Evening star., 1928-04-19
PONSELLE SUPERB
IN ROLE OF NORMA
President and Mrs. Coolidge
in Audience at Initial
Opera Production.

The President and Mrs. Coolidge las
ricat headed = brilliant audience tha'
T5lea Polj,S Theater 10 capacity TO wit.
ness the first performance III Washing
fNp 81 Bcllinl'S opera Norma" th,
inrtiai production Of four 80 be pre-.
septed in tie National Capital th.,
week b. the Metropolitan Opera Co, o.
New York.
The beautiful American prima donna
Rosa PoaSClle was superb in the titlt
ra,e. and showed WaShingtonianS gooc
reason foI the continued sensation Shs
created IN New York throughout thl
season 3JlSt closed when this opera Was
especially revived as a vehicle for her
As her Italian dlctloa is perfect, there
arr those who believe her to be native
To that country. However, although
her parents came to America from
Taly. Rosa PonScIle Is native of the
State o1 Connecticut Daring tho pas;
decade especially her rise 70 her pres
eat position as leadlug prina donna
a tl,e Metropolitan Opera Co has been
e1n2G1Iciy swift and surely b4lit
She reaches a towering pinnacle in
Norma
Other Famous NermaS
This role was originally written ey
The 1tsl8sr composer. Nincengo Eellinl.
especially Eor Nine Pasta. sn actress
singer os that period, for whom this
composer also wrote Ia So-nawbula
The premiere was sang in Milan in
1881 Il was 10 Years later before tbs
opera was alven aD American premiere
aa NeN Aa-E Slaee 5he great orIglna-
tors time sGTasiIs 1S0sIUaS have bssn
sang bE pau33ua XlsTdoJ-C -CSarC5A .Io-
hanna Wagner, Adelaide kemhle and
LtlG lehman The latter was the last
81 sing The role ST the Metropolitan in
tne 2aS. and il vas not revived until
fi9e present season aS The lmpreS2Tic
cf that company did not feel that any
ether singer was sufficiently equipped
10 follow Nine lchmanns brilliant in
deportation usltll Rosa ponSCile devel-
o0ed 10 her present abilities
PonSelle has never been III better
voice or mood Her graciouSness.
tho0ghlUl1eSs toward her co-arsiS;s
snd general charm also we're highly ac-
Claimed by the audience during the
curtain calls Her singing 0t the most
dramatic passages that are almost Waz-
merriam IL their demands and again her
perfect tTlll and liTnpid beauty in the
sa0Tsd cosoiatl1Ta passages we're equally
admirable The ~Casfa Diva" Of the
first sct in which. as high priesieSs of
the DTuids, she urges the Gallo forces
ard The Dr7IldS alike 20 withhold from
var on the Rom ans-'tfe time is not
came was the first big aria OF the
opera Following il with All bello q
me ratoyTo SUNG in an aside. lament
ina TIE coldneSs of her lover Pollione.
Fcnsel3e at once. ~ the opening act
showed the entire range of her abilities
ard TIE requirements demanded by Bel
L1s's music Al the conclusion OF the
ooub3e number, the applause Of sppre-
c&atson literally stopped The sllow and
sl1e prins donna vas forced u come out
again and again 70 acknowledge the
ovation Throughout the other THREE
acts i was PoIselle who dominated tle
work.
Story Of Opera.
The story of Norrna" tells If this
fair Ei-h gfaeS;ess wlsn hes loved r1e
Fcgusgs p-oc11ssi. Pnl.1one. 50 well that
ssss has broken nsT vows ns chastity
sss1 as ais wife, borne him two chill
Crea1 a'ho are concealed from ner
father. the high priest. and the Drii0s
Pola10ns however. has grown cold to-
ward NorTla and developed new pas
a3cn EoT A0aigts8. another Young and
a9~ausaasai Er3egtesS She finding that
his ardent woolng has awakened re-
Epanse sn herse.f. goes to Norma for
craagal The latter. remembering her
car weakness Is tenienf and en-
cJ1rs gsrsE to Adaigssa until the arrival
cf raiaa0ne forces the whole truth upon
her Conflicting emotions rage within
hgT Sae attempts eTen 10 XIII her
children put Ffr mother lore is too
great Then she calls the Gauls to-
reflaeg ard tells ibaEn g.ae gods have
tod her 10 proclaim war ON the
porrann later she c0nfeSses her Own
SIN ard as the story ends. size and a
Tepentant fsoliioae 20 together 10 BE-
burned on the pyVe as victims 10 insure
Ca11sc V1ctoyT Ia tne coming battle
AdaSgiss. whose iElfatuation had t;Snec