The Washington herald., 1921-07-03

BY great good fortune my voice
was trained in the old bel canto
school by Madame Corelli at Berlin.
After two years with her, i made
my debut as Annchen in Weber's
Der Fre1schutz" at the Berlin Roy
al Opera. At that time many Amer
leans were singing there, Miss Ger
aldine Farrat, Mime. Florence Eas-
/ ton, Putnam Griswold. and others.
For two years | remained at that
opera house and for two seasons
following was engaged as primA
donna at the Cassel Royal Opera.
which was under the direct super
vision of the Kaiser.
Offer of an engagement at the
Covent Garden Royal Opera, Lon
don. had come to me in my first
year at Cassel, but / was not allow
/ ed leave OF absence to fulfill il.
However. when my second summer
came around / was more fortunate,
and / went to London to conclude
negotiations. During my stay the
war broke out. Many on both sides
of the channel predicted that il
would last only six months. / felt
otherwise. Consequently. just as
little children speed to their moth
ers when trouble comes, | sped for
home.
Originally intending TO remain at
that time only long enough in Lon
don to sign my contract. | had left
all my earthly possessions behind
in Germany. To make matters still
more serious, my costumes for op-
era were included. Only lately, af-
ter nearly seven years, did l get
them back. The salesble articles.
that is the furs. lsCes and jewelry
were missing. But clothes. stage
I costumes and ornaments and opera
scores arrived intact
Mistakenly Greets Devil"
Things were going smoothly in
Berlin and the Kaiser was in his
hey-day when | made my debut in
Der Freischutz." And without re
1 hearsaI. Going out on the stage. i
gave a pleasant greeting to the
most important looking parsonage
saw there. Don't, Don't" whis-
pered a singing colleague in excite
ment. That's the devil and you're
not supposed TO see him" This was
not the only humorous stage mis-
apprehension under which l labored.
Called on suddenly to sing the col
oratUra part of Filina in Ambrose
/ Thomas "Mignon" and learning II
I within a few days. there Vas, again.
no time for rehearsal. Going on the
stage with faint idea of the COS
TUNED people l would meet there.
| made my best salaam to the most
gorgeous gold braided Individual
that l saw. IL was the butler All
Else, however. turned out well, the
success / won with audience and
management brought me an en-,
gagement.
In Berlin. as at other opera
houses, the young aspirant had 10
know her roles so well that should
the call come. she could arise from
bed in the night and sing them
lOnce, and almost literally. such call
did come to me. l was resting COM
fortably at home in kImona. my
name not being in that nights cast,
when the telephone set Up violent
ringing At the other md an eN-
cited voice told me wat the per
formance of Mozart's Magic Flute
had started. that the singer appear
ing as First Genii had fallen i'll, and
that | must rush to the opera TO
take her place.
Throwing a big cloak over me;
there was no time to do more, 1
jumped into a taxi. As We whiEzed
toward the opera house. ! sat down
On the floor and did Up my hair 10
have at least that much ready. Ar
riving at the stage entrance | found
several theater dressers waiting for
me. Each held in her hands some
articles of the Genii costume. could
hear the music pealinS out that an
nounccd my entrance. while tnvN
were choking me in hast" L" get on
my things The final touches were
put on in the wings, and ! was
N ushed out to sing.
Again At CaSsCi IT meant the same
preparedness. and hard work with
earnest. toiling colleagues. rehears-
ing from four to eight hours dallS.
kThe training was eNactinE TO the
utmost. and il proved to me lnNal-
liable for all the years to come. AS
the company Was not large one
IT was no unusual thing to have 10
sing two roles in single opera.
I And practically everything was
given from opcretta to "Parsital.
We took our lunches to the opera
house, there being no intermIssion
to go home. and | recall hot days
with hungry frauleins all about me
munching sandwiches of cheese that
sn elled to heaven. And l with
tender love scene to do when pres
emily the throbbing music started
up again! But what do such niue
incidents count for with our whole
heart in our work? Surely the en-
thusiasm of those performances at
Cassel linger indellibly in mind.
Forms own Company.
There is small chance at home for
| the American girl in opera. Follow
ing my appearances in New YORK
with the American Singers, came
several seasons in concert. ! grew
opera hungry. When my orother'
brigham Cecil Gates, said to me
why not give opera yourself? The
very idea of il inspired me. He had
been trained as orchestra conductor
at the Scharwenka Conservatory in
Berlin. Assured of his splendid aid
in that branch. l started in TO DO
the rest myself.
The entire company l selected and
Assembled at Salt Lake City, Utah
Every member of il was an anna
teur, excepting myself. a basso with
some opera experience, and a tenor
who had been for two years in light
opera with the Shuberts, for which
had trained him.
! drilled both principals and cho-
rus in their music and their action
Mainly the operas were sung lin
English: occasionally in French.