Alma Gluck, who was born in Bucharest, Roumania, May, 11, 1884, was brought to America at the age of six, and she has since lived in New York, receiving practically her entire musical training there. As a young girl she took piano lessons, and her voice attracted the attention of her teacher, who became interested in its possiblities and urged that it should be cultivated. Although many sacrifices were thereby made necessary her family placed her under the instruction of Signor Buzzi-Peccia and through the inteligent care of this master her lovely natural voice developed into an organ of rare beauty and extended range. In fact, her progress was so noteworthy that in 1909, at the age of twenty-five, the young soprano was selected from a source of youthful singers to undertake the role of Sophie in Massenet's 'Werther', at the Metropolitan Opera House. Miss Gluck's success was immediate, and her artistic development became at once a matter of considerable public interest, for the fresh beauty of her voice and her charmong personality made her one of the greatest favorites at the Metropolitan Sunday night concerts. With increasing popularity and success she apeared in 'La Boheme', 'Pagliacci', 'Orpheo', 'Tannhauser', and 'Armide, and at the close of her second season at the Metropolitan, Alma Gluck's name was well known in the opera world. On several occasions she likewise made concert appearances near New York and gave ample evidence that she was a 'Lieder'-singer of unusual intelligence as well as charm. During the season of 1911 and 1912, Miss Gluck made her first concert appearances with the Boston Symphony and Philadephia Syphony Orchestras, and in the same season she was engaged as the star of the Portland and Bangor Festivals in Maine. Her appearance in these cities was followed by successes at other festivals in Richmond, Norfolk, Ann Arbor, and other places, and it became apparent that not for years had the concert stage been graced by such a delightful artist. It was then that in response to many requests she resigned from the Opera House in order to make the extended recital tours over the country which have been a welcome feature of the musicla season in America. A valuable opporttunity to study with Marcella Sembrich came to Miss Gluck in 1913, and she withdrew from public appearances on order to avail herself of eight months' close association with the famous soprano at Sembrich's home in Switzerland. In the summer of that year the young American singer made her first London appearance in a recital that completely won her English audience and brought attractive offers for an English tour. In June, 1914, the musical world was interested i the announcement of the marriage of Miss Gluck to Ephrem Zimblist, the Russian violinist. The wedding took place in London, and both artists returned to America for the musical season of 1914-1915, during which they filled a record-breaking number of concert engagements. The following year Miss Gluck devoted to rest and study, but she is now again happily before the public, at her richer than ever, unquestionably one of the most charming singers in the recital world today.
Some years ago, when Mrs. Ogden Mills, senior, one of New York's socially prominent women asked Mr. Philip Lydig, then one of the directors of the Chicago Opera and a great lover and patron of music, what artists she should choose for her musicale (one of the events of the New York season) he suggested Alam Gluck, the Metropolitan Opera star, and Paul Reimers, the master of song, who was then in New York on one of his international concert tours. He [Mr. Lydig] chose these two artists purposely in order to hear them in duets. From having heard them separately ne fancied that their voices would blend to perfection. Alma Gluck and Paul Reimers had never met nor heard each other sing, and so the question, what kind of duets to sing was a rather difficult one; however the final choice seemed to be a most successful one. Their first appearance in duets created quite a sensation and was followed by numerous concerts both in America and England. When the first Victor Records of their duets came out they were commented on by all the leading musicians for the perfect blending of their voices. These records soon gained such popularity that they could be found in almost everybody's collection. For this reason, Alma Gluck and Paul Reimers prepared [...the book this biography is quoting from]
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