ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a biography of mid- to late-19th-century vocalist Mathilde Bauermeister. Mathilde Bauermeister became a special kind of name in the operatic and musical world, and books of reference and, of course, the Internet therefore carry endless Bauermeister potted biographies, the one, of course, in general, knowledgelessly copied from the other and, thus, in the usual way, perpetuating not only a dose of fact but – by statement or by omission – a goodly dose of fiction. The eulogies flowed. The Times, reporting the Farewell – in which Mlle Bauermeister had sung her eternal role of the nurse in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette – described how she broke down and cried in full view of the audience, when Mme Nellie Melba, with great tact and cleverness, turned the scene into one of favour and prettiness not often seen in the theatre.
