Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1892 Excerpt:...natural. She has an enormous talent, and with that talent an enormous energy. She is destined to a prodigious success upon the English scene." "I am delighted to hear it." "She has all the qualities which succeed with your English people--a fine voice, a fine person, and pardon me if I add, an audacity, a vulgarity which will command applause. Were I more diplomatist I should say genius--where I say vulgarity--but this divine creature is adorably vulgar. She has no nerves. I say to her sing, and she sings. 'Attack me the A sharp,' and she attacks, and the note rings out like a bell. She is without nerves, and she is without selfconsciousness, and she has the courage of a lion. She has worked as no pupil of mine ever worked before. She is mastering your difficult language in as many months as it cost me years. She has laboured at the theory of music, and though she is in most things of a surprising ignorance, she has made no mean progress in that difficult science. She has worked as Garcia's gifted daughter worked; and were this age worthy of a second Malibran, she has in her the stuff to make a Malibran." The fat little maestro stopped for breath, not for words. He stood mopping his forehead and smiling at Vansittart, who was inclined to believe in his sincerity, for that roulade he had heard at the door just now displayed a voice of brilliant quality. "You are enthusiastic, Signor Zinco," he said quietly. "And pray when you have trained this fine voice to the uttermost what do you intend to do with it?" "I hope to place the Signora in the way of making her fortune. Were you English a nation of music lovers, I should say to this dear lady, give yourself up to hard study of classical opera for the next three...