The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-11-12
NOT TO SING IN OPERA.
MME. NORDICA UfLLAOTBE HEARD
INNEw YORK TINS sEAsON.
lean do Eesrke said to Have Plotted
Against the American Queen OF
Song and Caused Her Removal.

rri,ts tho following article which will
be read with interest by the musicians of
this city:
Nine. Lillian Nordica started last
night on a concert tour which Will take
her to most Of the important cities of
the country as far West as San Francis
co. and in an interview which a Sun re-
porter had with her before her departure
she said positively that she would not
appear with the company at the Metro
politan opera House this winter No
body regrets this more than the singer
| herself, and she leaves New York with
a very deep pang OF regret. Her lip trem-
bled and tears came nto her eyes last
night when sac told Of the circumstances
which had compelled her to refuse re-
engagement with the company.
! In order to understand clearly Nine.
Nordica's own explanation of the case it
/ will be necessary 10 remember that Maui
| rice Grau returned 10 this country last
| summer. ana announced Wagner's two
| operas Die Walkure," and "Siegfried."
| as the principal productions of the sea-
son. Jean de Reszke was TO sing in
both. In Die Walkure" the Brunnhilde
was 10 be Nine. NOrdica. and in "Sieg-
| role with the numbers of the Forest Bird.
| Mr.. Grau said that Nine. Nordica had
not been re-engaged but that IL was GER
tain she would be member Of the com.
pany Three days later he returned to
Europe with the news that she positively
would not be engaged.
1t is said unoficially that there has
been disagreement over the affairs or
the firm Of which she is a creditor to the
|f..F. limo.
Klafsky was engaged TO sing her roles.
and when She died suddenly it, was again
said that Nine Nordica would sing with
| the opera company. That story was set
! tied by the engagement of Nine. Felia
/ litvnno Edouard de Rcszkes sister-in-
| law. and the explanation given then was
that Nine. Nordica had put mp her prices
/ TO $500 a. night. Nine. Nordica has
never before explained the real facts of
/ her failure TO sing with the company this
year and it has been generally believed
that She failed TO come 10 an understand
ing with the Abbey. Schoefel & Grau
Company as to the figure at which her
services were valued.
NOT \ QUESTION OF MONEY.
"The question of terms would not have
interfered with my re-engagement,' she
said 10 the sun reporter last evening,
"and last spring it was understood that
! I Was TO receive 1000 a night for my
services this year. j thought 10 was only
! fair in view Of the amount Of work l
was doing. and / told Mr. Grau that L
would take middle course. / was not
| going 10 demand Sl.-0J and large per-
| cCntage. as JeIne De Reszke gets, nor
| 81 .2oO. as Nile. Meiba receives for singing
| Marguerite or Navarro In The Hugue-
| nots.' nor ask that ] be paid as mucn IS
for singing i'm 'Calvalleria Rusticana,'
that lasts less than an hour. But l
thought that for Isolde Valentine and
Elsa / was at least entitled 10 $1,000 in
! view Of the sums paid 10 the foreign
| singers. Jean De Rcszke with his large
| percentage has received as much as $500
| for one nights service, and for such a
| part as Friar Laurence i'm Romeo and
| Juliette' Edouard DE Reszke has re-
ceiyed $1,000. L know this because rave
! seen the figures l thought ! was worth
my one thousand. and there was rot
| tho least disagreement about that Until
! M signature TO the plan # making 4
stock company out Of the bankrupt firm
| had been secured. Then. for the irSt
| time thers was some objection 20 Ia,inS
me the figure which had been agreed
upon.
NOT ENGAGED THIS SEAS ~.
"Rut the terms were finally arranged
and / was to return. Then il was SAID
| that Die Walkure would be abdnIoA"d
as Edouard De Reszke was not wing
TO learn the part of Wotan i'm botn r1at
| ,nera and 'SicgCried' TO my aStOnisnr1cnt
| learned that the role of Brunnhide In
Sicefried was 10 Dee given 20 Mime. NJ ba,
| and that 1 was TO Doe the solitary NOM
| bor Of the company that returned ms
! winter without tho opportunity ~ ap-
| nearing i'm 81 new role. / was the ifft
| .ineer to 90 into the Wagner op-fds, and
for n season after bad been at B1yfe'ih
| I sang here I'm Italian. II the " am ~
| mc,emcnt was o. go on mere az m -'t'-
| ropolitan / Wa. at least enuiiet 40 n.
| tho singer who should do IT, nein 'lh
| uo exclusive possession Of certain fDi %.
think il is better for all OF us the
| iaroe~ the repcrt0ires are. Mime hirl''
| g., "a sin0 Elsa in 'LOhengrin' this year
| H.. German and Valentine in The tI'st
! mott and / haven't the slightest o'F
ttc, IN her doing SEQ. Neither d. ! want
! 80 toxic JuIfctte from Nine. N'i.A ~
/ Marguerite or carmen from Mic co. -
Rut do maintain that II Is only mr.
| Justice that ] should he aHoN =" 49,. 80
| a. now wagner roles in the operas 10
W. s,,ro as fl was who bore the hu,1eh
- ,hot work last season. The 1Din.loh-
-, - mic Walkure' left only bruh-
men .s,o,fried and l felt that l
o,,,bt 10 bo allowed TO sing that part
HOW SHE COT 1T.
80, 60 ,,,,. anazement that Nine.
Nh, ,ot the role through the ihteri'i-
/ -,c. of n Jean de- Reszke. l Wa ~
,,,,cb wounded 40 heart wheh h'@'u
NV. ,,o,,,s os though 1 had been struck
~. IN ,be face. But Nine. Media was
80, ,,roud of the fact. ANA told II every
49, N de Reszke wrote her
| tlttor last summer after leaving Lon
| aon ,dyisinr her to study the part ana
l tt, inauence with NJ. Grau to see
~ - WIS ASSIGNED TO hcr. lie Is
ro,rerf,l man. and his support means Il
ut doal was thundcr-struck. h"n
5,,,os,d that NJ Dc Reszke was my
fr,ond I thought that he had gone mana
! 49, md bore through the success
| of Tristan and Isidore.' and TO learn
! hot he had been instrumental in pre-
,entinr nv having the leading Wagner
| - - more of shock than can tell
| ,.o, Imagine ms writing TO the men
| ~ tho COMPANY. urging them 10 study
che narts that belong 10 NJ. dc Roszke
! and then using whatever influence / H"u
to sec that they got them
MR.. GRAU POWERLEsS.
"Afr. Grau was my friend but he was
| nowerless. Mr.. Abbey was a staunch
| friend of Nine Nlelha. and Mr. Grau
| discovered when De- got here that he was
going 10 support her IN the struggle
| for the roles. Jean de Reszke was
| urging Mr.. Grau 20 give the role TO Nine.
| ~ a., ,rt.ro ,...s ofhiug for him TO