The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-20
MISS RUSSELL HERE.
A Typical BrunnhiIde-A Chat About
Herself.


Miss Ella Russell, the soprano soloist of
the May festival for Friday night,
arrived yesterday from New York ac-
companied by her husband, Signor
Rhigini, and her secretary, Mr.. Van
Vleet, fatigued with the long journey and
the heat After an hour of repose in the
afternoon she was in mood for converse
ton and talked entertainingly of herself
and her art. In speaking of her singing
In the Wagner programme tomorrow even
ing she was asked which part in Wagner
roles she preferred and said
Il always like the one 1 study last. Just
now l am busy with Brunnhilde and love
it, I studied that with Frau Klafsky S
husband Herr Lohse. Shall 1 tell you
what he said? No. and she begged her
husband or Mr.. Van VIeet to say, but
they were silent and she continued, Il do
not like to sound my own praises, but Herr
Lohse said that he had never heard an
American sing Wagner as we'll as l." and
she laughed as she repeated the cOmpli-
ment MY voice is naturally high So
prano. / do not know what it is to be
taught to sing high note. 1 have heard
it talked about but / have never had that
to do, and in that particular 1 am for
tunate.' 7r
Miss Russell is an ideal Brunnhilde in
appearance. She is tall and majestic, with
a commanding presence and firm, queenly
poise of her head. Her hair is the lightest
brown with hints of gold, and it grows in
waves from temple to ears with soft full
ness. She has the clear, peachy complexion
of an EnglishWoman and perfect teeth. She
is the perfection of a well-groomed dowan,
as the expression goes AS she talked she
picked up copy of the festival programme
to look at the picture Of Mr.. Van der
Stucken, and remarked his fine head and
noticed particularly the slOping of the eye
to the outer corner and the fullness just
above it.
THAT is the mark of musician" said
she. MY mother always told me SO and
you see it here. Miss Walker has it also.
Do you know 1 think Miss Walker is a pref
ty edition of Scalchi. She has the same
general appearance.
Miss Russell is fond of walking and does
not yet know how to ride a wheel although
her husband desires her to learn when she
returns to England. Her great delight is
in her home in London or rather just out
of London. She described her home, quite
the center of an American lot of friends, as
q pretty cottage set in a patch of seven
acres of ground. When she desires to ride
she goes out with her husband in the trap.
She is fond of dogs and has four-three St.
Demands and her singing collie, the latter
quite an accomplished canine a paddock
allows ample room for the exercise of her
pets She was enthusiastic about ''splen-
did big rocking cnalf win patent TOCheTS
and covered with leather" which she
bought in Columbus, and which she will
take to her home in England. While she is
not the first to take a rocking chair to
England, hers will be one of the few houses
that has one.
In speaking about the cantata 1.-THE Swan
and the Sky7ark" she said she sang in 1t
two weeks ago in Chicago Mr.. Ben Davies
taking part. She was sitting next to him
on the platform and when he sat down he
remarked about some passage that had unl
usual notes for him to sing Just bellows
them in the audience sat several persons
with the score in their hands and they
looked up and smiled. When asked If see
ing persons following the score ever an
noyed her, Miss Russell said that now it
did not although it had sometimes former
w. 'Why, in England and particularly in
Berlin they always used to follow the
music but I believe that now the lights
are turned down in Berlin and | think it
is very well, for it stops the flirting in the
boxes and the people pay more attention
to the performance"
Miss Russell has recently sung in Hart
ford, Conn., at a festival with great sue
cess the audience almost rising to its feet
in its enthusiasm.
Miss Russell will sing tomorrow evening
in the duet from the Flying Dutchman"
and also in the "Tannhauser'' number. She
when she will leave for New York, and a
week from Saturday she will return to her
home in England. In June Miss Russell
will sing at the great Handel festival in
London. These festivals are given once in
three years and Miss Russell sang at the
one in 1884 and was one of the first artists
engaged for this season.