The Holbrook news., 1910-07-22
WHEN JENNY LIND SANG.
EazIy Triumphs of a Foreign Song
 Bird h America.

EazIy Triumphs of a Foreign Song
 Bird in America.
 Nothing in Richard HoffmaD's mu sical recollections in Scribner's is more charming than his description of Jenny Lind.
 She would trip on and off," he says, ''as if in an ecstasy of delight at the opportunity of singing, lowing and smiling to her audience and giving every one present hattering sense of contributing in a measure toward the success of the evening She had three or four songs which showed the won derful compass and power of her voice and one or more of these was called for at every concert.
 "A Swedish echo song in which she would echo her own voice by a sort of ventrtlOqulsm that was quite marvel ous. and another in which she made remarkable diminuendo, reaching pianissimo as faint as sigh, but with carrying power that made it distinct 1 ly audible at the most extreme limits of Castle Garden or Tripler hall, where the later concerts were given.
 This was fine building, situated at Broadway and Bond street, and just finished in time for the second series of concerts. The hall had fine acoustic advantages and 1t was great loss to the city when it was destroyed by fire a few years later. The Winter Garden was afterward built on the samo site.
 "One of the most haunting things to me was her singing of Taubert's bird song-I Know Not Why am Sing ing Her shake was the finest ever heard. so close and even as to be alto gether perfect Her voice, which she said herself was naturally stiff and stubborn, she had educated and prac- ticed into such degree of perfection that her roulades and candenzas were unparalleled in their execution.
 Tn her sacred songs she rose to the sublime, and on one occasion as she finished singing the aria I Know That My Redeemer Iiveth' recollect 1 that Daniel Webster, who was seated in the center of the balcony, rose from his seat and made her profound 1ow. Her rapt expression of face and never ending volume of voice made her ap- pear like some inspired seraph deliv- ering a divine message
 She was indebted to Sir George Smart, with whom she had studied in England, for all the traditional render ings of oratorio parts, he being at that time the greatest living authority in this school of music, but her vocal training was done under Manuel Gar cia in Paris.
 'It is true that many singers and musicians of note had come and gone in the interval since Jenny Lind and Thalberg, but there had been none since these whose reputation and advent had awakened such lively interest as that aroused by the engagement of Chris tine Nillson. Great preparations were made for her reception Prof. R. Os- den Doremus, who at that time was president of the Philharmonic Society, had issued cards of invitation to all the musical profession and amateurs of New York to meet Mdlle. Nilsson at a reception which he gave in her honor at his house. then standing on the corner of 18th street and 4th ave nue.
 "It was during this entertainment that the Philharmonic orchestra ten dered her a serenade and offered the Swedish singer a welcome to America This house, which has long since dis appeared, stood far back from the street, and the garden in front af- forded an excellent vantage ground for the orchestra to station itself. was present on this occasion and re- call with pleasure the charming and affable manners of Mdlle. Nilsson, who made most agreeable impression on every one.
 "She was at this time tall and grace ful, with an abundance of blond hair. made more striking by her dark eye brows and deep-set gray eyes. She had just come from the grand opera in Paris, where she had created the parts of Migncn and Ophelia in these operas of Ambroise Thomas. and her conception of Marguerite in Faust and of Valentine in the Huguenots' was superlatively fine. We have rare ly, if ever. had finer actress on frfe operatic stage. whose divas up to this time had seldom developed great his trionic ability"