The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-27
THEATRICAL NEWS
Mile. de Lussan Coming to the
Auditorium.
This Will Be the Musical Event
OF the Season.
THE GREATEST CARMEN
Recital Under Auspices Topeka
Choral Society.
News of the Plays and the
Players.
THE GREATEST CARMEN

The appearance of Mile. Zelie de LUIS
san in a song recital at the Auditorium
the night after Christmas under the
auspices of the Topeka Choral society.
will be the principal musical event OF
the winter season.
1t was Mime. Nordica who set the
pace for grand opera prima donnas to
desert the large companies to tour the
country alone in song recitals. Nine
Nordica's success was unquestionable.
from both an artistic and financial
standpoint. The field has been opened
for other operate stars. Mile. de Lus-
san is the latest recruit enlisted by
Manager Loudon G. Charlton, who was
manager of Nine. Nordica's tour.
Nordica is known as the greatest
"Brunnhilde" Mile. de Lussan is prob
ably as great a Carmen" as the music
world has known. She will be heard as
Carmen" in her Topeka recital The
choral society expects that the triumph
of Nordica will be equaled or even sur
passed by Mile. de Lussan. AS before.
popular prices will prevail. and the spa
cious Auditorium will be packed again.
Mile. de Lussan is an American. She
is the descendant of one of the Oldest
families of the French nobility. She IS
the representative of the fourth genera
ton of famous singers, and was born
and bred In New York city. She calls
all Americans my people" and herself
a loyal and enthusiastic American, not
withstanding the fact that some OF
her most brilliant artistic and social
triumphs have been made in England
and continental Europe.
In 1886 Mile. de LuSSan made her
debut in English opera in the United
States as airline in 1.-The Bohemian
Girl" In 1889 she went to Europe to
fill an engagement at Covent Garden.
where she has sung every summer
since-thirteen consecutive seasons-an
almost unprecedented record.
Three commands" within the year
(1SS9-'90) to sing before Queen Victoria
0f Ia Dnerivr ont
Fra Diavola' and Carmen" is an
other remarkable honor-one never be-
fore extended to an American-and as
a consequence Mile. de Lussan received
the sobriquet of THE Queens Own, T.
which is still accorded her.
Besides the royal opera engagements
at Covent Garden, she sang each winter
with the Carl Rosa company until 1884,
Metropolitan opera forces under Maui
rice Grau, when she created the role of
'.Nanetta" in "Falstaff." In the winter
of 1895 and 1896 she sang in Spain, Por-
tugal and Paris, achieving enormous
successes in her now famous roles of
Carmen which she has sung nearly
six hundred times; ''Mignon," Media in
marie n aer1na File II Do R ead
ment." and Cherubino in "Nozze de
Figaro"
In 1897 she again returned to America
with Nine. Melba and a picked company
the Pacific coast. 1t was during this
season that Mile. de Lussan added
Musette, in LA Boheme," to her long
repertoire of operate triumphs.
Besides the roles mentioned, she ere
ated that of Juliette in English, Des-
demona in Verdis "Otello," and Mar
guerite in Berlioz's "Damnation of
Faust the latter a memorable event,
in that Sir Charles Halle, who intro
duced the work to the British public.
conducted the three first performances.
In addition to her brilliantly beautiful
mezzo-soprano voice, which lends itself
as readily to dramatic as to coloratura
music, Mile. de Lussan has notable per-
sonal attraction-beauty of face and fig
ure, distinguished grace and dignity,
and irresistible magnetic charm.
Her recital programmes will be made
up of selections from her long list of op-
cratic roles and songs by French, Eng
lish and italian composers, of which she
has a large and varied repertoire. AL
though Mile. de Lussan has sung with
tremendous success 1T state and other
great concerts abroad, this will be the
first time she has ever been heard in
concert in her native country. Com
mencing in November, the tour will in
clude Canada, Texas and the Pacific
coast, and will extend to May. 1903.