New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-11
NINE. LEHMAN
CHANCES BACK
OVER THE ROAD
Extraordinary Book of an Ex'
traordinary Woman Takes
Reader Among Scenes
of Vivid Interest.

Nine IilIi Lehman has written and
published her memoirs in German. An
extraordinary woman and an equally OK
traordinary book. 1t is not labelled An
Autobiography" or THE Story OF My
Life" but very characteristically 'Mein
Weg'-whlch may be translated dy
Course" or My Road" IL is TAT BOOK
OF two volumes in one. containing on
pages without the illustrations. vhich
number forty-one. Writing has 10 terror
for Nine. Lehman. nor is there sub
iect under the sun on which she Gears TO
express an opinion. She begins he auto
biographical part of her book with d
transcription Of family chronicles dating
back to 1890. and ends it with an account
of the Mozart festival IN Salzburg. in 1910
There is not a question touching ait or
life raised by her narrative which she
begs. She never compromises with God
man or devil. Straight from the Shout
der is all her talk, and though there are
scores and hundreds Of pages dealing
with matters in which her friends on this
side Of the Atlantic can find no Interest
there is not a line telling about her
American experiences which will not In
terest them. Nor in her discussion OF the
change which came over the festivals at
Bayreuth between the first, when she
sang the part of Rhine maiden, and
the time when i'm the maturity OF her
powers she returned TO sing Brunnhilde
and found herself at loggerheads with
Wagner's widow. All this would make
interesting reading in translation; but it
cannot be set forth in the columns Of a
newspaper We must content ourselves
with an occasional fragment. To begin
with some notes from her account Of her
first visit to America. in 1886:
In former years when an impresario
brought famous artists across the water
for show concerts and theatrical
entertainments are still called in the
WeSt-a word which the people from
Oldtimc habit still associate with menag-
cries and circuses. they were received IN
the harbo- by q special advertising boat
and music. In my time this has been
doue away with. the metropolitan opera
House had no need OF such reclame. 1t
was not even permitted to hand flowers
over the footlights. folly toward the
correction Of which | helped. as indeed
] did ia every reform calculated 10 pro
mote art. Of which fact believe ] am
entitled TO be proud This time there
appeared only a few interviewerS, VINO
approached me at once with the ques-
ton: How do YOU like America My
God, How can one Judge America with
out having put foot upon its soil? But
somebody suggested that ! say ''Tremen-
dously" and / answered Very much.
The stuff that is dishcd out To news
paper readers in these interviews IS
enough to make ones hair rise, and
sometimes one feels an inclination 20
oNertrump incredible questions with stu
more incredible answers. But one must
be polite IN America and spare others
excitement ana anger; everybody is MS
own master. and one gains more than
one loses by the policy. Habelmann, the
stage manager. welcomed me IN lhe
name of the management The excise
formalities take place on the steamship
which does not hinder. however, that
one is compelled to wait hours on the
draughty pier for an examination or
ones luggage | was asked ii | had
brought any gifts with me. | replied
oh no. bat hope TO receive some
here" But not seriously)
Scarcely had we seated ourselves IN
the carriage. which took us through a
few dirty, rough streets, full of danger
Gus holes. I'm Hoboken. in which the little
blue or red painted houses made merry
effect. when We were on big Terry.
which carried us 10 the other shore oil
the brilliantly enliVened Hudson. Here
there was but little Improvement so far
as dirt and pavementS were concerned.
New York did not put on a presentable
face until we reached Fifth avenue and
Broadway. and we halted at the Hotel
\ormandie "a 3Sth street Whlch was
% domiclle us for the next three
months. The committee had reserved
three rooms and a bath on the first floor.
thinking to do tho prima donna an honor
but within an hour We moved OUT or the
noise of the street up to the seventh