Omaha daily bee., 1897-12-05
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Nine Lillian Nordica, we'll remembered by
the musical public Of this city, will appear at
Boyds theater Friday evening, December H.
The triumph of a year ago is to be repeated; ;
the greatest singer this country ever pro-
duced is again in her own land and will visit
the metropolis of the middle west This Is
an event which merits the attention of every
musically inclined person in Omaha, for this
city is one of the very few that will have
the pleasure of greeting this great artist in
concert this year. Walter Damrosch, than
whom there is no more astute manager in
the country could not afford to let Nine.
Nordica trIvel about among the large cities
anticipating his coming, and Furthermore he
could not find another singer to I'LL accept
ably many of the roles he has TO I'LL IN MIS-
opera company, so he engaged Nine. Nordica,
practically buying her time OF her managers,
paying not only her salnry but a handsome
profit to them. Such is the high rank ac-
corded to Nordca by this manager composer
conductor. that even after he had German
singers for his German opera, Italian sing
ers for his Italian opera, French singers Tor
hi1 French opera, he must engage the great
American, for she can sing his German opera
in German. his Italian opera in Italian and
his French opera in French. All schools OF
composition are at her command, for she mas
mustered them all.
At the Eayreuth Wagner festival three
years ago she excelled the German artists in
her Interpretation of the Wagner parts as
signed to her. Two years ago she re-
created in New York the wonderful part OF
Isolde in Wagners Tristan and Isolde.
Melba jenlous of her asCendancy, tried the
following year to rival her by singing Brun-
hide in "Siegfried,' but failed ANONYMOUSLY
to interpret the role and nearly ruined her
beautiful voice. In the very same part, later
on last season, just after her visit to Omaha,
Nordica scored magnificent success In Chl-
cago Nordioi Is the one singer In the world
who seems able to sing well all kinds and
STYLES of music She has all the technique of
the Italian school 1t existed in the time
of Rossini and all the dramatic grandeur
of the German school as embodied in the
music dramas of Wagner. She sings Gounod
in French or luilian, as the occasion re-
quires and can appear as Lecnora in ''TToy-
atore," Valentine in THE Huguenats' and
Isolde in Tristan and Isolde" all in sue
cesslon and do every part full justice.
At Mr.. Buffers organ recital last Sum
day afternoon Dean Fair made some remarks
that should have been heard by every man
and woman in this city who are Interested
in the welfare of music. 1t seems that some
irreverent persons have been putting but
tons in the collection. That is pretty bad,
but only few could plead guilty OF putting
in even button The dean said that be-
cause the lack of appreciation was so evident
and so indubltable there would be but one
more recital. This conclusion of the mat
| ter but fulflls the conclusion reached sew
eral weeks ago by The Bee and is only one
| more instance of the we'll known fact thai
people value things according to their
actual cost rather than according to their
real worth. A performance that costs moth
| ing is worth nothing to the average listener.
| If he can get in for nothing he is 10th TO
pay anything to get out.
Among the many sentences pertinent TO
musical matters in this city one must be
quoted. The dean said: Unless we stand
by the musicians of America and give them
what they so richly deserve we should be
! ashamed of ourselves and 1t should be
great while before we may again expect
their aid" The musicians have Joined with
the church in carrying forward these organ
recitals and have done so without remunera-
tion. The DEAN as the head of the church
where their services have been rendered,
| feels a gratitude which he misses on the
part of those who contribute buttons or
nothing to the collections. II the people who
attend the recitas refuse to give anything
| to the cause to which their offerings are
to be devoted. the dean Is right in thinking
! that they are not interested either in music
or the charity sufficiently to contribute any
thing but their magnificent presence, which.
however valuable to them, viii neither buy
| food for the hungry nor take away their ap-
petites. The dean was especially outSpoken
in favor OF the American musician. II is
in the American that we should have the
most interest because II we are ever to have
any American music Ii will have TO be pro-
duced by Americans. II is seldom that we
hear a voice from the pulpit crying out in
behalf of god music and in the interest of
the musician, yet the pulpit is a power sec
ond to none for the upbuilding of the divine
art in the hearts of the masses OF the
people Is not its duty equal to It's oppor-
Thirty-eight years ago Charles Gounod
produced an opera called Faust In Paris
and achieved a success that placed him In
the front rank of dramatic composers He
was then Al years OF age and II was not ex-