The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-10-01
Greatest Singer in America Enraptures Audienc,
By Her Program at Grand Opera House
Friday Evening
THE HONOR TOkEOKUKW WAS APPRECIATED
Through the Energy Of Jesse Baker This City Has Been
Put on the Musical Map Along With
the Metropolises.

of the cause. But the performance
was educative in more ways than one,
and it is safe to predict that next
time the balance will be the other
way.
A Great Concert.
AS to the concert itself, probably
its most remarkable characteristic
was the wonderful amount of atmos-
phere that Nordica and the two men
got over the footlights. 1t was not
simply succession of beautiful songs,
done in finished, artistic and pleas
ing manner. 1t was projection OF
the melody Of the composers, the
thought Of the poets and the vibrant,
living personalities of the artists into
the understanding of the audience.
Many people could give good tech
nical performance of the program;
only few of the worlds greatest art
lists could make those songs carry
the burden of thought and emotion
that they carried Friday night.
And it is in her ability to reach the
hearts of her hearers that the diva is
now at the height of her powers. Co.
ing beyond a technical consideration
of her voice, it is sufficient to say that
it is the voice of the Nordica of old
an instrument of richness, sweetness,
range, power, and SURPRISING beauty.
Given such a voice backed by won
derful personality, enriched by years
of experience. thought, study and the
hardest kind Of work and you have
an artistic product that cannot be OBJ
tanned in immaturity either of voice
or Of mind. Such a program as Nor
dica gave would have fallen far short
Of its present standard il she had
presented it twenty years ago, or ten.
Nordica never has been a greater
singer than she is now, and it is
probable that in the Interpretation
of the greatest songs she will reach
still further heights.
The ErIking's Terror.
In the concert Friday night, the star
was generous in her program, and
gracious in responding to repeated en-
cores. Her songs ranged from Schu
bert and Shumann to Richard Strauss
and Debussy and exhibited the entire
gamut of technique and emotion. And
every song, every syllable was suns
! with warmth and dramatic force, and
with the artistic perception that
comes only with infinite thought
work and study. Not an infection, {
tone or motion that did not NEAR
something and contribute its part NO
only to the song, but to the program
as a whole. A consideration of the
individual numbers is impossible here
but from the volume of applause one
would judge that Cadman's Omaha
Tribal Melody" and Shubert's "Erl
king were the most thoroughly en-
| joyed by the audience. The duet from
Mozart's lie Nozzi di Figaro" how
ever, was magnificent piece of work
and was repeated, as was the "Triba
Melody" Nordica is said to sing The
Erlking' better than anyone else il
the world, and it is impossible to con
ceive of more effective rendition o
this powerfully dramatic song. Thu
seductive, insinuating beauty of thu
Erlkings tempting melody, the in
stinctive terror of the child, the su
perior matter of fact Indifference 0
the father, all increasing in dramatic
intensity and converging to a breath
less climax of death were depicte'
with almost terrifying realism. $
never have heard The Erlking' reall
sung BEFORE" said one musician las
night who has listened to the interpre
tation OF the song by most of the me-
and women who are famous as cor
cert singers.
A Wonderful Accompanist.
After Nordica, one hesitates as t
whether to mention Mr.. Simmons 0
Mr.. Whitney as the more powerful
member of the trio. 1t is safe to say
however, that the tremendous SUE
cess scored by the two singers woul
have been impossible were it not TO
the wonderful accompaniment of MI
Simmons. Wonderful really is tn
i proper word to apply to his playing
The brilliancy of the Chopin polonais
with which he opened the program
marked him as virtuoso, but 1t
his accomplishments that he does tn
most remarkable work. The descril
tive passages in the Japanese song
are among the loveliest ever written fo
the piano, and Mr.. Simmons did theI
with almost uncanny beauty. Brillian
full of life and vitality, strengthenin
every effort sought for by the singer
his playing was a revelation OF tn
very difficult art of accompanying
He is one of the greatest accompai
lists OF the generation.
Mr.. whitney Had Audience.
Although singing In direct contras