Memoir of Madame Jenny Lind-Goldschmidt
Her Early Art-Life and Dramatic Career, 1820–1851

A two-volume memoir based on the letters and diaries of renowned soprano Jenny Lind (1820–87), published in 1891.

Henry Scott Holland (Author), William Smith Rockstro (Author)

9781108038683, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 20 October 2011

472 pages, 8 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 2.7 cm, 0.6 kg

Jenny Lind (1820–87) was one of Europe's most famous opera singers. Known as the 'Swedish Nightingale', she first rose to prominence in an 1838 performance of Weber's Freischütz. Despite her immense success over the next ten years, she retired from the stage at the age of twenty-nine. Seeking financial security to pursue her charitable interests, in 1850 she accepted the invitation of impresario P. T. Barnum to undertake a tour of the United States; this was another succession of triumphs. Henry Scott Holland (1847–1918), the theologian and social reformer, and music writer William Smith Rockstro (1823–95) used Lind's own documents, letters and diaries as the basis of this two-volume memoir, published in 1891, which focuses on the first thirty-one years of her life. Volume 1 covers Lind's Swedish childhood and early singing career, and a brief but critical period when she suffered damage to her vocal cords.

Preface
Book I. Anticipation: 1. Introduction
2. Childhood
3. Pupilage
4. Career
5. Discovery
6. Character
7. Pilgrimage
Book II. Aspiration: 1. In Paris, 1841
2. The Maestro di Canto
3. The student
4. Within sight of the goal
5. Under which king?
6. The return
Book III. Achievement: 1. Home: and after?
Book IV. Mastery: 1. In Dresden
2. At the court of Berlin
3. The new opera house
4. The début
5. Das Feldlager in Schlesien
6. The Bunn contract
7. Homage to Weber (Euryanthe)
8. In the concert room
9. At home once more
10. In presence of the Queen
11. With the Danes
12. The Bunn contract (continued)
13. The return to Berlin (Don Juan)
14. Der Freischütz
15. 'The Greatest of these is Love'
16. At the Gewandhaus
17. Die Vestalin
18. At Weimar
19. Les Huguenots
20. Auf Widersehen!
Book V. Progress: 1. At the Gewandhaus once more
2. The début at Vienna
3. Correspondence with Mendelssohn
4. Correspondence with Mendelssohn (continued)
5. The Lower Rhine musical festival
6. In via requies
7. Contract with Mr. Lumley.

Subject Areas: Classical music [c 1750 to c 1830 AVGC4]