Music and Some Highly Musical People Part 7

Speaking of her concert in Buffalo, "The Express" says,--

"On Monday, Parodi in all her splendor, sustained by Patti and Strakosch, sang at Corinthian Hall to half a house. Last night Miss Greenfield sang at the same place to a crowded house of the respectable, cultivated, and fashionable people of the city. Jenny Lind has never drawn a better house, as to character, than that which listened with evident satisfaction to this unheralded and almost unknown African nightingale. Curiosity did something for her, but not all.

She has merit, very great merit; and with cultivation (instruction) she will rank among the very first vocalists of the age. She has a voice of great sweetness and power, with a wider range from the lowest to the highest notes than we have ever listened to: flexibility is not wanting, and her control of it is beyond example for a new and untaught vocalist. Her performance was received with marked approbation and applause from those who knew what to applaud."

Another city paper says,--

"Much has been said and written of this personage since she was introduced to the public as a musical prodigy. All sorts of surmises and conjectures have been indulged in respecting the claim put forth of her merit; and generally the impression seemed to prevail, that the novelty of 'color'

and idle curiosity accounted more for the excitement raised than her musical powers. Well, she has visited our place, and given our citizens an opportunity of judging for themselves. We are ignorant of music, and unqualified to criticise. But a large audience was in attendance at Ringueberg Hall last evening: among those present were our musical amateurs; and we heard but one expression in regard to the new vocalist, and that was wonder and astonishment at the extraordinary power and compa.s.s of her voice; and the ease with which she pa.s.sed from the highest to the lowest notes seemed without an effort. Her first notes of 'Where are now the hopes?' startled the whole audience; and the interchange of glances, succeeded by thunders of applause at the end of the first verse, showed that her success was complete. She was loudly encored, and in response sang the baritone, 'When stars are in the quiet sky,' which took down the whole house.

"We have neither time nor s.p.a.ce to follow her through her different pieces. Suffice it to say, that there never was a concert given in this town which appeared to give more general satisfaction; and every person we met on leaving the hall expressed their entire approbation of her performance. No higher compliment could be paid to the 'Swan' than the enthusiastic applause which successfully greeted her appearance, and the encore which followed her several pieces.

"There was a very general expression among the audience that the sable vocalist should give another concert; and, at the earnest solicitation of several of our citizens, Col. Wood, her gentlemanly manager, has consented to give another entertainment to-morrow evening, when the 'Black Swan' will give a new programme, consisting of some of Jenny Lind's most popular songs.

"The concert on Thursday evening was what in other cases would have been called a triumph. The house was full, the audience a fashionable one, the applause decided, and the impression made by the singer highly favorable.

"We can safely say that Miss Greenfield possesses a voice of remarkable qualities; singular for its power, softness, and depth. She has applied herself with praiseworthy perseverance and a.s.siduity to the cultivation of her extraordinary powers, and has attained great proficiency in the art which is evidently the bent of her genius. By her own energy, and una.s.sisted, she has made herself mistress of the harp, guitar, and piano. We are informed that the proceeds of the entertainment this evening are to be wholly appropriated to the completion of her musical education in Paris under the world-famed Garcia. We predict for Miss Greenfield a successful and brilliant future."

"The Rochester American" says,--

"Corinthian Hall contained a large and fashionable audience on the occasion of the concert by this new candidate for popular favor on Thursday evening. We have never seen an audience more curiously expectant than this was for the _debut_ of this new vocalist. Hardly had her first note fallen upon their ears, however, before their wonder and astonishment were manifest in an interchange of glances and words of approval; and the hearty applause that responded to the first verse she sang was good evidence of the satisfaction she afforded. The aria, 'O native scenes!' was loudly encored; and in response she gave the pretty ballad, 'When stars are in the quiet sky.'"

The Buffalo "Commercial Advertiser" says,--

"Miss Greenfield is about twenty-five years of age, and has received what musical education she has in the city of Philadelphia: she is, however, eminently self-taught, possessing fine taste and a nice appreciation, with a voice of wonderful compa.s.s, clearness, and flexibility. She renders the compositions of some of the best masters in a style which would be perfectly satisfactory to the authors themselves. Her low, or properly _ba.s.s_ notes, are wonderful, especially for a female voice; and in these she far excels any singing we have ever heard.

"We learn that this singer (soon to become celebrated, we opine) will give a concert in this city on Thursday next.

There is no doubt that the novelty of hearing a colored woman perform the most difficult music with extraordinary ability will give _eclat_ to the concert. All representations unite in ascribing to Miss Greenfield the most extraordinary talents, and a power and sweetness of vocalization that are really unsurpa.s.sed."

"The Daily State Register," Albany, Jan. 19, 1852, said,--

"THE 'BLACK SWAN'S' CONCERT.--Miss Greenfield made her _debut_ in this city on Sat.u.r.day evening, before a large and brilliant audience, in the lecture-room of the Young Men's a.s.sociation. The concert was a complete triumph for her; won, too, from a discriminating auditory not likely to be caught with chaff, and none too willing to suffer admiration to get the better of prejudice. Her singing more than met the expectations of her hearers, and elicited the heartiest applause and frequent encores. She possesses a truly wonderful voice; and, considering the poverty of her advantages, she uses it with surprising taste and effect. In sweetness, power, compa.s.s, and flexibility, it nearly equals any of the foreign vocalists who have visited our country; and it needs only the training and education theirs have received to outstrip them all.

"The compa.s.s of her marvellous voice embraces twenty-seven notes, reaching from the sonorous ba.s.s of a baritone to a few notes above even Jenny Lind's highest. The defects which the critic cannot fail to detect in her singing are not from want of voice, or power of lung, but want of training alone. If her present tour proves successful, as it now bids fair to, she will put herself under the charge of the best masters of singing in Europe; and with her enthusiasm and perseverance, which belong to genius, she cannot fail to ultimately triumph over all obstacles, and even conquer the prejudice of color,--perhaps the most formidable one in her path.

"She plays with ability upon the piano, harp, and guitar. In her deportment she bears herself well, and, we are told, converses with much intelligence. We noticed among the audience Gov. Hunt and his family, both Houses of the Legislature, State officers, and a large number of our leading citizens. All came away astonished and delighted."

A New-York paper says,--

"MISS GREENFIELD'S SINGING.--We yesterday had the pleasure of hearing the singer who is advertised in our columns as the 'Black Swan.' She is a person of ladylike manners, elegant form, and not unpleasing, though decidedly African features. Of her marvellous powers, she owes none to any tincture of European blood. Her voice is truly wonderful, both in its compa.s.s and truth. A more correct intonation, so far as our ear can decide, there could not be. She strikes every note on the exact centre, with unhesitating decision.... She is a nondescript, an original. We cannot think any common destiny awaits her."

"The Evening Transcript," Boston, Feb. 4, 1852, said,--

"Miss Greenfield, the 'Black Swan,' made her _debut_ before a Boston audience last evening at the Melodeon. In consequence of the price of the tickets being put at a dollar, the house was not over two-thirds full. She was well received, and most vociferously applauded and encored in every piece. She sings with great ease, and apparently without any effort. Her p.r.o.nunciation is very correct, and her intonation excellent. Her voice has a wonderful compa.s.s, and in many notes is remarkably sweet in tone."

From "The Daily Capital City Fact," Columbus, O., March 3, 1852:--

"Last evening proved that the 'Black Swan' was all that the journals say of her; and Miss Greenfield stands confessedly before the Columbus world a swan of excellence. She is indeed a remarkable swan. Although colored as dark as Ethiopia, she utters notes as pure as if uttered in the words of the Adriatic."

From "The Milwaukee Sentinel," April, 1852:--

"What shall we say? That we were delighted and surprised?

All who were present know that, from their own feelings. We can only say, that we have never heard a voice like hers,--one that with such ease, and with such absence of all effort, could range from the highest to the lowest notes."

Said a Rochester (N.Y.) paper of May 6, 1852,--

... "The magnificent quality of her voice, its great power, flexibility, and compa.s.s, her self-taught genius, energy, and perseverance, combine to render Miss Greenfield an object of uncommon interest to musicians.

"We have been spell-bound by the ravishing tones of Patti, Sontag, Malibran, and Grisi; we have heard the wondrous warblings of '_the Nightingale_;' and we have listened with delight to the sweet melodies of the fair daughter of Erin: but we hesitate not to a.s.sert, that, with one year's tuition from the world-famed Emanuel Garcia, Miss Greenfield would not only compare favorably with any of the distinguished artists above named, but incomparably excel them all."

"The Globe," Toronto, May 12-15, 1852, said,--

"Any one who went to the concert of Miss Greenfield on Thursday last, expecting to find that he had been deceived by the puffs of the American newspapers, must have found himself most agreeably disappointed....

"After he [the pianist] had retired, there was a general hush of expectation to see the entrance of the vocalist of the evening; and presently there appeared a lady of a decidedly dark color, rather inclined to an _embonpoint_, and with African formation of face. She advanced calmly to the front of the platform, and courtesied very gracefully to the audience. There was a moment of pause, and the a.s.sembly anxiously listened for the first notes. They were quite sufficient. The amazing power of the voice, the flexibility, and the ease of execution, took the hearers by surprise; and the singer was hardly allowed to finish the verse, ere she was greeted with the most enthusiastic plaudits, which continued for some time. The higher pa.s.sages of the air were given with clearness and fulness, indicating a soprano voice of great power. The song was encored; and Miss Greenfield came back, took her seat at the piano, and began, to the astonishment of the audience, a different air in a deep and very clear ba.s.s or baritone voice, which she maintained throughout, without any very great appearance of effort, or without any breaking. She can, in fact, go as low as Lablache, and as high as Jenny Lind,--a power of voice perfectly astonishing. It is said she can strike thirty-one full, clear notes; and we could readily believe it."

From a Brattleborough (Vt.) paper, June 23, 1852:--

"The 'Black Swan,' or Miss Elizabeth Greenfield, sang in Mr.

Fisk's beautiful new hall on Wednesday evening last to a large and intelligent audience.

"We had seen frequent notices in our exchanges, and were already prepossessed in favor of the abilities and life purposes of our sable sister; but, after all, we must say that our expectations of her success are greater than before we had heard her sing, and conversed with her in her own private room. She is not pretty, but plain: ... still she is gifted with a beauty of soul which makes her countenance agreeable in conversation; and in singing, especially when her social nature is called into activity, there is a grace and beauty in her manner which soon make those unaccustomed to her race forget all but the melody....

"Nature has done more for Miss Greenfield than any musical prodigy we have met, and art has marred her execution less."

But the limits of this book are such as to preclude my giving all or even a hundredth part of the testimonials and criticisms touching the singing of this remarkable performer, that filled the public journals during her career in the United States. I believe, however, that I have given quite enough to show that her n.o.ble gifts of voice, and beauty of execution, were of the rarest excellence, while in some notable respects they had never been equalled. Let it suffice to say also, in regard to the excerpts given, that they are but fair samples and reflections of the opinions entertained and expressed by the press, and by music-loving, cultured people, everywhere Miss Greenfield appeared.

After singing in nearly all the free States, she resolved to carry out her long-entertained purpose of visiting Europe, in order to perfect herself in the _technique_ of her art. Learning of her intentions, the citizens of Buffalo, N.Y., united in tendering her a grand testimonial and benefit concert. The invitation was couched in terms most flattering, and signed by many of the most distinguished residents.

The concert took place on March 7, 1853, and was in all respects a grand success.

Leaving Buffalo, she went to New York, where, after singing before an audience of four thousand persons, she received the following complimentary note:--

NEW YORK, April 2, 1853.

MISS ELIZABETH T. GREENFIELD.

_Madam_,--By the suggestion of many enthusiastic admirers of your talents, I have been induced to address you on the subject of another and second concert, prior to your departure for Europe.

Your advent musical in "Gotham" has not been idly heralded among the true lovers of song, and admirers of exalted genius, of which your unprecedented success on Wednesday evening must have sufficiently convinced you; while all are eloquent in the commendation of your superior powers and engaging method.

Confiding, madam, in your reported magnanimity and generosity to oblige, I will divest myself of tedious circ.u.mlocution, and fervently exhort you to make a second exhibition of your skill; which, there can be no doubt, will be highly successful to you, and as interesting to your admirers.

THE PUBLIC.

"Miss Greenfield embarked from New York in a British steamer for England, April 6, 1853; and arrived in Liverpool the 16th of April, 1853; rested over the sabbath, and proceeded Monday morning to London, in which metropolis she became safely domiciled on the evening of the same day.