All the lovers of music in Rochester will be glad to learn that Miss Greenfield intends to give a concert in Corinthian Hall on Monday next. This gifted songstress has been having a series of very successful concerts in Ohio, and other States, and we predict for her a large audience on Monday. The magnificent quality of her voice, its great power, flexibility, and compass; her self-taught genius, energy, and perseverance, combine to render Miss Greenfield an object of uncommon interest to musicians.
We have been spell-bound by the ravishing tones of Patti, Sontag, Malibran, and Grisi; we have heard the wondrous warblings of "_the Nightingale_;" and we have listened with delight to the sweet melodies of the fair daughter of Erin; but we hesitate not to assert that, with one year's tuition from the world-famed Emanuel Garcia, Miss Greenfield would not only compare favourably with any of the distinguished artists above named, but incomparably excel them all.
We hoped, ere this, to hear of Miss Greenfield proceeding to England. Queen Victoria is a thorough judge of music, and a kind and generous patron to musicians,--Miss Greenfield's complexion would not bar her entrance to Buckingham Palace, nor would it shock the nerves of the most delicate lady of the court there. The _Black Swan should sail to Europe_.
Any one who went to the concert of Miss Greenfield on Thursday last, expecting to find that he had been deceived by the puffs of the American newspapers, must have found himself most agreeably disappointed.
Mr. Becht, the pianist of the party, commenced the evening with a very brilliant performance, which showed that his talents, if not of the very first rank, nearly approached to that point. He has a very considerable share of taste, but his _forte_ passages were the finest, and were warmly applauded. After he had retired there was a general hush of expectation to see the entrance of the vocalist of the evening, and presently there appeared a lady of a decidedly dark colour, rather inclined to an _embonpoint_, and with African formation of face. She advanced calmly to the front of the platform, and curtised very gracefully to the audience. There was a moment of pause, and the assembly anxiously listened for the first notes. They were quite sufficient. The amazing power of the voice, the flexibility and the ease of execution took the hearers by surprise, and the singer was hardly allowed to finish the verse ere she was greeted with the most enthusiastic plaudits, which continued for some time. The higher passages of the air were given with clearness and fulness, indicating a soprano voice of great power. The song was encored, and Miss Greenfield came back, took her seat at the piano, and began, to the astonishment of the audience, a different air in a deep and very clear bass or barytone voice, which she maintained throughout, without any very great appearance of effort or without any breaking! She can, in fact, go as low as Lablache, and as high as Jenny Lind, a power of voice perfectly astonishing. It is said she can strike thirty-one full clear notes, and we could readily believe it. After the surprise had subsided, there was time to find out the errors and defects. It must be confessed that Miss Greenfield has a very heedless way of throwing her beautiful notes about, has far from perfect command over them, and wants the knowledge of ornamental points, which can only be given by instruction from the best masters. There were plenty evidences that it was not from lack of ability to understand what was required, that these defects existed. The introduction of the deeper voice in the treble songs was a singularity, but was also an unpleasing offence against the ear.