The times., 1899-01-04
THE PRIMA DoNNA's LIFE.
Another Phase to II BESIDES the
Public Triumph.

in such bed Of roses? To receive al
ways the attention of the public, the praise
Of critics and the material rewards whlch
come to the great singer-can there be /
ANYTHING in the world to counterbalance /
such delight? The matinee girl thinks not.
So she sees only things tc be envied in |
the singers life There are other views
of her character however. The long years |
of laborious study are familiar prelude TO !
every musical career. They are under
stood in a vague sort of way even by per-
sons who know little Of the singers task
That the prima donna must have worked
hard before her honors and her saiary
grew great is appreciated. But few rea!ize
that she. is still forced to guard her voice,
to study new roles and keep herself fresh
in old ones, to watch herself so carefully
that she is practically a slave to her art.
and to give up so much Of the ordinary
enjoyfnents Of life that not one girl in
ten who applauds and envies her would
be willing to change places with her rms
side of the singers life is not so well
known to the public.
Some idea of the lives which singers are
compelled to lead may be gathered from
the experiences of artists at the Mstro-
politau. Nine. LiIli Lehmanns case might
be taken as showing the severest regimen.
Only a short time ago she gave song
was intended to celebrate her ffttta
birthday. Her white hair is the on evi-
dence of her age which one would no,ice
today. Her carriage is erect and her hS-
ure as shapely as ever. She is thinner
than she was on her last visit to this
country two years ago This Nine. Leh-
mann attributes to the fact toat she SWAN
a great deal during the past Summer. me
preservation of her figure as well as the
+. NTf.fn a
in a large measure to the strict way OF
life which she follows-a regimen which
has practically been the same for the past
eight years.
Ever since her serious illness, eight
years ago, which it was thought at the
time would compel her permanent retire
mept from the stage, Nine. Lehman has
been n rigid vegetarian. She eats no meat
of any kind at any time. Her diet is con-
fined wholly to vegetables, fruits ana
bread occasionally. She drinks alcohol IN
no form and takes no other stimuiants-
She says that she came to the conclus- on
some years ago that everybody ate too
much for health. Consequently she has
reduced her diet to a minimum Alter
the laboricus performance of such an
opera as "Die Walkuere" she takes for
her supper only piece OF bread ana an
apple She drinks only water. This year
she has declined all social engagements OF
every kind and is keeping herself In spien-
did condition for her work.
AS if this regimen were not enough
Nine. Lehman takes other precautions 10
keep herself in good condition. She goes
to bed every night at O'Clock when she
does not sing. On the days that she appears
she STAYS in bed all day. and when she
arises it is only TO eat light dinner and
go to tbe4heatre. On those days she omits
the physical exercise which has been Tor
the past five years a part of her regu ar
routine This consists of some gymnastc
maneuyres of the kind customarily recon-
mended by athletes for developing the mus
cles and keeping the figure good.
This is certainly not life that is all
pleasure, honor and profit. 1t is hard ca
reer Mime Lehman is older than ner
other associates in the opera by at least
ten years. All the other prima donnas ex-
cept Mime Eames hover about forty. So
their course of life is not so difficult as
Nine Lehmann's. although they are de-
priyed of almost as many pleasures. They
| must not talk too much for fear OF tirins
| their voices; nor may they eat too much
| for fear of fatiguing themselves. illness
| is to them a very serious matter even IL Il
| is only temporary, and any permanent Ill
ness is something which has more conse'
| quences for them than for the rest OF th'
world.
Nine Sembrich confines most of her by
| gienic efforts TO pedestrianism Wheneve
the weather permits she walks daily fo
two hours Her customary circuit is aroun'
Central Park She starts from her hote
al Fifty-ninth Street and Fifth Ayenu
and completes the circuit in about tw'
hours When she first came to New forl
she used to be accompanied by her maid
but the maid began to show the effects o
such vigorous exercise, and now Mime
Sembrich takes the walk alone. So far sh
has missed only the days on which ii ha
rained or showed. Even when she sings
If the weather is clear, Nine. Sembricl
never misses the circuit OF the park. L
diet she avoids sweets and pastry, all col
drinks and food and never touches coffee
She is most careful about talking on tn
days she is to sing. but is less strict in thi
respect than some of the other singers. Sh
practices usually one hour every day, an
this time is divided into periods of fiftee
minutes. She receives nobody on the da
she is 10 sing and never goes out on IN
day before.
These great singers are necessaril
alone much of the time, as il is when the
are by themselves that they are able to re
frain from conversation. Nine. Sembric
critics to play Chopin better than anybod
else before the public except Paderewsk
| and much of the time that she passe
| alone is spent at the piano. Nine. Eame
takes the greatest precautions against col
or fatigue On the day she is to sing sh
| receives nobody and the whole OF the mex
i day she rests. in order to recover tn
strength expended on the preceding even
ing. She usually spends this day in beC
She never accepts invitations for the day
preceding her appearance for the fea
that she might take cold. She never allow
smoking if possible, in her presence, fo
she has very decided opinions on the injuT
that 1t does the voice, and these are share
by most of the other women singers at th
opera Nine. Eames never allows an
specialists to examine her throat OF spra
ii or use any of the remedies in whic
other singers believe. Her system
merely to keep herself in the best possib
physical condition.
= Nine. Nordica. who guards her health
e carefully as the other singers, presen
? strikingly another phase OF the prima dol
: mas life which is by no means so pleasa
: as the public might think it. She worl
-, harder at the rehearsals than any of d
other singers in the company. She spe
: nearly the whole of last week in the ope
e house One day she rehearsed Isolde f
three and half hours without Jean
0 Reszke. who was at home with cold.
> swo other days she was busy with ID
Giovanni rehearsals, as she has not SUI
i Donna Elvira for some years. On Frid
i, night she sang Isolde, so her week was
- busy one in spite OF the fact that she ma
. only one appearance at the opera. The +