JENNY LIND’S FIRST CONCERT IN AMERICA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 579, 19 February 1851, Page 4

JENNY LIND’S FIRST CONCERT IN AMERICA.

[From the California Courier, Oct. 14.]

The “Swedish Nightingale” gave her first concert at Castle Garden on the 11th of September. New York ran mad on the occasion. The Tribune fills four or five columns with the particulars of the great event.

The sale of seats for the first concert was sold at Castle Garden, on Monday last. The first ticket was bought by Mr. Genin the hatter, for <§2.5. The second brought <§2s, the third <§ls and <§l3. The first 1400 tickets yielded a total receipt of <§9119. The next 2000 sold at an average of <§5.50 each, making <§ll,ooo more. The entire proceeds for the first night, will exceed <§30,000. The particulars of a new contract have been ratified by Mr. Barnum and Mdlle. Lind. By this agreement, which supersedes all former contracts, the sum of <§lsoo per night, for one hundred and fifty nights, will be secured to Mdlle Lind ; in addition to which, the nett proceeds of every night will be divided equally between the parties. On the other hand, as an equivalent for this liberal offer, on the part of Mr. Barnum, Mdlle Lind has agreed to sing, during her engagement, in any part of Europe or America. It is probable that she will visit London during the Great Industrial Exhibition of 1851. She also binds herself to give concerts in this city until the price of tickets shall be brought down to the minimum rate of three dollars so that the fairest opportunity of hearing shall be afforded the public. The Tribune says : —The sight of the grand hall, with its gay decorations, its glittering lamps, and its vast throng of expectant auditors, was in itself almost worth a five dollar ticket. We were surprised to notice that not more than one eighth of the audience were ladies. They must stay at home, it seems, when the tickets are high, but the gentlemen go nevertheless. For its size, the audience was one of the most quiet, refined, and appreciative we ever saw assembled in this city. Not more than one-third were seated before 7 o’clock, and when the eventful hour arrived, they were still coming in. After the overture from the opera of the Crusaders, came a moment of breathless expectation. A moment more, and Jenny Lind, clad in a white dress, which well became the frank sincerity of her face, came forward through the orchestra. It is impossible to describe the spontaneous burst of welcome which greeted her. The vast assembly rose as one man, and for some minutes nothing could be seen but the waving of hands and handkerchiefs, nothing heard but a storm of tumultuous cheers. The enthusiasm of the moment, for a time beyond all bounds, was at last subdued, after prolonging itself by its own fruitless efforts to subdue itself, and the divine songstress, with that perfect bearing, that air of all dignity and sweetness, blending a child-like simplicity and half trembling womanly modesty, with the beautiful confidence of genius and serene wisdom of art, addressed herself to song, as the orchestral symphony prepared the way for the voice in Casta Diva. A better test piece could not have been selected for the debut. Every soprano lady has sung it to us; but nearly every one has seemed only trying to make something of it, while Jenny Lind was the very music of it for the time being. We would say no less than that; for the wisest and honestest part of criticism on such a first hearing of a thing so perfect, was to give itself purely up to it, without question, and attempt no analysis of what too truly fills one to have yet began to be an object of thought. If it were possible, we would describe the quality of that voice, so pure, so sweet, so fine so whole, and all-pervading, in its lowest breathings and minutestjtorifore as well as in its strongest volume. We never heard tones which in their sweetness went so far. They brought the most distant and ill-seated auditor close to her. They were tones, every one of them, and the whole air had to take the

law of the vibrations. The voice and the J B livery had in them all the good qualities of a ii B the good singers. Song in her has that in I tegral beauty which at once proclaims it a «' I type for all, and is most naturally worships ] S as such by the multitude. le H Of those who have been before her, we» et '' most frequently reminded of Madame Bishop', | quality (not quantity) of voice. Their Voic es H are of metal somewhat akin. Jenny Lind’s H had incomparably more power, and more at / all times in reserve ; but it had a shade o f B that same veiled quality in its lowest tones B consistently with the same (but much more) ' I ripeness and sweetness, and perfect freedom 1I from the crudeness often called sweetness as they rise. There is the same kind of versa, fl tile and subtile talent too, in Jenny Lind, a . H appeared later in the equal inspiration and B perfection of her various characters and style, B of song. Her’s is a genuine soprano, reach. S ing the extra high notes with that ease anj || certainty which makes each highest one a in. H umph of expression purely, and not a physf. H cal marvel. The gradual growth audso« t . || nuto of her tones; the light and shade, th. Bl rhythmic undulations and balance of her p a j. ||| sages, the bird-like ecstacy of her thrill, (fo fe faultless precision and fluency of herclironn. ft tic scales ; above all, the sure reservation c [ ft, such volume of voice, as to crown each pro. ft traded climax with glory, not needing a ne» ■ effort to raise force for the final blow; aoj W indeed all the points one looks for in a mis. tress of the vocal art, were eminently her’siftft Casta Diva. But the charm lay not in any 11 point, but rather in the inspired vitality, the hearty genuine outpouring of the whole— the IS real and yet truly ideal humanity of all bet singing. This is what has won the world top Jenny Lind ; that her whole soul and being 1 ‘ goes out in her song, and that her voice be- ■ ; comes the impersonation of that song’s sou], R if it have any, that is if it be a song. There H is plainly no vanity in her, no mere aim to I 1 effect; it is all frank and real and barmoni.|| ously earnest. At the close, the audience (who made noBl movement to leave till the last note had beenL uttered), broke out in a tempest of cheers,H only less vehement than those which welcomed Ej her in Casta Diva. She came forward again, ® bowed with a bright, grateful face, and re-g tired. The cheers were now mingled with ■ shouts of “ Barnum!” who at last came for- ft" ward, and with some difficulty obtained suf- g ficient order to speak. “My friends,” ssid HJ he, “You have often heard it asked ‘ What's ft Barnum?’” Amid the cheers and laughter ft which followed this, we could only catch the® words—“ Henceforth you may say ‘Barnum'si nowhere!’ ”

Mr. Barnum, after expressing his gratifi-M cation at the splendid welcome which had r v \ been given Maddle. Lind, stated that heft? would disclose a piece of news which he could gjl no longer keep secret, and which would:,)?: show how well that welcome was deserved, g Madlle. Lind on Monday morning informed fthim that it was her intention to give her [ft share of the net proceeds of the present® concert, amounting to considerably more, ; than <§lo,ooo, to the various charities ill i this city. This announcement was the signal for ano-).. - ther storm. We did not count the numberofH cheers given, but we never witnessed such aQ pitch of enthusiasm. Mr. Barnum then' proceeded to read the list of her donations,gg interrupted at every line by a fresh burst of® applause:— To the Fire Department Fund||| Musical Fund Society 2,00«ra Home for the Friendless 5® ft? Society for the Relief of Indigent Females Dramatic Fund Association Home for Coloured and Aged Persons.. l ’?3 Coloured and Orphan Association ft ■ Lying-in Asylum for Destitute Females ft . New York Orphan Asylum ’"ft ? Protestant Half-Orphan Asylum...... 5 Roman Catholic Half-Orphan Asylum Old Ladies’ Asylum Total

In case the money coming to her shall exceed this sum, she will hereafter design® ls the charity to which it is to be appropriated. Mr. Barnum was then about retiring "- j!! there was a universal call for Jenny The songstress, however, had already take o her departure, and the excited croffOi after giving a few more cheers, foiled ed her example, and slowly surged o® l of the Castle door, and down the caiiopk bridge, in a glow of good humour and ad® 1 ' ration.