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Updated: May 25, 2025
"Alas!" said Frederick, "when he makes such a face as that, he grumbles with me for two days, and is never pleased with my flute. I must seek to mollify him, therefore, and when this Mademoiselle Prickerin sings again I will give a slight sign of applause."
But Anna Prickerin sang no more; angry scorn shot like a stream of fire through her veins, she felt suffocated; tears rushed to her eyes; every thing about her seemed to be wavering and unsteady; and as her listless, half-unconscious glances wandered around, she met the gay, triumphant eyes of the Farinelli fixed derisively upon her.
Graun had composed a piece of music in honor of this occasion, and not only the Italian singer, Laura Farinelli, but a scholar of Graun and Quantz, a German singer, Anna Prickerin, would then be heard for the first time. This would be for Anna an eventful and decisive day; she stood on the brink of a new existence an existence made glorious by renown, honor, and distinction.
He forgave her low origin for the sake of her immense fortune, and thought it not a despicable lot to be the husband of the beautiful Anna Prickerin. He assured her of his love in impassioned words, and Anna listened with beaming eyes and a happy smile. Suddenly a loud weeping and crying, proceeding from the next room, interrupted this charming scene.
He turned to Pollnitz, and said: "What is the name of this woman who roars so horribly?" Pollnitz shrugged his shoulders; he had a kind of feeling as if that moment his creditors had seized him by the throat. "Sire," whispered he, "I believe it is Anna Prickerin."
"The king does not know what a fearful commission he has given me," thought Pollnitz, as he drove through the streets with Anna Prickerin, and examined her countenance with terror. "Should she now awake, she would overwhelm me with her rage. She is capable of scratching out my eyes, or even of strangling me." But his fear was groundless.
Anna felt as if a sword had pierced her heart; she uttered a fearful cry, and sank unconscious to the floor. "What cry was that?" said the king, "and what signifies this strange movement among the singers?" "Sire, it appears that the Prickerin has fallen into a fainting-fit," said Pollnitz. The king thought this a good opportunity to pacify Quantz by showing an interest in his pupil.
He desired no witnesses of the scene which he expected, and in which he had good reason to believe that he would play but a pitiful role. Anna Prickerin now opened her eyes; her first glance fell upon Pollnitz, who was bending over her with a tender smile. "What happiness, dearest," he whispered, "that you at last open your eyes! I was dying with anxiety."
The heart of Pollnitz beat loud and quick as he glanced at Anna, who stood proud and grave, in costly French toilet, far removed from the Farinelli. Anna examined the court circles quietly, and looked as unembarrassed as if she had been long accustomed to such society. The chorus was at an end, and Laura Farinelli had the first aria to sing. Anna Prickerin could have murdered her for this.
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