Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-11

BATAVIA, Java, May 1.-THE
body of Madame Lillian Nordlca, the
American singer, who died here from
pneumonia last night, is to be sent
to the United States. It viii leave
here on May Is, enclosed in a Chi
nese casket
Nine. Nordica's illness began the
day after the Dutch steamer Tasman,
on which she was passenger, went
ashore on Bramble cay. in the Gulf
of Papua, on December 2S. She nrst
suffered from nervous prostraton ana
later from pneumonia. The Tasman
was fleated two days after the accl-
dent and was towed to Thursday Is
land, where Nine. Nordica was placed
under the care of physicians. Against
the advice of the physicians, she left
the island on April l for Batavia
Soon after her arrival III Batavia
she had a relapse and on May she
was reported dying. Nine. Nordtca
and a company of singers were on
a. world tour when the accident to
the steamer Tasman occurred. They
left New York in April, 1913.
Began as Choir singer.
Lillian Nordica was among the two
or three most famous American
prima donnas. She was born at
Pennington, Me-, in 1853. her real
name being Lillian Norton. Her first
| singing teacher was John O'Neill, OF
| the New England Conservatory. her
first public appearance was as So
prano soloist at Grace Church, Bos-
! ton. in 1875 or 1876. In 1878 she was
engaged for 100 appearances in Eur
/ one with Gilmore's band, after which
| she went to Milan and studied for
oDera under San Giovanni, who gave
| her her stage name OF Nine. NOR
dica. The American tenor, Scovell,
was conducting a small opera house
at Brescia, where he also sang the
| leading tenor roles. In 1880 Nine.
Nordica obtained an engagement
there, making her debut in opera
| as Violetta in La Traviata. OF TINS
first engagement she once SAID:
There was no salary to speak o.
| but we all had chance to sing
Makes Debut in America.
| In 1888 Colonel Mapleson engaged
| Nine. Nordica for appearances In
! America, and she made her debut as
| an opera singer in her own country
| at the Academy of Music on NoVem-
! Der 2e of that year as Marguerite III
| aF'aust." She made good impress
sion. though not a brilliantly success
| full one, being more generally praised
when she appeared subsequently in
! concert or oratorio. She at once OBJ
tanned a number of excellent engage
ments for the following season.
Nine. Nordica was not a regular
| member of the Metropolitan opera
House company in its first season
under the direction of Abbey, Schoer-
fel & Grau On January 81, 1894. she
made a decided success as Susanna
in lie Nozze di Figaro" and on April
Is. in the supplementary season, she
gave a, notably fine performance OF
| the title role of Aida
| In the summer of 1894 Nine. Nor
diea, in response to an invitation
from Cosima Wagner sang Elsa II
German at Beireuth.
success In German Cities.
| She achieved a sensational success
and was promptly engaged to sing in
| Berlin and other German cities. The
| German critics covered her will
| praise and the public with adulation
! She returned to America in the fal
and made her temperance at the
|
Der 5, singing Elsa in Italian. On
December 10 she made one of her last
attempts at colorative singing, APP
pearing as Filina in "Mignon." She
| was a member of the famous 'Hugue-
nots' cast of December &c, the Others
| being Melba, Schalchi, the de Resi-
kes, Plancon and Maurel. In the same
season she sang Selika in 81 Afri-
came and Donna Anna in Don Clio
vanni."
| owing to a disagreement about the
allotment OF parts. Mime. Nordica was
| not re-engaged for the opera for the
season of 1896, but she made her re-
entry in this city on the afternoon OF
December 1. when she sang the So
prano part in Verdi's "Manzoni" Re-
| QUEEN with the oratorio Society at
/ Carnegie Hall.
| In 1896 she made her second matri-