The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-12
She Charges Jean De Resxke with
Using His Influence To Dispiace Her
i'm Favor of Nine. MeIba.
ROW In OPERATIC CIRCLES
THAT MAY LEAD AMERICANS TO
SHOW THEIR PATRIOTISM.
Interview with the Yankee Songstresa
i'm which She Hints Foreigners
Are Trying to Injure Her.

NEW YORK, Nov. 11.-Mme. Lillian Nor
dica has started on a concert tour which
will take he to most OF the important I,
cities Of the country as far West as San
Francisco, and i'm an interview which a
Sun reporter had with her before her de-
parture she said positively that she would
not appear with the company at the Metro-
politan Opera House this winter. Nobody
regrets this more than the singer herself,
and she leaves New York with a very deep
pang of regret. Her lip trembled when she
told OF the circumstances which had com-
PEELED her TO refuse a re-engagement with
the company.
In order TO understand clearly Nine.
Nordicas own explanation of the case tt
will be necessary TO remember that Maurice
Grau returned to this country last summer.
and announced Wagner's two operas. Die
Walkure" and ''Siegfried." the principal
productions OF the season Jean de Reszke
was TO sing in both. In die WalkJrre" the
Brunnhilde was TO be Nine. Nordica, and
in ''Siegfried" Nine. Melba was TO combine
that role with the numbers of the Forest
Bird Mr. Grau said that Mime. Nordica
had not been re-engaged, but that IL was
CtTldll sHe WOULD De 1nemDer OF lnc
company. Three days later he returned to
Europe with the news that she positively
would not be engaged.
1t was said unofficially that there had
been a disagreement over the affairs of the
firm Of which she is a creditor to the
amount of 5000. Afterward Mime. Klafsky
was engaged TO sing her roles. and when
she died suddenly IL was AGAIN said that
Nine. Nordica would sing with the opera
company. This story was settled by the
engagement of Nine. Felia Litvinne Edou-
ard de ResZke's sister-in-law and the
planation given then was that Nine. Nor
dica had put up her prices TO $500 night.
Nine. Nordica has never before explained
the real facts of her failure 40 sing with the
company this year. and IL has been gen.
orally believed that she failed TO come to
understanding with the Abbey. Schoef-
fel * Grau Company TO the figure at
which her services were valued
swHAT NORDICA SAID.
1.-THE question OF terms would not have
interfered with my re-engagement," she
said the Sun reporter last evening" land
last -pring IL was understood that 1 was
to receive $1,000 night for my services this
year. thought it was only fair In view OF
the amount of work i was doing. and L
told NJ Grau that would take middle
cou was not going to demand sl.2oo
and large percentage as Jean de
ceives for singing Marguerite of Navarro
in The Huguenots.' nor ask that i be
paid as much as Mile. calve who receives
Sl4C0 night for singing in 'Cavalleria
Rusticana.' that lasts less than an hour.
But ] thought that for Isolde, Valentine,
and Elsa l WAS at least entitled to 81 900
singers. Jean de Reszke. with his large
percentage. has received as much as 5000
for one nights services, and for such a
part of Friar Laurence i'm Romeo and
Juliette Edouard de Reszke has received
81 000. / know this because have seen the
figures. i thought L was worth my one
thousand. and there was not the least dis
agreement about that until my signature
TO the plan of making stock company out
of the bankrupt firm had been secured
Then for the first time there was some
objection to paying me the figure which We
But the terms were finally arranged and
j was to return. Then IL was said that DIE
Walkure would be abandoned, as Edouard
| de Reszke was not willing to learn The part
of Wotan i'm both that opera and Siegfried'
| To my astonishment 1 learned that the role
| of Brunnhide in 'Siegfried' was to be given
| to Nine. Melba. and that L was 10 be the
solitary member OF the company that re-
| turned this winter without the opportunity
| of appearing i'm new role. L was the first
| singer to go into the Wagner operas. and
| for a season after had been at Bayreuth
| L sang here in Italian II the Wagner
movement was to go on here at the Metro
politan / was at least entitled TO be the
singer who should do IT. i demand no ex-
elusive possession of certain roles. think
! it is better for all of US the larger the
EepertMGres M are Nine this Yss n s erma9 GO
/ and Valentine in The Huegenots. ana
haven't the slightest objection TO her doing
so. Neither do L want TO take Julieue
! from Nine. Melba or Marguerite or Carmen
| from Mile. Calve. But do maintain that
ailowed oS e"s 70 create the new Wagner roles in
the operas TO be sung. as IL was who bore
the burden of that work last season The
| Brunnhilde IN 'Seigfried.' and felt tnat
ought to be allowed TO sing that part.
BETRAYED BY RESZKA-
II learned to my amazement that Nine.
MeIba got the role through the interfer-
ence of NJ Jean de Reszke. / was as much
wounded at heart when / heard the news
as though had been struck blow In the
face. But Nine sielba was very proud OF
the fact. and told it everywhere. NJ. de
| Reszke wrote her letter last summer after
leaving London. advising her to study the
| part and used his influence with Mr.. Grau
| TO see that IL was assigned to her. He is a
| powerful man, and his support means
| great deal I was thunderstruck. I had
| supposed that NJ de Reszke was my friend.
l thought that he had gone hand in hand
| here through the success Of Tristan and
Isolde and TO learn that he had been in
| strumental in preventing my having the
leading WASN'T @ roles o rins more y Uy Stl1
| to the men in the company urging them 10
study the parts that belong to NJ. de Reszke
| and then using whatever influence Il had
| TO that they got them
Mr. Grau was my friend. but he was
! powerless. Mr.. Abbey was "A stancs friend
| of Nine. Melba. and Mr.. Grau discovered
when he got here that Mr.. Abbey was go
| ing TO support her In the struggle for the
| roles Jean de Reszke urging Mr..
! Grau TO give the role TO Nine. Melba.
| There nothing Tor him TO do but to
| yield Then he knew that l would not re-
| turn with the company and said so. What
| NJ. de Reszke's motive may have been do
! not know. He may have wanted TO sing
| here in the company. but am at loss 10
| discover why his support should have been
| given 10 Nine. Melba I'm the effort TO de-
/ prive me OF my place i'm the company. i
| know nothing of Nine. Litvfnnes talents.
! but 7 am frank enough to say 10 the New
| York public that / hope she IL no better
than 1 am. and that my friends here will
/ miss me just little bit during the win
ter This is my own country and I have
made my progress here before my own pe1-
Pile They have seen me rise. and IL Is
/ doubly painful TO me that they should see
me driven out by foreigners. I have to go.
/ I am perfectly willing 20 admit But could
not have gone back 10 the Metropolitan I'm
| the position into which had been driven
and have retained any pride.
Nine. Nordica. whose family name is
Norton. is a native OF Maine and a grand
daughter OF ''Campmeeting' John Allen. a
New England preacher noted for the bitter
ness OF his attacks on the theater. Sse