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19 February 1884 — 3 Savile Row | |
Tuesday. 19th February [1884]. Maria & I worked together & spent a quiet morning & putting up flowers. It was wet today for the first time since we arrived. Maria’s son Louis came to lunch. Mr Clark came to call & bought both the spoon & belt I had brought over to sell for Cortelazzo. After lunch Maria & I went out shopping &c. We had our small footman for the first time & he did very well. He is a boy just out of school & seems intelligent but we were much amused at his quaint ways. I came home for tea, Maria went on to pay a visit. Mrs Arbuthnot & Miss Guthrie came to call & Mr Oldfield came in with Henry. Henry, Maria & I went to dine at Sir Henry Thompsons & had a charming evening. We met M. Gomperz the violinist, Mlle Janotha the pianist, Dr Semon & his wife—she née Redeker– Dr Semon sat next to me & was very amusing– In the eveng first Gomperz accompanied by Mme Haas played the violin & then Mme Semon sang. She has a splendid contralto voice. Her husband accompanied her and she sang several pieces of his composition. Then Mlle Janotha played the piano. She played a Mazurka of Chopin’s with enormous power & some feeling but tho’ she played wonderfully she did not give me much pleasure & she played too loud for a small room. When she had played her piece she jumped up laughing & said “Now I hope you will believe I can fight.” It appears she takes lessons in fencing to strengthen her wrists & muscles. She played 2ce more & the last piece was her own composition & then went away looking quite exhausted. She is a Pole & of a very wild nature– They told us how she & Jenny Lind (another impetuous spirit) had a quarrel & Janotha walked out of the house forgetting bonnet & shawl & walked back to her lodgings– On getting home she naturally felt cold & seizing an unopened packet of music she had ordered from Berlin she poked it into her fire wh was going out! Another time she was leaving Chappells in a bad temper & the glass door did not open quick eno’ at wh she drove her fist thro’ the glass & cut her hand so as not to be able to play for a month. Mme Semon sang again & then we went home it being 11 o’cl. | |
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