The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
HER LIFE A TRIUMPH.
CHARLOTTE WoLTER,s sroRY OF Sue
CESS ON III STAGE.

After Hard BeGinninGu she snrnng Ento n
Career OF Honor and Achievement Unprecs-
d"ntcd In tho Modern History or the vienna
~Ee-Bu In Her '.IphiEenin" Robes.
VIENNA, juno 18.-Charlotte wolter was on
actress whose career had been unique in one re-
spect. Great as her talents were, sho was known
to few countries but those in which her native
tongue was spoken. When sho died in Vienna,
q short time ago, tho citizens OF tho Austrian
capital honored hor as sho deserved. Through.
out the long illness which preceded her death
she was the object Of n solicitudo which few
artists have ever inspired. Daily the Emperor
of Austria sent a messenger to inquire after her
condition., and from tho rest Of tho court as
well as from the world of art and lettors In Aus
tria and Germany she received inquiries and
tributes. She died after a distressing and pain
full illness. and she was beyond the appreciation
of interest or respect long before the end came.
But the tributes to her were no less cordial or
earnest for that reason.
She had remained always among hor own poo
ple. Tho golden days of hor career were do
voted to tho Vienna public, by which she was
adopted as soon rs her genius showed itself.
She was never allowed to travel for from the
stage Of tho llofburg Theatre In Vienna after she
had once established her position there. She
roaped tho reward Of this in her last days, and
the people who had loved her and her devotion to
them mourned her with a sincerity which even
an artist Of her eminenco rarely creates. The
dignity Of her life as well as her great talents
had endeared her to the people which had adopted
her. For she was not an Austrian by birth, but
q German.
Charlotte wolter was born in Cologne on
May 1, 1884, and she was born In surroundings
which gave no promise Of q brilliant career for
her. Her parents were not wealthy, and, like
many an actress before her. the turning point In
her life came whom, at the age Of 10, she was
first taken to the theatre. She Is said to have
Inherited from her parents nothing more than
an invincible power OF will and a splendid conf.
dence In her ability to accomplish what sho set
out to do. But these characteristic Of her
family held her in good stead, even through
years Of discouraging and nearly hopeless
struggles. For she was one of the Geniuses who
reached lame only after the trials of poverty
and every other trial of an unhappy youth.
Vienna was the centre Of German stage art
when she resolved to become an actress, and
she reached there when q girl Of l6. She had
determined that her best opportunities wero TO
be found there. She found an actress who had
struct her gratuitously during a few months.
The young aspirant had some serious obstacles
Rhenish accent and a harsh, unmodulated
voice, and 1t was CHARACTERISTIC Of her perse-
yerapce that abe solved this difficulty so com
pletely as to become famous later for the
years old, her first opportunity for an engage.
% gans f GIres b 5pa shS s aRS Mari in S s%aspeSi But ut
the manager soon found that he WAS unable to
Compelled in the greatest need to join Seom:
pany, Of strolling players travelling through the
mall Hungarian towns. After months OF this us
Vienna. She was then engaged al the Carl
Theatre there for 800 a month.
Tl,.u Hka Java NN 5trn of hos rrAnN fnIlRtQ
She played tho smallest roles, and her thin,
childish voice was one of the bars to her prog
E sfss. w sns & Snd she insa see Sisd to have 'a ox Stri her pres res
ence in the company, chiefly to this fact. But
i her was sn here sb that Ma the Ia 1gsi lSpPGGff s@oyased Gang Th &c
man who first detected the signs Of great talents
in the pale, spirituelle looking girl was Director
burg Theatre. and he tells this story of the i'm
preston she made on him:
Il had gone to the Carl Theatre to see q
little play did not know. A girl in a graz
silk dress. came ON the stage, l did not know
b her fh aad f 1 s. Isde Fl T d i%P po' sse how ON % that is iM i'm
portant,' my friend answered. She acts yer;
badly Well. possibly she does, admitted
her better. She has a certain something abou'
her. though i said. | had received The i'm
learned that she had attracted no attention
s see me. a long conSersation strenEthencd m,
in my judgment OF her abilities anu l became
convinTGssd that she "t wa adsplsd to a .sT X,
agreement that she should go to some theatr.
in the provinces and undertake. such a role.
was to go there to see her. She went to Brunn
but when the time came ! was not able to lcav'
Vienna So a critical friend of mine. the onl!
talents. went to see her and he told me on hi
returnt hat our hopes had been Justified"
FrAulein Wulter played Adriennf LecOurreH
at Brunn and undertook other roles there Will
great success. Sho was then only a little owe
81. aud when she had finished her GdstSpie
r. na-lin enthusiastic over hpr NOR
formance OF Nermione and took credit to itsel
|, for having admired a genius which Vienna ha'
for three years In Hamburg, but tho Hofbur1
Theatre at Vienna was her ambition, and sh
powers which did not lead her in that direction
Coon after she had signed the contract with tn
, Hamburg manager she went to vienna TO pIa'
merely as an outsider acting with the rezula
, company. at the ~Iiofhurg Theatre.
her genius when IL had struggled against un
favorable opportunities at tho, Carl Theatre, ac
claimed Woltcr In hGr new sphere, and u bite
struggle began for the possession Of hor talents
Finally the Hamburg manager declared Wit
tears IN his his eyes that tn ne would and n9 3Ss stand hs1g IN tn b
! her youthful ambition WAS reached when sh
i was engaged ut tho Hof6nrg Theatre for 81
S%d Sasas the to her H'si ra 1'fais 's and her Years. : %S' q SCI
q In 1874 she was married to the Count o'sulL
r van de Gras, who was then Secretary to tn
4 | BelRian Ambassador Nv lcnnh, ana from INA
/ time she was announced on the theatre pre-
o grammes as Frau Wolter., She travelled occa
sionally in Germany, and her visits TO tho elite
I OF tho country were always triumphant. Sh
played in hor long career at the HofburG le
Y roles, and they cover nearly the whole field {
r drama OF France as well; Her appearances a
J, the theatre numbered 2,l0e. One Of the role
Q this she undertook but once, and thon at a cha
r table psrfo .hH mosbsT rh is F I'm par ara sSS . sTt
fhorny Path and her last eppcarance on II
stage look place on June 23. ls98. Among q
uafra, Lady !Iacbeth. Constance. Mnrgar'
o Of Anjou, and rOiumnid.
At The outset OF her career sho confined he
self chiefly to the heavy German Tragedies. bu
n later began to, act with as much success In Il
modern French repertoire. For nearly thirt,
II Ave years shc played in the company Of the In
pcrial Theatre, and there was not All honor thu
could have beu, bestowed on an actress that wa
The Emperor decorated her with tho Goldt
Cross and Crown Of Honor in 1874, and wht
" She celebrated the twenty fifth Anniversary