The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-08
Minnie Hanks "reminiscences
of the German Court.
AMERICAN woMAN's TRluMPHs
Emperors william and Frederick Ad-
mircrs of Her Etiquette Of
the Imperial Circle.

numbers, and warmly congratulating me
on the success was just then obtaining at
the Berlin opera.
Everyone will surmise that I refer to his
majesty, William /. He was a noble
figure indeed, lofty and gentle as child
at the same time. shall never forget his
delightful smile when saying to me that
he was pleased to see that his Berliners
appreciated my talent, but that he per-
sonally did not approve of my name ap-
pearing nightly on the play bills at the
opera-house with the letters A. G. attached
to it, which must explain, means aIs CAST
(as guest) but otherwise known as "star-
ring" 1t was high compliment paid
me, for the emperor meant to express his
desire to see me permanently attached to
the royal opera. answered quietly.
''Your majesty can easily remedy this"
"So?'' he laughingly said, 'wir werden
sehen." A short time after the intendant
general of the court theaters, his excel
lency Baron Hulsen, submitted to me for
signature contract drawn up in the
most favorable terms enjoyed by any
artist then engaged at the opera. The
"a. G" attached to my name was conse-
quently dropped. But the following sea-
son it received another appendency. for
his majesty appointed me Royal Prussian
Kammersangerin," an honor then only
shared by Madame Mallinger Voggenhu-
Der and Madame Lucca, who, however,
was no longer member of the company.
Seeing me shortly afterwards at one of
his "soiree musicales," which usually took
place at the royal palace every Thursday,
the emperor asked me if / was now salts
fed, and / thus had occasion to thank him
personally for his graciousness towards me.
All the royalty and nobility at Berlin,
the famous statesmen and generals, all in
full uniform, were usually invited to these
soirees, and as the two or three artists
were not shut off from the audience, as
is the case at English court concerts, I
was introduced to many whom l would
probably never have met under less favor
able circumstances. Moltke was fire.
quently present; Bismarck, however, very
rarely; nor can I remember having ever
seen the man of iron at the opera. Their
majesties were usually seated in the beau
tlful weise saal and facing the piano.
The crown prince and crown princess were
on their right, and all the other princes
and princesses grouped about. After the
concert the whole distinguished assembly
went to the supper-room. The emperor,
as well as old Empress Augusta, seemed to
have taken great liking to me, for they
usually walked up to me after the concert
and conversed few moments about musi-
cal and other matters.
On one of these occasions was set down
on the programme for the Mignon air,
"Knowest Thou the Land" "a favorite song
of the empress), as well as for the Mazurka
"Coquetta" of Chopin, W hich latter [ sung
with several embellishments. After the
concert as | was walking through the as
sembly on the arm of Hof Kapellmeister
Taubert the emperor stopped me
with the words; ITO this mazurka
Hardly" your majesty,'1 replied, ..for it
is too coquette" '.Shall we try it?' he
said laughingly. "But I am afraid with
me dancing it would be still most difficult
than to sing this mazurka." In similar
way nearly all the princes and princesses
came up to US and conversed in the most
amiable manner-the general tone was
very gay and sans gene; not at all as stiff
and solemn as / feared they would be,
when / was taken to the palace for the
first time, seated in one of the royal car
riages, which after the concerts used to
carry US home again. These carriages
also fetched US to the rehearsals and per-
formances at the opera.
On another occasion | was to sing diff
fcult waltz from Gounod's opera, "Mer-
ellie" but was suffering so severely from
q cold that | felt could not do myself
justice But did not want to disappointt
the emperor, who had some foreign royal
guests that evening. Therefore, i'll arriv-
ing at the palace, begged Music Director
Taubert, who usually arranged the
musical part of the 'soirees," TO make my
excuses to Empress Augusta, and beg her
majesty to choose some other favorite air
for me to sing instead of that one. He re-
turned, bringing me her majesty's own
jujub box, and the message, her majesty
hoped the jujubs would enable me to sing
the waltz announced. Of course / COM
piled, although it was most difficult task
for me. Afterwards the empress inquired
how l was and complimented me on the
rendering of the air.
Occasionally the crown prince and crown
princess had some musical entertainments
at their palace, where / was invited TO
sing. One night was announced to sing
Aida" at the opera-house, and the same
day his imperial hlghness' chamberlain,
Count Eulenburg, called on me, bringing
me her highness' request to sing
few songs at their residence
the next evening. Now "Adia" is very
fatiguing part and / always made
it rule not TO sing two nights in success
sion. So replied would let him know
early in the morning if | felt could sing
that evening. Feeling quite we'll after
singing Aida with Nickname as Rhadames,
and Marianne Brand as Amund), I wrote
10 Count Eulenhurg that was entirely at
their imperial highnesses' command. 1t
was the trst time that l met them per-
sonally, and that at their own palace
shall never forget the moment when |
entered the beau ,iful palace, all aglow with
hundreds of lights, received at the entrance
by his now departed excellency, Won Hull
sen, the intendant. Whilst walking on
his arm up the staircase and along the
magnificent vestibule. the beloved old
baron gave me all kinds of little hints as
TO what was 10 do. He told me particu-
larry that | must bow very low when be-
ing presented TO the crown princess: for
was known TO be very independent and
American" On more than one occasion
| did not seem to have acted with quite
sufficient submissiveness towards some
noble court dignitaries, and remarks had
been made by some artists (for there was
always bit of jealousy toward mel, who
had given me the nickname of princess
from America"
/ cannot blame them for their jealousy,
for had many special attentions paid me
by the imperial couple, which these
'homebred" artists never received, or, if
so, only after many toilsome years.
could recount many instances of their
hostile feeling toward the young Ameri-
can, and every insignificant word or action
OF mine was pulled up 20 state affair |
was the first foreign artist ever engaged as
leading member OF the royal opera, and
am still the only American artist who
ever held for so long time the position of
hrst singer at the Imperial opera-house in
Vienna, and'of the opera of Berlin. was
fos several years at each of these institu-
tions. But the litileness of some of these
native Berlin artists, and their jealousy