The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-14
TIE SCRANTON TRIBUNE THURSDAY NOVEMBER H. 1901

| wants to sing and knows she can sing
will iind the beginnings of n career III
her own home world far more swiftly
than in Il strange, foreign laud. Here
at home she gets opportunities To sing
In concerts, in the church choir and ar
tcrward in more pretentious surrounds
ings. but here Is her public always
waiting with It's verdict and ;Iore, too.
is the chance tn gain confidence and
| ease and grace before her little world.
| The after things Will be less difficult.
All these precious advantages are lost
abroad. But she must know that she
is entering upon a life of sclf-SaCiiliCc.
of hard and wcarisome toll. but she
must not mind ii. She musr not be
distracted by the diversions about her
nor by the pleasures which youth loves.
These are not for her. If they call 10
her and she listens, the genius of art
will vanish and for her life will bc n
failure"
In response To question, Madame
| Nordica said. II knew I had Il voice
| very early. but nobody else knew it or
would believe 1t. I set myself to tho
effort OF convincing those people. Now
| they are nearly all convinced 'Titen
she added. retlectively, Except the
ones who are no more alive.
HER BIRTHPLACE.
| Madame Nordica was born in Farm
Iington. Maine. Her first professional
work was in church choir in Boston.
Later she received IL thousand dollars
a year in n Boston church which was
q very high salary at that time. She
| was but sixteen years old, so it must
have been that people We're becoming
convinced that she had Il voice. She
was Lillian Norton at that time, and
| it was not until years thereafter when
she made her debut in Italy that the
easy evolution into "Nordica'' was
noted
Perhaps the greatest triumph in a
life full of triuinphs was only this sea-
son when she was selected as the one
singer capable Of interpreting Isolde"
at the opening of the new Wagner
opera house in Munich. the music cen-
ter of Germany. The greatest singers
of Europe had been engaged to fill the
leading roles in ''Trstan and Isolde"
The first performance was n fiat fail
ure. Madame Nordica was cast for
the leading role in the second perform
ancc with the same singers who had
made a fiasco She went on the stage
with the cold, half-hostilc attitude Of
conservative German criticism toward
all American confronting her. The
ovation she received at the conclusion
of the presentation was something UNI
recorded heretofore in German annals.
Not only had she surprised her au-
dicnce, but was herself amazed at the
triumph she had won. She had been
engaged for four performances. She
sang seven and has been urgently
invited to sing there next season as the |
star of the festival. Her engagement |
in Wasneran opera in Covent Garden. |
London, will probably preclude the |
acceptance of the one in Munich.
1t was while in Munich that Madame |
Nordica was overcome with grief to |
hear of the death of President Nc
kinley.
"A cousin of President Roosevclt's,
Miss Roosevelt Scovell of New York.
who was with me at the time and my
self We're the only Americans who, I
believe, went into mourning In Mum
ich."
She said yesterday in speaking of the
incident: Il cannot tell you how much
] was touched by the visit Of the
Duchesse OF Mechlenberg-Schw
ent her condolences and who wore
heavy black in Difference to the sorrow
felt in the death OF our president"
TRAVELS IN PRIVATE CAR.
Madame Nordica, as all the world
knows, travels in her private car and
lives in the luxury which one who car
ries always IL priceless nightingale in
her throat must needs live in order to
preserve her treasure. The gowns
which she brought from Paris are mar
rels in their way. They are from
Worth. and that is enough to say. One,
\ "papillon" affair. Is of white satin,
covered with "a shimmering mass of
seQuins embroidered on lace, with odd
little floating wing-like sleeves of cob
webby texture. Another is IA gorgeous
cloth of gold costume, shading into the
enderest rose pink. She was puzzled
o decide what to wear in the great
,rmory tonight, and the only assist
,nce one could give was to cxclaim:
oh. dear lady wear both. First the
White and then the pink"
Last night at the rehearsal she Wore
l rarely becoming costume of pale bro
,ade striped in empire design, and
ut in the empire mode. 1t was low
It the throat and softly round that
throat she Wore a coliarette
II the whitest sWansdown. \ black
ace hat set off the gown and gave il
character.
She was delighted with the armory
md maweled greatly at such an im-
neMse auditorium. The orchestra
'leasea her exceedingly, and when the
'ig audience hears her tonight in that =
ong of Iclsa's With our own Symphony
orchestra they Will be more pleased.
'he sounding board is in place and the
fleet was everything that could be
esired.
AS some difficulty was experienced in
tting the orchestraton TO the music
eceiVed for the angels Ever Bright
nd Fair" it is probable that Madame
Sordica will substitute Il splendid aria
rom /; Hungarian opera. She may he
for being partial to these
for her husband Zoltan
'ome, is Of Hungarian birth, Their /.
ONE is in London. ]