To the present day opera goers the name of Rosa Raisa stands for a
compelling force. In whatever rôle she appears, she is always a
commanding figure, both physically, dramatically and musically. Her
feeling for dramatic climax, the intensity with which she projects each
character assumed, the sincerity and self forgetfulness of her
naturalistic interpretation, make every rôle notable. Her voice is a
rich, powerful soprano, vibrantly sweet when at its softest--like a
rushing torrent of passion in intense moments. At such moments the
listener is impressed with the belief that power and depth of tone are
limitless; that the singer can never come to the end of her resources,
no matter how deeply she may draw on them. There are such moments of
tragic intensity, in her impersonation of the heroine in _Jewels of the
Madonna_, in _Sister Angelica_, in _Norma_, as the avenging priestess,
in which rôle she has recently created such a remarkable impression.
[Illustration: Rosa Raisa]