The New York herald., 1876-01-24
A Chat with the Manager of Her
MajeSty'S Opera Company.
AMERICAN MUSICAL POSSIBILITIES.
How and When Colonel Mapleson May
Come to Give Us Italian Opera.
OUR SINGERS ABROAD.
Picking Up Hints for The New London Opera
lOuSc-The Value Of q Prima
DOnna-The Tenor Hunt.

The OF great operatic managers is almost lin
tied the OF great tenors and when back Of
the present generation the that have escaped
the erasure of time very few. They live life Of
and anxiety but almost always appear to carry
charm which prevents the sharp edges OF their pro-
fession from chipping into their personal
fort All managers need tact, but each displays
it differently Some passionatey etfusive and
would place the world in the orchestra chairs with
flourish OF emotion enough to make any feel that
mlennia music about to be breathed forth by the
bright seraphim II not for the little transaction
which had just taken place at the box ofnco Then
there Is the dry cynical manager who tells the age that
IL too sharp TO be taken in with professions that do
not culminate in practice, but who has the knack of
shaving down the ensemble OF performance to the
eanest dimensions This style Of manager delights in
enemies Next TO a success no likes clique which he
upbraid tho OF his failure And there
many failures Really when comes to look
ones memory for the list OF managers who have told
their private friends that they have lost thousands
each season. 1t hard imagine how they have held
body and soul together Some say that these managers
lke chameleona live air One manager recently
said Of another that he his losses by subractng
his gains from what he expected to make This is
pleasant kind OF loss Max strakosch told the writer
time ago that operatic managers in Italy tand
perhaps some home) live upon what they don't
pay their artists. Outside OF all these few
European managers whose names are synonymous of
promise equal to performance, who would
think Of padding a chorus with 'supes" or pumping
the orchestra with dummies than OF stopping mail
coach and robbing the passengers We speak Of Gye
and Mapleson, of London and of Haanzer, of Paris in
these terms This brings US to our mouton&
A "PIxED STAR SWINGING LOOSE
O. L MaDloSOn i'm
presario OF Her Majestys Opera London, landed here
little week ago, after days repose dashed
of TO the West, though he were Jules Vernes hero
his round the world in eighty days. His coming
awakened keen interest in musical circles here, and
his sudden going left feeling of SURPRISE like that
which the passing OF meteor awakens-
Une etoile qui hc. file ct disparait
He returned to the city, however at the end OF last
week, and the evening aer his arrival TIE writer
sent his card to Colonel Maplesons parors, at tho
Everett House, where the manager found chatting
among circle OF friends
MLLH. rIrIESs
Nile. Titicns looking in splendid health and spirits,
was of the party, and although IN quest OF the
whose profession leads him to look prime donne
In a business light tho writer must turn aside from
his main story to pay tribute to queen OF song
tho courtly principle Of place aGS danes
Mile. Titiens has many good words TO say
of American audiences and OF America generally,
her special wonder being common TO those who
travel in America for the first tmc-namely. the great
actual distance between places which look close enough
on the map. We arc young country, mademoisele,
and Il Is misfortune fault that great
ness has only come out yet in spots. II you could
only come out here hny years from now-but
alas even the vocal dvinities not immortal and
safely be advised to put or hearing Titiens
for half century when he buy q ticket and listen
to Casta DiUd to-night
Mr. MAPLRsoN.
At last the chance OF chat with the captain OF Her
Majesys operate forces offers itself and the writer is
presented 10 frank and muscular middle aged gentle
man whom s glad 10 recognize a fne type OF the
big boned Briton. Something OF the port Of the SOL
der, the quick OF a business man, pleas
ant, unaffected address, perfect sdvoir Jaire
soon give the measure OF tho
as you'd find him at the end OF year. well the
first quarter OF an hour OF acquaintance. A large,
square head covered with black hair through which
the gray struggling, is firmly seated broad,
square shoulders HIS features open, the nose
straight the jaw and chin strong His eyes large
and clear and their glance quick and direct HIS
brows and mustache black and heavy. He person-
1es energy, alertness and acumen.
CAME HERE.
He explained the Of his journey hither in a
few words He had long desired to America with
the eve OF the citizen OF the world we'll eye Of
the manager number OF circumstances conjoined
to make this favorable for a dash across
Ho is building the New National Opera House in Lon
don and be wanted what ideas he could gather
this side Of the Atlantic for attng up He wanted To
examine the operate possibilities here Then too his
Italian opera opens at Drury Lane
in the middle OF April, and his prima
liz hor md had
been too III to appear for three weeks that If she
nued her entire engagement with strakosch he might
nnd himself to borrow phrase presenting "Hamlet"
for three weeks with Hamlet left out When man.
ager travels all Europe TO nnd adocscent singer
one may well spend ten days on the ocean to secure
his throned songstress, whose name on tho bills Will
nn the stalls Hence, when he here week ago
his run TO Cleveland and the wds OF Buffalo may be
readily explained.
LONDON, ROME AVID PmLoMELA
Here a thought Of the immense value OF a prima
donna crossed the writer's mind. couple OF thousand
years ago or less, wealthy Roman would rob half
forest OF its nightly harmony have dish Of nightn-
gales tongues appear on his supper table Now tho
modern Babylon sends its agent to carry or Luscina
from an entire continent to glad its jealous witha
NO CENTENNIAL PROJECTS.
sHave you, then, any intention, Colonel Mapleson,
Of giving US opera during the CentennialS"
at impossible. You see, | can do nothing. Ny
London will be at It's height during your Gen.
tenniai festivities have idea which | can here
after briefly explain but IL does not contemplate any
operations In America this year. In addition to my
coming London season have the care OF the New Ma
tionaI Opera House upon my hands; am busy every
moment, even here, planning Improvements, for de-
sire TO have everything In the new house which
pcrience can suggest or forethought devise.
YANKEE NOTIONS
'For instance nave thought that the American idea
OF galvanized iron cornices applied TO tho front Of
buildings would, both as to expense, shtness, dura-
bty and sharpness OF outline be great advance on
dong the work in stone, with which our London
atmosphere plays such havoc admire the seating and