The New York herald., 1921-12-07
Christine Nilsson.
Some First Hand Memories Of the
Famous Singer.

To THE NEW YORK HERALD: Though
known by repute to all except the very
youngest, probably few of the habitues
of the Metropolitan Opera House had
ever heard Christine Nilsson. whose
death was announced the other day and
whose name had headed the roster of
artists engaged for the initial season.
I remember her in Europe in the late
'70s. but even then she had abandoned
most OF her youthful roles, such as
Lucia, Violetto and Ophsliq. for more
dramatic parts. Her voice at that time
though it had undoubtedly lost some
very high notes which enabled her in
the SOS to sing the music of the Queen
Of Night In "The Magic Flute" had
gained in power and easily filled the
auditorium. 1t was not at all of the
Italian type, like PATHS but OF dis
tinctIy northern timbre, as Jenny Lind's
undoubtedly was. being heard at its best
in the Jewel Song in Faust" which
has never been so brilliantly rendered
save perhaps by Meloa in her prime.
On her last visit to America during
the season of 1884 Nilsson appeared
as Marguerite in Faust" Moroherita
and Helen of Troy in "Mefistofele," Elsa
in "Lohengrin," Mtgnon, La Giocordd,
Donna ElUird in Don Giovanni" and
Valentine in Les Huguenots." I heard
her In all. Her impersonation OF
Goethes heroine, both in Gcunods opera
and in that Of Boto, seemed to please
the public most. AS Helen of Troy she
was Incompatible, and her aueenly pres
ence will never be forgotten by those
who saw her. One night at the Metro
politan the brief duet LA Luna Jmmo-
bile" in the second part of "Mefistofele'
had to be given five times, so exquisite
was the art Of the singers (Nilsson and
Trebelli) The duet for La Giocondd
and Laura (Mme. Fursch- Madi) in the
second act of Ponchielli's opera was al
most equally fine in different way
Patti was pre-eminently a singer of
Rossiprs music. Nilsson was not.
though occasionally in London she ap-
peared az DesdcDtond in that composers
"Otello." which has not been heard here
for over half a century and should not
be confounded with Verdis opera of the
same name. She was, however. Mozart
specialist. having sung the roles of Che
f-ubino and the Countess in 'The Mar
riage OF Figaro" the Queen Of Night in
"The Magic Flute Donna ElUirG In
Don Giovanni" and, I believe. on a
few occasions Donna Anna in the same
opera. But the role of Elvira, the neg
lected wife. she made peculiarly her own.
It is usually assigned to one of the Sec
ond sopranos, or even to a contralto,
though Mines. Albani.' Nordica, Eames
and Gadski have taken It on special oc-
casions Nilssons Elvird was figure of
muc1 distinction and her superb rem
dering of the long and difficult air "Mi
tradi uuelr alma ingrata" fingers in the
memory as an example of great singing
never quite equallcd by the best of her
successors In London in 1859 she sang
this role to the Anna of the famous
dramatic soprano Tietjens and the zcr-
| lima OF Adelina Patti. What a. cast
Finally. Nilsson was the only VuIen-
qne IN lies Huguenots' who ever ap-
peared in the fifth act of Meyerbecr' s
opera Cthe scene Of the St Bartholomew
nlassacre) within the walls of the Met
ropolltan Opera House. Operagoers to-
day know nothing OF the fine trio in this
( act. nor of the still greater one in the
concluding act OF the same composers
"Robert le Diable," in which Jenny Lind
during her brief stage career and other
singers were wont TO thrill their audi
ences in times gone by. But the latter
must be given with appropriate stage
adiuncts and not merely in concert form,
when " loses half of It's effect.
Nvw York, December 6. A. z. G.