This songstress gives her second concert to-night. The programme contains some admirable selections. Each of the pieces demands a variety of skill—the whole offering a better opportunity to learn the musical capacity of the Swan, than was heard at the first concert. That cunning young violinist, Master Lewis, will perform some of his most pleasing melodies. Mr. Becht will preside at the piano forte.
Daily Capital City Fact, Columbus, Ohio, March 3d, 1852.
Last evening proved that the Black Swan was all that the journals say of her; and Miss Greenfield stands confessedly before the Columbus world, a swan of excellence. She is indeed a remarkable swan. Although coloured as dark as Ethiopia, she utters notes as pure as if uttered in the words of the Adriatic.
Columbus, Ohio, March 7th.
The concert at Neil’s New Hall, yesterday evening, was fully attended, nearly all the seats being crowded. At the appointed hour the Black Swan made her entrée, accompanied by Prof. Becht. The audience, quite alive with curiosity before, were not favourably impressed with her personal appearance, but from that fact they were anxious to hear the sound of her voice, which had given her a repute in advance, inferior to that only of many of the best artists.
The selections upon the programme were all familiar to the audience, and thus, perhaps, enabled the sable cantatrice to challenge comparison with others by the whole audience. The impression left by the first part of the bill was, that her voice is one of great depth and reach, as she has been usually described; but not that she possessed in a marked degree, either sweetness, pathos, or delicacy—qualities which no cultivation can give, by the way. Her exercises in deep bass developed a power quite monstrous, compared with any other female voice we have ever heard.
After the interval she appeared more assured. Upon the suggestion of another, we listened to her without looking toward her during the entire performance of “the Last Rose of Summer,” and were at once and satisfactorily convinced that her voice is capable of producing sounds right sweet, and not inferior in regard to any but Jenny Lind and Bishop, neither of whom, we must believe, can ever be surpassed in that quality. The whole of the second part produced effects more in favour of the songstress upon the audience generally.
If she is as devoid of professional training as represented, she surely has fine natural advantages as a vocalist. Her personal appearance is, at first, very unfavourable for the stage, and not less so, of course, on account of her colour, and the utterly inextinguishable prejudice against colour and race which she must generally encounter in this country, if not in those over the water. The instrumental part of the performance is excellent; but of it, we have not room to-day to speak.
She sings to-morrow night a choice programme.
Columbus, March 6th, 1852.