the unrivaled singer, the cui-
tured and world famous artist, from the
sterling hearted woman whose first
thought was for the claims of humanity.
Jenny Lind was born in Sweden and al
ways retained sense of patriotic devo-
ton toward the land of her birth, al
though she, as an artist, was forced to
become a citizen of the world. Her
parents were in humble circumstances
and lived in little cottage by the
mountain side. One day while nursing a
cat at her window, and singing one of
her childish songs, a maid passed.
dancer at the royal opera by the name
of Lundberg asked this maid who that
little child was with the most beautlfui
voice she had ever heard The maid told
her, and the "danseuse" called and asked
the mother to have her sing. She de-
oiared the child genius and suggested
preparing her for the stage at once, but
the good mother would not listen to that.
She had prejudices against the stage, but
finally, through the tears of little Jenny
and the influence of a musician of some
repute, Croelius by name, Count Poke,
the head of the royal opera, was pre-
vailed upon to hear her sing. This is
not nursery" he said. Il do not care
to hear that ugly, small, broad-nosed.
shy, gauch, undergrown girl Of years
old sing" But he did listen, and to listen
was to be conquered. 1t was decided then
and there that the child should be edu-
Gated at the expense of the government.
In the first stage of her career Jenny
showed histrionic abilities of high order,
and drama entitled THE Polish Mine"
was the medium of her first introduction
TO the public at the age of 10 years.
The extraordinary talent displayed by
this child elected the warmest eulogy
from the critics. For several years we
hear of her only as an actress. However,
on March z 1885, a day which dawned In
anxiety, fear and trembling for Jenny
Lind, she made her debut as prima
donna at the Royal Opera, Stockholm, In
the part of Agatha In Der Freischutz.'
Her success was complete. Her triumph
was acclaimed by the critics, who raved
over the beauty of her voice, her admir-
able method of production, her execution.
her intense feeling and soul impaired to
her music The best of society OF the
Swedish capital showered favors upon her
and she was queen of the hour. New
operas were added to her repertoire. She
took Paris by storm in Meyerbeer's opera,
Robert"
She remained in Paris to study under
Garcia. Being a true artist she did not
regard the musical atmosphere of Stock
holm as other than a field of trial for
her young voice. Her SECOND appearance
in Paris was a failure and disappoint-
ment,- owing to her sensitive nature and
highly nervous temperament. She felt so
downcast after her failure she broke
down completely at a soiree given by tha
Duchesse de Dalmatie, a relative of the
queen of Sweden. in trying to sing an
aria from Lucia" which she had sung
forty times at Stockholm In after years
she utterly refused the most fattering
proposals to sing for season in the
French capital She then went to Berlin
in 1874 creating the leading role In new
opera of Meyerbeer's, and she met with
great success and was acclaimed an artist
of European distinction. Then to Vienna
and Leipsig, where she gave her own
concert as an opening, assisted by Men
delssohn David and Clara Schumann.
All her friends urged her to go to London.
The opera there was literally on its last
legs, and it was question OF life ana
death significance to the management. 1t
is needless to describe the enthusiasm she
raised among all classes in London So
ciety The queen, touched by the grace
and modesty of the great singer, dis
tinguished her in every way. bracelet
given her, the only token she would re-
ceive for singing at Buckingham palace,
was treasured by her until she died. Hav-
ing conquered every country but Russia
she was near accepting an offer to travel
there-when the most gigantic proposal
ever heard of was placed before her by
Rarnum to come to America. A poet of
the period expressed 1t thus:
But in the last few months there's been
slight decline
In the living alligator and anaconda line.
Even Tom Thumb exhibitions getting
rather slow
And my factory for whales burnt
while ago.
And the mammoth boy and girl are getting
AS sure as my names Barnum and yours
Jenny Lind ~
1 must provide the public with some new
exhibition,
For 1 hold my popularity on that express
condition.
So thought of you, Miss Jenny.
The Swedish nightingale.
The enterprise proved lucky one. The
proceeds of the first concert exceeded his
most sanguine expectations and awoke
in Barnum such enthusiasm that he tore
up the first contract and thrust upon his
nightingale terms more advantageous
than those contained in the original one.
The people of our United States literally