A Strenuous Operatic Season in New York cult still, to make the claim of the enor¬ power than any opera or combination of invite«* to the competition then in progresa mous losses suffered the managers due singers, thut the management decided that among American authors and composers The Performances Were Given at Three by lan¬ Metropolitan Company Brought to increase in the cost of it could throw artistic integrity and prom¬ for an original opera in the English giving opera been agree with certain well-known facts. Least ises to the winds, even in the department guage, for which a prize of $10,000 had a in Houses, at Cost of Two of all does it seem wise or righteous to on which it had laid considerable stress In offered by the Metropolitan company Forward Many Novelties and charge this increase to the rapacity of the prospectus. The ballet programme December, 1908. The story of that compe¬ to relate Million Dollars singers, Mr. Grau made money enough in went largely by the board. "Vienna tition and the award I purpose Revived Gluck's "Orfeo" where it can bo the last three or four years of his admin- Waltzes," which had figured in the pre¬ in a subsequent chapter, other ii"-<- istration to retire with a fortune, though liminary announcement, was performed but brought into perspective with vernacular Jean do Reszke at the last cost him as once, and then only because the German dents in the campaign for is as old in New By H. E. KREHBIEL much as Caruso has ever cost the Metro¬ Press Club, which had bargained for it for opera, a campaign that "Orfeo" is the oldest opera in the current panionship with Mascagni's. On itself.a fact to which man¬ (>"eember politan management, and Grau paid artists its annual benefit, insisted upon having it. York as opera list.the oldest opera and yet one bearing II, 1893, it was given as a curtain raiser Copyright, 19IS. by II. E. Krehbicl and keep their like Sembricb, Fames, Calvé, Plançon and "Dio Puppenfoe," "Sylvia," "Les Sylphides" agers composers obstinately a much needed lesson, which it is greatly for "Pagliacei." Neither stag'- on the were not shut. manage Edouard de Reszke besides. Mr. Conried's and "Chopin," though list, eyes to be feared is not yet appreciated at its nor ballet master disclosed a g!;mmer of CHAPTER X short divertissements after first seasons were also notoriously profita¬ given, long The season had been in progress for a full value because of tne perverted ta3te of intelligence touching the opera. Now the' their novel¬ so 11I.W1-; told the story in all all the ble. Of course the doubling of the chorus operas taking place. Operatic fortnight when the first quasi-novelty was the operatic public for music highly underworld was a sort of mod already «rally year round. There is, more¬ and orchestra added to the cost of ties promised but not were Leo and tone wi±h greatly performed brought forward at the New Theatre, which spiced with dissonance mongrel glen, abounding grinning skul ., lighted save its artistic phases of the contest over, gi'eatcr variety in the character of Bledi's Götzl's "Les Pré¬ the the establishment, but it was this doubling "Versiegelt," gave a rich and beautiful setting to the au¬ that the original mission of the art has- up from within like the illuminated between the Com¬ representations. Counting operas and on pump¬ Metropolitan Opera which made it. possible to give opera in cieuses ridicules," Goldmark's "Cricket the but was found to be been and its dissipated, kin of the Headless Horseman. The I ballets, there was a greater number of per¬ dience and piece, forgotten, potency pany and Mr. Hammerstein, which other which were a source of profit, the Hearth," Humperdinck's "Königs¬ was of a taste for Fields were in formances at the two official lyric theatres places defective acoustically, a fault which because of the prevalence cloudland; the blessed ended with the retirement at the end of the not of loss, to the institution. There was a kinder," Laparra's "Habanera," Lehar's next season. The lust and the shambles. There shades were a mixed of of Paris in 1908, the last year whose offi- partially remedied in the pruriency, company season 1909-'10 of the latter from the oper¬ report that the Metropolitan Opera Com¬ "Zigeunerliebe" ("Amour des Tziganes"), Zimmer¬ was all this in this school Amazons from cial ligures are available, than in the New work was Lortzing's "Czar und nothing of revival, angels, Niblo's and atic field. For a reason which must have pany lost $135,000 on the venture in the Leroux's "Chemincau," Maillart's "Les was in the but much loveliness of scenic and short, skirted, bespangled York season of 1909-'10; but here is a mann," which performed original spectacle d.mcers, all of been obvious, 1 the sig¬ New but a deficit of an of Dragons des Villars," Offenbach's "Contes whose emotions were in their completed chapter nificant fact: the combined of the Theatre, average German. Here was a case in which a for¬ much beautiful music grateful to the ear, toes. Thovitrh with an account of Mr. Hammerstein's receipts $3,400 a is scarcely d'Hoffmann," Rossini's "Signor .Bruschino," Mme. Scalchi the music of Grand Opéra and Opéra for the nearly performance eign work might have mnde a deeper im¬ warming to the emctions and powerfully sang Orpheus discomfiture when he to return Comique conceivable. In the season was Suppé's "Schone Galathea" and Wolf-Fer¬ there was but one attempted whole year did not equal those of the Met¬ Brooklyn pression on an American audience than it appealing to the imagination. It is no performance, and that to operatic management later. I have also to both the com¬ rari's "Le Donne curióse." The operas was ropolitan House the five profitable Metropolitan did had it been given it» English; but to do extravagance of speech to say that for the quite enough, as every one agree«! given some critical attention to the Opera during and stockholders of the which had a first in New York, artistic months in New The pany tho Academy production that it would have had to be provided with first time the present generation of opera- Once more Gluck's opera suffered the activities of the dur¬ York. Grand Opéra, of who in in either at the Metropolitan Opera House or Metropolitan company to be took in in the Music, played partnership; a better translation than is usually be¬ goers in New York were privileged to en- dation of being drafted to kill lime before the first of its and explicit, $626,000 and Baltimore there were the New were Franchetti's "Ger¬ ing year reorganization twelve Philadelphia Theatre, stowed upon foreign operas, and the spirit joy a performance of the. opera which was the introduction of a novelty this t mo to months of 1908; the Opéra Comique the by no means inglorious achieve¬ guarantees which saved the company from mania," Tschaikowsky's "Pique Dame," Mr. more Massenet's on $408,800. making a total of If of the comedy and n.usic been faith¬ worthy of the poet, the composer, the in¬ "Navarraise," December 11, ments of Mr. Hammerstein the last $1,124,800. loss and a In New Converse's of Desire," Druneau's during the receipts of the probably yielded profir*. "Pipe fully preserved than it was by some of the stitution at which it was presented and 1895. Mme. Brema appeared i: two years of the Manhattan House. Metropolitan Opera York it was said at the outset of the season "L'Attaque du Moulin" and Paër's "Il Opera House from November, to performers. Lortzing's Singspiel is a also of the beautiful old legend.in short, rôle, and Mme. Calvé introduced the run- To keep the account of the disastrous 1909, April, 1910, that the subscription had been the largest Maestro di Capella," the last in an abbrevi¬ did not reach this sum little reliance can classic.bewitchingly Mozartian in its music an adequate performance. Old operagoers powder opera which had been writt ivalry intact I was obliged to depart from ever known in the history of the house. ated form. To these works I shall recur her be placed on the statements which were and altogether delightful in its comedy. Its in New York whose memories go back sixty by MM. Cain and Massenet. "Navar- a It would seem to be presently. In familiar operas the strictly chronological procedure in the made from time to time the obvious, therefore, public subject---the familiar episode in the life of years might be ublo to recall not only all raise" lived through five performances, but historical narrative and shall con¬ during period that increase of cost was in the admin¬ was permitted to see new impersonations of be its officials. the Peter the Great which tells of how he the representations which "Orfeo" has had "Orfeo" died on the first night- di strained to do so again in the review of the by istration and the artists ought to be held Lisa, Floria Tosca and Santuzza by Mme. This is a larg-c amount of njjncy to draw learned to appreciate the feelings of "plain in New York but also the very first per¬ slept the sleep of death until its lovely artistic doings of the Metropolitan estab¬ guiltless. But I feel little inclined to con¬ Frcmstad.