Chapter III

THE RE-APPEARANCE AT HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE.

And now, the course of our narrative brings us back, once more, to Clairville Cottage, where Mdlle. Lind arrived, after her long sojourn in Stockholm, on the 21st of April, 1848; and where, a few hours afterwards, Mrs. Grote found her, “looking well, and in gay cheerful mood, anticipating, with agreeable feelings, the coming months of her stay.”

Her Majesty’s Theatre opened, for the season of 1848, on Saturday, the 19th of February; and it was confidently expected that Mdlle. Lind’s return to the boards on which she had won so many laurels would take place on Saturday, the 29th of April, immediately after the Easter recess; but, at her own request, the event was postponed, until the 4th of May.

The Opera chosen for her re-appearance was _La Sonnambula_, of which Chopin, who had just come to London, wrote, at the beginning of May, to his friend Grzymala:—

“I have been to the Italian Opera, where Jenny Lind appeared, for the
first time, in _La Sonnambula_.

“I have also made Jenny Lind’s personal acquaintance. When, a few days
afterwards, I paid her a visit, she received me in the most amiable
manner, and sent me an excellent ‘stall’ for the Opera, where I was
capitally seated, and heard excellently.

“This Swede is indeed an original from head to foot. She does not
show herself in the ordinary light, but in the magic rays of an
_aurora borealis_. Her singing is infallibly pure and true; but,
above all, I admire her _piano_ passages, the charm of which is
indescribable.”[112]

In the following July, Chopin gave two _matinées_ in London. In describing these, a musical periodical flippantly observes:—

“M. Chopin has lately given two performances of his own pianoforte
music at the residence of Mrs. Sartoris, which seem to have given much
pleasure to his audiences, among whom Mdlle. Lind, who was present at
the first, seems to be the most enthusiastic.

“We were not present at either; and, therefore, have nothing to say on
the subject.”[113]

It is gratifying, in connection with Chopin’s expressions of admiration for Mdlle. Lind’s artistic nature, to know that she felt an equal admiration for his extraordinary genius—an admiration which increased as years rolled on, and as she became better acquainted with his works, of which she never spoke without enthusiasm.

On the 6th of May, _La Sonnambula_ was repeated, and again on the 16th; on the 11th, 13th, and 18th, Mdlle. Lind sang in _La Figlia del Reggimento_; and, on the 25th, she appeared, for the first time in England, in Donizetti’s _Lucia di Lammermoor_.

_Lucia_ had always been one of her favourite Operas. She had sung in it many times in Stockholm; and, occasionally, in Hanover, and other parts of Germany. The part of Lucy Ashton was, indeed, pre-eminently suited to the display of her peculiar talent. She painted, to perfection, the vacillating character of the timid, shrinking maiden; her love for Edgar Ravenswood, devoted, true, faithful even, so far as she had strength to resist the pressure put upon her; her womanly determination, withstanding, for a time, the alternate threats and entreaties of her despicable brother, yet not courageous enough to bear the last dread shock; her passionate despair, when she had broken faith with her lover, and signed the irrevocable contract; above all, her fatal madness, depicted in that last great scene, in which she aimed at, and was admitted by all to have reached, an ideal so high, that its infinite pathos, its ineffable sadness, could only be compared with the touching charm that some of the greatest of our English actresses have, on rare occasions, succeeded in weaving around the gentle hallucinations of Ophelia.

The following critique is one of many which appeared on the day after the performance:—

“Last night was the most remarkable one of the season. Mdlle. Lind
appeared, for the first time, in _Lucia di Lammermoor_, and raised to
the highest enthusiasm the immense audience that had attended.

“Mdlle. Lind gave the character a stamp that distinguished it from any
other rendering, bringing out the distress and madness of the unhappy
‘Lucia’ with a force that has hitherto remained unknown. The sudden
horror that came over her, and paralysed her for a moment, when the
letter was placed in her hands, to convince her of the infidelity of
‘Edgardo,’ was finely conceived; and the effect was heightened by a
new point. Snatching the letter from her brother’s hands, she gazed at
it once more, as if to ascertain that the first impression had been
only a delusion.

“The madness in the last Act, was wonderfully interpreted. The eye,
glaring and vacant, appeared absorbed by fantasies, and blind to all
external objects. The passions by which she is supposed to be
influenced, while in this painful situation, are of the most varied
kind; but she never for a moment lost sight of the insanity. However
eloquent the song, the countenance was never fully lighted up by its
meaning. The discordance between the internal and the external world
was terribly preserved. To give the scene its full importance, Mdlle.
Lind has restored much of the music which is now generally omitted;
and, at the conclusion, instead of running off the stage in the usual
fashion, she fell senseless, which brought the situation to a more
pointed conclusion. Altogether, this mad scene is a rare exhibition of
genius, the fine fresh voice of the singer giving a substance to the
creation of her mind. The character of ‘Lucia’ will unquestionably be
ranked among Mdlle. Lind’s most brilliant successes. The audience were
kept in a state of the greatest excitement; and plaudits, repeated
calls, and bouquets, marked their unbounded delight.”[114]

The success of _Lucia di Lammermoor_ was so great, that it was given four times in succession, and seven times more before the close of the season.

The next new Opera was Donizetti’s charming Opera buffa, _L’Elisir d’Amore_—a work incomparably superior to _La Figlia del Reggimento_, both in its music and its _libretto_, though happily wanting in the _ad captandum_ element which most excites the great mass of the public, and therefore less calculated to excite a general _furore_. It proved, however, a genuine success, and afforded excellent opportunities for the display of the _prima donna’s_ genius, in its lighter mood, as well as for that of Signor Lablache, whose “Dottore Dulcamara” was one of his most genial _buffo_ parts; and his never-failing humour was turned to such excellent account, on this occasion, as to produce the most piquant effects in the scenes in which he and Mdlle. Lind were associated.

The next new _rôle_ was of a very different character. Until this year Mdlle. Lind had never sung in _I Puritani_. She had seen it performed, on her first visit to Her Majesty’s Theatre, in 1847, and had whispered to Mrs. Grote, “I think I can do as well as that, and perhaps a little better.” The time had now come when the faith she then expressed in her own powers was to be put to the test—and we think we may venture to say that it stood it fairly well.

The _rôle_ abounds in opportunities for the display of many high and varied qualities which few dramatic artists possess in combination. It is not enough that its exponent should be merely a brilliant executant, or an impassioned actress, or possess a voice of large compass, of unfailing sustaining power, of luscious sweetness, or of unlimited flexibility. She must possess all these qualifications, and very many more, in their highest perfection, and fullest measure of development. These conditions were not hard for Mdlle. Lind; and she complied with them all. But there was another one, very much harder, in the background—one external to herself, and for which she was in no wise responsible. Not many years previously, _I Puritani_ had been placed upon the stage at Her Majesty’s Theatre, with a gorgeous wealth of talent, still vividly remembered. So great was the sensation it created, that, for years afterwards, the “_Puritani_ season” was spoken of as the most brilliant on record. The charm of its enchantment was still fresh in the memory of every frequenter of the Opera-House; and against the influence of its attraction, Mdlle. Lind, with Signor Lablache alone to support her in the first rank, had now to contend. A battle, fierce as that which she had fought, in Berlin, against the memory of Madame Schrœder-Devrient, and Annette Schechner, in _Euryanthe_, and _Die Vestalin_, had now to be fought over again—and she fought, and won it. Her rendering of _Qui la voce_ held all who heard it spell-bound; and the _cadenza_ she composed for its opening movement was one of the finest and most original of the wonderful passages of _fioritura_ with which it was her custom to ornament the Italian _arie_ that pleased her best. Again, in the famous Polacca—_Son vergin vezzosa_—the lightness of her execution was little short of miraculous. And yet, in other scenes, she sang with an impassioned fervour which brought into play the richest tones of the fullest _soprano drammatico_.

The following critique, from the leading journal of the period, is written with so commendable an earnestness, and in so just a spirit, that we think no apology necessary for giving an extract from it:—

“To those who have seen Mdlle. Jenny Lind in the characters of
‘Amina,’ ‘Lucia,’ and ‘Alice,’ it must be evident that she gives to
any part she undertakes a distinctive mark, by which it becomes her
own; that, however often a character may have been represented by
other artists of eminence, she always does something with it which has
not been done before.

“Her ‘Elvira’ in _I Puritani_, which was performed on Saturday, was
another triumph in this respect. It was not like any other ‘Elvira’
which had been seen on the stage.

“The vocal triumph was as great as the histrionic. The sparkling
_polacca_, executed to perfection, and with a playfulness which was
completely illustrative of the character, electrified the audience,
and was encored with an enthusiasm which is rarely heard in any
theatre. In the mad scenes, an expression of wildness was apparent,
even in the crying, and added to the stronger mournfulness of the
situation. At the conclusion of the Opera, she was called repeatedly,
and bouquets were thrown in showers.”[115]

The success of _I Puritani_ was triumphant. Though the season was now far advanced, it was given five times. But it did not displace the old favourites. Concerning these, however, there remains no more to be said.

The performances extended to a much later period than usual; and many ardent lovers of music remained in town beyond their customary time, in order that they might not lose an opportunity which there was too much reason to fear might never occur again.

Her Majesty and Prince Albert continued, to the end of the season, and through a hot July, which made hours spent in a crowded theatre a severe penance, to show their admiration of Mdlle. Lind by their attendance at the Opera. They appear to have heard her in _La Sonnambula_ and the _Figlia del Reggimento_ with ever-increasing delight—charmed with her acting, and more and more impressed by her amazing flexibility of voice, and the unusual power of the singer in executing the most brilliant _fioriture_ in an exquisitely modulated _piano_.

Mr. Lumley had cause for genuine satisfaction before the performances came to an end. His profits, this year, were far greater than they had been in 1847. It is true that the results of “The Bunn Trial” had been more calamitous, by far, than those best able to form an opinion on the subject had predicted, or supposed even possible. Still, he well knew how to make the best of his improved position; and has himself left it on record, that “the season of 1848 proved, in a financial point of view, far more remunerative than the preceding one, in which so much had been absorbed by the extra expenses entailed by Jenny’s vacillation.”[116]