New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-19
OBITUARY.
LIMA DE MURSKA.

ih"rsuoy, visited this country ABOUT year ago IN
the capacity OF instructress. While here she gave
a concert at Chickering Hall, but the superb voice
that had cnthrallcd New-York audiences fifteen years
before was hopoiessly and the singers powers
were sadly impaired. She was born at Pesth, In
Hungary, in 1874: was taught singing at Vienna
aud Paris by Madame and sgnor Marchesi, and at
the ago Of nineteen made her debut In opera at the
Pergoa, In Florence She sang at pesth, Berlin and
Hamburg and In 1856 was introduced TO tho Lon
don public by j. H. Maplcson at Drury Lane.
Mr.. Mapleson speaks Of her In his "Memoifss
as lady who at once took high
rank from her phenomenal vocal qualities
For six seasons she reigned supreme In London and
other great Continental cities On her debut IN LON
don her success was unexampied exhibition Of ap-
proval on tho part OF tho crowded and brilliant audi
cnce who welcomed her before them. Her conception
OF the character OF Lucy Ashton, remarked "The
Times,' "was exclusively her own, never reminding
us OF any popularity In any other singer. Nothing
more original has been witnessed for years nothing
more vivid intense and at tho time thoroughly
true to naturc.s she created the same profound i'm.
pressons and attained the great successes in
Madrid, Lisbon Moscow, st. Petersburg and last,
though not least in Dublin, whore the npulslye
population carried away By their admiration
Of her public performances that they insisted upon
singing The Last Rose Of Summer less than three
times after she had returned from the theatre to her
hotel In the city OF MelDourno the success OF her
concerts was unprecedented.
Madame de Murskas voice was soprano Of nearly
three octaves compass OF great power. Her acting
was brilliant and original, though sometimes border
ing on extravagance. In certain romantic and fan
tastc characters such as The Queen Of Night in the
Magic Flutes as Dn0rah and Lucia, she was
nearly without rival Her Senta, too in The Fly.
ing Dutchmans was 80 artistic an achievement as to
excite the admiration Of so critical musician as Anton
seidl. she sang the most difficult and involved pas
sagcs OF ornamentatjn with unerrng certainty, and
she possessed moreover, such an astounding memory
that she would frequently learn her part by simply
reading II over while she was lying In bed.
In New-York Madame do Murska first appeared
in 1874, singing ia La Sonnambua' at the old
Lyceum, where she achieved success that made her
extremely popular in this country for several years
She was also heard at the Grand Opera House. at
Booths Theatre and tho German stadt Theatre.
Afterward she went Florence where she sang Son
nambula' @Lucia,s Puritsni.5 Dlnorah,s Cnsplno
Ia Comare and other operas to overhowing houses,
and achieved one Of tho greatest successes record
Her benefit night realized $4,000. In 1875 she or
ganlzed n concert troupe, under the management Of
sIgnor do vvo, sang III times In America and tkon
made tour OF Australia
Her marriage to Alfred Anderson proved TO be one
OF those plumbers which II Is the privilege Of those to
commit who have passed tho period OF youth and In
experience, II gave her nothing but husband broken
down in health and dying OF a mortal ailinent 1t
gave him rs a wife gifted woman who had reaped
a golden harvest by the exercise Of her wondrous
artistic talents Mr. Anderson was not backward In
asserting his claim "a the ownership OF tho harvest
and got possession OF as much OF II rs possible as
soou as no could After HIS death II was Discovers
that he bad left will devlslng his wife's property
az his own, and leaving IL to his mother
Mr. Maplcson says Of Madame do mursha that
fN-rffh fv syhif mt ma
out quite as much as utter inability TO keep an APP
pointment would have douA She was suro TO turn
up on tho very evening and at the very hour when
sho was wanted for representation. But she hsd
A horror Of rchcarsals, and never thought II worth
while, whcu she was travelling from some distant
place on the Continent, to announce that she had
started, or to give any idea a. to
when she might really be expected
Her geographical knowledge, too often at fault.
and some Of tho routes" short cuts she called them
by which she reached London from Vienna, were OF
the most extraordinary Kind. She had taken dislike
tho railway station at Cologne, where she declared
German officer had once spoken 10 her without being
introduced; and on occasion, partly 10 avoid tho
station partly 10 get 20 Edinburgh by new and cx-
pcdious route she travelled from Vienna 10 ST. Peters
burg and from ST. Petersburg took boat TO Hull reach
ing Edinburgh Just In time to Join the opera company,
which was 10 sing there on tho night Of her arrival
Mr. Mapleson had not heard OF her for weeks and she
walled into the dressing room TO nnd Madame Van
Zandt already attred for tho part OF Lucia, which
Madame do Murska was 70 play. She argued that she
was IN time for the performances and declared that in
entrusting the part OF Lucia to another singer Mr..
Maploson expressed desire TO got rid Of her
Tho prima donna generally had parrot, pet
dog, or an apo which she loved to distraction aud
carried with her wherever she went. Her immense
Newfoundland, Pluto dlned with hor every day. A
cover was laid for him at her table and he had
learned To eat fowl from plate without dropping
any Of the meat or bones on the floor, or even on
the table cloth. Pluto was good natured dog or no
would have made short work " the monkey, the two
parrots ard the Angora cat which were his constant
chocolates. Tho monkey did HIS best 10 kill the cat,
and a bare place on Minettes back showed how badly
she had once been clawed by her mschlevous toI~
mentor. The most expensive OF Madame dc Murskas
pets were the parrots. They flew about her room,
porching everywhere and peching at everything.
once al the Queens Hotel Birmingham, they tore
with their beals the kid of valuable set OF chairs,
for which tho proprietor sent IN bill for $50 Tho
hotel bin OF tho prma donna was always OF tho most
alarming hind She had tho most extraorulnery
whims, and when signor sinco IN order 70 snow ue
eject OF parsley upon parrots gave 10 one OF her
birds enough parsley TO KIN II, nothing would satisfy
the dIsconsolate singer but TO have postmortem
examination on the body. This was at Glasgow, inc
most morton was made by two grave aud, no DOUBT
learned scotch practitioners Finding In the parrots
nav some green matter for when they eouin no'
satisfactorily account they came after long delbera
lion Ia Inc conclusion that the bird had been eating
tho green wall paper Of the sittlng-room and that
tho arsenic contained In The eolorlhg major a ma
caused Its DEATH Tho cost OF THIS oplion was Sloi
which Madame do Mursla paid without mrirmur.