Life of Henriette Sontag, Countess de Rossi.: with Interesting Sketches by Scudo, Hector Berlioz, Louis Boerne, Adolphe Adam, Marie Aycard, Julie de Margueritte, Prince Puckler-Muskau & Theophile Gautier.
General
Life of Henriette Sontag, Countess de Rossi.: with Interesting Sketches by Scudo, Hector Berlioz, Louis Boerne, Adolphe Adam, Marie Aycard, Julie de Margueritte, Prince Puckler-Muskau & Theophile Gautier.
Sontag, Henriette, 1806-1854
PRINCE PUCKLER-MUSKAU.
From his celebrated work entitled "Tutti Frutti."
SHE came here as the wife of the Sardinian Minister to the Court of St.
Petersburg, preceded by her fame as a singer. Courtly etiquette was
dying of curiosity to hear the _prima donna_, yet refrained her stately
steps under the imperial nod of the all-powerful Czar. Could she? would
she? ought she to sing? These were the questions. If the Emperor thought
right to ask her to sing, would the King of Sardinia think proper to
allow her to sing? At length one point was decided. There was a grand
_fete_ at the winter palace, and the newly arrived ambassadress was
invited; this was positive. Then from _salon_ to _salon_ flew the
intelligence that the Czar had asked the Countess Rossi to sing--that
Nesselrode had decided that, without infringing the dignity of the
_corps diplomatique_, an ambassadress _might_ sing; and, finally, that
his majesty of Sardinia, being consulted, had graciously accorded
permission; and, consequently, her Excellency Madame La Comtesse Rossi
would prove to the whole court, assembled at the winter palace, that
besides being the most lovely, graceful, and amiable of women, the
Sardinian ambassadress was also the greatest artist of the day. And so
it was, my dear ----, that the beautiful and melodious voice was revealed
to us in all its showers and cascades of brilliant notes--taking the ear
captive, until we all regretted the rank in which fate had placed such a
wonder, condemning it to comparative silence. The emperor was entranced.
After the concert, offering his arm to his lovely and gifted guest, he
promenaded with her through the saloons, presenting her to all the great
people; and the next day the empress invited the countess to join her
private circle, and to dine with her _en famille_. It is said that the
empress is even more charmed with the sweet and gentle manners of Madame
Rossi, than she was with all her surpassing talents.
* * * * *
"THE MOST BRILLIANT PRODUCTION SINCE JANE EYRE."--Lit. Gazette.
Price 25 cents.
THE HEIRS
OF
RANDOLPH ABBEY.
A NOVEL.
[_From the Dublin University Magazine; edited by_ CHARLES LEVER.]
Notices of the First Edition.
"The publication of this novel was commenced in the _International
Magazine_, and the portion which there appeared was so much admired by
readers, that there was a general expression of regret that it had not
been completed before the _International_ was discontinued. It has been
reprinted from the _Dublin University Magazine_, edited by CHARLES
LEVER; and although the author's name is not mentioned, we judge from
its powerful delineation of human character and passions, that it has
not been attributed erroneously to a popular writer. There have been few
works of fiction published of late years that can be deemed
superior.--_Commercial Advertiser._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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