ed among the great opera singers, it is
because her ambition led her away from the beaten track, for, having
made a reputation, she established an opera company of her own, which
existed in America for several years, and enabled her to make a fortune
estimated at half a million dollars. Her husband died in 1889, and his
loss was a blow from which she never fully recovered. She was herself
taken away in her prime in 1891.

In 1873 a young singer made her debut at Dresden, who was destined to
achieve a high reputation as an interpreter of Wagner, and to rival the
greatest stars of her school. Therese Malten, who was born at
Insterburg, Eastern Prussia, appeared in Dresden as Pamina, and as
Agatha. For nearly ten years she sang only in Dresden, taking many of
the soprano roles in Italian opera. In 1882 she sang at Bayreuth, as
Kundry, at the desire of Wagner, who had a very high opinion of her
ability, which was amply justified by the results.

In London she appeared in May, 1882, when she made a great impression,
and the critics declared that, though her art in singing was not so
perfect as Materna's, her voice was fresh, magnificent, powerful, and
that she had great personal beauty. Besides possessing a voice of
extraordinary compass, with deep and powerful notes in the lower
register, she was considered an admirable actress. In 1883 she was
chosen by Wagner to sing the part of Isolde at Bayreuth, when she was
described, amidst all the praise that was bestowed upon her, as a young
singer who was never known out of Dresden until she sang in London the
previous year.

Madame Katharina Lohse-Klafsky, who was born in the same year as Malten,
and was for several years prima donna at the Hamburg Opera, visited
America in 1895, and died unexpectedly at Hamburg the following year as
the result of an operation. She was a native of Hungary, and began her
career in Italian opera, though she was best known as a Wagnerian
singer. She had a large repertoire, and created the part, in German, in
"La Navarraise." She met with great success in London in 1892 and 1894.
She had a full, rich-toned voice and a handsome stage presence.

A career of exceptional brilliance, but all too brief, was that of
Etelka Gerster, who was born at Koschau, in Hungary, in 1856. Her father
was a merchant, and brought up his family to refined tastes. All his
children were fond of music, but none seemed to think of special musical
study until a visiting fri