Chapter V: Departure (3)

A kind of rye bread, baked in large thin round cakes, with a hole in
the middle, by which they are hung up in bundles, and thus kept fresh
for a long time.

Footnote 19:

The early Service, on Christmas Day.

Footnote 20:

Equal to 8,000 francs; or £320 sterling.

Footnote 21:

It is possible that this may be a _lapsus calami_, for “six to seven
thousand”—_i.e._ 12,000 to 14,000 francs, or £480 to £560. The larger
sum seems improbable, to the last degree.

Footnote 22:

Possibly, Mdlle. Lind’s idea of tragedy may have differed from Signor
Garcia’s. On such a point, the Scandinavian and the Keltic temperament
were scarcely likely to be in very close accordance.

Footnote 23:

Herr Gelhaar was a member of the Royal Orchestra at Stockholm.

Footnote 24:

Rather less than £5 10s.

Footnote 25:

A technical term, applied to the art of swelling or diminishing the
tone of the voice, by imperceptible gradation from the softest
attainable _piano_, to the full volume of its utmost power, and _vice
versâ_.

Footnote 26:

‘Gedenkblätter an Jakob Axel Josephson,’ von N. P. Õdman, 1886.

Footnote 27:

‘Biography of J. A. Josephson,’ p. 106.

Footnote 28:

_Ib._, p. 124.

Footnote 29:

_I.e._ Count and Countess Carl Björnstjerna.

Footnote 30:

‘_Aus dem Leben eines Schwedischen Componisten; Gedenkblätter an Jakob
Axel Josephson_,’ von N. P. Õdman (Stockholm, 1886), vol. ii.

Footnote 31:

Long since burned down, and rebuilt on a still grander scale.

Footnote 32:

See page 110.

Footnote 33:

About £420 sterling.

Footnote 34:

Afterwards the Empress Augusta.

Footnote 35:

His Excellency and Lady Westmorland.

Footnote 36:

From a private memorandum written by the Lady Rose Weigall, by whose
kind permission it is inserted here.

Footnote 37:

The full title of the Opera was, “_Das Feldlager in Schlesien. Oper,
in drei Aufzügen, in Lebensbildern aus der Zeit Friedrich des Grossen,
von L. Rellstab. Musik von Meyerbeer. Tänze von Hoguet._” “_The Camp
of Silesia._ Opera, in three Acts, in Life-pictures of the time of
Frederick the Great, by L. Rellstab. Music by Meyerbeer. Dances by
Hoguet.”

Footnote 38:

_Gastrollen._ In the German theatres, performers not belonging to the
regular company, and employed for a limited number of performances
only, are called “guests” (_Gäste_), and engaged on special terms,
without a formal contract in writing.

Footnote 39:

_Das Feldlager in Schlesien._

Footnote 40:

Herr Ludwig Rellstab, critic and poet, the author of the _libretto_ of
_Das Feldlager in Schlesien_.

Footnote 41:

Six thousand thalers is equal to about £900 in English money.

Footnote 42:

A sojourn in Italy, for purposes of study, had been the dream of Herr
Josephson’s life; and it is evident that he must have spoken to her
about it in Dresden during the previous summer.

Footnote 43:

This famous piece, in which the voice is accompanied by two flutes
(_obbligati_), was afterwards transferred, by Meyerbeer, to _L’Etoile
du Nord_.

Footnote 44:

The poet, Tieck.

Footnote 45:

Equal to about £40 in English money.

Footnote 46:

See his “Life of Weber,” in ‘The Great Musicians.’

Footnote 47:

‘_Unter ist mein Stern gegangen._’

Footnote 48:

That is to say £7 10_s._, £12, and 9_s._ in English money.

Footnote 49:

This, and all other letters written by Mdlle. Lind to Madame
Birch-Pfeiffer, are printed by the kind permission of Frau von
Hillern, Madame Birch-Pfeiffer’s daughter.

Footnote 50:

The late Lord Liverpool.

Footnote 51:

See footnote on p. 143.

Footnote 52:

‘Das Märchen meines Lebens,’ von H. C. Andersen (Leipzig, 1880).

Footnote 53:

From Mrs. Grote’s MS. Memoir.

Footnote 54:

This, and all other letters written by Mdlle. Lind to Frau Professor
Amalia Wichmann, are printed by the kind permission of one of Madame
Wichmann’s sons.

Footnote 55:

Founded by Mendelssohn in 1843, and then flourishing exceedingly under
his energetic personal superintendence.

Footnote 56:

The “victim” was Herr Otto Goldschmidt.

Footnote 57:

Frau Friedrich Brockhaus, _née_ Wagner; a sister of Richard Wagner.

Footnote 58:

From the _Tagebücher von Heinrich Brockhaus_. (Leipzig, 1884.)
Privately printed, for friends only.

Footnote 59:

Mendelssohn’s exact words—spoken, of course, in German—were:—

“GENTLEMEN!

“You think that the Kapellmeister Mendelssohn is speaking to you,
but in that you are mistaken. Fräulein Jenny Lind speaks to you, and
thanks you for the beautiful surprise that you have prepared for
her. But now I change myself back again into the Leipzig
Kapellmeister, and call upon you to wish long life to Fräulein Jenny
Lind. Long life to her! and again, long life to her! and, for the
third time, long life!”

Footnote 60:

Herr Taubert had come to Leipzig, a few days before this, for the
purpose of playing at one of the Gewandhaus Concerts.

Footnote 61:

Mendelssohn’s eldest daughter.

Footnote 62:

Mendelssohn’s second son.

Footnote 63:

Madame Mendelssohn.

Footnote 64:

A Scandinavian Volkslied, afterwards known as _The Echo Song_.

Footnote 65:

This, and other letters published in this work, addressed by
Mendelssohn to Mdlle. Lind, are translated from the originals, in the
possession of Mr. Goldschmidt.

Footnote 66:

“I thank you—never, in my whole life, shall I forget this!”

Footnote 67:

Equal to about fifty pounds, in English money.

Footnote 68:

Mendelssohn’s _last_ performance in the Gewandhaus took place on July
19, 1846, when he played the pianoforte part of Beethoven’s “Kreutzer
Sonata” (Op. 47) with Ferdinand David.

Footnote 69:

Mendelssohn died on Nov. 4, 1847. The circumstances above related, and
still remembered by many, are corroborated by entries made in the
writer’s diary, at the time.

Footnote 70:

Herr Franz Hauser was born on the 12th of February, 1794; and was
first known in Germany as a bass singer of exceptional talent. After
having taught singing, in Vienna, for many years, with great success,
he was appointed Director of the Conservatorium in Munich, and held
this post from the year 1846 to 1864.

Footnote 71:

It must be remembered that Mendelssohn looked upon the conscientious
cultivation of Art as a religious duty; and endeavoured to impress
that view upon all who were in familiar intercourse with him.

Footnote 72:

Translated, by the kind permission of Herr Joseph Hauser, from the
original letter in his collection.

Footnote 73:

See footnote on p. 195.

Footnote 74:

_Elijah._

Footnote 75:

See footnote on p. 195

Footnote 76:

“You have well understood me. I thank you, from my heart.”

Footnote 77:

From the Hauser letters.

Footnote 78:

_Elijah_, which was to be produced at the Birmingham Festival, in the
following August.

Footnote 79:

Annotations-Bok.

Footnote 80:

Mr. Chorley was the musical critic attached to the _Athenæum_.

Footnote 81:

From the original letter, preserved by the Mendelssohn Family.

Footnote 82:

The document was formally signed on Oct. 17, 1846.

Footnote 83:

Transcribed from the original letter, preserved by the Mendelssohn
Family.

Footnote 84:

From Frau von Hillern’s collection.

Footnote 85:

Mendelssohn died in the autumn of the next year.

Footnote 86:

Translated from the original letter, by the kind permission of Madame
von Kaulbach.

Footnote 87:

Herr Hauser.

Footnote 88:

Translated from the original German, by the kind permission of Madame
Schumann.

Footnote 89:

The original letter, written in French, was sent to Mdlle. Lind by Mr.
Lumley, who also forwarded a copy of it to Mendelssohn.

Footnote 90:

From Mrs. Grote’s MS. Memoir.

Footnote 91:

Lumley’s ‘_Reminiscences of the Opera_.’ (London, 1864, p. 185.)

Footnote 92:

Notes graciously furnished to us from Her Majesty’s Diary, of which we
have gratefully availed ourselves in subsequent parts of this Book.

Footnote 93:

From _The Times_, May 5, 1847.

Footnote 94:

Translated, by permission, from the original letter, in the possession
of Fräulein Jaeger von Jaxthal.

Footnote 95:

See the note [92] already referred to on page 268.

Footnote 96:

_Le Carnet d’un Tenor._ Gustav Roger. (Paris, 1880.)

Footnote 97:

Although the passage was sung without accompaniment, a Thorough-bass
is given with it in the score.

Footnote 98:

For our information in regard to these concerts we are indebted to the
notes referred to in the note, p. 268, _ante_.

Footnote 99:

From Mrs. Grote’s MS. ‘_Memoir_.’

Footnote 100:

Bishop Nixon.

Footnote 101:

Transcribed from the original letter, by the kind permission of the
late Dean’s literary executor.

Footnote 102:

From Mrs. Grote’s MS. _Memoir_.

Footnote 103:

From the Wichmann collection.

Footnote 104:

The marble medallion, by Professor Wichmann.

Footnote 105:

From the Wichmann collection.

Footnote 106:

_Kgl. Berl. (Voss.) Zeitung_ (Oct. 19, 1847). See also, _Gesammelte
Schriften von L. Rellstab_, Tom. xx., p. 407 _et seq._

Footnote 107:

Mdlle. Lind’s last notes had been heard in the Royal Opera-House, on
the 18th of October, at a Concert given in aid of the members of the
Chorus, for which occasion Herr Taubert had composed the Song, _Ich
muss nun einmal singen_, then sung by her for the first time.

Footnote 108:

“Ich kann es mir nicht versagen, der allgemeinen Anerkennung welche
Ihrem seltenen Talent und Ihrer vollendeten Meisterschaft in der Kunst
des Gesanges gezollt wird, die meinige hinzu-zufügen, und wünsche
Ihnen dieselbe dadurch zu bethätigen, dass ich Sie hierdurch zu meiner
Kammersängerin ernenne.

“Sans-Souci, den 16 Oktober, 1847,
(Signed) “FRIEDRICH WILHELM R.

“An Demoiselle Jenny Lind.”

Footnote 109:

“Ich habe die Sängerin Jenny Lind zu meiner Kammersängerin ernannt,
und habe Sie davon hierdurch in Kenntniss setzen wollen.

“Sans Souci, den 16 Oktober, 1847.
“FRIEDRICH WILHELM.”

Footnote 110:

She was made _First_ Court Singer by Oscar I. on December 24th of that
year; and she retained this special privilege until her death.

Footnote 111:

November 4, 1847.

Footnote 112:

From ‘The Life of Chopin’, by Fr. Niecks. (London, 1890.)

Footnote 113:

From _The Musical World_ (July 8, 1848).

Footnote 114:

From the _Times_, May 26, 1848.

Footnote 115:

From the _Times_, July 31, 1848.

Footnote 116:

“Reminiscences of the Opera,” p. 226.

Footnote 117:

‘A Retrospect of a Long Life,’ by Samuel Carter Hall. (London, 1883.)

Footnote 118:

From the _Times_, July 31, 1848.

Footnote 119:

Mr. S. C. Hall, writing thirty-five years after the event, and having
evidently forgotten its details, gives a very inaccurate account of
the circumstances, which we have here described on the highest
possible authority. Mr. Goldschmidt had been introduced to Mdlle.
Lind, and she very much wished to give him the opportunity of
appearing at her concert. But, she had not heard him play; and did not
think it wise to render herself responsible for the _début_ of a young
artist, until she had made herself acquainted with the style of his
performance. She therefore invited him to play to her at Clairville;
and it was after having heard him there, that she requested his
assistance at the concert.

Footnote 120:

This beautiful salver is now inherited by Madame Goldschmidt’s second
son.

Footnote 121:

_Le Carnet d’un Tenor._ G. Roger. (Paris, 1880.)

Footnote 122:

We are indebted, for the verification of these details, to the
courtesy of Mr. J. J. Winter, who has acted, for many years, as Hon.
Chairman of the Committee of Management.

Footnote 123:

Applied, in 1853, to “The Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick Children.”

Footnote 124:

From _The Times_, April 4, 1849.

Footnote 125:

It will be noticed that _The Standard_ makes no mention of the
‘Governesses’ Benevolent Institution.’

Footnote 126:

See footnote, p. 268.

Footnote 127:

A dramatic singer at Stockholm, who lately published an account of her
intercourse with Madame Goldschmidt, in a Swedish newspaper.

Footnote 128:

Cf. p. 70.

Footnote 129:

Within the last few years, an attempt has been made to invest the
term, _clavicular breathing_, with a mode of filling the lungs,
pernicious, to the last degree—a process which, we need scarcely say,
was never practised, either by Mdlle. Lind, or Rubini, whose method of
breathing seems to have been closely analogous to, if not absolutely
identical with, her own.

Footnote 130:

“Does not the light of the moon deceive me!”

Footnote 131:

‘Grosse Gesang-Schule für Deutschland,’ von Friedrich Schmitt
(München, 1854); a work of which Madame Goldschmidt thought so highly,
that she permitted her testimonial to be printed in connection with
it.

Footnote 132:

At the Royal College of Music, where Madame Goldschmidt was then
directing the training of the female vocal scholars.

Footnote 133:

Book VII. Ch. IX.

Footnote 134: