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It was not till 1847 that Marietta Alboni appeared in England. Mr. Beale, the manager of the Royal Italian Opera, the new enterprise which had just been organized in the revolutionized Covent Garden Theatre, heard her at Milan and was charmed with her voice.
During this season Mme. Sontag appeared in her favorite character of Rosina, with Lablache and Gardoni; she also performed Amina and Desdemona. Had it not been that the attention of the public was absorbed by "the Swedish Nightingale" and the "glorious Alboni," Mme. Sontag would have renewed the triumphs of 1828. The next season she sang again at Her Majesty's Theatre as Norina, Elvira ("I Puritani"), Zerlina, and Maria (in "La Figlia del Reggimento"). The chief novelty was "La Tempest
Mapleson, under whose control she remained till her career was cut short by death. Associated with her under this first season of the Mapleson régime were Mme. Alboni, the contralto, and Signor Giuglini, the tenor. Her performance in the "Trovatore" drew forth more applause than ever.
P.S. I have played in Edinburgh; the nobility of the neighbourhood came to hear me; people say the thing went off well a little success and money. There were this year in Scotland Lind, Grisi, Alboni, Mario, Salvi everybody. From Chopin's letters may be gathered that he arrived once more in London at the end of October or beginning of November. Chopin to Dr. Lyschinski; London, November 3, 1848:
Peter Rolleum, having the cash in hand for that very liberal allotment of stock which he gave himself for his trouble in getting up the New York and Rangoon Petroleum Company, is very likely half or a quarter as rich as he says. Alboni, the singer, had an exquisitely sweet voice, but was a very big fat woman. Somebody accordingly remarked that she was an elephant that had swallowed a nightingale.
There was a powerful opposition to Lumley at the other theatre Grisi, Persiani, Alboni, Mario, and Tamburini and the shrewd impressario played all the cards in his hand for their full value. It had been asserted that Mlle. Lind would not come to England, and that no argument could prevail on her to change her resolution, and this, too, after the contract was signed, sealed, and delivered.
"Here take this gift, I was reserving it for some hero, speaker, general, One who should serve the good old cause, the great idea, the progress and freedom of the race, Some brave confronter of despots, some daring rebel; But I see that what I was reserving belongs to you just as much as to any." Elsewhere he refers to Alboni by name and speaks of her as
Alboni sings as she smiles without effort, without fatigue, without audible and broken respiration. Here is art in its fidelity! here is the model and example which every one who would become an artist should copy." "It is such a pleasure to hear real singing," wrote Hector Berlioz. "It is so rare; and voices at once beautiful, natural, expressive, flexible, and in time, are so very uncommon!
Alboni, among several of her well-established personations, was enabled to appear in a new opera by Auber, "Corbeille d'Oranges," a work which attained only a brief success. It became painfully apparent about this time that the greatest of contralto singers was losing the delicious quality of her voice, and that her method was becoming more and more conventional.
They called her Camilla—Camilla Urso. Who was she? Where did she come from? No one seemed to know. Madam Alboni was to bring her out. The child must have some talent to be patronized by such an artist as Madam Alboni. Only ten years of age. Certainly a marvelous child. And a girl. It must be a sight worth seeing. They would all go to the concert.
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