New-York tribune., 1907-01-27
"reminiscences of Emma Thurs1
Edited by WILLIAM ARMSTRONG

the musicians stood up and beat on their instru-
mcnts when | had finished That gave me some,
courage for the next day. The scene of the con
cert was one that no artist could witness unmoved
When first came there that terrible silence
which gets on ones nerves, for no one knew who
was or anything about me. had chosen for my first
number Mozart's MIA Sp1an2a Adorata, one O:
the arias had found among Gsilmore'S music which
was always a kind of talIsman with me- and | in
Narlably began with II when | could. Later | sang
Proch's &" Air With Variations
! was overwhelmed by the demonstration that
followed. If you have enthusiastic Paris
audience, you will understand when | say that II
seemed like a torch touched to Il cotton field. The
next day the papers very good to me, and
Pasdcloup came back to town furious because his
concert had not been the one to cause the COmmoon
But he overlooked it, and engaged me for the next
Sunday. Gounod Ambrose Thomas, and many
other great musicians were in the audience. 1t
Paris that they struck special medal for the
Conscrvatore after sang there, and another
sion the SoCiGte des Concerts sent me 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 an Early Promise
A LITTLE later when Nh. Strakosch undertookmy
n management, and while | singing fifteen
concerts with orchestra in Barcelona, with Saint
Sacns and Masscnct conductors the telegramS kcp
coming from the Grand Opera in Paris, where they
wished to engage me But | had been brought up
with the old puritanical ideas about opera Now
the point of view has changed. If | had it to do
over again, ! should certainly have adopted an
operate career But before | first sailed from
America, my best friends, after another, would
come and say sadly Promise never to sing IL
opera!" promised and kept it. didn't know
then that could change my mind.
Many happy days followed in succeeding summers
when | sang under Mr. Strakosch's management IL
Germany, Austria, Bohemia, Denmark, Sweden
and Norway. Ny love for Norway was aroused on
my first visit there, when Bergen gave un-
forgettable welcome. After my concert for the
Ole Bull monument fund, twenty thousand peo-
pie crowded the square in front OF the hotel |
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 was an impressive scene, this multitude Of
people standing in the bright twilight of the north
ern summer night and pouring forth in tremendous
volume the songs that Grieg and Ole Bull made
famous-an unforgettable occasion. When they were
through a silence fell. knew what they were waiting
for and stepped forward and sang in the stiffness.
In that same square | enabled later to have
erected a monument to Ole Bull, whose
love of his people and their liberty was so
strong. He it was who had the first flag
of Norway long before the present indie
pendcnCe of his country.
1t was my privilege to sing in the con-
Certs of the final tour that the great vionist
. made in America, and often a guest
during the summer III his home the James
Russell Lowell house
1T Cambridge, Mas
SaChuSettS. There