Coeur, where
she received her education, and such musical instruction as the convent
could provide. In 1864 the family again moved, this time to Albany, N.
Y., and when Mlle. Lajeunesse entered upon her professional career, she
adopted the name of this city, because it was here that she decided upon
becoming a professional singer.

While singing in the choir of the Catholic Cathedral she attracted the
attention of the bishop by her beautiful voice, and he strongly urged
her father to take her to Europe, and place her under proper masters for
the development of her remarkable talent. To provide the necessary
funds, a concert was given in Albany, after which Mlle. Lajeunesse and
her father proceeded to Paris, where she commenced her studies with
Duprez. After some months she went on to Milan, where she became a pupil
of Lamperti, who thought so highly of her that he dedicated to her a
treatise on "the shake." In 1870 she made her debut at Messina, in the
Sonnambula, after which she sang for a time at Florence.

In 1872 she obtained an engagement in London, and on April 2d appeared
at the Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden. The beautiful qualities of
her voice and the charm of her appearance were at once appreciated, and
before the end of the season she was firmly established in the favor of
the public. Later in the season she appeared in Paris, and then returned
to Milan for further study, but so favorable an impression had she made,
that she was engaged for the season of 1873 in London. She then went to
St. Petersburg, after which she revisited America, and sang again in the
Cathedral at Albany.

In 1878 Albani married Mr. Ernest Gye, the lessee of Covent Garden
Theatre, and for many years was one of the permanent attractions at that
house. She has visited America several times, and has also sung in most
of the large cities of Europe, where her reputation has been steadily
maintained.

Madame Albani's honors have not all been won in opera, though she has an
immense repertoire, including Italian, French, and German operas. She is
also one of the foremost concert and oratorio singers, and has had the
honor of creating numerous soprano parts at the great festivals. At the
request of Sir Arthur Sullivan, she travelled from Brussels to Berlin
expressly to sing the part of "Elsie" in the "Golden Legend," at its
second performance in that city. She had created the part when it was
produced in 1886.

In England, where Mad