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Scan 438
Dictionary of music and musicians, 1908
19 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 398. See the scan on archive.org.
1A. Gower, and for a time retired into private life. After eighteen months of married life she lost her husband in a balloon accident in an attempt to cross the English Channel. In 1885 she reappeared on the stage at Boston, made a long tour with Mapleson in America and the English provinces, and under him on March 12, 1887, she made her début at Covent Garden as Violetta—appearing later as Gilda and Margaret with instant success, on account of the purity of her style and the richness and roundness of her upper register. On March 24 she sang at the Philharmonic. The same year she was engaged by Harris for his Drury Lane season, where she sang as Lucia, Donna Elvira, Valentine, Aïda, etc. From 1888 to 1893 she sang every season under Harris, at Covent Garden, in a great variety of parts, adding to her repertory Selika and Elsa. On July 26, 1893, she created the part of Zelica in Stanford's 'Veiled Prophet.' She also sang with much success in concerts at the Crystal Palace, in oratorio at Albert Hall and St. James's Hall (Novello concerts), the Handel and provincial festivals, and other concerts. In 1889 she sang in the winter season under Abbey and Grau, and again in 1893. In 1894 she sang Elsa in 'Lohengrin' at Bayreuth. In 1896 she married in America a Hungarian tenor singer Zoltan Dome, whom she afterwards divorced. In 1897 she sang again at the Handel Festival. In 1898 and 1899 and again in 1902 she returned to Covent Garden, and added to her repertory Donna Anna, Susanna, Isolde, Brünnhilde, etc. Mme. Nordica is one of the few artists who can excel both in dramatic and florid singing, though she is a better singer than actress. Her third marriage, with Captain Joseph Raphaël de la Mar, was announced in Le Ménestrel in 1905.
3A. C.
5NORDISA. Romantic opera in three acts, words and music by F. Corder. Produced by the Carl Rosa Company at Liverpool on Jan. 26, and at Drury Lane, May 4, 1887. M.
7NORDRAAK, RICHARD, a name known mainly to the biographers of Grieg, as he had an important influence on that composer's career. He was born at Christiania, June 12, 1842, and was a pupil of Kiel and Kullak; he wrote incidental music to Björnson's 'Mary Stuart' and 'Sigurd Slembe,' and threw himself with ardour into the cause of Norwegian national music, collecting and editing folk-songs, etc. He and Grieg were fellow-workers with this object, and his early death on March 20, 1866, deprived his friend and his country of an enthusiastic supporter. M.
9NORMA. Opera in two acts; words by Romani, music by Bellini. Produced at Milan, Dec. 26, 1831 (Donzelli, Pasta, Grisi). In Paris, Italiens, Dec. 8, 1835. In London, in Italian, King's Theatre, June 20, 1833; in English (Planché), Drury Lane, June 24, 1837. G.
11NORMAN, BARAK, viol and violoncello maker, 1688-1740, London. One of the best of the old English school of viol-makers, and one of the first—if not the first—to manufacture violoncellos in England. His earliest work is in imitation of Thomas Urquhart, whose pupil he is thought to have been; later he copied the Maggini models, especially in the matter of double purfling. His violoncellos and tenors are skilfully modelled, they are rather high in build, the f holes somewhat German in character; the wood used for the bellies is of good quality; the varnish is very dark. His name or monogram is found executed in purfling under the finger-board of all his instruments. In 1715 Barak Norman went into partnership with Nathaniel Cross and carried on a joint business with him at the sign of the Bass Viol in St. Paul's Churchyard. George Hart, The Violin, its Famous Makers, etc. E. Heron-Allen, Violin-Making as it Was and Is. Morris, British Violin-Makers. Sandys and Forster, History of the Violin. one of two readings
13E. H.-A. one of two readings
14NORMAN, BARAK, viol and violoncello maker, 1688-1740, London. One of the best of the old English school of viol-makers, and one of the first—if not the first—to manufacture violoncellos in England. His earliest work is in imitation of Thomas Urquhart, whose pupil he is thought to have been; later he copied the Maggini models, especially in the matter of double purfling. His violoncellos and tenors are skilfully modelled, they are rather high in build, the f holes somewhat German in character; the wood used for the bellies is of good quality; the varnish is very dark. His name or monogram is found executed in purfling under the finger-board of all his instruments. In 1715 Barak Norman went into partnership with Nathaniel Cross and carried on a joint business with him at the sign of the Bass Viol in St. Paul's Churchyard. George Hart, The Violin, its Famous Makers, etc. E. Heron-Allen, Violin-Making as it Was and Is. Morris, British Violin-Makers. Sandys and Forster, History of the Violin. E. H.-A. one of two readings
16NORRIS, THOMAS, Mus.B., born at Mere near Salisbury, in August 1741 (baptized on the 15th), was a chorister of Salisbury Cathedral under Dr. Stephens. He appeared as one of the principal soprani at the Worcester Festival, 1761, and Hereford Festival, 1762, and in the latter year at Drury Lane in 'The Spring,' a pasticcio. In 1765 he was appointed organist of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford; in November of the same year graduated at Oxford as Mus.B., his exercise (two anthems, 'The Lord is king' and 'I will alway give thanks') being performed in the Music School, Nov. 12; and on Dec. 15 was chosen organist of St. John's College. In 1766 he appeared at the Gloucester Festival as a tenor singer, and continued to sing at the Meetings of the Three Choirs until 1788. On Nov. 5, 1771, he was admitted a lay clerk of Magdalen College, Oxford.1 He sang at the Commemoration of Handel in 1784 (where his delivery of the final recitatives in 'Israel in Egypt,' and of 'Thy rebuke,' and 'Behold and see,' in 'Messiah,' was greatly admired), and at most of the subsequent performances in the Abbey. He sang also at the oratorios in London. In 1790 he was engaged at the Birmingham Festival. But the effort proved fatal; ten days afterwards (Sept. 3, 1790), he expired at Himley Hall, near Stourbridge, the seat of Lord Dudley and Ward. Norris composed several anthems, only one of which has been printed; six symphonies for strings, with two hautboys and two horns (in the Royal College of Music), and some glees and other vocal pieces. [A catch by him is in the third volume of Sibbald's Collection of Catches, and he wrote an overture to Purcell's 'Tempest' music, of which a copy is in the British Museum, Add. MS. 31,450.]
181 [An amusing extract from the Magdalen Registers is given in West's Cath. Org. p. 66.]
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