Evening star., 1948-10-31
Concert Recalls
Jenny Lind's
Appearances
By Alice Eversmon

Metropolitan Opera soprano, Patrice
Munsel, opens Dorothy Hodgkin
Dorsey's concert series with a recital
in Constitution Hall, she will sing
numbers from the repertoire Of
Jenny Lind. Miss Munsel Is fea-
turing the Lind songs as a grateful
tribute to Sweden where she re-
ceived wide acclaim on her recent
concert tour. She will wear gown
similar to that worn by the
Swedish nightingale" who, nearly
a hundred years ago was brought by
Phineas Barnum for a sensational
tour of this country. -
All that the generation of today
can know of Jenny Lind's singing
is from tales its great-grandparents
have passed on. But there is as
ISOLATED with her name an adula-
ton such as few artists have re-
ceived. as we'll as publicity of q
fantastic kind. The latter has be-
come one of the great legends.
Everything from pancakes to poems
were named for her. The day of her
arrival on American soil was day
Of celebration in New York, where
30 900 people met the boat. The
price of So for a gallery seat paid
by Longfellow was nothing to the
$625 paid for the first ticket by
Mr.. Dodge during the auction sale
held in Boston. =
Brought Rapture to Many.
These are the things remembered
Of Jenny Lind besides the joy her
singing brought to so many AS
Edgar Lee Masters said, "A feeling
of uplifted life spread over the
metropolis" Longfellow POLITICALLY
wrote "She sings like the morning
star; clear, liquid, heavenly sounds"
In Europe her famous contempor-
aries also praised her, if they did
not equal Mendelssohn's tribute:
"She Is as great an artist as ever
lived; and the greatest I have ever
known" Chopin said, "The Swedish
lady is an original from top to toe.
Her presence seems pervaded by the
magic atmosphere of the North. Her
singing is invariably pure and true
but what admired most is her
piano which Is absolutely fascinat-
ing"
Wagner was more impressed by
her personality and wrote: "She
has curious. pensive individuality
which interests one much IN itself
but cannot rise to a great dramatic
portrayal" while Liszt once refused
to conduct for her because "she
absorbed all the attention of the
audience
Technical Study Necessary.
Her singing. her acting and her
devotion TO her art, as we'll as her
upright life. have been given paeans
Of praise. But back of this lies the
tragic fact that her public life, at
least as far as the opera is con.
cerned, was Of short duration. Hers
was voluntary retirement, it is
true, due to her religious sentiments.
but in part 1t was due to the tech
nical difficulties against which she
battled all her life. Unprepared in
great measure for the immense
vocal demands of a career, the day
came when its toll was felt. 1t is
said, that going for help to the
great Garcia in Paris, she begged
him on her knees to teach her. He
agreed finally only on condition
that she go back to fundamentals.
She herself wrote II have to be-
gin again from the very beginning:
to sing scales up and down, slowly,
and with great care; then to prac-
tice the shake-awfully slowly, and
to try to get rid Of the hoarseness
If possible. But what does it sig
nifty II only he can teach me to
sing" Two years Of gruelling work
brought their reward. 1t may also
have accounted for her later inter-
est in teaching, which in turn tied
up with her charitable spirit.
Impressed Leaders in ID. C.
On December Is, 1850, Jenny Lind
quietly slipped into the Willard
Hotel to rest before her Washing
ton concert President Fillmore
heard OF her arrival and came him.
self to call upon her. While here,
she did the usual sightseeing, going
to Mount Vernon where book be-
longing to George Washington and
inscribed by him was presented to
her. The President, Daniel Webster,
who made deep impression on the
singer both as man and orator;
Henry Clay and all the notables Of
the city attended the concert and q
second one on December 10.
While the world remembers the
moving beauty of her voice and the
sweetness of her personality on the
stage, there are many things to be
learned from her outlook on her art.
She sums it up in the state
ment: ITO be able to sing, the
whole personality must be de-
veloped. So it is with everything
in life if we would reach any sort
of beginning of perfection. We
must look widely around us; no one
sided development. Any one who
wishes to master vocal art must
study many other things. Singing
is peculiar gift more difficult to
develop than is believed" Yet per-
haps more lasting than all else Is
her wishs MY unceasing prayer Is
that what I gave my fellows may
continue to live on through eternity
and that the Giver of the gift and
not the creature to whom He lent
it,. may be praised and acknowl-
edged"