The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-09
MISS RUSSELL At HOME
A VISIT TO THE PRIMA DoNNA's EN-
GLIsH PLACE DESCRIBED.
Some of the Ways Of the American
Who Is 10 Sing at the Indian
apoIis Festival.

one of the leading English periodicals, con-
tains an account of a writer's visit to Miss
Ella Russell. the great American prima
donna. who is to sing at the Indianapolis
May music festival. Miss Russell was IN
England at the time of the visit. The ar
tlcle follows:
/ was received i'm her little study and
writing room. the walls of which are pic
turesquely hung with the ribbons of what
the profession and the press call floral
tributes" Each bears an inscription, Eng
lish, French, German, and so on. for you
must know that Miss Russell is quite as
we'll known on the continent as in this
country. on one ribbon which accom-
panied a floral cage containing a white
dove is the charming assurance, which
none but an artist in compliments could
have turned, "Quand Get oiseau chantera,
notre amour passera." And TO another,
ITO the most charming Cleveland girl" is
the superscription, and the signature THE
both friends" Miss Russell has long ago
forgiven her two friends in Lemberg for
so maltreatiag the name of her native place
and English grammar.
"Yes," said Miss Russell. Cleveland. G.,
is my birthplace. But before 1 tell you
anything about myself you must come and
~ NY PN1N II ~ - CN~ NA4AAo = 0-
proud Of It is my old oak.
AS we were leaving the little room 1
caught sight, with the tail of my eye, of a
certain notorious volume.
You nave been reading The Sorrows of
p" I was beginning, when Miss Rus
sell interrupted me.
20, I admit it" she cried cheerfully; but
! don't like it. I see several more ques-
lions in your eye. / am going to answer
them and you can arrange them to suit
yourself. No. / do not bike, and don't
like to see women on wheels. | do not be-
lieve in the new woman: she does not ex-
list. and If she did she would be the old one
by this time. What do l like most? Music
first, second and all the time: and, next
to music, animals; and, next to animals,
well, old oak"
And certainly Miss Russell possesses some
fine specimens of it: The entrance hall at
The Elms is a collectors Joy forever
The old-fashioned oak fireplace. the oak
dado, the oak settee with panels after
Teniers, the old French tapestry-but one
might enumerate until the tenth command
ment were in a thousand pieces. / fol-
lowed Miss Russell over her charming
house, admiring and coveting, until we
came to the music room which Miss Russell
has had especially designed and constructed
for her. Here are busts of Wagner Can
especial ~favorite of Miss RusselD, Weber,
Rossini, Mendelssohn, Verdi, and so on;
and in the great bow window Is MI; Mar
genius of the grove"
A DUET WITH A TERRIER.
"Now," said Miss Russell, 81 am going
to let you hear the funniest duet in the
world" And she went to the door and
called Paddy"
A hurry-skurry of flying feet, and a why
little Irish terrier shot into the room, con-
scious of his own Importance. "A lady
friend sat down at the grand piano to ac-
company, and Miss Russell burst into the
List setting of. the Lorelei. When she
came to the imprisoned setting of the agi-
tato, Paddy sat bolt upright and lifted his
voice in melody. He did not give vent to
o II prolonged note; no, he modulated his
voice, he quaVered con eXpreSSiOne, and as
the song came to it's close he scared to a
dazzling crescendo. But | am afraid Pad
dy's top note was drowned in shrleks OF
When l had composed my features to a
decent decorum, / said, Now, please, L
want to know something of your career.
Tell me all the most interesting things
The most interesting thing" said Miss
Russell, SIS success, and / may say | have
had a succession of successes. / began my
career at home in Cleveland, at the Con-
l left home quite young; Max S~trakosch
advised me to come to Europe. l went to
Paris and studied under Madame De la
Grange, whose autograph photograph you
see on the mantel shelf
We'll and your debut?"
ut was in II ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Prato. in Tuscany. 1 did so well that soon
afterwards got engagements for Flor
ence, Turin and La Scala, Milan. That was
in 1882. Afterwards l did the whole round
of the continent-Vfenna, Paris, Buda
Pesth, Prague, Warsaw, st. Petersburg,
Berlin, Madrid, Lisbon and goodness only
knows where. Yes, J. love continental au-
d~iences; they're not afraid of showing their
appreciation, and you don't know how
much that helps an artist
Remembering o~vations / had seen Miss
Russell receive from London audiences, L
asked, p you find the English audiences
tive shan t
"0h, no. Quite the contrary. But an
English audience never loses itself. If you
want to see overlooking enthusiasm you
want to go to Italy, Scotland, Ireland or
When did you max your first appear
ance in England"
In 1856, when 1 appeared at Covent Gar
den under the direction of Signor Lego.
And since then 1 have been busy with
OPERA long spell with the Carl Rosa
company-or o%ratorio, all work, work,
work. Do you know my operate repertoire
is so long that l cannot count the items"
You can tell me a few, perhaps" l said,
Miss Russell took a deep breath and be-
II Trovatore.' Lucia Donna Linda
Dichamounix,' 'Dinorah,' 'Puritani,' Err
ami Aida La Traviata,' 'Otello,' Les
H~uegenots, Boito's 'Mefstofele,' 'Lohen-
grin The Flying Dutchman, Tam
hauser, The Barber of Seville Wilhelm
Tell The Pearl Fisher, LAmico Fritz,
The Marriage of Figaro Don Giovanni
~ warned you the list was a long one"
And the list of oratorios?' l said.
Oh, l am not going 10 weary You with
another catalogue. From 1883 to the present
I have sung in oratoriO almost everywhere,
all over the country. L made my first APP
pearance at the Handel festival in 1894, and
1 am ~re-engaged for this years festival"
Among your many triumphs," said, lis
there any particular one you remember
with especial pleasure?"
HER EXPERIENCE IN EDINBURGH.
Yes. I think the most delightful ex-
perience L ever had is when 1 went to
Edinburgh three years ago to sing at a
charity concert. After the concert the stu
dents of the university took the horses out.
OF my carriage and drew me back to my
hotel. Their enthusiasm did not stop there,
for afterward they presented me with a
diamond bracelet bearing the arms of
Edinburgh University
But, now, what about your prospects for
the future %
wei in a couple of days I start for
the States to undertake a cycle of Wagner
roles under Mr.. Walter Damrosch. it is
my first visit TO the States since / left
home. If YOU come here L will let you see
something"
Following Miss Russell to an adjoining
room ! saw pile on pile of dresses to be
worn by her during her American tour:
but as l do not profess to be an authority
on matters feminine, ] must leave them
alone. After / had made a tour of the
grounds about The Elms. been introduced
10 Miss RueSallfS Sp1anNid 81 Rnruar3e