Evening journal., 1913-11-15
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Some "reminiscences Of
Minnie HauCk
BY Holland.

some time 10 the early seventies
Mrs. Charles Moulton visited New
Haven, Conn. and while there sang
IN concert She was a celebrity al
the time. Il was said that she was
the only American girl excepting
Clara Louise Kellogg, to become mis-
treas OF the hi chest artistic demon
stration OF tn exquisite melody
which sometimes is in the human
voice. If IL be carefully trained, who
had received practically her entire
instruction in her native city OF Bos-
ton.
But there were other incidents Of
her career in Europe which made her
conspicuous. With her husband. she
was a welcome. guest of the Emperor
Louis Napoleon and Of the Empress
Eugenie in the heyday of the empire.
She was often spoken of as the most
beautiful woman in Paris and there
We're many persons who wondered
how IL was possible for a girl of
American birth and early life 20 have
become such perfect mistress OF all
Of the eXactions Of the utterly -arti-
hcial and yet brilliantly. spectacular
social life Of the empire under Louis
Napoleon.
With the downfall of the empire
Mrs. Moutons prestige in France be-
came somewhat dim. but she was
cordially welcomed by a great num-
Der of friends when she visited the
United States and in her occasional
appearances in concert she demon
strated her possession not only OF a
beautiful. but also of very highly
cultivated voice.
To her friends in New Haven Mrs.
Moulton said: u have always been
very glad that at least two American
girls who We're exclusively taught
IN the United States have shown
that II was possible to become great
singers and to be numbered among
the worlds great artists of the
operate and concert stage
You know, of course. to whom 7
refer Mrs. Moulton is quoted as
having said. "One is Clara Louise
Kellogg and the other is Minnie
Hauck. Both have gained great
trinmphs IN Europe, and have
heard both, but there are many
people there who do not believe that
these girls received their entire train
ing before they went upon the con
cert or operate stage, from American
teachers"
IL so happened that when this con
Nersation was repeated to me IL /
brought to my recollection very
yividly the appearance of Minnie |
Hauck as a concert singer Sc al /
years earlier in New Havcn 7 was /
stopped one morning by a friend who /
was a teacher of music in New Haven. /
who said to me: There is little girl /
Minnie a..
In concert ~ the music hall this even /
ing. She is not more than eighteen /
years of age. but I predict for her a |
career which will rank her among the |
greatest of the worlds sopranos. You
must go. both to see aud to hear her"
Thus admonished not to lose an
opportunity to hear one who might
become famous as an American so
prano, ] went TO the concert that
evening. In due time some one ap-
peared from the wings leading
young girl by the hand ~ bowed
and then Withdrew and the maiden
was left there alone before a great
audience. The first thought of every
one was probably this; whether
she can sing or not she is an ex-
tremely pretty maiden, of very
modest demeapor and most tastefully
dressed" Her gown was of some
simple white material.
She had not sung three bars OF her
first song before every one I'm the
house paid the tribute of listening in
tently and silently. IL seemed in
credible that so young a girl should
have such wonderful command of her
vocal organs. so that every modula-
tion and every tone was perfect. and
the quality OF the tones were beauti-
full
In the audience was the wealthy
New York gentleman. with members
of his family. who had discovered by
chance that this girl possessed a very
beautiful voice. He heard her sing
ing to herself In a garden attached
TO her modest home in New Orleans,
where she then lived. He was him
self a patron of music and a lover of
art. He was one OF the Jerome
brothers.
II is my recollection that this con-
cert at New Haven was the first and
only one given by Minnie Hauck be-
fore her departure for Europe, al
though I afterwards learned that she
sang to a company OF friends Of Mr..
Jerome In the little private theatre
which Mr.. Jerome had built adjoining
his house.
can never forget how great diff
ference there was between my first
experience in listening to Minnie
Hauck and the last. She had gained
a great reputation as the creator Of
Carmen. in the opera Of that name.
She was engaged to sing this part In
the Metropolitan Opera House IN the
early COS. Her last appearance was
to be in this opera at a Saturday
matinee. To her horror she discov-
cred when she came from her dress
ing-room to the stage that one of the
company who was to take an inn
portant part in the opera had come
to the opera house sadly intoxicated.
They we're trying by shampoos and
various treatments to get him into
condition so that he could go through
his part. for there was no one else to
take his place. and it was too late TO
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