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Home , Adelina Patti, Cincinnati Opera, Emma Abbott, Emma Albani, Emma Juch, Impresario

The Illustrated News HALL ,1883 () Feb, . 3, 1883 First Act of "" (Drawn by H. F. Farny) BULLETIN of The Cincinnati Historical Society

April 1966 CINCINNATI Vol. 24 No. 2

Cincinnati Festivals During the Gilded Age

by JOSEPH E. HOLLIDAY

The Gilded Age, whose negative aspects of crass materialism, poor taste and graft in political life have been so emphasized, was not without its positive achievements.1 Some of these were in the field of scientific development and cultural striving. The 1870's and early 1880's were years of great progress in the cultural development of Cincinnati, particularly in the field of music. That city, with a popu- lation in 1870 of 216,239, was the most populous city in the state of and the second in size in the west. Many of its civic leaders had high hopes of it becoming the musical center of the Middle West and their hopes were not unfounded. Choral societies had long been a part of Cincinnati's social life, especially among the German element of the population. The May Festivals, using the membership of these societies, were inaugurated with great success in 1873. Music Hall, probably the finest audi- torium in the country at the time it was opened in 1878, was built irThe Gilded Age, a term originally coined by Mark Twain, has come to be generally used by historians to denote the social life in the from 1865 to 1890. See H. Wayne Morgan, ed., The Gilded Age: a Reappraisal (Syra- cuse, 1963). 132 The Bulletin primarily for these festivals. There were also several flourishing music schools in the city, which provided a solid foundation for musical education. The Conservatory of Music, founded in 1867, the Cincinnati College of Music, founded by Mrs. Nelson Geppert, the College of Music of Cincinnati, founded in 1878, and numerous private schools had large enrollments. They also brought to the city, as teachers, a number of able and well-known musicians from Ger- many, and the eastern coast of the United States. The community provided audiences for an amazingly live circuit of artists and touring companies visiting the city. During the season of 1879-'8O, for opera only, Cincinnatians had an opportunity to hear the Strakosch Opera Company present Italian at the House during the week of November 3rd, Emma Abbott's Grand English Opera Company present light and grand operas at Pike's during the week of December 3rd, and the Ideal Opera Company present Gilbert and Sullivan operas and others during the week of January 11th. They could also have heard Mapleson's Her Majesty's Opera Company present grand opera on a more lavish scale during the week of January 23rd, Maurice Grau's Company sing at the Grand Opera House in February, and the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, on a return visit to Pike's Opera House in April, play Gilbert and Sulli- van's operas. While the standards of these companies varied widely, the opportunities for hearing light and grand operas were frequent — more frequent than in the middle of the twentieth century. This was the era when the "star system" prevailed; only touring companies could bring these stars to various cities; no city in the United States in 1881 had a permanent resident opera company. Another fundamental civic asset not lacking in those years was vigorous and able local leadership for musical events. George Ward Nichols and his wife, Maria Longworth Nichols, A. Howard Hinkle, Reuben Springer, Julius Dexter, Edmund Pendleton and Peter R. Neff were among the civic leaders who promoted and mobilized public support for good music. Among the projects that evoked great inter- est in the city during the Gilded Age, in addition to the Music Festi- vals, were the Opera Festivals. Since the community continues to be a center for opera presentations during the summer, some attention to these opera festivals is of interest, inasmuch as the roots of this tradition were nurtured by these festivals. The opera festivals had their inspiration among the directors of the newly-established College of Music of Cincinnati, particularly from the ambitious, hard-driving George Ward Nichols, who was president of the college from 1878 until his death in 1885. Nichols, Cincinnati Opera Festivals During the Gilded Age 133 who had more than a dilettante's knowledge of art and music, was a hard-headed realist in financial matters.2 He had been one of the main promoters of the May Festivals, but a serious dispute between

Society Collection GEORGE WARD NICHOLS Nichols and Theodore Thomas, the musical director of the festivals, had caused Nichols to withdraw from participation. His restless, energetic spirit needed another outlet for his managerial and orga- nizational talents; the opera festivals provided this outlet. The founders of the College of Music had ambitious goals for their college — goals that were beyond musical instruction. Among these were a resident city symphony and a good opera department. Their attempts to organize a permanent symphony orchestra is part of another story. It is their interest in opera that 2Robert Shafer, "George Ward Nichols," Dictionary of American Bioqraphy (New York, 1935), XIII, 494. 134 The Bulletin concerns us here. One year after the college opened, Nichols engaged Max Maretzek as the head of the opera department of the college. Maretzek's experience as violinist, conductor and impresario had established a reputation for him in the opera field. A native of Moravia, who had been a violinist and conductor in in various German cities and , he came to the United States in 1848 to conduct opera at the Astor Place Opera House in New York. In this country he became an impresario and his name was almost synonymous with the production of Italian operas in this country. Maretzek, in the words of one of his biographers, was "enterprising, but cloaked all of his ventures in pessimism," and his career, like those of so many producers, was punctuated by quarrels and disputes. He had a highly volatile personality.3 During his residence in Cincinnati from September, 1880, to June, 1882, he was occupied with his teach- ing duties and the organization of a private orchestra which played to large evening audiences at the Highland House during the summer of 1881.4 The first opera produced by the department of the college was Rossini's Cinderella in December, 1880. In the words of one newspaper critic, "it was a handome debut" and "would have borne the test of criticism of a public."5 Nichols' methods clashed with Maretzek's volatile personality and he resigned in March, 1882. The opera department of the college then came, for a time, under the direction of Albino Gorno and J. F. Rudolphson.6 In the meantime, Nichols had launched the First Opera Festival. Nichols won approval from the directors of the college to enter into a contract with Colonel James H. Mapleson to bring Her Majesty's Opera Company for a week of performances in the city; in return for a guarantee, a percentage of the profits would be re- ceived by the college. It was determined to give the presentations a festival character.7 At that time Colonel Mapleson was one of the best- known impresarios in and America. At successive times he managed Her Majesty's Theatre, Drury Lane and the National Opera House in Covent Garden, London. He first brought his com- pany to the United States for the season of 1878-1879 and met with marked success.8 It was with the Mapleson Company that Nichols

3David Ewen, ed., Encyclopedia of the Opera (New York, 1955), 249; Robert Sabin, ed., The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians, Ninth ed., 1285. See also his reminiscences, Max Maretzek, Crotchets and Quavers (New York, 1855), passim. Cincinnati Commercial, July 16, 1881. Hereafter referred to as Commercial. ^Commercial, Dec. 19 and 20, 1880. ^Commercial, March 12 and June 18, 1882. ''Cincinnati Gazette, Jan. 10-12, 1881. Hereafter referred to as Gazette. 8The [James Henry] Mapleson Memoirs, 181+8-1888. 2 vols. (London, 1888), I, 247. Cincinnati Opera Festivals During the Gilded Age 135

could at that time be assured of the best set of operatic stars. Touring companies had, of course, visited Cincinnati before; the Mapleson Company itself had visited the city twice. But this season would be different from another visit by a touring operatic company. With Nichols' managerial ability and position in the community, it was to be a community enterprise. Music Hall had a seating capacity of about 4,000 — larger than any house in the country — and its stage was so large that it could carry mountings which would make the presentations true specta- cles.9 A local committee of citizens to sponsor the operas would as- sure wider support and more extensive publicity than when a touring company visited the city without such sponsorship. Nichols also be- lieved that a union of the arts could be achieved by using local artists to design and paint part of the scenery; an opportunity could be pro- vided to local musicians and students to play in the orchestra and sing in the chorus. These local promotional and educational features, with the large auditorium and stage of Music Hall, made the Cin- cinnati opera festivals unusual for that time. Nichols had grandiose visions and he had the force, personality and position in the com- munity to carry them through. The promotional features resembled some of those so successfully used for the May Festivals. A citizens committee of general arrange- ments was organized; A. Hamilton Bugher accepted the position as chairman. The Bugher family had been highly successful in steam- boating during the palmy days of river transportation. At this time "Captain" Bugher was "a gentleman of leisure"; he had married Mary McLean, the eldest daughter of Washington McLean, founder of the Cincinnati Enquirer, and had ample time and money to devote to philanthropy and cultural pursuits.10 The other members of the committee were leaders in business and professional groups in the city. Among them were: Edward Colston and Edgar M. Johnson, prominent lawyers; Briggs S. Cunningham, president of the Citizens National Bank; J. J. Emery of Thomas Emery's Sons Oil and Candle Works; R. H. Galbreath, of Duhme and Co., dealers in jewelry, dia- monds and silver; M. E. Ingalls, president of the Cincinnati, In- dianapolis, St. Louis and Railroad Co.; Gordon Shillito, a leading merchant; William Resor, a widely-known stove manu- facturer; and Gordon Phipps, prominent meat packer.11 9The Boston Music Hall, built in 1859, had a seating capacity of 3,000; the House, not opened until 1883, had a capacity of 3,500. See Robert Sabin, ed., The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians. Ninth ed., (New York, 1964), 1345 and 1423. 10S. E. Wright, comp., Obituaries of Cincinnatians, 308 (Bound volume of clippings in the Cincinnati Historical Society Library). ^Commercial, Jan. 13, 1881; Williams Cincinnati Directory, 1881. 136 The Bulletin

Season tickets for the festivals were first offered at auction, the premiums above the regular price giving an added income for the project. During the two days of auctions for seats for the first festival, it was reported that 1,521 seats were sold for nearly $25,000. A. T. Goshorn, a prominent citizen who had earned a national reputation as director of Cincinnati expositions and the national exposition at in 1876, bought the first two season tickets for $124, which represented a premium of $100. Arrangements were made with the railroad companies for special festival excursion rates and to hold the departure of evening trains until the performances were over.12 For the later festivals, committees were formed in many of the prin- cipal cities in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, which arranged for hotel accommodations and tickets for those attending from those cities.13 The interior of Music Hall was altered to correspond to tradi- tional opera houses. At the time Music Hall was constructed, it was designed primarily for choral singing; there was no proscenium, no curtain, no boxes and no elevated floor. A proscenium, 112 feet wide and 84 feet from the floor, was constructed for the operas and a large curtain was designed and painted for these performances. Boxes, next to the stage, were constructed and decorated in satin and gold.14 For the second festival, a slanting floor, terminating under the gallery at an elevation of nine feet, was laid to provide a better view of the performances from the parquet seats.15 For all of the festivals, parts of the scenery were designed, con- structed and painted in Cincinnati. John H. Rettig, a young artist who had recently been graduated from the McMicken School of Design, did much of this work.16 During the second festival it was claimed that much of the scenery for the nine performances, except for some of the scenes for the opera William Tell, was constructed and painted locally. The scenery for was bought by Mapleson and taken on tour with his company,17 During the festival of 1884, the scenery for Le Prophete, comprising six sets, ten wings and six drops, was also constructed locally by Rettig, under the direction of Charles Fox, and shipped to New York for the spring season of the Metropolitan Opera House.18 Seven operas were presented during the week of February 21, ^Commercial, Jan. 27, 28 and Feb. 6, 1881. lsGazette, Jan. 19, 1882. "Commercial, Feb. 13, 1881; Gazette, Feb. 19, 1881. ^Commercial, Jan. 11, 1882. ^Gazette, Feb. 18, 1882. 11 Commercial, Jan. 25, 1881; March 5, 1882. 18Quaintance Eaton, Opera Caravan, Adventures of the Metropolitan on Tour, 1883-1956 (New York, 1957), 17. Society Collection JOHN RETTIG Designer of scenery for opera festivals 138 The Bulletin

1881. Lohengrin was the only Wagnerian opera of that season; the others were — Mozart's , Boito's , Donizetti's (which was shortened in order to give the Prayer Scene, with its large chorus, from Rossini's Moses in Egypt on the same evening), Verdi's , Bellini's and Gounod's . During that season, the Mapleson company had Etelka Gerster as its star. She was then one of the most famous singers in Europe and at the height of her career. The newspapers repeatedly called her "the Hungarian nightingale."19 The other leading was Alwina Valeria, a native American whose success in England was outstanding and who, two years later, became a member of the first Metropolitan company.20 The leading was , certainly the most admired Faust of his time.21 Luigi Ravelli, a little-known singer who was on his first tour in the United States, was highly acclaimed by the Cincinnati critics for his excellent performance as Edgar in Lucia di Lammermoor.22 The Mapleson company's touring orchestra was expanded to one hundred musicians from the city and the touring chorus was increased to 350 voices. Truly, in these two departments the opportunities for spec- tacular effects from sheer numbers alone was unusual. As Colonel Mapleson wrote: Large as the stage was there was plenty of room for all and to spare. The beautiful Lohengrin choruses were finely rendered, and the volume of tone through the vast building was truly grand. Mapleson believed this festival to be: undoubtedly the most daring musical enterprise ever at- tempted in America or any other country. The sight of the audience from the private boxes was worth a journey to see. It was one sea of faces. Everything looked auspicious for the success of the festival. The weather was pleasant, the crowds were large and enthusiastic, and the singers were en rapport with the audience, whilst the chorus did its very best. ... In fact, the ensemble was complete.23 The audiences were large, even by twentieth century standards. Standing room was at a premium at one dollar for each performance. On the opening night, 5,336 persons were reported as having heard Lohengrin. Nearly the same number heard The Magic Flute on the 19Eric Blom, ed., Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, fifth ed. (London, 1954), 10 vols., Ill, 608. 20Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, VIII, 656-657. 21Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, II, 31. 22Commercial, Feb. 25, 1881: Eaton, Opera Caravan, 42. 23The Mapleson Memoirs, I, 248-249. Cincinnati Opera Festivals During the Gilded Age 139 second evening. The audience for Boito's Mefistofele fell slightly below these figures, but thereafter near-capacity crowds attended. The total attendance for performances of this festival was reported as 32,783.24 Opera more than any other form of has been popularly regarded as "the folk music of the rich" or, as Cleveland Amory has written, "a supreme social challenge."25 No account of these festivals would be complete without reference to the display of gowns by the ladies. This display was generally regarded as stun- ning — even by Colonel Mapleson, who ought to have been a good judge. He wrote that "the toilettes of the ladies, for which Cincin- nati is so famous, were most elegant" — "simply magnificent, baffling and beyond description" [whatever that meant!].26 The "toilette" of Mrs. A. H. Bugher, of the chairman of the local citizens committee, was of white satin with chantilly lace and had exquisite diamond ornaments. Mrs. Albert Netter, wife of a banker and a "lady of conspicuous beauty," who wore "white snowy satin, with transparent sleeves, and diamond brooch, with an opera cloak of pink brocade," looked particularly elegant.27 Numerous others were also described in the local papers. One item of fashion of the elegant 'eighties was the "bonnet," which one reporter complained was "a serious drawback to the enjoyment of people whose seats are in the parquet."28 An unusual social practice was the champagne and oyster lunch served during intermissions to the numerous callers at the box of Mr. and Mrs. Bugher. The first festival was a success as a community enterprise, as well as artistically and financially. The choruses and pageantry in Lohen- grin, The Magic Flute, Aida and Faust were thrilling. Of course there was some criticism; the music critic of the Cincinnati Gazette appeared to be somewhat difficult to please. But even he believed that "the spectacular effects, the convenience and lofty size of the hall, and the fact that very few in this country have seen opera carried out on a grand scale" were praiseworthy.29 Considerable commendation was bestowed on George Ward Nichols, who "achieved a brilliant vic- tory." The Cincinnati Commercial stated editorially that "those who called him mad have to lay down their arms." At the last perfor- mance, Nichols was drawn to the stage and "cheered to the echo."30 The success of this first festival assured plans for a second one the ^Commercial, Feb. 27, 1881. ™Time, Oct. 27, 1965. 26The Mapleson Memoirs, I, 249-250. ^Gazette, Feb. 23, 1881. ^Gazette, Feb. 23, 1881. ^Gazette, Feb. 24, 1881. ^Commercial, Feb. 24 and 27, 1881. 140 The Bulletin following year. The second festival, held in February, 1882, consisted of nine performances and was unquestionably superior to the first one. The roster of Colonel Mapleson's artists for that season was probably best in the male wing of soloists — Italo Campanini, tenor; Guiseppe del Puente, Spanish ; and Frank Novara. The two prima donnas were Minna Hauk, a native American mezzo- who had established a reputation in Europe for having a voice of "great force and richness," and , another Ameri- can soprano.31 A young soloist engaged by Colonel Mapleson during that season had considerable local interest. It was Dora Henninges, who chose the stage name of DoranL Miss Henninges was a native of Mansfield, Ohio, and was trained at the College of Music of Cin- cinnati. She had made her debut as Leonore in Fidelio in Chicago just a week before her appearance in the same role in Cincinnati.32 It was a real stroke of genius, however, when and her company, under the management that year of the young Ameri- can impresario, Henry Abbey, was secured for two performances during the festival. In musical history, the years from 1861 to 1895 are frequently referred to as "the reign of Patti."33 Few persons can now realize the great attraction Patti had for the nineteenth-century public. Her career, which extended over fifty-six years, has probably been without parallel. There was "an irresistible fascination" about her singing and stage presence.34 Her appearances would guarantee the success of the second festival. Three operas, which had been performed in the previous year, were again presented — Faust, Magic Flute, and Lohengrin. The other operas for this second festival were Beethoven's Fidelio, Rossini's William Tell, Meyerbeer's The Huguenots and Bizet's . The last opera had first been presented in Paris in 1875 — only seven years before — and was slow in gaining public apprecia- tion. Minna Hauk was the first great interpreter of Carmen and she sang before a packed house in that role in Cincinnati.35 The Patti company gave two performances — part of each was in concert form, while the other part was a scene from Aida and from II Trovatore. The chorus and orchestra of the Mapleson company were augmented by local musicians; the Cincinnati settings and choruses in The Huguenots and William Tell were lavish. Adelina Patti received great attention and acclaim from the com- munity and the press. Her illness in Cincinnati added excitement to

nGrove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, IV, 137-138. ^Gazette, Feb. 16, 1882. 33Herman Klein, The Reign of Patti (New York, 1920), VII. uGrove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, VI, 593-594. ^Gazette, Feb. 16, 1882. Society opera program (1887) MADAME ADELINA PATTI 142 The Bulletin her performances but caused many anxious moments for her man- agers. Patti had been in Cincinnati in December, 1881, as a soloist for a great performance of Handel's . She had received a tremendous ovation from an audience estimated at 7,000 persons. But she had not been escorted to her seat on the platform, either by the conductor, Theodore Thomas, or by the chairman of the local committee, and when she arrived at her accustomed seat next to the conductor, found the soloist Anna Louise Carey already seated in that favored chair. In one of those displays of temperament which always make good stories for the public press, she later publicly voiced her resentment at this "slight." News stories appeared under the headlines "Pretty Patti Piqued" and "After the Messiah Comes the Day of Wrath."36 When Patti returned to the city for the opera festival six weeks later, a cold prevented her from appearing as scheduled, and her per- formances were twice postponed. Her failure to appear caused many rumors to fly: "a rift with her husband," "drinking too much schnappes," or "disinclined to sing in Cincinnati after the slight at the performance of The Messiah." Written statements of three physicians were published attesting to her illness. She soon recovered, however, and sang before audiences of nearly 7,000 persons who crowded into Music Hall on two rainy February evenings. On this occasion she was escorted to the stage by George Ward Nichols, "who discharged his duty that demanded a brave man." This petite, slender soloist, attired in a light-blue satin gown with gold trim and "glittering with a million francs worth of diamonds," simply capti- vated her audiences. The regular numbers on her programs were from operas; her encores of "Home, Sweet Home," "Comin' Through ," " 'Tis ," and "Within a Mile of Edinboro Town" were sentimental ballads dear to that Victorian generation.37 One member of Patti's audience, who excited some comment, was , English writer and aesthete who was in the city to deliver some lectures at the Grand Opera House. He wore knee breeches, black silk stockings, and a "claw-hammer coat" with a boutonniere of lilies of the valley.38 Patti also left her accompanist in Cincinnati. Nichols needed another faculty member at the College of Music to teach . Patti recommended her young Italian accompanist, Albino Gorno, who accepted the position and con-

seCommercial, Dec. 30, 1881. s7The Mapleson Memoirs, I, 267-269: Commercial, Feb. 16-21, 1882. ^Gazette, Feb. 21, 1882. Cincinnati Opera Festivals During the Gilded Age 143

tinued to be a valued member of the faculty of the college until his death in 1944.39 There was little criticism of this second festival. Colonel Nichols was again highly complimented by the local papers. The Cincinnati Commercial stated that he "had been confirmed in his position in the community by the success of the Opera Festivals" and that "he should receive an accolade for doing things that have been creditable and profitable to the people of Cincinnati."40 In recognition of his activities, he was tendered a testimonial dinner by some of his fellow- citizens on April 26,1882, "in the ladies' ordinary at the St. Nicholas Hotel."41 It now appeared that these festivals would become a part of the regular pattern of musical life in Cincinnati, and there was no doubt of having a third festival in 1883. There had developed a serious rivalry in the country among the managers of these artists; the growing success of these festivals provoked competition in musical circles in Cincinnati for the season of 1882-1883. Colonel Mapleson and the local committee were challenged by Henry A. Abbey, a young American manager who, in the next season, was to organize the first company for the Metro- politan Opera House in New York. During 1883, however, Abbey was content to challenge the Cincinnati Opera Festival and Colonel Mapleson by engaging Robinson's Opera House during the same week for three by Christine Nilsson. Nilsson was certainly among the top soloists of that time. A great Scandinavian singer, she was nearly as popular in the United States as was Patti. While Nilsson's concerts were largely attended, the house in which she sang was not large and her appearances did not seem to detract from the attendance, brilliance and success of the festival performances.42 The stars of Mapleson's company for the third festival were headed by Adelina Patti, who sang in four operas. She appeared as Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata, Zerlina in Mozart's , Linda in Donizetti's Linda di Chamouni, and in her great role as Semiramis in Rossini's . Marie , another soloist, was a French-Canadian whose most successful roles were Elsa in Lohengrin and Senta in The Flying Dutchman. Emmy Fursch- Madi, French , was the third leading artist of that

^Commercial, May 13, 1882. ^Commercial, Feb. 21, 1882. ^Testimonial to Col. George Ward Nichols by Some of His Fellow Citizens, Cincinnati, April 26, 1882. (pamphlet). ^Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette, Feb. 2 and 4, 1883. Hereafter referred to as the Commercial-Gazette. 144 The Bulletin year, who sang "charmingly" as Selika in Meyerbeer's L'Africaine on the opening night. Most of these operas given in 1883 gave oppor- tunities for spectacular mountings and large choruses. The scenic work for L'Africaine splendidly conveyed the rich Oriental splendor of the plot, while the grand chorus of two hundred voices, the or- chestra of one hundred and Currier's Grand Military Band were used in William Tell, The Flying Dutchman, Semiramide and Lohen- grin.43 The earlier operas of the week were so enthusiastically re- ceived and crowded that it was arranged to offer two perfor- mances. Colonel Mapleson wrote that the festival of 1883 surpassed the others. Commenting on its financial success, he wrote: Everyone, I believe, made money. All the spring fashions were introduced in the leading stores of the city, whilst visitors came from many hundreds of miles. The hotels were crowded and people were sleeping in corridors. The railways were making money and the cabmen fortunes. . . . The Music Hall was nightly crowded to its utmost limit, there never being less than 7,000 people present. It was no wonder that the city fathers of Cincinnati tendered Maple- son a testimonial banquet and presented him with of the city.44 The receipts for the third festival were estimated at $130,000— much larger than either of the preceding ones. With these successes, it was a foregone conclusion that the festivals would be continued. The rivalry between the two impresarios, Abbey and Mapleson, during the season of 1883-1884 became more intense and extended from New York to nearly every city in which each company toured. Henry Abbey was appointed manager for the newly-constructed Metropolitan Opera House in New York, while Mapleson continued as the manager of the Astor Place Opera House of that city. The Metropolitan, which was destined to become the foremost operatic institution in the United States, was opened on October 22, 1883. Abbey assembled a brilliant company for that season — so brilliant that his deficit at the end of the season was variously estimated from $300,000 to $600,000.45 After weeks of speculation in the Cincinnati newspapers over which manager would receive the contract for the Fourth Opera Festival, the College of Music awarded the contract for 1884 to Abbey. Mapleson forthwith rented the new Heuck's Opera House in Cincinnati for the presentation of operas by his com-

AZLibrettos, Programs and Diagrams: Third Opera Festival, Music Hall, 1883. (A copy of this rare volume is in the Cincinnati Public Library). uThe Mapleson Memoirs, I, 307-308. ^Encyclopedia of the Opera, 317. Cincinnati Opera Festivals During the Gilded Age 145 pany during the same week as the festival.46 Had both companies played simultaneously that year in the city, it would have truly been an opera festival, but probably would have had more ruinous finan- cial results than occurred. Nature intervened, however. When the festival of 1884 opened on February 11, the Ohio River- was far above flood stage and was rapidly rising. For three successive years, floods had occurred around festival time, but during the pre- ceding years they came after the festival. The flood of 1884 proved to be the most disastrous in history until that of 1937.47 The Cin- cinnati Gas Works was submerged and the city was without gas light; train service was seriously interrupted. The Mapleson company, then playing in Chicago, was forced to cancel its engagement in Cincinnati. Taunted by the Cincinnati newspapers with such stories as " 'Er Majesty's Manager/ Man-Afraid-of-the-Big-Water/ Crawfishing," Mapleson's company gave a special performance in Chicago for the benefit of the flood sufferers on the Ohio River.48 In spite of the flood, however, the festival performances of Abbey's company were offered as announced. It was a longer festival than before; twelve performances were presented within two weeks. Such operas as Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Giovanni, La Sonnambula, Mefistofele, and Faust had been heard at earlier festivals. The others offered this year were Meyerbeer's Le Prophete and , Verdi's II Trovatore, Flotow's , and ' and . Ponchielli's La Giaconda, which had been given first in America in New York only two months before, was also on the program. The list of artists for the 1884 festival included Christine Nilsson, Alwina Valleria, Zella Trebelli and a newcomer from Poland, . As before, the chorus and orchestra were aug- mented by local musicians.49 The spectacular effects, however, had to be muted for this festi- val. Although Music Hall was supplied with gas from the near-by Cincinnati Hospital and some electric lights were installed in the hall, the lighting was poor for many scenes; electricity was so new that its adaptation for stage use was not yet understood. Attendance from outside the city was also seriously curtailed.50 For the first time, a deficit was incurred for this festival. The company gave a special benefit performance for the flood sufferers on Sunday, February 17, at which over $6,000 was collected. The program for this performance

^Commercial-Gazette, Nov. 11, 1883. "Commercial-Gazette, Feb. 11-15, 1884. ^Commercial-Gazette, Feb. 10, 1884; The Mapleson Memoirs, II, 36-37. i9Librettos, Programs and Diagrams: Fourth Opera Festival, Cincinnati, 1884. (Cincinnati Public Library). ^Cincinnati Times Star, Feb. 12, 1884. 146 The Bulletin was a formidable one, but, for many in the audience, one of the high- lights came when Christine Nilsson sang "Give Me a Penny, Sir."51 The flood was only one of several obstacles to a continuation of these festivals which had been inaugurated so auspiciously in 1881. The community suffered several traumatic shocks in 1884. The Court House Riots occurred a few months later, followed by a serious small- pox epidemic in the summer. Moreover, the dynamic manager of the festivals, George Ward Nichols, fell ill of tuberculosis and died in September, 1885. Reuben Springer, one of the most sincere patrons of music in the city, died in December, 1884. The loss of their leader- ship in musical circles was a serious one. Thus, the season of 1884- 1885 passed with no festival, although the city was visited by the new German Opera Company which had been organized in New York by Leopold Damrosch. Its presentations at the Grand Opera House were well received, but the attendance and interest was far less than the festivals; the artists were not as well-known and the mountings were not finished. As one critic wrote: "the prima donna system has not been patronized by this company; its great strength is in its ensemble," but he believed that the stage settings were "wretched" and the scenery was "inadequate." Nor did the company have the advantages of wide advertising or "the favor of fashion."52 These touring companies, upon which the provinces were forced to rely, were meeting with serious financial problems, for operatic productions are extremely expensive. The first Metropolitan Opera Company under Abbey's management suffered such financial losses during the season of 1883-1884 that it could not be continued. One of the most promising hopes for opera in the United States was the organization in 1885 of the American Opera Company in New York, with Theodore Thomas as its musical director and Mrs. Jeanette M. Thurber of Philadelphia as its financial "angel." True to its name, an avowed objective of this company was to give preference to Ameri- cans as soloists and performers. It was contemplated to have schools for singers and performers in conjunction with the company.53 The association of Theodore Thomas with this company assured the project of a strong interest by Cincinnatians, inasmuch as he had been the director of the May Festivals since their inauguration, had served as director of the College of Music for a short time, and had a host of followers in Cincinnati.54

^Commercial-Gazette, Feb. 18, 1884. &2Commercial-Gazette, March 16-22, 1885. ^Encyclopedia of the Opera, 340. 54George P. Upton, ed., Theodore Thomas, a Musical Autobiography, 2 vols. (Chicago, 1905), I, 78, 79 and passim. Cincinnati Opera Festivals During the Gilded Age 147

Among the organizers of the American Opera Company was A. Howard Hinkle of Cincinnati. Hinkle was a member of the publishing firm of Van Antwerp, Bragg and Co. He had been prominently identified with musical affairs in the city as a founder of the Cincin- nati Musical Club and a member of the boards of the May Festival and Music Hall Associations. He was also a stockholder in the Col- lege of Music, but he had been at odds with Nichols on some of the

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s?g^fe --.•"•:':-: -': ';; Society Collection A. HOWARD HINKLE policies of that college.55 Hinkle now became the local director for a fifth opera festival during Thanksgiving week in 1886, with the American Opera Company giving the performances.56 Music Hall was again the scene for this fifth festival. The pro-

552Vational Cyclopedia of American Biography (New York, 1920), XVII, 61; Commercial-Gazette, Nov. 14, 1886. 56Commercial-Gazette, Oct. 3, 1886. 148 The Bulletin scenium of the hall was reconstructed; a row of twenty-two box stalls, extending across the central part of the auditorium, was installed. A local committee was organized, consisting of the mayor of the city, Amor Smith, Jr.; Peter R. Neff, veteran business leader; William McAlpin, merchant; Charles H. Law, insurance man and banker; Charles P. Taft, publisher of the Cincinnati Times Star; W. H. Galbreath, merchant; and several others.57 The list of artists for these performances included Pauline L'Allemand, an American operatic soprano who had been coached by the composer, Clement Delibes, for the role of Lakme which she created in America with this company; Emmy Fursch-Madi, a French dramatic soprano; Emma Juch, an American soprano who later organized her own opera company in the United States; Myron S. Whitney, an American concert and operatic from Boston; and William Candidus, an American tenor.58 The operas presented at the festival were: Delibes' Lakme, Gluck's Orpheus and Eurydice, Wagner's The Flying Dutchman and Lohengrin, and Verdi's Aida. In addition, two short operas by Victor Masse", The Marriage of Jeanette and Galathee, were offered, each being followed by a ballet performance. Since this company had a ballet school, it placed more emphasis on ballet than had the previous companies. Two "grand ballet spectacles" were given: Delibes' Sylvia and Rubinstein's Bal Costume, with a ballet corps of ninety-two dancers, headed by Mme. Cavalozzi.59 were regarded by some nineteenth-century Americans as either "naughty" or positively immoral. Yet, if the newspapers are to be trusted, the performances were well received in Cincinnati. In fact, one reviewer was carried to near-poetic heights in reporting a ballet: And the ballet! Ah, one should pluck a quill from a humming- bird's wing and dip it in liquid sunshine to write of anything so evanescent and deliciously beautiful as Guiri, Gillert, Carozzi and their sisters. . . .60 Artistically, the fifth festival may have been a success, but many factors caused it to be unsuccessful financially. The "nasty" Novem- ber weather was blamed for reducing the attendance; the com- pany did not have many well-known stars, such as Patti, Albani or Nilsson, to draw crowds. The company was suffering from financial mismanagement and, at the time of its Cincinnati performances, was near dissolution. Within the next few months, creditors began to file blCommercial-Gazette, Nov. 4, 1886. 58International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians, 332, 760, 1160, and 2399. ^Commercial-Gazette, Nov. 14, 1886. ^Commercial-Gazette, Nov. 28, 1886. Cincinnati Opera Festivals During the Gilded Age 149 lawsuits and some of the artists withdrew because of arrears in their salaries.61 The American Opera Company was dissolved and re- organized as the National Opera Company. The latter visited Cin- cinnati in November, 1887, for eight performances in English, among which were Rubinstein's Nero and Goldmark's Queen of Sheba. But a large public response was lacking, the publicity was poor, and the company was not firmly established.62 The season of 1886-1887 marked the last Cincinnati Opera Fes- tival during the Gilded Age. To be sure, in the following years there were visits by touring operatic companies, such as Emma Abbott's English Company and others. The Metropolitan Opera Company was not on a firm basis for several years and, for a time, did not tour. When it came to be permanently established, it visited the city during the season of 1896-1897, and from that season until 1910-1911, Cincinnati was visited on nine of its fourteen touring seasons.63 Opera during the summer months was revived at the Cincinnati Zoo in the 1920's. These came to be permanently established seasons. Unlike the May Festivals, which have continued in nearly an unbroken succession from 1873 to the present time, the Opera Festi- vals were given sporadically. Yet the festivals of the Gilded Age were significant in helping to establish a community tradition and interest in opera. With the exceptions of New York and New Orleans, it is doubtful if any other community at that time so mobilized its resources, support and public interest in opera with such success as did the Cincinnati community. The festivals provided a pattern for local sponsorship and enlisted local musicians in the performances. They indicated a maturing taste and appreciation for this form of musical enjoyment during the Gilded Age in the Queen City of the West.

^Thomas, an Autobiography, I, 95: Commercial-Gazette, Nov. 28, 30, Dec. 2, 5, and 15, 1886. ^Commercial-Gazette, Nov. 22-27, 1887. 63Eaton, Opera Caravan, 389.