The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-06
FRAULEIN LILLI LEHMAN.
A Letter from the Prima Donna Which
Will Interest Indianapolitans.
Story of Her Life-How She Rose to Eminence
ss Singer-Her Relations to the Berlin
Opera Company-He American Trip.

Opera Company-Her American Trip.
The following autograph letter, by Fraulein
Lilli Lehman descriptive of Der experiences as
court singer at Berlin. and of her farewell. to
that brilliant position, will be of interest TO her
many admirers In this city 1t shows her to be
possessed of fine epistolary qualifications:
Ny Dear Friend-I have felt moved for some
time to write you detailed communication, so
that might make a clear and public explanation
of all that has happened; the only way in which
/ may hope to be understood by all. My earlier
position my struggles my wishes. and my expe-
riences, are what wish to speak of. and to do
this, must 60 back to comparatively remote
period.
While still very young girl starred in Ber-
lin as coloratur singer, style In which no one,
at the time, was appearing there One year
later returned, to find that in the meantime
Fri. Grossi had made her success in this same
style, and was given soubrette roles The only
Aorid role conceded me was the Queen. in the
s.Huguenots" Then Nine. Lucca left. and sang
several of her parts; had plenty to do, and as
was young, and did not wish to tax my voice too
much, was contented with my position. Fri.
CROSSE was clever enough to refuse the unsatisfac
tory roles in the ford style. such as Eudoxia in
LA Juiye,r but to retain such as the Princess
In "Masaniello,n while / was foolish enough to
undertake the rejected ones. After that who
would take them2 None AT all times and
everywhere. in my love and enjoyment of sing
ing, / would rush in and fill up vacancies in any
emergency, and in this wise became what is
called. in theatrical parlance, mere utility.
All! whatslightiDterest utility possesses for the
publicl 1t reserves its solicitude for those who
make much of themselves, who frequently alb
sent themselves. and cause the management the
most worry and trouble. During the fifteen
years in which l was a member of the Berlin
Opera Company / was compelled to disappoint
the public but three times; on all other occasions
keeping my engagements, without consideration
for questions Of health and private interest. sim
ply to spare the management any embarrass-
ment ON my account. If this fact is not forgot
ten, it should count as one good point in my
favor.
After had sung there for FIVE years was
offered either an increased salary or a life con-
tract with pension. Upon the urgent entreaty
of my lamented mother signed the life contract
In consideration Of my youth and the circum-
stances then existing it was certainly most ad-
vantageous offer, but had not the slightest ink
ling of the consequences / sang alternately
juvenile, ford and soubrette roles Then SOU
brette arrived as guest, as we say. She was
given my soubrette roles, while / became the
ford singer; when, however, a ford bravura
singer made her stay among us l gave mp my
roles to her and became soubrette, etc. When
Fri Grossi left. the parts of the Blondchen
in the "Entfurung" and of Dolores in "Cosi
fan tutti," were sent to Mile. Tagliana before
she arrived. The parts were demanded of me
without the least explanation, which hurt me
considerably, as l WAS much attached to both of
them. But after Grossi's departure l was again
the ford singer, and was given the part of Con-
stance. Shortly after, when "Dinorah' was to
be given. l became again soubrette. When
Mile. Tagliana arrived, it was found that she
could not possibly do the Blondchen, that the
"Entfuhrung" was not given. Enough This
occurred very often. and many have been the
bitter pills have had to swallow. Ishould have
sunk long ago, or at least lost my courage, but
that my unceasing striving for knowledge and
power kept me up in both strength and ambition.
Three years ago, / deemed the time had ar
rived for an essay in the dramatic style, my aim
from earliest youth. had studied increasingly,
you may believe, dear friend, and l showed III
hide and Lucrezia that was fully equal to my
self-imposed task. and I sang all of these. ex-
cepting Norma" in Berlin, and "Fideio' with
out rehearsal had often begged Of the man
agement to allow me to grow gradually into
these parts. did not ask to be put into this
school at once. l only asked once in while to
alternate with my monotonous Princess roles,
80 that might not wholly sink into oblivion in
them. and to simply try my strength in an
occasional dramatic part 1t was often promised
me, but, alas! the promises not kept; /
studied thereafter for the outside public and
tried my wings in Vienna which, in its 1udg-
ment, is comparatively unprejudieed towards
foreigners while Berlin is extremely well dis
pOS6Q DeIOF6ud0u III tuoir IavOT.
Notwithstanding an annoying and persistent
hoarseness, sang the Donna Anna Isolde,
Norma and Constance, achieving Herewith such
q success as to warrant me in my belief that /
should devote myself to the dramatic school. A
success in Dresden still further confirmed the
justice of my opinion. That sang Fidelio at all
In Berlin was due entirely chance, or rather to
the tailor. l had already informed the
management that "Fidelio' was on my
repertoire, but they did not bear me in
.s.1I 80
sent in her excuses for not being able to sing
that night. The costumer thereupon informed
the management that he had furnished me with
Fidelio costume for my season in Vienna, and
and that could certainly sing it. think that
amply proved that fact
had often begged of his Majesty a release
from my contract, as had wholly outgrown the
coloratur field, but in vain. To have sung the
Princess roles for fifteen years! you know what
that meansl breathed more freely when Fri
Leisinger came and took them off my hands.
Then, however, there arose dissensions as
to the possession of Sieglinde, which
was to be given, and which had
been promised me by the management. Much
bitterness and annoyance sprung therefrom,
which were most unpleasant to me, for l could
not consent to-day to appear as Sieglinde, to be
deprived of it tomorrow, perhaps to be rein
stated on the morrow after, with vexation to all
three individuals.
.'But what, then, do you wish. my dear I.eh-
mann2" was asked. shortly before my fiEal de-
parture. "You are all the time singing the best
and the choicest parts!'
Oh, yes! l sang them but only on the spur of
the moment, as a substitute for Frau Won Vog-
genhuber, who was away on a leave of absence.
was 80 far from wishing to embarrass anyone's
position that repeatedly had TO forego my own
vacation, which. however, hoped finally to OBJ
tain, and SO cad the relations which had become
unpleasantly strained. would willingly have
made sacrifice for this object and relinquished
my future pension, for did not Vienna, Dresden,
St. Petersburg and London stand open to mel
and had / appeared but two months in each
place should have gained immensely in artistic
satisfaction, as well as pecuniarily. had, how
years..