Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-06-27
QUEEN or SONG CAPTIVAIES MANY new SUBJECTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABRILLIANT TRIUMPH
.Diva's Presence En-.
chants and Voice Charms
Crowded House

s.
Lillian Nordica. queen OF song. has
added another thousand to her SUBJ
jects
With a glorious voice, naturally
sweet and pure, exquisitely trained
and its melody untarnished by the
passing years, and with personali-
" that engages her audience from
the moment she comes upon the
stage, Madame Nordica last night
scored a greas personal and artistic
triumph at the Opera house in the
first Of her local concerts.
(. 1t was a personal triumph because
she brought an audience uncomfort-
ably warm without and undeniably
passive within to the point of enthu-
siasm where her hearers entirely for
got the weather and thrilled with
pure. pleasure at the magical tones
of the prima donna. The thrills end
ed, after each song, in an outburst
or applause that proved conclusively
that Honolulu can applaud.
1t was an artistic triumph because
the diva sang In many moods and
many passions and gave to each
wonderful. Interpretation. She leaned
to the lighter songs last night, but
on the other hand, an occasional
touch Of the Wagnerian art that has
made her most famous struck out
over the audience with the sudden
ness of a thunderclap.
The singer herself, seemed on. hap
py terms with all things mundane,
and this spirit. the spirit, it seemed,
of intense pleasure in her art, spark
lied and glowed with all the brilli-
ance of the marvellous diamonds she
wore. In fact, her joyous exuberance,
her verye and gay good-humor capti-
waited the big audience from the mo-
ment she swept upon the stage, brisk
and entirely sure Of herself and the
effect she would achieve She sang
lsmilingly, she took her audience into
the circle of goodfelloWship in the
realm of song that both loved, and
the result was perfect unison of
feeling.
1t Is difficult 70 find words that de-
scribe Nordica's. art as she showed
| 1t last night, for that art is closely
knit and rarely-effective combination
Of personal charm and. vocal ability.
Each assists the other. Coupled
with her equipment there is a will
lingness to sing. "a readiness to re-
spond to the delight of her audience,
that is not the least secret of her
success. She sang many encores last
night, the last with as much apparent
pleasure in having pleased as the
first. - 49,
Her songs covered wide range,
In English. French, German and Itali-
an. !. Her voice is soft as velvet, and
her runs and trills proved the beauty
of coloratura art OF the dramatic
type, she gave but little, though that
little was enough to recall reminis-
cences of her grand opera triumphs
i'm Wagnerian roles. The aria from
Puccini's Madame Butterfly was
finely done, though the concert stage
holds too many limitations for full
dramatic Interpretation of the poig-
nant emotions portrayed in the oper-
attic role. Schubert's "Erlkonign gave
more hint of her passionate intensity
of tone when occasion calls.
But mainly Madame Nordica last
night sang lighter numbers, at times
sheer whimsicalities, such as Bleich-
mans eKomm Lass Uns Spleen" and
Jensen's Gam Manzanares." And in
these dainty and fanciful bits of lyric
| ism she was wholly delightful.
Her encores were very popular
They. included mighty LAX "a Rose, "
| to which she gave quantity dialectic
| twist; Brunnhilde's Battle Cry" and
1.-THE rather sentimental song best
known as "A Rose at Parting" This
was apparently called forth, by the
presentation over the footlights of
a bouquet OF. roses. Always she made
her encores smilingly and captivated
the audience with her superb en-
frances and low-sweeping bows as
she left the stage.
One of the notable incidents of the
evening was the presentation of a
huge bunch of night blooming cereus
to the singer. She showed her de-
! light instantly and the flowers re-
manned on the stage throughout the