Interview!

Me: Hi!  It’s Sarah Wolf here with Jenny Lind, who you may know as the “Sweetish Nightingale”.  Jenny I just had a few questions; do you mind answering them for me?

Jenny: Well no but, if you have read any of my letters i'm absolutely sure you would already know the answers to all of your questions.

Me: Well just for audience pleasure can you describe where you are from and give me some information about your family?

Jenny: I was born in Sweden, as you may know to a mother who did not want me and my father who would not claim me as his own.  My mother and I never did have a good relationship.  One relative raised me after another until I was 9 years old.  At that time my beautiful singing talent earned my admission to the opera school of the Royal Theatre in Stockholm.   At that time I split my time into living at home and living at the theatre.

            Later on I married Otto Goldschmidt on February 5, 1852 in Boston.

Me: What events in your early life made you get interested in the arts?

Jenny: To tell you the truth I never liked performing or acting, but I was good at it.  I never felt that anyone appreciated me for what I did.  But don’t forget I was sensational and my success proved as such!

Me: Really? I wasn’t aware of that.  What role did mentors play in helping you develop the interests and talents you have as an artist?

Jenny: From the time I was 9 until I was 21 I appeared in over 200 operas and I was the biggest star Stockholm has ever seen!  As you can imagine my voice was terribly worn out.  I went to Paris to study with Manuel Garcia.  Mr. Garcia made me rest my voice for weeks.  I was his star pupil.  I would have stayed longer, but I hate the French!  You however are probably more aware of my relationship with Mr. Phineas T. Barnum or P.T Barnum as he’s come to be known.  Mr. Barnum managed my American tour.  Of course I must not forget my beloved language tutor in Berlin, Charlotte Birch – Pfeiffer.  I called her “mother”.  Mother taught me to be a greater actress then I already was! She taught me German but I never excelled at foreign languages.  Oh! And I cannot forget the great Felix Mendelssohn my friend and mentor. 

Me: Very interesting. That’s honestly really fascinating. I'm intrigued. What was the world of art like in your particular art field when you entered it?

Jenny: Well it is true that the center of the opera world was in France and Italy, however I could not stand the French and I refuse to sing there.  And as for the Italians, they were not worthy of appreciating my talent.  Besides, I was a sensation in Berlin and Vienna.  Like the Swedes, Germans know true talent when they see it.  As do the British.  For, as you should know, I sang for Queen Victoria In 1847, 48 and 49.

Me: How did the major cultural, economic and political situations of the time impact your work?

Jenny: Culturally, I would say the mid 19^th century was the best time to be a soprano.  The most beautiful arias of today were written for singers like me.  Our youth was the perfect vehicle for composers to lavish their sweet virginal roles.  We were known as nightingales.

            I would rather talk about morality rather than politics and economics, although I did have a very good arrangement with Mr. Barnum in the United States.  I am a very charitable woman and I am known as well for my philanthropy as I give very generously to cultural and humanitarian causes.  I even raised 1000 pounds to fund a “Mendelssohn” scholarship after the sudden death of my good friend Felix. I feel like my acts of charity are the least I can do to repay the gift that God has given me.

            Politically at least in the United States the issues of the races was becoming important in politics and society. The United Stats was having a problem with too many immigrants from Ireland and Germany.  My arrival was happily noted as the begging of the arrival of a whiter class of immigrants as I was called the “Northern light” by the New York Herald newspaper.

Me: What were your major accomplishments and the methods you used in your art?

Jenny: I was called “one of the great civilizers of man kind” and compared to Columbus, Dante, Raphael and Gallileo because of the way I fill he world with light!

Me: What were the key opportunities you had that led to turning points in your life and art?

Jenny: Well I got to go to the Royal Theatre school beginning at age 9, I sang for the Queen for 3 Opera seasons and because of this I became known to the legendary P.T. Barnum.  Upon joining forces with Barnum I moved to the United States where I became a sensation and I made tons of money. Because of my success I was able to fulfill my desire of contributing to many charities.

Me: What hardships or roadblocks did you have to overcome in order to be an artist?

Jenny: This is tiresome I already told you I was born to a dysfunctional family.  Also I may not have told you this, but I am not entirely conferrable on the stage.  Perhaps that is why I was so happy to retire at the age of 29.

Me: Who are people that you admire both in the arts and beyond and why do they inspire you?

Jenny: My dear friend Felix Mendelssohn of coarse and then let me not forget Charlotte Birch – Pfeiffer who in addition to being my language coach was a fabulous actress in Munich and Vienna. And of coarse my good friend P.T. for his widely known business sense, but mostly I admire my darling Otto who not only accompanied me on the piano but accompanied me for the rest of my life as my husband.

Me: What personal stories best illustrate how you became successful in the arts?

Jenny: Ill tell you what I tell every young singer, take care of your instrument, rest your voice and get training with the proper teachers so you can perfect your technique.  I worked all the time from a young age and through my young age I became very successful in Europe but it wasn’t until I teamed up with an exceptional agent, P.T. Barnum, that I became one of the most famous singers in the world. 

Me: Well thank you so much Jenny! This has truly been an honor having you to interview!

         Fleming, Alice. P.T. Barnum the Worlds Greatest Showman. United States of America: Walker Publishing Company, Inc., 1993. Print.

         Pleasants, Henry. Great Singers. New York, New York: Simon and Schuster , 1966. Print.

         Ware and Lockard,Jr, W. Porter and Thaddeus C. P.T. Barnum presents Jenny Lind The American Tour of the Swedish Nightingale. United States of America: Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data, 1980. Print.

         "Jenny Lind, the Northern Light, New York Herald, September 17, 1850." New York Herald. n. page. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.

         "American Experience." Stephen Foster. n. page. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.

         "Who was Jenny Lind?." essortment.com. n. page. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.

         "Jenny Lind." Titi Tudorancea Learning Center. n. page. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.