Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-24
BRIGHT ALABAMA GIRL~ :
ON STUDENT LIFE IN GERMANY.

be learned. After few lessons l saw had neither time nor money for lessons, and would sit up at night with newspa- per and my English German dictionary and translate first a line-then two lines. In few weeks it grew to paragraph each night. Soon 1 could read a column and then politics-German politics! Then l learned to write. Two days out of the week l always spent some time at the famous Saxon Royal Picture gallery. I soon learned my way through-for one can easily get lost in it were it not for the guides in each hall. One of my most valuable souvenirs from Germany Is a beautiful copy of RaphaePs world re- nowned Madonna" given me a few weeks before my departure I am all ways delighted to show this wonderful picture to any one who cares for it.
 Besides all this-the study, the pie lures, the language-the student must keep up with the concerts, operas sym phony concerts, etc. All the great artists come to Dresden. There are the regular yearly concerts of Sarasarte, Gregori- witch Joachim, and last season Willi Bur mester, Lili Lehman Albani, Alice Barbe (now marriedD, and Patti gives here fare well concert nearly every year. And the innumerable pianists! My favorite is Theresa D'Albert Careno. I shall never forget the last time I heard her play. It was just before she got a divorce from her third husband, D'Albert, who is con- sidered to be one of the greatest inter- preters of Bach.
 The king had announced his intention of going to Careno's concert. Under these circumstances whoever is to per form must wait until his royal highness arrives before they begin. Not so with Careno. Her concert was to begin at 7.3O, and king or no king it did begin. She flung open the door herself and walked out, glanced at the kings box, then at the clock then began. In about five minutes the king arrived. l think Careno must have some American blood in her veins, as far as independence is con- cerned.
 The concert halls consist generally of a parquet and one gallery. Of course, the gallery is always filled with students, and we heard all the great artists for 25 to 40 cents. We had to pay 75 cents to hear Paths wee cracked voice. Yes, I dare make that assertion, as no one else will. I was with lady who had heard Patti sing twenty-five years ago, and she said she was sorry she went this last time.
 Certainly one must wonder how a wo- man of Patti's age can sing even IS she does. One can see she is has been," but I am not one who can rave over and pay s5 to hear a "has been." Her trills are rather good, but nothing wonderful, and she sings with great effort. After singing the "Jewel Song" from Faust, she sang for an encore-think of it-- "Traume" from Wagner! It was simply ridiculous. She has no sustained tones, and the idea of Patti trying to sing Wag-- ner to a Dresden audience! I thing that
 is truly her last farewell concert" in Dresden.
 Think of hearing those grand operas for 25 cents, to say nothing of the nine sym phony concerts each season.
 The opera house in Dresden Is, think, the largest in Germany. There are five galleries and a parquet. Each gallery opens into a large hall, where is served anything from beer and sausage to cake whipped cream and champagne. It is all ways announced on the programme be- tween which acts the ten-mnute pauses will occur, and everyone goes out into these halls and takes lunch or prome- nades in the large marble hall The opera begins in winter at 6 and 630. We very often went from our lesson at the Con- servatory directly to the opera, and would take supper between acts. No one is allowed to wear hat or take an um- brella into the theater proper. Outside in the halls on each floor are little rooms kept by women who, for cents, will keep for two persons their hats, >umbrellas, overshoes, cloaks, etc. It is needless to say the student seldom makes use of these conveniences. We wore caps, and put them in our pockets. The programme costs 2R cents. It was, however, always published in the daily papers, and the stu dent always cuts his programme out of the newspaper.
 One opera that will doubtless interest the readers is Die Kinder der Haide," by Rubenstein. I was present at the first performance Rubenstein directed the royal orchestra. He was then very feeble, and was led into the orchestra. l was told that Rubenstein was no director, de- spite the fact of his being so great pi- anist and composer, and had the royal orchestra not been so perfectly trained 1t would have gone to pieces on that impor- tant evening. Rubenstein's opera was much applauded, but after few weeks was forgotten, and Is now seldom given. After the performance supper was giv- en to Rubenstein and the leading singers, Malten, Scheidemantel, Authes, Erl, Cha rome, etc. In response to toast Ruben stein lifted his glass, and as 1t touched an- others his went into a thousand pieces. On account of the superstition prevalent among the Germans concerning such an accident, there was death-llke silence, broken by Rubenstein, who, with his ever ready wit, remarked: "Sehen sic was fur ein kraftige anschlag ich habe!'-that is, "See what strong touch I have" In few weeks dear old Rubenstein was dead.
 I had been in Dresden nearly year before met the American who has since become so famous, Miss Edyth Walker We became great friends. We lived next door to each other, and just at that time from overwork strained my eyes and had seven operations performed on them. Then 1t was learned her noble charac- ter. She attended to the bandages and nursed me through it, and then she had a severe attack of influenza. In this way we became great friends. I shall never forget our teachers, and how one or the other of us was always returning in tears if the lesson had gone wrong, or happy If praised. She received g. telegram one day to come to Berlin and sing for Count Hochberg, general manager of all the royal operas of Germany. It resulted in an invitation to sing the great alto role Fides in Meyerbeer's grand opera, ''The Prophet" I went with her-so proud of my American sister. She was afterwards engaged to sing the leading alto roles at the imperial opera in Vienna, Austria, and is engaged to sing there at the court of Emperor Frederick for the next two years. She gave "Orpheus'' few days ago for the first time, having still greater success than in any other opera previous ly given. She has received the appellation of "Die Walker init zwei stimmen"-that Is, the Walker with two voices. She sings the leading alto roles, such as Ortrud in "Lohengrin," Adrianne in "Rienzi," Fides in "The Prophet" Azzucine in 'Il