Representative women of New England/Lillian Norton
LILLIAN NORTON (Madame Nordica) was born in Farmington, Me., December 12, 1857, the daughter of Edwin and Amanda E. (Allen) Norton. Her maternal grandfather, the Rev. John Allen, was known everywhere as "Camp-meeting John," such gatherings, in several hundred of which he took part, having a peculiar charm for him. He was an interesting and original preacher, and was distinguished for his wit and ready repartee. He served as chaplain in the Maine House of Representatives in 1879 and 1881. Madame Nordica's mother was a woman of broad intelligence and marked executive ability. Christian graces adorning her character.
As a bit of old New England history it is interesting to note that Nordica's great-grand-father, Nathaniel Hersey, was in 1777 taxed for his "faculty," with four other citizens of the town, who were regarded as possessing marked business capacity.
W'hen Lillian Norton was but a child, her parents removed to Boston. She inherited from both father and mother a talent for music, and at the age of fifteen she began the culture of her voice with Professor John O'Neil of Boston, continuing under his instruction until she went to Europe. In Milan, where she studied under San Giovanni, she was given her stage name of "Giglia Nordica," the Italian for "Northern lily." Under Giovanni's teaching she prepared herself for opera, making her debut as Violetta in the opera of "Traviata." Her first engagement of importance was at St. Petersburg, where she sang for two seasons, achieving a brilliant reputation. From that city she went to Paris, where she appeared as Marguerite in "Faust," at the Grand Opera House. After singing there several months, she married Mr. Frederick A. Gower, and soon retired from the stage.
After Mr. Gower's death in 1884, she appeared again in opera at Covent Garden, London, and in all the principal opera houses of Europe and America. Up to this time Nordica had confined herself to French and Italian roles, but during a visit to Bayreuth in 1893 she was asked to create the role of Elsa in "Lohengrin," and, learning the German language in five months, made her appearance at the end of that time. She elicited much enthusiasm, and it was a season of triumph. Her repertoire now embraces forty operas and all the standard oratorios. She is best known in Wagnerian parts. In the United States she has appeared in grand opera several seasons. She speaks fluently all the languages in which she sings. Personally she is a woman of much charm and magnetism, as well as beauty. She has a gracious manner, and is especially loyal to her old friends.
She married a few years ago Herr Zoltan Dome.
She takes an interest in her native State, and from time to time visits her birthplace.