Memories of a Musician: Reminiscences of Seventy years of Musical Life

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text excerpt

My second concert was in June 1856, given in conjunction with my uncles, Leopold and Moritz Ganz, the Conzertmeister to the King of Prussia, who had come over from Berlin, and my eldest brother, Eduard Ganz, who was a pupil of Moscheles and Thalberg. At this second concert we had many artists of European reputation to assist, such as Madame Clara Novello, who had a beautiful, bell-like, soprano voice. For years people used to rave about her singing of "God save the Queen" at the opening of the great Exhibition in 1851. The last time I heard her was at her farewell concert in 1860, at which she sang in Benedict's cantata Undine. I do not remember any other English singer with such a beautiful voice, and she was a very handsome woman as well. Another of our artists was Madame Viardot Garcia, sister of the late Manuel Garcia and Madame Malibran. I shall never forget her vivid and dramatic rendering of Schubert's "Erl- konig" which she sang with such fire and depth of feeling that the audience applauded enthusiastically and insisted upon her repeating it. She afterwards captivated every one by two characteristic Spanish songs.

excerpt from 'Memories of a Musician: Reminiscences of Seventy years of Musical Life' pp. 78-9 (193 words)

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1436182498768