The second of these subscription concerts, given on June 9, 1824, is worthy of our attention, for we find "Mdlle. Maria Garcia" making apparently her first appearance in London, taking part with her father in a duet, "Di Caprici," and adding a solo, "Nacqui al'affano," both by Rossini.
With the close of the London season the elder Garcia returned to Paris. Here his "Deux Contrats" was performed at the Opéra Comique. But the early autumn of this year is principally memorable for the fact that he allowed his daughter to make her first appearance in Paris as a professional singer,—the concert in which she took part being given at a musical club which he had just established in that city.
Two months later the entire family went to London, and here Maria's musical education was continued in the singing-class which her father had established. The elder Garcia was again engaged as first tenor at the Royal Opera, his salary having now risen from £260 (1823) to £1250. Here he continued to gain still greater fame as a teacher, while his fertility as a composer was shown by two Italian operas, "Astuzia e Prudenza" and "Un Avertimento."
On June 7, 1825, Maria had the opportunity of making her début in London at the King's Theatre, as Rosina in "Il Barbiere," under the directorship of Mr Ebers.
It was owing to a fortuitous combination of circumstances—the sudden return of Mme. Pasta to Paris, Ronzi losing her voice through illness, Vestris seceding to the stage, and Caradori, an excellent seconda donna, being hors de combat—that Maria found herself engaged to fill the gap.
Manuel Garcia, by the way, in after years used sometimes to recall the effect which Pasta's singing made on him, when he heard her in his youth. He spoke of her as possessing a voice of ravishing beauty, together with perfection of fioriture and grandeur of dramatic conception, but in spite of this there was no doubt in his mind as to his preference for the singing of Maria. Indeed, he would always declare that his sister was the most natural and most precocious genius with whom he had ever come in contact.
With her début at the King's Theatre Maria achieved a triumphant success, which was witnessed by her brother; and she was engaged by the management for the remaining six weeks of the season for a sum of five hundred pounds.
Once more we find that curious repertoire of operas in favour at that time which contrasts so strangely with the taste of the present day, and serves to illustrate the important changes in the form and character of music which Manuel Garcia witnessed during his life.
We may, moreover, in this year trace the first introduction of Meyerbeer's music to English audiences, for we read in the July 'Harmonicon'—
"On the 23rd of last month there was brought out 'Il Crociato in Egitto,' the new grand opera of Meyerbeer, a composer whose name was completely unknown in this country only a few weeks ago.... Mdlle. Garcia, disguised in male attire, performed the part of Felicia with great ability, both as a singer and actress."