IMPERIAL ENCOURAGEMENT
It was not until my second season at the Royal Opera that I saw or met
the Kaiser. The Court had been in half-mourning during my first season,
and members of the royal family had not visited the opera house. In
January, 1903, the middle of my second season, a Hofmarshal from the
Palace presented himself at our apartment and officially "commanded" my
presence at the Palace that night. I was notified that I must wear the
prescribed Court dress, either lavender or black, with gloves and no
jewelry.
The Hofmarshal, having delivered his message, was about to depart when I
called him back.
"I am very sorry," I said meekly, "but I never wear black and I never
wear lavender. Neither color is becoming to me."
"But it is the custom of the Court--" he began.
"It is my custom," I replied firmly, "to wear what I choose when I sing,
and according to my mood; and I choose to wear white. Furthermore I
never wear gloves while singing."
The Hofmarshal was greatly disturbed. He was afraid it would be
impossible for me to be received at the Palace unless I conformed to the
usual requirements. However, he would see; I would be notified. And
later that afternoon came the message that "Miss Farrar could wear
whatever she desired, but she must come." I wore white.
My mother and I drove to the Palace together; we were formally received
by various flunkies and under-attaches, and finally escorted up the
magnificent staircase to the reception room just off the White Hall,
where the Kaiser and the Kaiserin were with the Diplomatic Corps after
dinner.
At the proper moment I was announced. After I had sung, and had
responded to an encore, the Kaiser arose from his place and
congratulated me. He then turned and shook hands with my mother, after
which we were led to the Kaiserin and formally presented to her. In turn
we were made acquainted with the various notables present.
[Illustration: MISS FARRAR AT FRAU VON RATH'S]
That meeting was the forerunner of many pleasant social gatherings at
the Palace, when mother and I were honored guests. His Majesty was
exceedingly kind to us, and seemed to like to hear me sing. It was on
the occasion of one of these visits to the Palace that I met the Crown
Prince for the first time. He had been away at school at Bonn, and
came in one evening with several of his brothers. I was naturally
interested in the personality of the heir to the throne, and spoke to
him at some length. I liked him at once, and found him very gay and
sympathetic.
One night at the opera he sat in the royal box, and between the acts, so
I was told, wished to come behind the scenes to speak to me. The rule
against visitors is rigidly enforced at the Royal Opera, and His
Highness was so informed. He thereupon returned to the royal box. After
the performance he again made an effort to call behind the scenes, but
was not permitted. However, later that same evening, he sent me a
hastily scribbled message written upon a card showing the Palace
gardens, reading:
You played very well to-night.--WILHELM.
I still have the card.
About this time I first met Madame Lilli Lehmann, to whose far-reaching
influence I attribute much of the success which has come to me. I felt
the need of the careful instruction of a master. Of course, the idol of
music-loving Germany was then, as now, Lilli Lehmann. I wrote to her,
asking if I could sing for her with the idea of becoming her pupil.
There was no answer. Lilli, with her extensive correspondence and active
life, was probably too busy to consider such a matter as a new pupil.
Then my mother wrote. In reply came a very concise and businesslike
communication. Yes, Lilli had received the letter from me, but, owing to
my eccentric handwriting, had been unable to decipher it. My mother's
penmanship was clearer, and so Lilli wrote that she would be willing to
hear me sing, without promising to accept me as her pupil, however.
An appointment was made for us to call at half-past nine o'clock in the
morning at her home in Grunewald, half an hour's ride from Berlin, and,
though the day was cold and wintry, my mother and I were there promptly
on time.
Beautiful Lilli Lehmann--stately and serene as a queen; with a wonderful
personality which seemed naturally to dominate every presence in the
room; past the meridian of life yet with an unbroken record of world
achievement behind her; greatest living exponent of Mozart, of Brahms,
of Liszt, of Wagner--what more can I say of her than that I approached
her with the deference and respect which were her due? I was an eager
and humble beginner; she of another generation. My desire to secure
her as my instructor seemed almost presumptuous; yet, after hearing me
sing, Lilli kindly consented to take me, and I am happy and proud to
state that I have been her pupil at all times since that first meeting.
[Illustration: "BEAUTIFUL LILLI LEHMANN, STATELY AND SERENE"
SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH:
To my dearest child
Geraldine Farrar
with all my love
Lilli Lehmann.]
Lilli insisted that I should essay one Wagnerian role. Under her
direction I studied Elizabeth in "Tannhaeuser," and the night I made my
first appearance in this role in Berlin was a memorable occasion for
both of us. The entire royal family was present, and Lilli sat in a loge
with my mother. I should explain that Lilli, who had been a notable
member of the Royal Opera for many years prior to her American
successes, had had differences with the direction of the Royal Opera
during the years of her tremendous popularity in America, and had
followed her own sweet will by remaining here several seasons without
receiving the necessary permission from the Intendant to do so.
As a result, upon her return to Germany she had not been summoned to
resume her roles at the Royal Opera. This condition of affairs, I
believe, had existed for some time, Lilli, with the pride and
independence of a great artist, scorning to make the first advances
leading to her return.
On the night of my appearance as Elizabeth, after I had scored a really
great success, the Kaiser summoned me to the royal box to congratulate
me. He knew that I had studied the role under Lilli's direction. He
therefore summoned Lilli as well, complimented her upon her pupil's
achievement and then and there requested her to sing as guest artist at
the Royal Opera, which she did a few weeks later.
It was a great and happy night for me, and I believe for Lilli also.
Dimly connected with this period I remember various young gentlemen
showing me attentions. There was a baron who mysteriously sent gifts
concealed in flowers, with very charming poems written about the
difficult roles I was playing. It was some time before I found out who
he was and could return his trinkets, with the request that he cease
sending presents to me. However, he continued to write me pathetic
letters for several years afterward. But I was thrilled and enthusiastic
over my career, and had no serious thoughts for love-making or
matrimony. I wished to devote all my time and energy to my work.
[Illustration: THE CROWN PRINCE OF GERMANY
SIGNED, 'Tally Ho--!' 1914
WITH THE IMPERIAL SEAL BELOW]
But no artist can hope to escape permanently the evil tongue and
jealousy of those who envy her the success she has won. Thus it happened
that the sudden interest in grand opera manifested by the Crown
Prince was made the baseless pretext of a wild rumor of the romantic
attachment of the youthful heir for a certain American prima donna
singing at the Royal Opera. As I happened to be the only prima donna to
conform to the description, I was the unconscious victim of many
canards.
The truth of the matter is that the Crown Prince, just out of college,
fond of music at all times, was enjoying his first season of opera. That
I happened to be the only young prima donna at the opera house may be
one reason why he attended every time I sang, and ignored other
performances. At any rate, it annoyed the other singers greatly, but it
created no end of interest in my performances and in no way disturbed my
equanimity. I felt it was all part of the career.
I was young, triumphant, happy in my singing, and making rapid strides
toward an international reputation, and at the back of my brain was
written, with determination, the ultimate goal: the Metropolitan Opera
House at New York. So I pursued my studies with zest and unabated
enthusiasm.
Soon afterward I realized from vague storm-clouds and distant mutterings
that trouble was brewing. Certain minor officials of the Royal Opera
put their heads together with certain singers; rumors that too much
attention was paid to the American singer by royalty were printed in one
of the papers; whereupon my father (remember he was once a ball-player
and is still a great athlete) retaliated by a physical reminder to one
editor that such slanders are not circulated with impunity about young
American women. The press caught the romance of the situation, and
highly colored stories were the result.
The climax of a series of petty annoyances came one night when my mother
was denied permission to accompany me behind the scenes, as she had been
doing at every performance for almost two years.
In my anger at these sensational reports, and at the sudden discourtesy
to my mother at the opera house, I determined to write to the Kaiser a
personal letter of explanation. This letter was entrusted to my devoted
friend, Herr von Rath, to be delivered by him personally to the
Hofmarshal, who would see that it reached the Kaiser.
[Illustration: THE CROWN PRINCESS OF GERMANY
WITH TWO CHILDREN SEATED ON HER LAP
SIGNED, CECILE]
Those well-wishers who had been freely predicting that I would soon be
requested to resign and "go over the border" because of the rumors
regarding the Crown Prince (one newspaper even asserted that he
wished to relinquish his right to the succession to the throne in order
to marry the American singer!) were soon thrown into consternation when
one of the royal carriages stopped in front of my door, to bring
official notification from the Kaiser that he had ordered restored to my
mother the privilege of accompanying me at any time behind the scenes at
the Royal Opera.
The envious tongues stopped wagging. Official Berlin society took its
cue. It was understood that I was _not_ to leave Germany.
I determined that since Berlin had been the city first to take me to its
heart, Berlin should be my parent house. From there I might try to reach
out for other worlds to conquer, but Berlin should be my base for an
international career. And so firmly did I adhere to this decision that,
when my first contract with the Royal Opera expired, I renewed it again
and again, with special permission from His Majesty for my European and
subsequent American arrangements.