New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-05
NINE. LILLI LEHMANN'S
STORY OF HER CAREER
A Revelation of a Magnetic Personaity-Fler Modest
Debut and Her Amazing Repertory-Her
Contemporaries Wagner and Bayreuth.

her career as an international star OF
the first magnitude ia part of the his
/ tory of grand opera in our day. Nine
/ Lehman tells the story step by step
with unfagging interest in its progress,
and with unfailing good humor in its
"reminiscences of contretemps, though
once, in Berlin, she slapped the face of
society" journalist who had dis
gracefully slandered her. Throughout,
/ from her earliest days in the little
Prague theatre, where everything was
played from farce to grand opera, and
where everybody did little of every
.hing-a delightful picture of what the
Germans call "die Schmiere"-to those
of her triumphs in the greatest opera
houses of the Old and the New World,
| Nine. Lehman remembers with gener-
Gus appreciation her many colleagues,
their talents ard virtues; their pecul-
iarities and shortcomings she treats
tolerantly. She also gives a generous
share of her memories to the brave
mother who did so much for her in her
early days, and TO the sister, who, too,
won success, if minor one, as sing
err. She is very entertaining on the
subject of the ways of conductors at
rehearsal. One of the first of the ma
ostros under whom she sang began by
ouarrelling with her, but ended by put
ting down his baton whenever her turn
came, thus turning the orchestra over
to her-the greatest compliment which
a conductor can pay singer.
As for the superstitions of the stage,
Nine. Lehman tells US that she was
cured of them at the very beginning OF
her career: Frau Ginther-B achmann
was in my dressing-room when the
wardrobe woman put my shoes on the
table. That will bring me bad luck, |
heard myself say, repeating what had
often heard from others. My dear
child she said kindly, you are now
twenty; what will you be at fifty If you
believe all such foolishness| From
that moment emancipated myself from
superstition of every sort" 1t is amaz-
ing to learn from her that at the Berlin
opera in the early eighteen-seventies
the role Of the Queen of the Night had
been spoken by an actress for a period
Of many years for lack of coloratura.
The old Emperor William became
good friend of hers, and she tells many
Stories of his unaffected simplicity and
friendli1ess. After one of the attempts
on his life. in which he was seriously
wounded, Nine. Lehman congratulated
him upon his recovery, and inquired
after his health:
Matters are not yet as they
should be-" the Emperor said, for
| am still unable 90 puts on my
boots alone" That made me laugh
and say, But Your Majesty does
not need to do that" Eyes, in
deed" answered the En-. sror. 81
am accustomed to do everything
for myself, and it makes me un-
happy TO be interfered with. |
pack my things myself when
travel, so that nothing that | need
will be overlooked, and now | am
hindered in every way"
There are, of course, many references /
TO Wagner and an account of "the first |
great period" of Bayreuth, together |
with n curious story OF Nine. Leh- |
MAINS meeting with Mathilde Wesen-
donck, OF whose relations with the |
Master she was unaware. u visited 1
the now lonely woman shortly before
her death" thus the story concludes.
"Shc had lost her daughter and her
husband. and lived with her son and
her grandchildren. She had aged much !