Bibliography: Martha by Flotow, Friedrich von

In My Antonia, Mrs. Harling explains the opera Martha to the children as she plays it for them. In "Paul's Case," Paul is mesmerized by the allure of the entertainment: "The moment the cracked orchestra beat out the overture from Martha, or jerked at the serenade from Rigoletto, all stupid and ugly things slid from him, and his senses were deliciously, yet delicately fired."

In a 1929 article in the World-Herald, Cather writes, "what good luck it was for a country child to hear those tuneful old operas sung by people who were doing their best: The Bohemian Girl, The Chimes of Normandy, Martha, The Mikado."