Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-27

nents when had hn1shed. hat gave me some
courage for the next day. The scene of the con-
cert one that no artist could witness unmoved.
When first out there that terrible silence
which gets on one nerves. for no one knew who
anything about me. had chosen for my first
number Mozart's Mia Speranzd Adorata, one OF
the arias had found among Gilmore's music, which
always kind of talisrnan with me, and in
variably began with it when | could. Later l sang
Prochs Air With Variations"
| overwhelmed by the demonstration that
followed. If you have seen enthusiastic Paris
audience you will understand me when | say that it
seemed like a torch touched to cotton field. The
next day the papers were very good to me, and
Pasdeloup came back to town furious because his
concert had not been the to the commoton.
But he overlooked it, and engaged me for the next
Sunday. Gounod, Ambrose Thomas, and many
other great musicians were in the audience 1t in
Paris that they struck special medal for at the
Conservatory after sang there and another
sion the Socete des Concerts sent testimonial
signed by Ambrose Thomas, Gounod, Victor Masse,
Reyer Massenet. and other celebrities, pettioning
me to abandon my decision never to sing IN opera.
Influence of Early Promise
A LITTLE later when Mr. Strakosch undertooknlv
n management, and while l singing fifteen
concerts with orchestra in Barcelona, with Saint
Saens and Massenet conductors the kilograms kept
coming from the Grand Opera in Paris, where they
wished to engage me. But l had been brought up
with the old purtancal ideas about opera. Now
the point of view has changed. If had it to do
operate career. But before l first sailed from
America, my best friends, one after another would
come and say sadly, Z" Promise me never to sing in
OPERA" | promised, and l kept it l didn't know
then that l could change my mind.
Many happy days followed in succeeding summers
when l sang under Mr.. Strakosch's management in
Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Denmark, Sweden,
and Norway. My love for Norway aroused
my first visit there, when Bergen gave an un-
forgettable welcome. After my concert for the
C,e Bull monument fund, twenty thousand peo-
pie crowded the square in front of the hotel. l
stepped out on the balcony with John Lund, noted
political figure. Leaning forward, he asked the
people to sing. There were thousands of them and
they broke into the folk songs of Norway.
1t impressive scene, this multitude Of
people, standing in the bright twilight of the north
summer night and pouring forth in tremendous
volume the songs that Grieg and Ole Bull made
famous-an unforgettable occasion When they
through silence fell. knew what they were waiting
for and stepped forward and sang in the stiffness
In that same square l was enabled later have
erected monument to Ole Bull, whose
love of his people and their liberty was 50
strong. He it was who had the first flag
of Norway long before the present indie
pendence of his country.
1t was my privilege to sing in the con-
certs of the final tour that the great violinist
made in America, and was often guest
Z during the summer in his home, the James
Russell Lowell house
at Cambridge, Mas
sachusetts. There
Longfellow, who