The International Magazine, Volume 2, No. 2, January, 1851Various
History
The International Magazine, Volume 2, No. 2, January, 1851
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
The "Leaves from the Portfolio of a Manager," in the December _Dublin
University Magazine_, disclose a number of interesting facts connected
with Prynne's "Histriomastix," Milton's "Samson Agonistes," Hannah
More's "Tragedies," Ireland's "Shakspeare Forgeries," and not a few very
startling disclosures respecting the extraordinary emoluments of first
class performers, from Roscius down to Jenny Lind. From this portion of
our Manager's Portfolio we select the amusing recollections of Paganini
in Ireland, twenty years ago:
"Catalani, Pasta, Sontag, Malibran, Grisi, Taglioni, Rubini, Mario,
Tamburini, Lablache, _cum multis aliis_, have received their thousands,
and tens of thousands: but, until the Jenny Lind mania left every thing
else at an immeasurable distance, Paganini obtained larger sums than had
ever before been received in modern times. He came with a prodigious
flourish of trumpets, a vast continental reputation, and a few personal
legends of the most exciting character. It was said that he had killed
his wife in a fit of jealousy, and made fiddlestrings of her intestines;
and that the devil had composed a sonata for him in a dream, as he
formerly did for Tartini. When you looked at him, you thought all this,
and more, very likely to be true. His talent was almost supernatural,
while his 'get up,' and 'mise en scene,' were original and unearthly,
such as those who saw him will never forget, and those who did not can
with difficulty conceive. The individual and his performance were
equally unlike anything that had ever been exhibited before. No picture
or description can convey an adequate idea of his entrance and his exit.
To walk simply on and off the stage appears a commonplace operation
enough, but Paganini did this in a manner peculiar to himself, which
baffled all imitation. While I am writing of it, his first appearance in
Dublin, at the great Musical Festival of 1830, presents itself to 'my
mind's eye,' as an event of yesterday. When he placed himself in
position to commence, the crowded audience were hushed into a deathlike
silence. His black habiliments; his pale, attenuated visage, powerfully
expressive; his long, silky, raven tresses, and the flash of his dark
eye, as he shook them back over his shoulders; his thin, transparent
fingers, unusually long; the mode in which he grasped his bow, and the
tremendous length to which he drew it; and, climax of all, his sudden
manner of placing both bow and instrument under his arm, while he threw
his hands behind him, elevated his head, his features almost distorted
with a smile of ecstasy, and his very hair instinct with life, at the
conclusion of an unparalleled fantasia! And there he stood, immovable
and triumphant, while the theatre rang again with peals on peals of
applause, and shouts of the wildest enthusiasm! None who witnessed this
will ever forget it, nor are they likely again to see the same effect
produced by mere mortal agency.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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