The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-06

peatedly to the storm of applause that
followed the s'coon song" The manner
in which she hung to the last note as It
became fainter and fainter, but no mat
ter how soft and low still contained all
the sweetness of tone, until it finally
died away SO evenly that the audience
was not certain that the song had
ceased until Nine. Nordica bowed
One of the characteristics of Nordica' s
program was the quietnesS and softness
of her selections. In nearly every num-
ber the end came with some soft, mel
low note so full of sweetness that the
| audience was thrilled. f. Romayne Sim
mons introduced a number not on the
programme He played Chopins Pol
onafse' in c sharp minor. He is Ger
tainly one of the best pianists heard in
Topeka and he was given applause
enough to justify an encore.
Mime Nordica's next number was
Hahn'S Isl mes VerS'' (''Were My Songs
| With Wings Possessed'') and DeIibes'
''Filles de Cadix" C.Maids of Cadiz'O
She responded as an encore with My
Love for YOU Her encore was soft and
sweet and yet SO full of music that it
might be likened to some fine textile, so
delicate and yet so perfectly woven.
The infiammatus from Rossini's Sta
bat Mater" sung by NOrdica with the
chorus was one of the best numbers on
the programme The chorus acquitted
itself with honors under the direction of
Prof Penny Grieg's I'm Kahn" ('.1n
the BoaO and Richard Strauss ''Seren-
ade" brought as an encore another of
Nine. NOrdicas s famous numbers. when
Love is Kind The expression she gave
to the exclamation t'Ughl'' in the some
what humorous selection was wonder
fully done.
The number around which centered
the greatest interest was the last.
Brunnhildes Calf from Die Walkure''
by Wagner With that song Mime. Nor
dica is indebted to a great share of her
reputation. She has been pronounced
the creates 'Brunnhilde" who has ever
rd in he Va iar1
The legendary story of the call is that
'Wotan' charges his favorite daughter,
the virgin warrior "Brunnhilde" with
the fate of "Siegmund'' whom he wishes
to be victorious in his fight with
"Hunding." "Brunnhilde" is the fairest,
bravest and strongest of the nine maid
ems known as the .Xallyrie.' who car
ry the bodies of fallen heroes to Val
halla." .Brunnhilde" departs happy
with the mission entrusted to her, utter
ing her war cry which is clearly
Valkyries'' in the opera. The Banda
Rosa in the Auditorium played 1.-THE
Ride of the Valkyries' which is the
closing number in the second act of the
opeEa- 1t is in the beginning of the sec
ond act that .Brunnhilde's CALI is sung
and it gives an intimation of the tre-
medous crash of music that follows in
describing the ride above the clouds.
What Nordica sung in the closir.;
number in German translated is as fol-
lows:
'Ho-yo-to-ho! Ho-yo-to-ho!
Hei-a-hal Hei-a-hai
ieispisainIi Hei!a3hai Heilaoha! la9hs ? '0-H0'
R RHo-@yo-to-hoi 20 HEIo-yo-to-ihoII i1oI
Hei-a-ha! Ha! Ho-yo-to-hol
but listen. fatheri Look to thyself
Thou will soon suffer a storm, watch
ful F'riclxa, thy wife, arriveth in her ram
Hai How she grasps her golden
The foolish beasts are fainting for fear
wheels rafting and rolling whirl her here
In such disputes no part would I take,
though L am happy when heroes fight.
Take heed that thou find not defeat, for
lightly L leave thee to fate"
AT the close of the words the entire call
is repeated.
The strident shout of the 'sValIxyrie'' is
of the operas of the great musician. 1t
is a phrase of IS bars, complete in itself,
-<almOst Immediately afterwards without
the least change of melody. harmony or
a shout throbbing with JOY, pulsing with
the excitement of war and defiant. The
expression of her voice. her features. the
toss of her head and suddenness was Won
clad goddess of was marvelously
expressed NordieaS S singing is pleas nd
naturalness The manner in which
she attacked a note and the way
to fray out or be marred by any rough
ness is remarkable. The highest note she
sang was high c.. which was heard above
the chorus in the 1nfiammatus. Nine
Nordica's intonation was perfect. Her
range was something that could not
fail to impress and the dramatic fer
'.Brunnhilde'' No wonder she has sung the
part at Beyreuth. the home of Wagner's
a wonderful voice. Nordica is everything
that diva has to be-