great composer himself was present. His playing appears to have been remarkable for its humour, and he is said to have been peculiarly happy in expressing Beethoven's characteristic style, whence no doubt the master's fondness for him.[1] He then went to Grätz, and from thence to Pancovecz near Agram, the residence of Countess Erdödy, as her chamber-virtuoso, where he remained a year and a half. In 1818 he was engaged by Freiherr von Braun as first cellist in the theatre 'an der Wien,' and in 1831 played with Merk, the distinguished cellist, in the orchestra of the court-opera. He died on March 26, 1837. His compositions consist of concertos, variations, capriccios, etc., his first 3 works only (variations) having been published.
LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS THEATRE stood nearly in the centre of the south side of Lincoln's Inn Fields, the principal entrance being in Portugal Street. It was erected by Christopher Rich, and opened (after his death) in 1714 by his son, John Rich, with Farquhar's comedy, 'The Recruiting Officer.' Here Rich first introduced his pantomimes, a curious mixture of masque and harlequinade, in which he himself, under the name of Lun, performed the part of Harlequin. Galliard was his composer, and Pepusch his music director. [Galliard; Pepusch.] Here 'The Beggar's Opera' was first produced in 1727. [Beggar's Opera.] Rich removing in 1732 to the new theatre in Covent Garden, the house in Lincoln's Inn Fields was let for a variety of purposes. Here in 1734 Italian operas were given, in opposition to Handel's at the King's Theatre, with Porpora as composer and Senesino as principal singer; and here, when Handel was compelled to quit the King's Theatre, he, in his turn, gave Italian operas, and also, occasionally, oratorio performances. His 'Dryden's Ode on St. Cecilia's day' was first performed here in 1739, and in 1740 his 'L' Allegro, Il Pensieroso, ed Il Moderato,' his serenata 'Parnasso in Festa,' and his operetta 'Hymen.' Plays were occasionally performed here until 1756, when the building was converted into a barrack. It was afterwards occupied as Spode and Copeland's 'Salopian China Warehouse,' until it was taken down in 1848 for the enlargement of the College of Surgeons. This theatre must not be confounded with two others which previously stood near the same spot, viz. the Duke's Theatre, erected by Sir William Davenant in 1662, and occupied until 1671, when the company removed to Dorset Garden Theatre, and the Theatre in Little Lincoln's Inn Fields, built upon the same site and opened in 1695 with Congreve's 'Love for Love,' and occupied until the company removed to the Queen's Theatre in 1705, when it was abandoned. [King's Theatre.]
LIND, Jenny, was born at Stockholm Oct. 6, 1820 (not, as Fétis says, on Feb. 8). Count Puke, director of the Court Theatre, admitted her to the school of singing which is attached to that establishment, and she received there her first lessons from a master named Berg. She made her début at the Opera in her native city, in March 1838, as Agatha in Weber's 'Freischütz,' and played afterwards the principal rule in 'Euryanthe,' Alice in 'Robert le Diable,' and finally 'La Vestale,' all with brilliant success. In fact, 'she upheld the Royal Theatre until June 1841, when she went to Paris in hope of improving her style of singing.' There Manuel Garcia gave her lessons, during a period of nine months, but 'she herself mainly contributed to the development of her naturally harsh and unbending voice, by ever holding before herself the ideal which she had formed from a very early age. She had been wont to sing to her mother's friends from her third year; and, even at that period, the intense feeling of melancholy, almost natural to all Swedes, which filled her young soul, gave to her voice an expression which drew tears from the listeners.' Meyerbeer, who happened to be at Paris at the time, heard her, was delighted, and foretold a brilliant future for the young singer. She obtained a hearing [App. p.701 "She was to have appeared"] at the Opera in 1842, but no engagement followed. Naturally hurt at this, she is said to have determined never to accept an engagement in Paris; and, whether this be true or not, it is certain that, as late as March 1847, she declined an engagement at the Académie Royale, for no other reason than that of 'affaires personelles;' nor did she ever appear in Paris again.
Jenny Lind now went to Berlin, in August 1844, and for a time studied German. In September she returned to Stockholm, and took part in the fêtes at the crowning of King Oscar; but returned to Berlin in October, and obtained an engagement at the Opera through the influence of Meyerbeer, who had written for her the principal rôle in his 'Feldlager in Schlesien,' afterwards remodelled as 'L'Etoile du Nord.' She appeared first, December 15, as Norma, and was welcomed with enthusiasm; and afterwards played, with equal success, her part in Meyerbeer's new opera. In the following April she sang at Hamburg, Cologne, and Coblentz. After this tour she returned again to Stockholm by way of Copenhagen, and once more enjoyed a triumphant success. At the Gewandhaus, Leipzig, she made her first appearance Dec. 6, 1845 [App. p.701 "Dec. 4"]. Engaged soon after for Vienna, she appeared there April 18, 1846.
On May 4, 1847, Jenny Lind made her first appearance in London, at Her Majesty's Theatre, in 'Robert.' Moscheles had already met her in Berlin, and wrote thus (Jan. 10, 1845) of her performance in 'The Camp of Silesia,'—'Jenny Lind has fairly enchanted me; she is unique in her way, and her song with two concertante flutes is perhaps the most incredible feat in the way of bravura singing that can possibly be heard … How lucky I was to find her at home! What a glorious singer she is, and so unpretentious withal!' This character, though true to life, was, however, shamefully belied by the management of the London Theatre, both
- ↑ See the 'Neue Zeitschrift für Musik,' 1837, No. 32.
