
FOREWORD
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
CHAPTER I - THE WAY IT ALL HAPPENED
CHAPTER II - A STRUGGLE AND A SOLUTION
CHAPTER III - PARIS AT LAST
CHAPTER IV - PENSION PERSONALITIES
CHAPTER V - OPERATIC FRANCE VERSUS OPERATIC GERMANY
CHAPTER VI - PREPARING RÔLES IN BERLIN
CHAPTER VII - MY FIRST OPERATIC CONTRACT SIGNED
CHAPTER VIII - MY ONE LONE IMPROPOSITION
The memoir opens with a young woman whose comfortable New York life is upended by a sudden financial crash. Engaged to a modest businessman, she stitches towels and dreams of domesticity, yet an inner voice—both literal and metaphorical—whispers that her destiny lies elsewhere. A childhood steeped in music, with her father's nightly improvisations, turns melody into a first language. This quiet revelation pushes her toward an operatic career.
She heads to Paris and then Germany, where conservatories and opera houses become a micro‑cosm of society. The book paints the pomp of officers in Metz, backstage friendships, and the clash between French lyricism and German rigor, all while exposing the daily sacrifices a singer must make. Vivid anecdotes of costumes, rehearsals, and the unglamorous grind offer a human portrait that will intrigue anyone curious about life behind the curtain.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (327K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material at The Internet Archive.)
Release date
2010-06-26
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1884–1956
A celebrated contralto who later became a memorable Hollywood character actress, she moved with ease from grand opera stages to the screen. Her life joined musical prestige, sharp wit, and a second career that introduced her to a much wider audience.
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