Trembling with fear of the result, Jenny sang the simplest song she
knew, and when she finished the Count was silent, for the lovely quality
of the voice he had just heard, had deeply moved him. Rising, he shook
hands with both teacher and pupil, and as quick in his generosity as in
his brusqueness, he at once announced that she was to be admitted into
the theatrical school connected with the Royal Theatre, and to be placed
under the special instruction of the operatic director, Herr Berg, and
his assistant, the Swedish composer, Lindblad.
Small wonder that Jenny left the building in a flutter of excitement, or
that Croelius was as beaming now as he had been depressed before, and he
lost no time in seeing that his little pupil was placed according to
the instructions of the great Count Pücke.
It was the custom of the Royal Theatre to board its pupils out, and as
Jenny's mother was no longer a governess and had returned to Stockholm,
the girl lived at home, together with several other pupils of the Royal
Theatre, and for two years worked so hard and accomplished such wonders
in the development of her voice that she became known as a musical
prodigy.
During the year she entered the Royal Theatre she acted in a play called
"The Polish Mine," and the next year in another, and the press spoke of
her acting as showing fire and feeling far beyond her years. She also
sang in concerts, in that way helping to pay for her board and clothes.
At the theatre she was taught all branches necessary to her profession,
and not only did she have an exquisite voice, but whatever rôle she
undertook was conceived with bold originality of style. Then when a
golden future of triumph seemed stretching out before her, came a
crushing disaster. All of a sudden her glorious voice was gone!
Whatever may have been the cause, the fact remained, and Jenny at twelve
showed her fineness of character by the way she faced the cruel
disappointment, and continued with her instrumental work, and with such
exercises as were fitted to the remnant of voice she still possessed.
Faithfully, persistently, she worked for four long years, only hoping
now for smaller rewards instead of the great operatic triumph which had
been her earlier ambition, trying to achieve results as conscientiously
as before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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