| Lillian Nordica |
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| 1857 births | |
| nordica, lilian | |
| 1914 deaths | |
| american opera singers | |
| sopranos | |
| people from maine | |
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Lillian Nordica ( 1859 - 1914 ), American operatic Soprano , nee Norton, was born at Farmington, Maine , and trained as a singer at Boston , and later at Milan . As Madame Nordica she made her operatic debut at Brescia in 1879 , and from that time took high rank among the Prima Donna s, appearing in all the principal capitals in Europe , including the Bayreuth Festival , and also in America , particularly at the Metropolitan Opera , where her frequent partner was Jean De Reszke . Like many singers, she had a huge run-in with Nellie Melba , who for one season insisted on "exclusive rights" to the part of Brunnhilde, despite the inappropriateness of her voice for the part. Nordica was enraged, but ended up with the upper hand: Brunnhilde was a disaster for Melba, and Nordica's role as a premier Wagnerian soprano was restored. Lillian Nordica was an ambitious, adventurous singer, and had a huge repertoire, that included Aida , Brunnhilde in Wagner's Ring Cycle, Tristan Und Isolde , La Traviata , Faust , Lohengrin , and Le Nozze Di Figaro . Unfortunately, the records she made were late in her career and do not show her at her best. Nevertheless they show her considerable range as a singer, as she is able to sing both coloratura (Io son Titania) and heavier dramatic parts (Mild und leise). Nordica can also be heard in some of the Mapleson Cylinders , where the size and flexibility of her voice can be better heard. There is an excellent biography of Lillian Nordica, called ''Yankee Diva'', written by Ira Glackens, which goes into great detail both about Nordica's uber-successful operatic career and her uber-disastrous personal life. Nordica married three times, (the middle one being to a minimally talented tenor named Zoltan Dome) and all the marriages were unhappy. In 1913, she embarked on a recital tour to Australia. She nearly missed the ship leaving Sydney on her return, but wired the captain asking him to wait for her. It would prove to be a fatal mistake. The Tasman wrecked into a coral reef, where it remained for three days, and Nordica suffered from exposure and never recovered. She lingered for months, seeming to improve, only to fail again. She died on May 10, 1914, on the island of Java. Despite her unfortunate personal life, Nordica was known as a kind and generous person. She wrote a nice treatise called ''Hints to Singers'' which is appended at the end of ''Yankee Diva''. ''Hints to Singers'' is notable for its lack of pretentiousness and its down-to-earth, commonsensical advice. All of Lillian Nordica's records were compiled by Ward Marston, and can be purchased at http://marstonrecords.com. REFERENCES |
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