Minnie Hauk (1853-1929) was an American opera singer celebrated as a prima donna from the time of her first appearance in Paris in 1869 and then became renowned in the rest of Europe. Hauk's repertoire comprised of around one hundred roles, although she was best known for her Carmen (Bizet) and Manon Lescaut (Massenet). In 1889 she took up residence in a country house in Lucerne, the Schlössli Wartegg, accompanied by her husband, the Austrian travel writer and ethnologist Baron Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg; they remained there for forty years. Following her death, the property passed to the town of Lucerne.
The music library possesses a number of items consisting of piano arrangements and song collections from the estate of Minnie Hauk, many of which have covers bearing personal autographs and dedications of the various composers or publishers. They contribute to the singer's fame and artistic renown.
David Koch
