The times., 1898-04-03
MUSICAL NOTES.

Nordica is a magic name always, and
never more, apparently, than when she
conjured I'D the roses red, the white and
navy blue ribbon streamers, and the
warm laudation which she evoked from
the audience at the Lafayette last Thurs
day afternoon. The orchestra was filled
and almost every available foot of stand
ing room within sight was occupied. The
entertainment was gala occasion, and il
was wholly a tribute to the glittering
personality Of the black-haired, Greek
brOWed. fashing-eyed soprano, for, though
her dignified assistants were generously
applauded. enthusiasm only reached the
frantic stage when she sang Forsters
Itch liebe dich.'' Then the patting OF
hands swelled TO a roar like waves on
beach, and there was no peace until the
wonderful singer was heard again. Her
highest achievement was reached in this
"Jch liebe dich," Of which the passion, the
romance, the dreamy tenderness were
published with an eloquence that seem
cd indispensable.
Her tenor, Evan Williams, reads poetry
and mystery and unutterable sadness in
Schumann's Moonlight" and his entire
performance was one of much imagina-
tion-0f somewhat more, indeed, and
displayed variety and beauty Of
tone-Quality Of rhythm, Of large and dis
cerning style The selection from Leh-
mann's In a Persian Garden" by the
baritone. ]. c. Dempsey, had the right
note Of tenderness without sentimental
~: he took Tschaikowsky' 'Serenade' at
q bewildering speed, but put more color
and accent into il than some Of those
VINO exploit its more ghOstly interpreta-
fion. GOunods superficial grand arias,'
even from the Queen Of Sheba,' cannot
convey much Of charTs TO listener in
this mystic age Of Wagner and List, even
when sung with such finesse and brilIian-
cy as Lillian Nordica lavished on them;
nor can the mock, insincere "Elegie," by
Massenet, do much more. She made a
disclosure Of both that can only compel
the highest admiration, but there was one
thing she could not do, and that was
make them, or the stiH more inferior COM
positions Of De Koven and Mcdowell, in
teresting. a cello piece by Finnish
composer Of unfamiliar name, Fitzenha-
gen, had 2 certain interest; a gloomy
song by Dvorak, Cloudy Heights" a
pretrily melOdic romance and a breathlcss
tarenteIla. composed by Mr.. Leo Stern.
All Of the performers, however, except the
great diva herself yielded with a some
what unwise readiness TO the audiences
demand FOR extra pieces.
In an interview Madame Nordica has
expressed herself as in accord with these
views:
Correct breathing is virtually ncces-
sary 10 a good quality Of tone, and how
10 sing with as little breath as possible
and without wasting that is an important
secret The excessive use Of breath is
the great and almost universal cause Of
bad singing An abnormal or unnatural
mode Of breathing, for example mani
tests itself by a muscular uplifting OF the
shoulders In men, and in women by the
elevation and expansion Of only the upper
part OF the chest Singers who breath In
this spasmOdic manner fail 10 have suffi-
cient left for easy phrasing. and appear TO
BE-, as they really are, always exhausted.
Another mode Of defective breathing in
wolves audible Inspiration this does not
I'll the lungs, dries the throat, and r0ugh-
ems the voice. An Inhalation is normal or
hyglenic when its central expansion is
al the Maist-the exaggerated breath OF
sleep or Of perfect repOse. Quickly and
slowly sip the air through your lips.
without lifting your shoulders; you win
feel your waist expanding; you expert
ence the natural effort for singing just
as the perfection Of an organ-tone would
be perceptibly impaired by the escape OF
air in the Wind-chest, so would a singer
impair his YOice-tones did he allow part
Of that breath which should complete the
requisite number Of variations essential
10 a perfect musical sound, 10 escape un>
vocalized. The neat intonation or attack
Of the first note OF a musical phrase, the