The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-10-16
NORD|CA AN ACTOR
ON WORLDS STACE
Strange and Brilliant
Career of Lillian Norton.
MASTERED WAGNER

Tor Opera In Italy ana Won
10 Primacy Among All
ITima Donna.
The auu4- Prlma Donna Lillian
EorIte4. vho ~aI sItg I'm Raleigh
Friday was Born Lillian Ne4ta. 8 ta
email taun of Pennington. la Maine
Both her parents H.-, musical. being
noted fac taeir vocal ability ana be-
tGg noted figures IL the local concerts
i taelr time. Tier aueestr> j. Puritan
,and She is a member ~ tHc Society
Il Colonial DANES Through J#ln TIA
ey and John Rowland
The future operate star showed IT.
very earIy eirhood her great ability
At the age OF sixteen sh. was \ singer
in a church ,aoir In Boston Al u salary
of $1,000 a Year. the highest price ever
paid heretofore in that cltN Tor a
hoir singer. Her real career began
however. with Gtlmores Band. ia
, New York. at Madison square Garden
Ill was With Giiuores Band that
lillian Norton first became known te
ne world travelling over the United
states with that organization ana tour
ing tGe continent al Europe - we'll
And il was through tn. moa-y she
earned in that capacity that she was
enabled To studH in Italy for the
cratic roles to which she had always
| lNI'iAfA- Wi ~ '%&+te 3# s3 SOS
Band experience. Miss Norton gave
evidences OF her future power rs a
prima donna
Her debut was made at Erescia.
ltaIy. in the role OF Nioletta i'm Yer
lis Ia Traviata." After that ana As
/ result Of her success. there followed
engagements in Genoa and several
italian cities as Marguerite in Guu-
mods Faust" Alice IN Meyerbe,r's
Robert l. Diable" and other works.
m. L., a. Observation-Disclosures 4r fl. I'm
perial italian opera in 81. Petersburg
With the first stars in The operate ilr-
mament, an association for when her
italian routine and training a fitted
her. The girlish beauty Of the young
American attracted social attention.
ana under the chaperunage of her
mother she caught q glimpse of the
5~aieties Of 81. Petersburg.
After ! second winter At the opera
in st. Petersburg. she went t. Paris
To make her debut Ut the Grand Gp-
.ra there. This was III lSN2. and tire
irst two roles in which she appeared
were Marguerite III Faust direction
If Gounod and in the other with Am
| brOise Thomas. the respective cOInpo-
oers. After thiS success Nine. Nordica
married and retired from the stage.
emerging to resume her career on the
leata of her husbtnd two years later.
Mime. Nordica's London debut was
made i'm March. 1851 at convent Gar
len as NioIetta in La TIayiata." the
opera in which she made her first APP
learanCc.
Nine. Nordica's first American APP
pearance in opera was in Boston as
Marguerite in Faust" and under the
management of Colonel MaplesOn. To
use her oWn words the critics tore her
limb from limb. Nothing dauntod,
she returned again to the scene. this
lime with the company assembled by
Mr.. Henry +. Abbey for the Metro
lolitan season Of 1887. This constitut-
"a her real American debut.
In this and subsequent years she was
IN demand at May Music Festivals
throughout the country. and sang
many concert engagements. At Suea
important festivals as those held bein-
niaIiy at Concinnati under Mr.. Taeo-
lore Thomas'S direction. Nine. Nordi-
a has sung with greater frequency
than any other prima donna.
The were passed in Eng
land during this period, Mime. Eordica
having purchased a London residence
1t Clarence Gate on property OF the
-roWn. In the autumns she sang IL
oratOriO at the great festivals acid
in various English cathedral cities.
Until the burning of the M~etropoll-
tan opera House, which interrupted
Mr.. Abbey'S season in 1892. Mime. Nor
lica returned each winter to sing III
he principal cities Of this country,
verifying more positively with each
home coming the brilliant predictions
hat had been made of her. With the
winter Of 1894 Nine. Nordica again
returned as first dramatic soprano
With the most distinguished company
hat Mr.. Abbey was able to secure in
Europe.
Subsequent to this a yet create
gain was To be c~hronicled in Nine
NOrdica's achievements as tae result Of
herRayreuth appearances and heI
studies under the direction Of Mime
Cosima Wagner, the widow Of the
composer.
"Lohengrin" was performed for tbs
first time at the Baydeuth Festspiel-
: haus in the summer of 1894. and Nine
(, Nordica was invited to create the role
# Elsa.
The honor was a dual one, foi
america and for the singer, as Nine
Wagner in the range OF her Selection
! had literally at her command every
prima donna eligible for the part OF
F.. the operate stage.
Two years later Mime. Nordica CAV
! the first authoritative performance %
: the role Of Elsa at the Grand opera Il
Paris.
{ Returning to America from Germany
audiences quickly recognized ner arts
: tic gain and the season closed At III
Metropolitan With a strengthened Dc
termination 10 complete the list Of tn
r great Wagnerian roles.
/ To this end, Immediately on tn
conclusion of her London engagement
9 at Convent Garden in the summer .
1895. Nine. NOrdica went To Lucefn'
where she studied the role OF Isolde II
Tristan and Isolde" under Nine
Wagner's direction.
When Isolde was musicallE master
j 81. the use of the Casino stage al Lu
cerne was offered to Nine. Nordlc'
ana there. together with Nine. Wag
= ner. the dramatic side of the role va
studied every action and gesiuT
which Wagner has SO fully indicate
n the music. being practlced an
memoriZed. IN Chicago. Boston an
New York where Mime. Nordica sus
tained the ISOLDE and Mr.. Jean d
II ReSczke the Tristan the folIo"ifl
winter. the work was pronounced
; revelation as far Is their combine
" achievements were concerned. In.