The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-02
WAS BIG SUCCESS
Topeka Gets Glimpse of Real
Grand Opera.
Nordica Again Establishes Her.
self In Heart of Music Lovers.
AUDIENCE WAS LARGE.
Prima Donna Repeatedly Called
Before Curtain.
She Spends Afternoon StrOlling
About the City
AUDIENCE WAS LARGE.

Henry Russell. Sig Cont, Nine.
Nordica, and about 100 others with
strange sounding names, composing
the San Carlo Opera company have
come and gone and conquered.
1t was Topeka's first experience
with real grand opera in a score or
more of years and if the apparent re-
greet with which the audience filed
out of the theater may be taken as
criterion, it may be safely said that
| Topeka is thoroughly inoculated with
the grand opera spirit.
| The selection of La Traviata" for
the Topeka engagement was a parti-
cularly happy choice. The story is so
well known by the average reader and
theatergoer, that it was not difficult to
follow the operate version, notwith-
standing the fact that most of the au-
dience was composed of persons who.
| had not the least conception of the
! Italian language in which it was sung.
Another fact that contributed to the
| success was that Nine. Nordica was abb
| sent from the stage but few minutes
during the entire action of the piece.
Nordica has become so endeared to a
| Topeka audience, that it would be diff
| fcult to select any one more accept
able. 1t is difficult to determine
whether Nine. Nordica attracts more
attention through her rare talent or
through the commanding personality
of her magnetic character. The main
fact is that she does compel admira-
tion and the gamut of emotions that
she amplified in the portrayal of the
life of poor little Camille stamps her
as an actress of extraordinary ability
who brings to her aid all the power of
a rare intelligence and breeding and
years of study of her art. Topeka ap
parently likes Nordica better in grand
opera than in concert. She was given
five or six curtain calls after each act.
Henry Russell is back of an under
taking of far greater magnitude than
the average person realizes. With
special scenery and costumes equal to
the production in metropolitan cities, |
even down to the minutest details, the
San Carlo company is QUILTED with
especial care, requiring an outlay of
an enormous sum of money, time and
labor. 1t is hard to understand how |
tour such as Henry Russell is making |
can show a profit ON account of the |
long railroad travel and the great |
quantity of baggage and people to |
transport for a few one night stands |
and other two or three night stands |
with perhaps couple of cities in the |
west where a week or more will be |
spent
The treat last night was as good for |
the eyes as for the ears. With an en-
semble dressed in silks, satins and vel |
vets displaying the bright colors of the |
French court of the year 1900 for a |
background, Nine. Nordica wore three |
different gowns from Worth Paris, |
that represented what to many in her !
audience would constitute a small for |
tune.
1t is not often, alas that Topeka has
the opportunity of listening to an or
chestral organization equal to that |
Sig. Cont has given the San Carlo |
company. With over 40 strings and |
reeds and but two or three brasses IN
score was most effectively rendered.
The supporting principals in the cast /
with Nordica were of high order and |
despite the handicap imposed by being |
thrown where such close comparison
was possible with the talented Nordica, |
stood the test well. Sig. Adamo Gal
perrin especially, acted and sang with
credit to himself. Sig. Alemanni, as
Alfredo, who sang opposite Nine. Nor
dica was in a most trying position. |
Being understood man and young, |
to look like diamond in the rough and |
a paste one at that in contrast to the !
superb prima donna.
The editorial writer of the Kansas
City Star, treated the Sig. Aleman1i |
incident in the following manner:
With all due despect to the excel
lence of the San Carlo Opera COM
pany, it is hoped that when Mr.. Rus
sell comes with it again the mistake
will not be repeated of balancing a |
Violetta like Nordica against such an
Alfred Alemannl-the one adequate.
radiant and Astounding in spite of the
tuberculosis, the other puny, INSULT
cient and absurdly meager both as -
anatomy and vocal power. No quantity
of white paint or hectic decoration
could make Nine. Nordica look con-
sumptive: but some lapses of realism
can be readily pardoned to such 4
glorious singer and such a consumma re
actress. When you hear her sparkling.
crystal voice, feast your eyes on her
Respondent millinery and lose yourself
in the charm of her coQuetry you quite
forget that, by all the canons of the
Traviata story. she ought to be enact
ated to a shadow and present a pa
thetic frame, racked by an insidious
disease.
But poor little Alemanni-about all
one could see of him was his boots,
into which you were afraid he would
fall and disappear every moment He
was puny. When Violetta fell upon
him in her moments of transport and
of despair you were in prickly terror
lest the little chap should disappear
through the floor. And his voice Is no
bigger than the rest of him. There
have been understood men who could
sing; but not so Alemanni.
But it is often so in the play of I
Camille of which '.Traviata" is an
adaptation. Soul narrowing and CON
vincing'' Candles, there have been and
are a-plenty, Of all weights and ages,