Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-31

Genoa, and Alice in "Robert le Diable'
at Novara. In the same year, further
mere, she went to st. Petersburg as Il
the famous tenor, Masini and Sofia Seal
Chi. The assassination of the czar brought
the season to an abruqt close. and Nine.
sang at Dantsic, konigsberg and Berlin.
Her reputation was now thoroughly es-
tablished, and she was offered line en-
gasement as leading soprano of the
Grand opera, Paris. She made her de-
but there on July q, 1881, as Marguerite in
| Faust" On December % she sang OphelIa
/ in Hamlet While she was in Paris she
met Frederic Cover, a newspaper man of
Providence r. l., and ne sought her hand
in marriage His lis suit was regarded with
Mrs. Cover. This marriage did not prove
to be a happy one, and in 1885 the fair So
prano set about securing her freedom.
Her suit dragged its slow. length along
for time, and then came the news that
, Mr.. Cover had been lost while making II
balloon trip across the English channel.
At any rate. he went UP in balloon and
never came back.
In 1883 Colonel Mapleson engaged Nine.
Nordica, who used to call her first name
and she made her debut November 70 of
that year as Marguerite i'll Faust" She
did not achieve a brilliant success with her
countrymen at the outset, but she made
3 favorable impression. She was more sue
cessful in concert and oratorio. and at
once secured a number of excellent en-
Nine Nordica was not regular mem
ber of the metropolitan opera house COM
pany in its first season under the direc
tion of Abbey. Schofield & Grau. She was
in this country on a concert tour. On De-
cemher IS. 1891. Les Huguenots" was given
on the third evening of the season. Nine.
Albani was to have sung Valentine. but
she was ill., and the telegraph summoned
Nine. Nordica from Cleveland. Her success
was, of course not doubtful for her per-
/ fOTmlncp hppn
lar in the Mapleson days at the Academy.
Still, Nine: Nordica was not a great pub
lie favo-ite then, and throughout that
season she served simply as stopgap. On
December 9. 1898. the third evening of the
series. she reappeared as regular MEM
ber of the company, singing Elsa in Los
sing the part the following summer at the
Baireuth festival lent special interest to
fine intelligence, but was generally regard
ell as deficient in warmth and tenderness.
On January 81 1884. she made decided
success as Susanna in lie NoZze di FL
CARO-. and on April Is. in the supplement-
ary season. she surprised the casual OBJ
servers and gave them thoughtful food for
reflection by a notably fine performance
of the title role of Aida" Nevertheless.
1t must be admitted that Nine Nordica
had so few opportunities to display the
full measure of her powers in that sea-
son that she did not achieve the distinction
which she could have reached then and did
Subsequently attain.
response to Il pressing invitation from
Cosmima Wagner sang Elsa in German in
the sacred faStSpielhaus at Baireuth. BY
force of comparison with the rough vocal
ization of the German sopranos. Nine.
NCrdica's art shone with the brilliancy of
n new star. She achieved sensational
success. and was promptly engaged to sing
in Berlin and other German cities. The
German critics covered her with praise
and the public with adulation. She re-
turned TO America in the fall and made
her temperance at the Metropolitan opera
house on December ., singing Elsa in
Italian. Her performance showed the re-
suits of the Baireuth experience in clear
er and more correct conception of the role.
and introduction of much significant action.
On December 10 she made ore of her last
attempts at colorature singing. appearing
as Filina in .'Mignon. Her voice and
style had broadened too much TO admit
of success in feats of vocal agility. Sne
was not long in perceiving this herself,
and ultimately abandoned coiorature parts
She was n member of the famous "Hugue-
nots'' cast of December g. the others be-
ing Melba. Scalchi. the de Reszkes. Plan
con and Maurel. In the same season she
sang in L,Africaine,, -, and Donna Anna
Nine Nordica made her first appearance
as Elsa on November % 1895 The great
triumph OF her career, the fullest reyela-
ton of her powers came on November 81
when she sang Isolde in Wagners music
drama, Tristan and Isolde" with Jean
de Reszke as Tristan and Edouard as
King Mark. On December she surprised
all her admirers by giving a highly dra-
matte performance of Marguerite in Gou-
mods Faust
Owing to /; disagreement about the al
Iotment of parts. Nine. Nordica was not
re-engaged for the opera this season. She
made her re-entry in New York on the
the soprano part in Verdfs ''Manzoni'
requiem with the oratorio society at Car