Life and letters of Sir Charles Hallé; being an autobiography (1819-1860)

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

14-15

text excerpt

On one of these visits, when I was eleven years old, it chanced that after the first few weeks my father fell ill, thus threatening to bring the performances to a premature end. Herr Conradi was in despair, seeing which I, with a boy's confidence, offered to replace my father, was entrusted with the baton, and remained at the conductor's desk to the end of the season. Among the operas which I conducted were 'Die Zauberflb'te,' 'Der Freyschiitz,' 'Die Schweitzer Familie' (by Weigl, forgotten now), 'Preciosa,' ' Zampa,' ' Fra Diavolo,' ' Die Stumme von Portici ' ( Masaniello '), ' Maurer und Schlosser ' (by Auber), and others, and it will easily be believed that I felt my importance, and was not a little proud of it. Nervousness I never felt, but sometimes I cried whilst conducting, when the scenes were very affecting, or when I was deeply moved by the beauty of the music. My acquaintance with an orchestra at so early an age and under such circumstances has not been without advantages to me in later years. The remembrance of these performances, the first I ever witnessed, is still very vivid; I enjoyed them thoroughly, and admired even the mise-en-scene, which, of course, was of the most simple and primitive kind.

excerpt from 'Life and letters of Sir Charles Hallé; being an autobiography (1819-1860)' pp. 14-15 (218 words)

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1427124196474