(1) William Muller (Hannover: 4 Feb 1845 - Hannover: 21 Jul 1905), German heldentenor. His father was a shoemaker, and William initially made his trade as a roofer. He made his operatic debut (1868) in Hannover in Méhul's Joseph. He spent the bulk of his career in Hannover and Berlin. A Jul. Giere, Hannover, photograph.

(2) Max Alvary [orig Maximilian Achenbach] (3 May 1856 - 7 Nov 1898): German tenor, son of painter Andreas Achenbach. Debut Weimar (1879). American debut (1885) Metropolitan Opera as Don Jose opposite Lilli Lehmann also making her American debut. First U.S. Loge, Siegfried, and Adolar. Sang in first Covent Garden Ring under Mahler 1892. Forced to retire from the stage in 1897 due to illness.

(3) Max Alvary as Siegfried, Munich, 1895. J.C. Schaarwachter, Berlin.

(4) German composer and conductor, Richard Strauss (Munich: 11 Jun 1864 - Garmisch-Partenkirchen: 8 Sep 1949) in an E. Bieber (Berlin and Hamburg) photograph.

(5) German tenor Heinrich Gudehus ( Altenhagen: 30 March 1845 - Dresden: 9 Oct 1909) as Siegfried. Hanns Hanfstaengl, C.A. Teich, Dresden. Jan 1895. He made his début (1871) as Nadori in Spohr’s Jessonda. From 1880 to 1890 he was engaged at Dresden, making his début there as Lohengrin. He often appeared at the Bayreuth Festivals, and his Wagnerian roles were seen at Covent Garden. He made his New York début (1890) at the Metropolitan Opera as Tannhäuser. After his Metropolitan Opera engagements his finished his singing career at the Berlin Hofoper. He retired in 1896.

(6) Louise Harriers-Wippern (Hildescheim: 28 Feb 1826 - Gröbersdorf (Schlesien): 5 Oct 1878). Soprano. She studied with Franziska Cornet in Hannover and Carl Töpfer in Hamburg. She made her debut (1857) at the Berlin Hofoper as Agathe (Der Freischütz), where she was especially admired. From 1863-1865 she was seen at Her Majesty's Theatre in London as Pamina, Amelia (Un Ballo), Leonora (Trovatore) and Zerlina (Giovanni). She also appeared in Vienna. Illness (diphtheria) prevented her from appearing in Italy. She was married to the architect, Eduard Harriers. H. Lehmann & Co., Berlin, photograph.

(7) Mathilde Mallinger [orig. Lichtenegger] (Zagreb: 17 Feb 1847 - Berlin: 19 Apr 1920). Note: Some sources have her as a Hungarian or Croatian soprano born in Agram on 16 Feb 1847. Debut Munich (1866) as Norma. She created Eva (Meistersinger), 1868. Performed at the Berlin Court Opera (1869-1882), where she was the rival of Pauline Lucca. The rivalry was so intense that when both of them appeared together in a performance of Figaro, Lucca was hissed during her entrance. Lucca broke her contract with this company as a result. After her retirement she taught singing. One of her pupils was Lotte Lehmann. She was married to Baron v. Schimmelpfenning (1890). Photo: B. J. Hirsch, Berlin.

As for poor Mdme. Mallinger, the famous rival of Mdme. Lucca at Berlin, she has been hissed at St. Petersburg, partly because she bears a German name, partly because she belongs to the German Opera House, but above all because she is a "Slavonion renegade." Mdme. Mallinger is, in fact, a "pure Croat" by birth, and a German only by education---that is to say, by all she has learned….But why did they not hiss Pauline Lucca who was once photographed side by side with Bismarck? Because … Mdme. Lucca is half Italian by birth. Brooklyn Eagle 27 Nov 1872.

(8) German soprano Therese Malten (Isterburg: 1855-1930) as Elisabeth in Tannhäuser. She studied with Gustav Engel in Berlin. She made her debut (1873) in Dresden as Pamina (Zauberflöte) becoming a mainstay there for thirty years. She was a frequent guest at Bayreuth. W. Hoffert photo.

(9) Therese Malten, a W. Hoffert cabinet card.

(10) Amalie Materna and Ernest Van Dyck in Parsifal. Notice the same scene can be found on the number 7 composite postcard published in Bayreuth.

(11) Marcella Sembrich: Polish soprano (15 Feb 1858 - 11 Jan 1935): Debut (1877) as Elvira (I Puritani) in Athens. Dresden Royal Opera, Met, Paris, Milan, Berlin, Vienna, Stockholm, Brussels. Equally adept with the piano and violin and often accompanied herself. One of the most famous coloratura sopranos in operatic history. An Erwin Raupp, Dresden, photo.

(12) Gisela Staudigl in Parsifal. A W. Hoffert cabinet card.

(13) Rosa Sucher and Gisela Staudigl. Cabinet card produced for the Bayreuth Festival. 20 Jul 1891. As Isolde and Brangane.

German soprano Rosa Sucher [nee Hasselbeck] (Velburg, Bavaria: 23 Feb 1847 - Eschweiler: 16 Apr 1927). She first appeared in small roles at the Hofopera in Munich. Her first major role was at the Kroll Opera (Berlin: 1875) as Agathe (Der Freischütz). After performances in Leipzig and Hamburg she made her London debut (1882) as Elsa in Lohengrin. She was first seen in Bayreuth in 1886. She made her New York début (1895) as Isolde with the Damrosch Opera Company at the Metropolitan Opera.

Rosa Sucher made an appearance at the wedding of Count Paul Ernest Boniface de Castellane of France to Anna Gould, daughter of the late Jay Gould (the “Robber Baron”), at the 5th Avenue residence of Anna's brother, George Jay Gould. It was one of the most important marriages of its time, and later one of the ugliest divorces. After the marriage, the couple settled in France. The Count managed to quickly infuse a good chunk of Anna's $80,000,000 inheritance into the French economy before she divorced him on the grounds of infidelity. Sucher, who was not listed as a guest, sang “Elsa’s Dream” from Lohengrin with a string orchestra before the bride arrived. Later, “The Ave Maria was sung by Miss Rosa Sucher, stationed at the foot of the stairs in the large hall, her rich, melodious voice blending with the strains of the organ and the cadences of the orchestra added a rare charm to an impressive and beautiful ceremony.” 4 Mar 1895

(14) Zélia Trebelli [Gloria Caroline Gillebert or Le Bert] (Paris: 1834 - Etretat: 18 Aug 1892), French mezzo-soprano. She studied with Wartel, and made her debut in Madrid (1859) as Azucena. She was the first Metropolitan Opera Carmen (1884). She married the tenor Alessandro Bettini. Note: The name Trebelli is nearly her original name backwards. Photographer: Carl Krause, Berlin.

(15) German soprano, Therese Vogl (nee Thoma) (Tutzing: 12 Nov 1845 - Munich: 29 Sept 1921). She made her debut (as Therese Thoma) (1865) at Karlsruhe as Casilda in Auber’s La part du diable. Shortly thereafter she was engaged at the Munich Hofoper, where she remained for 25 years. She was married to the tenor Heinrich Vogl and in 1869 sang Isolde to her husband’s Tristan. In 1870 she again sang with her husband in the world premiere of Die Walküre. She was the first London Brünnhilde in the complete Ring cycle. Friedrich Müller photograph, Munich.

(16) Austrian soprano, Pauline Lucca (Vienna: 25 Apr 1841 - Vienna: 28 Feb 1908): Debut (Olomouc, 1859) as Elvira in Ernani. Engaged in Berlin, studied roles there under Meyerbeer. First London Selika. Toured USA 1872-74. Vienna soprano 1874-1889. Photographer, H. Lehmann & Co, Berlin.