The London Opera House Author(s): Hermann Klein Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 52, No. 826 (Dec. 1, 1911), pp. 785-786 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/905585 Accessed: 12-03-2015 11:03 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Thu, 12 Mar 2015 11:03:21 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES.-DECEMBER I, I9II. 785 University classical requirements control the public- really interests and attracts us; that is, in short, worth school time-sheet; rather do they humbly follow the the high-priced tariff demanded for it? The answer fashion by examining in those subjects in which to the latter query has already to some extent been they know their candidates will have been laboriously vouchsafed. Indeed, it would have been passing prepared. And it is here that we think the subscribers strange if Mr. Hammerstein, after his experience in to the 'memorandum' have missed their opportunity. New York, had failed to set himself an equally high Granted that the present curriculum is sacrosanct, standard here; or, after setting it up in his prospectus- then their decisions are all in the right directions; wherein he says 'Grand opera can only succeed when they standardize first principles where the greatest it is presented "grand" in every detail; it must be diversity of custom formerlyprevailed, and they are as "grand " in auditorium and on the stage; " grand " in progressive as the limits of a purely conventional singers, musicians, scenery and costumes; its director science will allow. But had they thrown down the and his staff must be imbued with the loftiest of gauntlet and claimed the right henceforth to examine purposes '-he had belied his words and proved artistic results and not mechanical processes, they himself a gay deceiver. A smart American manager might then have relegated these props and scaffoldings does not throw away a million dollars or so in this of music to their legitimate place in the initiation of way. the tyro, thereby regaining for degrees in general some Enough, then, that in addition to erecting a superb of their lost kudos,securing (as the final court of appeal) house, he has provided the other needful accessories, some control of the course of theoretical training, and including a company which, if not rich in 'stars,' earning for ever the gratitude of those who now comprises some artists of the first rank and not a few have qualms as to the general vitality of English who deserve to be better known than they are. musicianship. Comparisons are not called for-not at present, anyhow. Those familiar but difficult riddles-'Do we really love opera in this country ? '-'Can London support more THE LONDON OPERA HOUSE. than one first-class opera-house?'-' Can opera on the " BY HERMANN KLEIN. genuinely "grand scale be adequately supported without the aid of Society?'-I do not propose to Great cities, like great minds, often think alike. I attempt to solve. The time may not be even yet ripe remember very well in New York seven years ago the for their solution. I only know that here is an enter- same prevalent feeling of doubt and incredulousness, prise for which there would appear to be ample room on the eve of the first opening of Mr. Oscar in a city of six or seven million inhabitants, and which, Hammerstein's Manhattan Opera House, as was in its very nature and essence, as well as in so much palpable in London last month just before the of its fulfilment as has yet been witnessed, eminently inauguration of his new Opera House in Kingsway. deserves the solid support of metropolitan music- What is the reason for this feeling? Is it lack of lovers. After all, the public has to be tempted where confidence in the man, or disbelief in the practicability opera is concerned. People can hardly be expected of the thing that he proposes to do ? Neither, quite, to support 'grand opera' from a mere sense of duty, or yet perhaps something of both; for everybody cannot simply because it is called 'grand opera.' be expected to know that Mr. Hammerstein has a But I have an idea that Mr. Hammerstein will tempt habit of accomplishing the task that he sets himself to the public. At any rate he contrived to do so in New perform. But the real reason for the scepticism that York, when he there started this latest phase of his follows in his trail lies, to my thinking, in the extremely busy career under conditions not a whit less dubious, venturesome, not to say risky nature of the operatic less adverse, less problematical, than he is now enterprises which he loves to undertake, and the encountering on this side. He 'made good,' as his highly original manner in which he carries them out. compatriots would say, with a judicious mixture of Never was there an impresario, American or modern French and Italian works,-chiefly French, European, quite so daring. He knows it himself and interpreted by singers practically unknown at the rejoices in the fact. I believe nothing could make rival house (the Metropolitan), two or three of whom Oscar Hammerstein more proud than that the inhabi- instantly won favour and soon attracted opera-lovers tants of two hemispheres should unite in calling him to the Manhattan by the thousand. In a word, the the ' Barnum of Opera.' He does things on the same unexpected happened. Who shall say that it will not huge scale as the famous circus showman, and with happen again ? On the contrary, recent American rather more lasting materials, seeing that he prefers history may repeat itself here. Within a short time, bricks and mortar to a tent, however vast. But, by the aid of a big success or two, we may find the according to his own account, it is the building of an Opera House in Kingsway doing splendid business. opera-house-the details of architecture and the That such may be the case I believe to be the general superintendence of the construction-that he most wish. enjoys. On the night that Mr. Hammerstein gave his And then what of German opera, of English opera ? 'private view' of the London Opera House, and We shall see. Mr. Hammerstein pins no faith to afforded the artistic world of the Metropolis an oppor- either. He himself prefers Wagner sung in French tunity of criticising his new structure (incidentally, (we do not): and he declares that he has yet to find a also, of enjoying his hospitality), he said to me, in all public that prefers grand opera in English to grand seriousness, 'Now that the place is finished and ready, opera sung in a foreign language. He maybe right the part of the business that I like best is over and or wrong, but of one thing we feel certain: if his done with' ! enterprise prospers, he is not the man to ignore a Nevertheless, as a born strategist, Mr. Hammerstein demand for opera in any language that will add to the will doubtless continue to enjoy the labour of directing number of his patrons and regular supporters. his newest establishment, precisely as he revelled in The magnificent new auditorium (which seats 2,300 the same delicate occupation at his magnificent opera- in the stalls and balconies, and contains fifty-four houses in New York and Philadelphia. The great private boxes) was filled to its utmost capacity on question for him now is the sort of response that Monday, November I3, the opening night of the London is going to make to his bold adventure. As a twenty weeks' season which inaugurated Mr. corollary to that, the great question for London is, Are Hammerstein's career as a London impresario. The we going to find at this palatial new theatre an fashionable and artistic circles were well represented, operatic entertainment of the class and character that and general admiration was aroused by the broad yet This content downloaded from 128.235.251.160 on Thu, 12 Mar 2015 11:03:21 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 786 THE MUSICAL TIMES.-DECEMBER I, I9II. elegant lines of the house, the convenience of the mentioned Mlle. Vallandri, M. Figarella, Mr. Francis seating arrangements, and the remarkable excellence Combe, and the talented baritone, M. Maurice Renaud. of the acoustics. Like most other features associated The chorus is an exceptionally fine one, and the with the undertaking, the opera presented on this orchestra of fairly good quality. occasion was new to this country. Founded upon Rossini's ' William Tell' was mounted on the second Sinkiewicz's novel of the same name, written by night of the season. The opera had not been given M. Henri Cain, and composed by M. Jean Nougues, in London since I888, when Augustus Harris revived it bears the title of it at Covent Garden with a cast that included Lassalle Edouard de Reszke Prevost 'QUO VADIS?' (Tell), (Walther), (Arnold), Marguerite Macintyre (Mathilde), and Bauermeister and was given with the following cast: (Jemmy).