Jenny Lind was one of the most famous and admired opera singers of the 19th century. She was known as the “Swedish Nightingale” for her beautiful and powerful voice that enchanted audiences across Europe and America. But how did she die and what was the cause of her death?
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Early Life and Career
Jenny Lind was born on October 6, 1820, in Stockholm, Sweden. She was the illegitimate daughter of a bookkeeper and a schoolteacher. She showed an exceptional talent for singing from an early age and was admitted to the Royal Dramatic Training Academy at the age of nine. She studied with Carl Magnus Craelius, the singing master at the Royal Swedish Opera, and made her debut there in 1830.
She soon became a star of the opera scene in Sweden and northern Europe, performing in various soprano roles in operas by Mozart, Weber, Rossini, Bellini, and others. She was especially praised for her portrayal of Agathe in Weber’s Der Freischütz in 1838. She also became a close friend and protégée of the composer Felix Mendelssohn, who wrote several pieces for her.
Vocal Crisis and Retirement from Opera
However, Lind’s career was not without challenges. In 1841, she suffered a vocal crisis that threatened to ruin her voice. She sought help from Manuel García, a renowned singing teacher in Paris, who managed to restore her vocal health. She resumed her performances with renewed vigor and success.
In 1847, she made her first appearance in London, where she caused a sensation among the public and the press. She sang in several operas at Her Majesty’s Theatre, including La Sonnambula, Norma, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Robert le Diable. She also gave concerts at Exeter Hall and other venues. She was so popular that she earned the nickname “the Swedish Nightingale”.
However, Lind decided to retire from opera at the peak of her fame. She announced her farewell performance in London in 1849, when she was only 29 years old. She said that she wanted to preserve her voice and devote herself to sacred music and charity.
American Tour and Marriage
In 1850, Lind accepted an offer from the American showman P. T. Barnum to tour the United States. Barnum paid her a huge sum of money and promised to donate part of the proceeds to charitable causes. Lind agreed to give 150 concerts across America, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba.
The tour was a huge success, attracting large crowds and generating enormous publicity. Lind’s voice and personality charmed the American audiences, who admired her musical talent as well as her modesty and generosity. She donated more than $350,000 (equivalent to $12 million in 2022) to various charities, especially those related to education and children.
During the tour, Lind met Otto Goldschmidt, a German pianist and composer who accompanied her as an assistant. They fell in love and got married in Boston in 1852. They then returned to Europe with their first child, Walter.
Later Life and Death
Lind settled in England with her husband and had two more children, Jenny and Ernest. She gave occasional concerts in Europe until 1870, but mostly focused on her family life and philanthropic activities. She also became a professor of singing at the Royal College of Music in London in 1882.
Lind’s health began to decline in the 1880s. She suffered from chronic bronchitis and rheumatism. In 1887, she was diagnosed with cancer of the spine. She died on November 2, 1887, at her home in Herefordshire, England. She was 67 years old.
Jenny Lind’s death was mourned by many people around the world who admired her as a singer and a humanitarian. Her legacy lives on through her recordings, which are among the earliest examples of operatic singing preserved on phonograph cylinders. Her life story has also inspired several books, films, musicals, and biographies.
