Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-05
BY GENEvRA Observation-Disclosures
schrodcr-Devrient-tsO4-1soo


IN the old and venerable Trinitati'
cemetery of Dresden, popularity
known as der weite Kisrchhof," g
Main marble slab with the inscription
"wilhelmine Won Book Schroeder-Dev
RENT marks the burial place of one OF
the greatest dramatic singers Of Ger
many. Greatest, not perhaps in actua
vocal quality, for in this respect Sontae
and others | might mention lowered
above her, and yet we use the word adj
yisedly, for In dramatic power, feeling
and fascination she has never been sur
passed and hardly ever equaled anc
if German opera is today a power In
England and even in German-hatine
France, not little of its success may
be traced back to the devoted singer
who made it's worship the purpose of q
life.
Wilhelmine Schroeder came from his
trionic stock Her mother was TRACE
dienne OF considerable merit. To this
day she is compared with Siddons and
quoted in Germany as the great Schro-
der" Her father was baritone OF some
renown In his own country.
Wilhelmine Schroeder was married three
times. Her first husband was Karl Dew
rient, her second Herr Won Boring and
her third a Russian of the name Ut Won
Book. Her first appearance on the stage
was as a dancer. From a dancer she
developed into an actress, her talents
being greatly aided by the experienced
tuition of the mother, and then the next
step was to enter the opera.
When II years old Tin 1921 she made
a brilliant first appearance in the Eau
ber1ote" at Vienna, which was followed
by many triumphs in "Freischutz." In
1880 she made her first appearance in
Paris mot only my own reputation
is at stake" she said referring to this
first engagement in Paris but my 1ail-
ure would mean the failure of German
music-of Beethoven, Mozart, Weber"
A great responsibility for a singer. But
she devoted a lifetime of faithful toll
to her art-and won. She was well re-
ceived in Paris, even though such celeb
rites as Malibran and Pasta disputed
favoritism with her. Her appearance
was typieally German. Tall, somewhat
robust in figure and large features,
stamped her a northerner, with beautiful
f1axen hair and blue eyes. She always
had success in London at Covent Gar
den, but the principal engagement OF
this German prima donna was with the
Dresden opera house, which with slight
intermissions lasted over twenty years.
ton with Wagner while here, who was
at the head of this theater for years.
She was the very first eminent singer
who sang in "Rienzi," THE Flying
Dutchman" and "Tannhauser," and we
have it ON Wagner's own authority that
she acted as an Egeria on his magma"
tion, and that in writing and composing
she was always before his minds eye;
and it speaks no little for her musical
penetration that at a time when he
whole musical world turned its back on
Richard Wagner the musician Of the
future" she alone believed in his future
In 1850 her third and last marriage took
place, this last husband being a thor
oughly worthy man. She retired TO his
estates in Livona, trying to live a quiet
life and curb her Impotence and give up
public life. But nature was too strong
for her, and she had to have a change
from the solitude that was killing her
Reluctantly did her husband part from
her, only after fearing himself that the
quiet life was having a serious effect on
her health She passed through Dresden
and was arrested on a charge of sym
patny with the revolution of 1S4S-and
then the bitter blow came to her when
the Russian government forbade her to
ever return TO Russia She then returned
TO Germany for concert work. Schu
manns beautiful song that we all know
so well Itch Grolle Nicht, was dedi-
Gated to her When at Leipzig in 1859
she succumbed to 4 painful illness, which
had an alarmir progress. There was
scarcely time to transport her to Coburg,
where she died January u, 1860 Leasing
says of herr at was her soul that sang
with power, beauty and a truth that
In a dramatic way has never been