The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-05

first considerations of the prima donna
and her husband.
In accordance with these sensible
ideas, the grounds in which Villa TIM
stands are not so extensive that they
cannot be kept in order without too
great expense. and a portion of them is
devoted to a kitchen garden. The house
stands well back from the chausSee,
and the grounds are entered through a
high grilled gateway. The garden be-
tween the gates and the house is plant
ed chiefly in rose trees, a favorite gar
den growth in Germany There are also
rose bushes, yucca trees and laurels.
When the priTna donna returns to her
home after her season in America, she
rests her voice completely for three
weeks. Then she resumes her solfeg
gios and scale exercises. NotWithstand-
ing her large repertoire, she puts in
some four weeks every summer going
over new roles with a repetiteur and
studying new songs for concert and
recital Except for brief respiteSeat her
villa and at a little fishing hamlet on
the Baltic, where the family has been
going for Is years, her summers are
busy. Last winter she told me her
plans for the summer just past First,
she was to attend the TonkunstIer-
Versammlung at Prague and sing there
as an honorary guest Then followed
engagements to sing four times at the
Prague opera-Ffdes. Anneris, Orphe-
US and Ortrud-and twice in Munich;
and, just prior to her home going, ap-
pearances at the Ober-SchleSWig music
festival During July and the first week
in August she was to be at home, and
then begin an engagement lasting IN
til the end OF August at the famous
Prinz Regenten theater in Munich
Surely an active summer. Who would
begrudge her a supplementary rest at
her home before her American sea-
SOM
The day at Villa TIM begins early.
While the prima donna herself does not
rise until o'clock. and household is
up by o'clock At half past the
first breakfast is served, and at the
children leave for their school in Ores
den. They return between and half
past 2, and then the family has dinner.
The supper hour is half-past 7. Mime.
Schumann-Heink spends much of her
spare time in the garden romping
about and playing games with the chill
dren-
Nine. Schumann-Hein does not be-
lieve that a prima donna should be a
hot-house plant. Never in the coolest
or dampest weather does she pauff7e her
throat. Pure air, day and night, is
one of her great hobbies, and at all
seasons she sleeps with q window wide
open.
The comforts Nine Schumann-Heink
now enjoys were not hers until after
the hardest kind of a struggle. From
early childhood until only few years
| ago this famous singer felt almost con-
tinually the pinch of poverty. AS
Ernestine Roessler she was obliged, in
childhood, to bear the privations of a
family dependent upon the wretchedly
insufficient pay received by her father
as an Austrian army officer.
Born in Lieben, near Prague, she
nrst attended an Ursuline convent
school in the Bohemian capital It be-
ing discovered that she had a voice
she was placed in the choir. Later
when her father was transferred to
Graz, a singing teacher, Marietta Won
| Leclair, interested herself in the girl
and save her lessons free OF charge
Through visiting singer, who heard
her, the girl was invited to have her
voice tried at the Vienna opera Her
father being too pinched in circum-
stances to send her to Vienna she
managed to borrow the money from
Field Marshal Benedek- she was thin.
awkward and uncared for in appear
ance, beside being nearly frightened to
death at her trial, and, of course. fall
ed. returning to Graz nearly broken
hearted Fortunately some time Iaker