The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-03-24
LIFE Of TRIUMPHS
IS FRITZ SCHEFF'S
Born in Atmosphere of
Music, Her Success
Came Early.
MOTHER FAMOUS
AS PRIMA DONNA
Star First Was Recognized as
Ideal Woman for American
Light Opera.

While FRITZ Scheff was visiting her
mother IN Vienna last summer, one
DAY. while she was rummaging through
an old cabinet. she came across half a
dozen tiny, Old World pictures of
quaint, tiny Old World baby.
Whose pictures are these?'' she de-
manded.
They are photographs OF my baby
replied her mother. And the prima
donBh immediately tried TO confiscate
the pictures, which were Of herself, but
was stopped by the mother. who was
afraid that they could not be dupli-
Gated
But on the photographs was the name
OF the man in Frankfurt-am-Main who
had made them. and FRITZ, when she
went TO that city, ordered set OF them,
and brought II over TO this country to
show how she looked when she was
ten years
Product of Europe.
FRITZ Schef was brought up in
Vienna, Frankfurt, and Dresden. Her
mother was Anna Scheff, a reigning
prina donna Of her own day, who mar
ried DR.. Jaeger, a famous physician OF
Vienna. When the little FRITZ was
three years of age she was very pre-
cocious. and at that time was sing
ing IN church entertainments. She con-
dnued this for little while, and then
the wise mother, knowing that a live
priIna donna was worth a dozen infant
prodigies, made the little girl stop sing
ing IN public, and started to train her
voice. She had the advantage of hav
the best teachers in Frankfurt.
Dresden, and Vienna, where her mother
was singing in the royal opera houses,
and, IN addition, she learned practically
all there was to know about the throat
and vocal chords, for her father was a
Ncelebrated throat specialist.
Debut At Seventeen.
Until she was seventeen FRITZ sehen
studied hard. for there can be no sue
cess in grand opera without a ire
me1dous lot OF work. She made her
professional debut at the extraordi-
narily early age of seventeen, singing
Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at Ores
den There she learned many roles
and received an excellent schooling. And
while she was undergoing this course,
Maurice Grau heard her and immedi-
ately determined that she was Just the
singer be wanted for the Metropolitan
Grand Opera Company. of which he
was then the presiding genius Accord
tngiy he. approached the young woman
and made her an offer which almost
staggered her. for she did not under
stand the great difference between the
purchasing power OF money in Germany
6LQ il America. Clb dccfDtcn VOFIn-
with. and appeared the next season at
the Metropolitan in such roles as Mu-
settle in Ia Boheme," Media in III
Paglfaccf," Cherubino in THE Marriage
OF Figaro, and In like characters
Instant Favorite.
Her vivacity and apparent joy in Iiv-
ing made her an instant favorlte with
the Metropolitan forces and during this
part of her career she stamped her in
dividuailty on the New York public
1t was at this tinis that writers began
to attempt to find adjectives TO ut her.
she was described as yivacious. pl quaint.
fun OF yerve, chic, volatile, gay and ca
-prictcas. The vocabulary was nearly
exhausted. Paderewski described her as
the little devil Of grand opera" her
most appealing work at this time was
as Musette, the daring with which she
played the scene Ia the Cafe Momus be-
ing one OF her distinct achievements
At this time Charles Dillingham;
watched her work carefully and de-
cided that she was the ideal woman
for light opera in America. He ap-
preached her through an emissary
with an offer. At first she spurned it.
her idea being that to go from grand
opera into comic opera would be a
retrogT ession. \ But when il was pointed
out that she would be an unique figure
with none 10 dispute her supremacy
she listened, and when she heard the
music OF "Babette" she capitulated
Series Of Tdumphs.
Her career since then has been a
series OF artistic triunphs. Several
operas were produced, and finally
Henry Blossom and Victor Herbert
wrote and composed the charming
Mile Modiste'' for her. This was q
vertable wildfre triumph for .he
American author and composer, so
dainty was IT, IN such excellent taste
and 80 meritortous throughout Then
after three sons OF this came the
necessity for another opera This
time the same author and composer
elaborated They evolved 'fThe
FT1Ina Donna, which has been even
more successful than it's ilIustrious
foreruuner. II has the same stamps-a
sane book, really fine music aud a cast
That is remarkable for its strength.
nGAL haIAI.--InAI