LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE; For APRIL, 1812. A New and Improved Series. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND The Thirty-first Number. MRS. BILLINGTON. Ir constitutional habits, if personal, on, and a composer for, both the violin and resemblance, if the bias of the passions are hereditary in human nature, who will assert that genius, talent, and taste are not so in like manner? If any hardy sceptic will deny this, we shall adduce the subject of our present biography as a proof in point, and as also illustrative of the position that early habits, if they do not give a bias, will at least kindle the spark of mental genius; nay, even cause it to blaze with splendour at a more juvenile period than could otherwise have been expected. It is almost unnecessary to recal to our readers the once well known and still well remembered name of Weichsell, the maiden appellation of our songstress; as both her parents were long in high esteem, one as au instrumental and the other as a vocal performer. Mr. Weichsell was a Germau by birth, and it was said claimed some connection with a noble (or what with us is called more distinctively a gentleman's) family. Beyond the claim, however, he possessed nothing but a musical talent, which, however it might be admired in Germany, he found was more likely to be well paid in England; and he therefore became a visitor to this metropolis about the middle of the last century, when he soon rose in public estimation as a performer harpsichord. Similarity of taste will often beget friendship, nay love itself between the sexes, where association is produced by similarity of profession. Accordingly it is not surprising that a matrimonial union should have taken place between Mr. Weichsell and a youthful songstress then much admired at public concerts and other entertainments. This juvenile votary of the muses had the peculiar advantage of being a pupil of the scientific Bach; and it is said that her abilities called forth all his praise, which was afterwards fully confirmed by the universal applause that procured for her the rank of first singer at Vauxhall; where she executed some of Bach's best compositions, expressly written for her, in a style that placed the merits of the composer and his pupil ou an equal eminence. There may be some of our readers who yet recollect the mellifluence of her natural tones, and the florid elegance of her execution, and who may perhaps remember the regret expressed by real amateurs that the necessity of following the vocal fashion of the day, should have often obliged her to adopt an artificial manner in order to please those whose affectation of science was no proof of their taste. This musical couple lived for many years |