Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-09

prima donna soprano OF the Chicago Opera
Company. II was quite an unusual page
because It set forth with entire franknes3
the singers point Of view OF what was
really worth while in this worid-why her
career" was her whole life.
A career IL a wonderful thing. Some
times 1t seems TO be a sort OF wicked ink
that pursues its victim with all sorts OF
mischievous tricks Then again careers
seem TO be very nice. kindly things, which
go hand In hand through life with you on
friendly terms.
Nine. Gamma Walska, the Polish prima
donna. is very closely tied up with her
career This article to-day has TO do with
the latest mishap which seems to have
overtaken her career.
The prima donna, 1t should be remem.
bered, had only last Summer achieved her
third and greatest matrimonial adventure
by marrying "America's richest bachelor"
Mr.. Alexander Smith Cochran, the $50, 000..
600 carpet manufacturer. But with all that
goes with multi-milions-yachts. town
house. country estates. western ranches,
etc, etc.-the grand opera bride refused
TO nestle down into these warm lures of
luxury and insisted upon going on with
her career" as singer.
IL was pointed out in the article on this
page three weeks ago that it was not easy
for reader who had not the true artistic
temperament To quite grasp Nine. Walska.
Cochran's point of view that Il career" is
more worth while than home and husband
And Il is also hard to understand why
Mr.. Cochran. the northumberland bride.
nj ig u
yachts. can't l:eep his wife ut home--cant
even control his own wifc's voice or hugs
or kisses. This was explained by The
artistic in her own words>
"Eet ces no problem at all. do you see,
monsieur chirped the chic little Polish
prima donna at her Chicago hotel apart.
m"nt. Il have murrced, and also pursue
ms profcssecon. ccs Get no, so?
"Ecf my husband would object to my
sinHing-well. not for long would he be my
husband" she continued. IA woman must
have her interests. Ncvare could / be.
come interested in re man so narrow
minded Eat he would not paircmeet me TO
'.fo!iow my career after 70 marriage That
. ees Why Get ees no problem"
me ecafecifs9 OF ~ife,ooh. motherhood.
social life IL IN ''aaroer" at ALL Nina.
Walska-Coclran las an artistic soul above
such tiTes0me commonplace existence
Her career was the only tlling-thc whole
,hing. Anything that got In the way OF
that precious career WIS going to be run
ovcr--whether ii was q husband or a home
or anything else.
And so 1t was that MIR. Cochran was left
behind In New York to play with his yachts
and mansions and clubs and millions, while
his ariste-bridc, Gamma Walsla, took up
her abode alone iii a Chicago hotel and be.
gan vigorous work on the role of Zaza.
which was to be her operate debut.
Zaza!
Has the reader ever seen Geraldine
Farrar play Zaza on the stage of the Met
-ropolitan Opera House?
Whatever tho reader may have read of
ioVe'making III novels, or whatever warm
scenes he may have watched in the movies
or on the stage, the violent, tropical mas.
sionate lovc'maing OF Farrar would be a
revelation of possibilities unsuspected II
was understood that Nine. Walska had
promised TO eclipse Nine Farrar's love.
mating and show the grand opera audience
seeing.
In such an inspiring role as the notor,.
Gus; abandoned creature Zaza, Nine. Gamma
Walska-Cochran would show the adorinp
puDlic now Wonderful thing is career"
lana why IL was much more worth while To
play Iaza on the stage than to play wife
IN her own home
The opening night of Zaza had been
hAeu Ior tuesday, December 21 Every
seat mad been sold and the musical world
OIL ohlcago awaited the great event OF the
season. That long-looked forward to eve.
hihS came and passed-but the Chicago
music lovers never saw the great Gamma
WaiSka anu her overpowering presentation
of wicked Xaza.
Something happened.
but exactly what it was that hammered
seems shroiide1 in mystery. And reward
10 o!ere'i OIL lSoO0O yen Cor thirty cents)
for the true solution of tho mvsterv ~
what so suddenly happened to Nine wal.
ska'Cochran's career-and her Zaza.
few things are known with certatntv
IL is established that the prjma donna
packed mp and left Chicago the day before
she was TO make her debut. Arriving in
New YORK the next day she applied for
passports to go to Europe.
what happened? What could have han.
pened? '"'e nap
Who and what interfered with Ganno
Walskas career just on the eve of her
greatest effort and most ambitions achieve.
ment? ''o"' "'nie'e
FROM behind the scenes at the Chicago
opera ionse came whispers that the prirna
donna could not sing the role When the
maj rehearsal was called It is said that :.
inc singers voice cracked" on the high
notes to the dismay of Gino Marinuzzi, the
dlrector or the opera company, and to the
sing the other leading role.
But Is this merely voouo nro,on,o ,,+