Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-18

ments made upon her departure by the Berlin
press confirm this belief. Several wears ago she
entered into a contract with Her Won Huesen,
general superintendent Of the royal theatres in
Berlin. bv the terms of which she became life
member Of the royal opera troupe, at O salary OF
$4,000 in gold, and was 10 receive an annual
pension of about $1,000 as soon as her voice
should be gone. These terms were advantage
Gus 10 the manager, considering the great talents
OF the prima donna, but on the other hand she
received frequent and costly presents from En-
perOT William, and was allowed the privilege of
accepting star engagements in England and
Russia during three months of the year. She is
bound TO appear in London, during an annual
engagement Of three months, so times, for
whichishe receives $4,000; and during her last
star engagement Of three weeks in st. Peters
burg she realized about $1,000. In addition 10
these engagements, she was several years since
appointed court singer, the highest honor
which can be conferred on any artist,
and this imposes the obligation of ap-
pearing at all court concerts. This
honor she shared with Wachtel Nemann and
Nine. Mallinger. Some difficulty arose between
the rival cantatrices, the nature Of which Is
not known, but Lucca came out victorious, and
her rival fell into disfaVor at the court, though
some assert that she was clearly in the right.
The emperor and empress have always had the
most affectionate regard for Lucca, and her pc.
sition was in all respects an apparently pleasant
one, but after fulfilling her engagement at the
turning to Berlin, as required by the stipulations
of her contract TO do, she closed an engagement
with Mr. Maretzek TO 90 10 America, and then
endeaYored to have her contract with Herr Won
Huelsen Cancelled. Failing in this, she went
10 Austria, aud, after spending several
weeks at a fashionable summer resort, came
to New York. Having thus broken her con-
tract, and precluded the possibility of return
ing to Berlin, it is not strange that the
papers OF the capital commented somewhat Sc
verely upon her extraordinary conduct, and
many anecdotes illustrative OF her sel-~ill
were published. Among other things, it was said
that few days before her departure she asserted
that she SHOULD go TO America, even if they
all stood on their heads" Just before leav-
ing she published a farewell letter TO her "dear
Berliners, saying that all the wealth in the
Indies could not have induced her TO leave
city so dear to her, hut that she could not longer
expose herself to the insults of a certain
clique" abiding probably to Nine. NAL
inger. This reason was regarded as trivial
one by some of the papers, but she was prob
ably the best judge of her own grievances.
1t was said that she started on her journey
without informing her husband, Baron Won
Rhaden, of her purpose or asking his consent
| and rumors were prevalent that he would seek
divorce. On the other side, there are.the best
of reasons for believing that the baron falls far
| short of being a model husband inasmuch as
| he is an inVeterate gambler, and has caused his
| wife much trouble by his irregular conduct He
was nothing but lieutenant when she married
him, and gets his title from her. She came to
this country accompanied by her parents and her
ouly child, girl two years old. Her engage
ment with MIR. Maretlek terminates in May,
1878, after which she will probably return to
London, as she is still under contract TO appear
there for two seasons more Whatever may have
been the right of the Berlin quarrel, and how
ever questionable may have been her conduct
in breaking her contract there and giving up
her court position, we are sure that the Amer-
can public will forgive her. listen with the same
rapt attention, and love her in spite of her vaga-
rles.