end from Vienna spoke of the promise which he
thought lay in Etelka's voice.

This gentleman asked permission to bring his friend Hellmesberger to
hear her, and some time later the visit took place. Doctor Hellmesberger
endorsed the opinion already given, but said that there was only one
judge of such matters in Vienna,--Madame Marchesi A visit was therefore
made to Vienna, with the result that Mlle. Gerster became a pupil of
Marchesi, and after a year of hard study won first prize at the
Conservatoire.

About this time "Aida" was brought out at Vienna, and the composer Verdi
came to superintend its production. He visited the Conservatoire, and a
little soiree musicale was given in his honor. On this occasion Gerster
sang several pieces, and Verdi was so pleased that he advised her to go
on the stage.

Soon after this Gerster got an engagement to sing at Venice under the
management of Signor Gardini. She spent two seasons singing in Italian
and Spanish towns, but in 1877 she appeared in Berlin at Kroll's
Theatre. This engagement was the turning-point of her career, for by the
magic of her voice she turned the second-class theatre into a resort to
which the nobility flocked every night, and the venerable emperor and
his court always held the front row of seats.

For three weeks the company, composed of singers unknown to fame, sang
to empty houses. Then, whispers of the fact that Kroll's Theatre had a
singer of extraordinary ability resulted in increasing audiences. The
emperor came and was delighted, and an invitation to sing at court was
the result. After this triumphant engagement, Gerster married her
manager, Signor Gardini, while they were in Pesth.

Compared with many prima donnas, Madame Gerster's life has been
uneventful. Her position as a singer was as a representative of the old
art of beautiful singing. She charmed with gracefulness, smoothness, and
exquisite finish of execution, and the most perfect musical taste, which
every phrase, even in the most florid passages, revealed. She could not
awe, like Pasta, but she could fascinate and charm. She was not a great
actress, but she was graceful and pleasing on the stage.

Madame Gerster visited the United States several times, but at the end
of the season of 1881 she declared that she would never sing again under
the management of Colonel Mapleson. He had hurt her feelings by neglect.
He had called on other members of the company, and showed various little