The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-06

kept me from being as desperate as I
might have been. 1 came back to my
apartment to find my mother radiant
with delight. She saw how gloomy l
looked, but that did not depress her. -
During Nine. Eames' absence a mes
senger had come from M. Gailhard of
the Opera. He wanted to speak to
the American soprano about an en-
gagement at the theater known Off
cially as the National Academy of
Music of France. He hoped that the
young singer had no contract that
might interfere with this plan.
She had not. although only a few
hours before she had been bound to
the Opera COmique for a first appear
ance that was indefinite in the future.
Charles GounOd, for whom she had
sung some of Julette's music, had
suggested the beautiful American as
the best representative of the heroine
in the Shakespearian opera. Nine.
Patti, who had taken part in the first
performance of Gounod's work at the
Opera, was about to leave and Nine.
Eames was to be one of her successors
in the part. Her debut was trium-
plant, and the rest is operate history.
And suppose" Nine. Games asks,
II had been willing to wait until the
manager of the Opera Comque was
ready to let me appear, how different
that debut would have been. 1 have
never sung La Traviata," and never
want to. Nor would 1 have been able
to sing first with artists of such rep
utation as the two de Reszkes, or un-
der such brilliant auspices as only a
debut at the Opera makes possible"
How Sshumnnn-Heink Found Her
self.
Nine. Schumann- Heink made hel
debut at the opera house in Dresden
and then went. in 1882, to the Stad
Theater in Hamburg, where she SANG
for years under the management Of
Bernard Pollini, acting as the musica
maid of all work, that is the fate of sc
many German singers. She was Prince
Orloff in Die Fledermaus" and Or
trud in "Lohengrn," and she went tC
the dramatic performances at the the
alter when singing was needed.
One year, while singing in Berlin
Nine. Sembrich urged the director Of
Krolls to send to Hamburg for this
wonderful contralto. They were be
ginners together in Dresden, but Nine
Sembrich had not heard her old friend
for ten years after she left the opera
company there. They had met agar
when the Polish singer went to Ham.
burg to give a concert.
Nine. Schumann- Heink, who was
then unknown outside of Hamburg
had begun to feel that her talents were
not appreciated there and that she haC
better make an effort to advance her
self. So she went to Director Pollini
who never enjoyed the reputation OIL
great generosity to his artists, and tolC
him that the time had come for some
greater material appreciation of What
she was doing.
You're not an opera singer" re.
piled the manager. land you will never
be heard of as one. You're a comic
old woman"
Those last three words describe tech.
nically the position of the actress who
plays the part of the old woman ii
the German comedies and operettas
Nine. Schumann- Heink's contract wa,
drawing TO a close and she refused Il
renew IL with Pollini, who tried to per.
suade her that she was making a fata
mistake. She was not certain OF thai
herself. She had a large family, wa,
all but unknown outside the Stadt The.
RteT. and had been able TO exc out hel