Reminiscences of Michael Kelly: Of the King's Theatre, and Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Including a Period of Nearly Half a Century, Volume 1 |
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Page 5
... crowded nightly to see the gratuitous per- formance . About this time I changed my singing - master , and was placed under Signor St. Giorgio , who was engaged at the Rotunda ; his voice was not power- ful , but he possessed exquisite ...
... crowded nightly to see the gratuitous per- formance . About this time I changed my singing - master , and was placed under Signor St. Giorgio , who was engaged at the Rotunda ; his voice was not power- ful , but he possessed exquisite ...
Page 16
... crowded . La Buona Figliuola , Piccini's popular opera , was put into rehearsal at the express desire of some of the old conoscenti who had seen it performed in London . Lovatino was the cavalier , ( and I am informed , never was ...
... crowded . La Buona Figliuola , Piccini's popular opera , was put into rehearsal at the express desire of some of the old conoscenti who had seen it performed in London . Lovatino was the cavalier , ( and I am informed , never was ...
Page 17
... crowded , and I received great applause . I had a powerful treble voice , pronounced Italian well , and was tall for my age , and acquitted myself beyond the most sanguine expectations of my friends . The opinion the foreign musical men ...
... crowded , and I received great applause . I had a powerful treble voice , pronounced Italian well , and was tall for my age , and acquitted myself beyond the most sanguine expectations of my friends . The opinion the foreign musical men ...
Page 18
... . " which is translated thus , " Pleasure may start a tear as well as grief . " Dibdin composed his Leonora in the Padlock for the first Mrs. Arne , when Miss Wright . my own benefit . The house was crowded in every 18 REMINISCENCES OF.
... . " which is translated thus , " Pleasure may start a tear as well as grief . " Dibdin composed his Leonora in the Padlock for the first Mrs. Arne , when Miss Wright . my own benefit . The house was crowded in every 18 REMINISCENCES OF.
Page 19
... crowded in every part . I was successful in my songs , and acted the part decently , recollecting well all the points Web- ster had given in it * . On the first of May , 1779 , with an aching heart , I parted with my father , mother ...
... crowded in every part . I was successful in my songs , and acted the part decently , recollecting well all the points Web- ster had given in it * . On the first of May , 1779 , with an aching heart , I parted with my father , mother ...
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actor amongst amusement anecdote appeared arrived audience beautiful Bologna Brescia called carnival carriage celebrated character church cicisbeos Colorno comic comic opera composed concert Court crowded delighted dine dinner donna dressed Drury Lane Dublin Emperor engagement England English excellent father favourite Florence fond fortune gave grand greatest hear heard honour horses introduced Irish Italian opera Italy kind King lady Laudon letter lived Lord Madame magnificent Majesty Mandini master morning Mozart Nancy Storace Naples Neapolitan never night orchestra Paesiello palace passed patron performance piano-forte piece played pleasure Posilipo prima donna Prince Prince de Ligne received rehearsal returned Royal Highness Saint sang seated servant Signor Signora de Petris sing Sir William Hamilton song stage Stephen Storace street supper talent taste tenor singer theatre thing thought told took Treviso Udina Venetian Venice Verona Vienna voice walked wine young zecchinos
Popular passages
Page 297 - His age in nature's youthful prime appear'd, .And just began to bloom his yellow beard. Whene'er he spoke, his voice was heard around, Loud as a trumpet, with a silver sound ; A laurel wreath'd his temples, fresh and green, And myrtle sprigs, the marks of love, were mix'd between.
Page 294 - I cannot reply to you, because I do not understand the language in which you are addressing me." Upon this the Doctor, with a contemptuous sneer, said to Murphy, " Why, Sir, this is a pretty fellow you have brought hither ; — Sir, he does not comprehend the primitive language." O'Leary immediately bowed very low, and complimented the Doctor with a long speech in Irish, of which the Doctor, not understanding a word, made no reply, but looked at Murphy. O'Leary, seeing that the Doctor was puzzled...
Page 6 - ... as well as Signor St. Giorgio. I answered myself by promising that I would study hard ; and I really did so ; — and, trifling as this little anecdote may appear, I firmly believe it was the chief cause of my serious resolution to follow up music as a profession ; for my father had other views for me.
Page 202 - Tuscan, and was affable and condescending. He came almost every night to the opera, accompanied by his nephew, Francis, then a youth. He usually entered his box at the beginning of the piece, but if not there at the precise moment, the curtain was to be drawn up ; he had given orders that he was never to be waited for. He was passionately fond of music, and a most excellent and accurate judge of it.
Page 253 - Bennuci gave, with the greatest animation and power of voice. I was standing close to Mozart, who, sotto voce, was repeating, Bravo ! Bravo ! Bennuci ; and when Bennuci came to the fine passage, " Cherubino, alia vittoria, alia gloria militar...
Page 219 - Royal example. The ladies hid their faces with their fans, and mothers were heard in the lobbies cautioning their daughters on the way out, never to repeat the dreadful expression of " tally ho," nor venture to ask any of their friends for a translation of it. The next day, when I saw the husband of " tally ho," he abused the taste of the people of Vienna, and said that the song which they did not know how to appreciate, had been sung by the celebrated Mrs. Wrighton at Vauxhall, and was a great favourite...
Page 2 - Miller," for the entertainment of my father's company ; for company, unfortunately for his family, he had every day; and no man in the city, so justly renowned for hospitality, gave better dinners or better wine. At the age of seven I began to learn music. My first master's name was Morland ; — he was the very prototype of his namesake the painter ; a wonderful genius. But dissipation was his idol, and he who might have selected the very best society, preferred that of the lowest orders. He was...
Page 65 - Teatro del La Valle. He arrived in Rome some weeks previous to his engagement, hoping to make friends, and form a party in his favour ; he procured introductions to the most severe and scurrilous, and thinking to find the way to their hearts, through their mouths, gave them splendid dinners daily. One of them, an Abbe, he selected from the rest, as his bosom friend and confidant ; he fed, clothed, and supplied him with money ; he confided to him his terrors at appearing before an audience so fastidious...
Page 251 - Gluck — he was a great painter of music; perhaps the expression is far fetched, and may not be allowable, but I speak from my own feelings, and the sensation his descriptive music always produced on me. For example, I never could hear, without tears, the dream of Orestes, in Iphigenia : when in sleep, he prays the gods to give a ray of peace to the parricide Orestes. What can be more expressive of deep and dark despair? — And the fine chorus of the demons who surround his couch, with the ghost...
Page 64 - bravo, you thief; or, "bravo, Paesiello! bravo, Sacchini!" if they suppose the passage stolen from them, "the curse of God light on him who first put a pen into your hand to write music!" This I heard said, in the Teatro del Altiberti, to the celebrated composer Gazzaniga, who was obliged to sit patiently at the pianoforte to hear the flattering commendation.