Newspapers / Carolina Watchman (Salisbury, N.C.) / Feb. 19, 1937, edition 1 / Page 6
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Gina Cigna to Sing Role of Norma . For 183rd Time in Opera Broadcast - a By GINA CIGNA So many of opera’s loves end In tragedy. Almost every familiar oper atic heroine that comes to mind— Violetta, Madame Butterfly, Mimi, Tosca, Gilda, Nedda, Aida, Manon— each breathes her last before the conductor lays down his baton. Somehow It seems that before a tem pestuous love reaches its climax, one or both of the principals must die; or at least, one must be !"ft grieving at the deathbed. There are, I suppose, several rea sons for this. One certainly is that great composers almost invariably choose, for their most serious works, the classic Greek tragedy form, with its central figure overwhelmed by fate. But beyond this, perhaps, lies a reason to be found in the character of operatic music itself For it must arouse emotions or it fails of its pur pose. And in tragic love, with its sharp conflicts of loyalties and pas sions. these emotions are found in their purest and most intense states. Vincenzo Bellini’s “Norma.” in which I will take the title role next Saturday afternoon at the Metropoli tan Opera, has all these elemental passions. Its centra) figure, the high priestess, is torn between passionate love and jealous hatred -a I tv to her people. It will be my first Nor...- auer ica. this one to be broadcast by the National Broadcasting Company and the Radio Corporation of America, but 1 have already sung it 1S2 times in the great operas of Europe and South America. The most memor able were my three at the Bellini cen tenary last vear at his birthplace Catania. !;n y. a: the foot of . Etna? The tragedy is laid in ancieu- .. where the people, chafing under Ro man rule, await only the decree of Irminsul. the Druid deity, to rise against their conquerors. But it is through Norma that Irminsul speaks and she, In violation of her tows of chastity, has borne the Proconsul Pollione two children. The opera opens in the sacred grove with armed Gauls clamoring for war. Norma, weak in her love for Pollione. counsels waiting and they depart disappointed. Pollione, now GINA CIGNA following a new passion for the vir gin priestess. Adalgisa, is also with in the wood He comes upon ter in prayer and. stilling her compunc tions. makes htr ptomse to flv with him to Rome. The unwitting Adalgisa confides j tn Norma. Moved by memories of her first passion. Norma is ready to re lease the distraught girl from her vows until suddenly she is con fronted by Pollione. Bitterly she chides him for his perfidy He swears that his love for Norma is dead, that it is his destiny to love Adalgisa forever “My vengeance.” cries Norma, “night and day shall -age around thee'” He defies her as he s. und of the ■■■ d In- • n- -"ds act Beside hersdl *»uti u- rage. , Norma thinks to murder her chil dren and expiate her sin on the sac rificial pyre. She "ai .s a dagger to strike, but her mother's love stays the hand. Still bent on her own de struction, she charges Adalgisa to care for her children that they may live with their father Then the girl, trying to undo the damage she has caused, assures Norma that she will bring Pollione’s love back to her. Again Norma is a woman in love. Quickened by hope, she dreams of the supplicating lover's return. “At that thought.” she breathes, “the bright sun smiles as in rr’ ■' loved days of happiness ” Pollione flatly refuses a... in the full fury of a woman scorned. Norma decrees war. “Lik“ ripened corn beneath tile sickle." she rages, “shall the Roman forces fall!” But where the sacrifice to consummate Irminsul’s rit s? “Never.” anrw rs Norma, “did •« victim " At that .. prised in the tempi.- >f the virg..,s. is dragged before the priests and the multitude clamors for his blood. Norma seizes a sword to strike; but she cannot. She hedges, begs time to question the prisoner instead she pleads and bargains for his love, promising life and freedom if he will hut renounce Adalgisa. Still he refuses. Norma threatens to sacri fice Adalgisa; “through her !n»r>r* ! shall strike thine!” Then, in the last scene, occurs a situation so frequently met with in real life. Norma has summoned priests, bards and warriors, but she cannot bring herself to point out the victim. Caught in an emotional jam. she suddenly points to herself, she has broken het vows and the penalty is death She mounts the pyre, to be followed by Pollione. as suddenly swept up by the sa • ■ u-st of em< tion. Giovanni Martindi. will be our Pollione in Saturday's performance and Bruna Castagna will portray the bewildered Adalgisa. Others in tht cast will be Ezio Pinza. Thelm; Votipka and Giordano Paltrinieri Ettore Panizza will conduct. ' mm w°MfN i if ‘Chari. Oraaon# William/ President of National Federation of Business and PsofedUonal Woman's Clubs, Inc. | The niece of the English pcec Dante Gabriele Rosetti has come to this country to lecture. Signora j Olivia Rosetti Agresti has been , heard by American audiences before who are looking forward to learn ing more about the woman of mo dern Italy, Italian labor policies and other interesting subjects of her native land. Signora Agresti, who ; is London born, has spent her life 1 studying the social and economic ! movements in Europe. *■ * i | May Preston Slosson was the i first woman to receive a PH. D. de I gree from Cornell and when she ! lived in Wyoming she was the only woman prison chaplain in the na ; tion. Her husband was Edwin E. Slosson, editor and author of many ! works on popular science. *► *»■ * ! The fifth annual $1,000 Gimbel j Award has been given to Miss i Frances A. Wister, president of the | women’s committee for the Phila delphia Orchestra and president of the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks. She was the unanimous choice of the com mittee from a list of eighty-two Philadelphia women. I As an emissary of the Emerg ency Peace Campaign, Miss Maude Royden, British leader, social worker and Oxford lecturer, has arrived in this country to give a series of lectures. She was one of the first women clergy of the Es tablished Church of England and one of the first women extension lecturers for Oxford University. * * * The American Association of ; Variable Star Observers, which is j sponsored by Harvard, numbers; about three hundred active mem ■ bers and includes in its membership fifty volunteer women stargazers, j Three women have been president! in the last twelve years. * * * The Geographical Society of America has elected to membership Dr. Alice Evelyn Wilson of the Geological Survey' of Canada at j Ottawa. * * * The director of Germany’s wo men’s activities is Frau Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, who has been called the "First Lady” in her own land. Under her the German women are organized for the better bearing | and care of their children. UNUSUAL FACTS REVEALED “Movie Sbodiehe’ — 9 CHARLE5 STADDETT OtPPlD m Meet 7*M 4 DCXSV P41BS OF BJPfFCrtfS "I V a srt/rs of vao/a/6 Ua(V recm A ■ srt*r- OMCM £ofi/A/f A RSAT S^QtiAJct u" "WEST BOUND MAIL* f, CP UsrSMTVE COUMt3M\ I p/ctu/x ms so/olueble vmr n | § DOUBLE MS USED fig ITS BESTSUCT |; SOU /.VTUE E-llSbh — | irenc nurenwG at a Tee B/e/c pact op a donee ccAsree '% A reuop mssep6fp Astro N ROSALIND KEITH i f°b ere auto gbapp / » (OUR PUZZLE corner! _ f© DRAN A UNF FROM 1 TO SO AND FINISH THIS MOUNTAIN SC£N£ FOR ARj /&.. , 77'R ( ' r \ 'Ft,NO 10 QUEER . % THING5 ■* 1 YOUR HEALTH COMES FIRST!!! —Aw ——k. Rper \ TOWELS IN PLACE OF THE \ OLD ROLLER TOWELS ARE MORE mmmswr AND .. -T|t/ HEALTHFUL.!.-; , i< // V^OONGER CHILDREN | \SHOULD HAVE MIDDAY S ^REST PERIODS AS k VWELL AS AMPLE H SLEEP AT E NIGHT I ^THREETO FtVE MILE iL DAILY WILL IMPROVE ONES HEALTH IMMENSELY. TIME TO GET GO NG BUILD REPAIR PAINT FIX UP AMERICA’S pride is again asserting itself in i home and in business. America’s common sense a is again in the saddle and national thriftiness is manifesting itself as home and property owners j everywhere refuse to sit by and see good invest- £ ments go from bad to worse through lack of re pairing modernizing and, in general, fixing up i * . . . Reports from all parts of the country tell of v increased activities in modernizing homes and I business places.; or increased sales in men’s, wo- > men’s and children’s apparel; of a growing vol- ^ ume of sales of new and used automobiles; and 1 of a general step-up in business all down the f line. . . . All this news should be a signal to the £ home and property owners of this entire com- 1 munity that it is time to get going. Let’s all open i our personal plan books, loosen the purse strings ^ and start action by putting those needed repairs, 1 improvements and building jobs in the hands \ of skilled and willing workmen. Then let’s turn > the mirror on the family wardrobe and replenish f it liberally with Spring attire. ^ I READ THE ADS IN THIS NEWSPAPER | | THEY TELL YOU H OW TO MODERNIZE | } The Rowan County Herald-Watchman I I SALISBURY, N. C. |
Carolina Watchman (Salisbury, N.C.)
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Feb. 19, 1937, edition 1
6
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