The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-05

pCoxREsroxpExr-How is It that Covert Garden Is
the only ItAiian house thas Is self sustainingY
CoRnEspoS DEsr-How IL thst the Ialiena In Paris,
has never been profitable, and " now fo'nsas' con-
Mr. RosA-rhers national opsra kills the ltaltsn.
Were people can nave good opera in French they do
moi care Tor Italian. II is the same IN Germany. La
both countries national opera rs Thoroughly appree'
ated l.aan opera gwen ,esn S ssoops eisss
theatre. Vienna the Italian season lasts three OF
TOUR weeks, aud then very frequently does no. pay
! CoRREsPoNDExT-Can you also explain why tue
opera houses Italy are redaced 70 nearly the same
satisfactory condHiony MI, III
called responsible manager Is simply there 70 1859
money II ne has any. He rs simply the lackey o.
Inc scomm ssious, which desermi sverything-the
selections OF works, Tho artists 20 be euaaged new
the works shall be mounted and the Commission and
the manager again are entirely IN the hands OF the
Two large music publishing firms In Milan, who own
all the large works and dlctate who shall siug men,
Tnsn at lne Italian houses only Two Or three Works
are produced IN one season. The ballet Is sometimes
great great that u Is De-
tween the second aud tara OF an opera. Fancy
Tor Instance Us heard l. years ago inc Scala,
ballet beLw cen the a0d thlrd acts OF NORMA
! IL Is natural that Manager who knows his business
| or rescec,s btu,se viii not occupy post, Aud
the TASTE OF the paBc has naturally deter'orsted.
| Aoeiina Patti Is an American.
| Mile Minnie Hauck Is an American.
| Nile Albani 10 u CANADIAN
| Nile. Tnaleere Is an American
| Amc Gerstsr Gardini ~ hungarian
Irrnell Germao.
| Trc0-lh is French
| Gazarre " Spanish.
| Foil Is IrisD.
! Schon,roski 10 Austrian.
Marie Rozo French.
Nine Nilsson Is Swcdish.
Ard SO on the could be len gthened indefinitely.
America furnishes soodly number Of our BEST female
slnpers An laiIan prIua donna assoluta Is phsnom-
onon presents sy. As lover OF English opera
| can, oI course but regret that go many excellent
| American Voices have been directed TO foreign
| tongue.
Italian opera neariy cvcry Improbable IN
pccuniary national opera is not only seifsus-
tainng but often remunersa,ve, TO tue direction, as
in France and Germany?
Mr. RosA-l have already given you my ideas in
| answering your i0fmsr questions. / believe In
| uonal opera given according Gernian lrnci-
plea good repertoire taken The productions of
all NATIONS, since music Is universal language and
| insuiur,sm IN art Is mistake. The interest in
| Italian opera Is tho decline IN England.
The present season Is disastrous QUO
| En- fish opera, though perhaps alter my own time
Francs has IT'S Dational opera So has Germany, Ho-
government lakes a warm Interest In its support
| ana Development Russia has national composers.
work OF q native Russian. .'Lohengriu has already
been gwen, ABOUT TO DO given, IN the Russian
language RuBinsien sta. TED the national operate
movement IN Russia, few years afterwara the
govsrnmeE gave good support and since that time
ltAiisn opera has been on the aecAns tners' ms
season. Tor Instance the order has been issued BY Inc
lntendant reduce all saari-s twenty per cent i
may ada that RuDlnsten's operas, "Feramos," 'rho
Dc mont ara on Inc repertoire vi operas In
| the Russian language. .s. ..r
CORREsPoSDESr--You have had considerable expe-
rience operalic enterprises IN America and havc
largely engaged In tueir direction Please state
the extent nature OF that experience
Mr. Rosa spoke OF his last experience In America,
when had Engnsn and GEL man opera running 1T tno
same time; English with Parepa aud Saulioy Ger.
nan with waclTteL These tive large companies were
aiterward combined aud formed large Italian com
pany in conjunction with Formes, Aoneoai, GAIA.
MIA. Adsaidc Phillips DO. ''Witb tnsm." Mr.. Rosa
SAL, had the largest chorus and orchestra ever
known America many OF Mr.. Rosa's rcrnarks
I hnUo ylra nv
been gwen under former questions. l may
add Tow particulars here. In April. 1872,
commenced Jour weeks season NJ LIE Academy Of
| Music. They commenced with immense subscrip-
over oven 49, COO. The Italian repertoire Was rrovasors
.'Lucrczia, "Aartha, "Rigoiett0 Don Giovanni"
ances IN New YORK aud IN Brooklyn The material
OF the Italian Opera Company was ~ i0hows:-Sixy
cnoi vs. Singers. orchestra players iourt.ea
| in tho ballet, ihree principal dancers, forty
SIX eight children, nitsen principal
artists staff, including agents, carpen.srs oshers
&C., tnrty -iour-making total OF 23o people
Daring the ssason the management ps,d out the
enormous sum OF $5OO000. Nj. Rosa adacd, 81 went
| through hereulean LABOR during seven monshs," aud
inc of his musical ability and business
| Judgment enabled him 70 achieve success every
| where and 10 wind up u season Of extraordinary
| artistic ana financial results.
| CoRaEspoSpESr-Do you consider that tho taste for
and disposition 10 patronage opera are less dcve
| opeI IN the Unltea States than IN Europey
Mr.. KosA-Most decidedly MOI; but more. Tho
the purpose OF listening TO und enjoying The music
than lor motives Of iasnion meeting ,hen friends
America Is fortunately as yet comparatively virgin
| soil tor the development, OF musical art.
CoRREsPoSDENT-Picase state whethcr you consider
the Causes OF the Of Italian opera in Eu-
rope United States ~ Identical and II not, IN
! what they dfcr?
\ perusug what l have said, will know my opinion
about OF tho non-success Of ltaian opera
am not, perhaps as impartial US | should De Ia
! speaking OF Engiisn opera, and, remembering my
| successes In Italian, cal only speak OF u with
pleasure think, OF course that English opera m ust
eventually win day both In Englana and America.
Foreign opera, opera foreign tongue does not
succesd--or, at any rate should not succesd- per-
manently well opera in the vernacuiar Italian
opcr a Is some bat affair he pleasure oil
understanding IL ts gwen TO butiew oil The audience.
The operas modern school Of composers snou d
be gwen In a language that Is Understood by the
audience. The poctc beauties oil Wagner's texts, Tor
| instance, are lost the italap.
| The PHILOSOPHY NATIONAL TASTE
| CoRRBsPoNDEEr-ls II your OPINION Mr.. Rosa, that
II tho obstructive Influences were modsd or removed
there wduid be reasonable prospect OF rendering
Italian opera successful and permanent institutes
| IN the Unitcd Statesf
esting opens ny quite new phase O the subject
One great why opera has not prespsred so mr.
case especially ia Germany, said Mr. Rosa, is 10 b
iouna phy siological iacI Digestion has, 10 tact
deyc,opmsnt Of opera. a great deal more than
10 generally supposed la Germany the puOIie
dine early and the opera commences sary-.s nai
naII.past, while ~ England dinner scarcely oveI
TIL cgh,, tue opera conmences at haiipast ana II
not mn Isned TIL nidhght or long after, just - the
| organs Of digestion have hnisned iheir herculeaI
ia6ors rhe intellectual faculties no, active u
most heads after q hearty dinner has been slowed
away ana without . clear head IL 10 imposstoic u
enjoy the more aesthetic beauties OF an operate
| production. Richard Wagner entertsins simila
ideas about aIgssIon considered In It's connectios
with the intellectual capacity 10 enjoy opera. TIT
idea Is worth consideration.
INTERVIEW With Mr. MAX sTRAKoscH.
Mr. Max Strakosch was found By HERALD reporter
at his residence IN West Fourteenth street in th'
midst OF that picturesque confusion Incidental TO
| trip across tne Atlantic. Max busy-well, nj
busy US an imprssario. Before him on open dssl
lay a jumble OF papers, around him gaping ssrasos
trunks IN various stages OF packing, with wraps ant
scars and all the other paraphernsa OF travel scat