The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-02-27
ABBEY'S WALL.
One Unsuccessful Season Of Opera
Is Enough for the Great
Manager.
The Common People Of America Do Not
Know as Much About Music as
His Black Valet.
A Gloomy Outlook For tho Managers o.
the Costly Metropolitan Opera
House OF New York.


Z. Abbey arrived in the city Sunday eve
ming, after an absence of many weeks
spent on the road with his opera troupe
His company perform this week In Wash.
ington, andwill open the spring season at
the Metropolitan Opera-house March 10th
Regarding his success outside the city
Mr.. Abbey felt satisfied. Though OF
course" said he, "the floods at Cincin-
natl knocked the bottom out of things
there. But in spite of the fact that the
city was half under water, gave the full
number OF performances, twelve. AT
other places played to fairly good bust
ness, and, taken altogether, did as well
as l expected, barring, Of course, the
floods"
"Will You continue in charge Of the
Metropolitan Opera House next Year,"
was asked.
mo, sir, and the manager shook his
head in the most determined manner, 81
certainly shall not manage that house
again. When my contract for this year
expires, | leave the house in other hands ;
IN whose do not know, for the Directors
have not yet signed with any other man.
sger."
Hasn't the season been q profitable
one?' but Mr.. Abbey declined to go into
statement of what 1t had cost him to pro-
duce Italian Opera at the new house. In
reply 70 question as to whether the
Directors were satisfied with their expert
ment, he said with meaning smile,
swell, guess they ought to be
AS WELL SATISFIED AS AM"
"Wil you continue In the operate field
next yearlh
"No; this year has satisfied me.
have made no definite arrangements for
next season, and do not know positively
what shall do, but shall not engage in
opera. The fact is" he continued, ''the
middle and lower class people form the
CREST opera-going class in Europe. In
this country that class has no taste for
operstic music. Now, my valet, who is a
German, knows more about performan.
ees Of that kind than the average Amer
lean. When we are in London and he
has night off he often goes to the opera,
understanding and enjoying it. How
many servants in New York would pay q
dollar TO sit through one of our perfor-
nances!" and the manager looked about
with triumphant smile. (Mr. Abbey's
valet is Six-toot negro with an elephan-
tine ear.
Then Of course this city cannot afford
two opera housesi"
cot course not. The American public
wants novelties, and as our performances
are given only on alternate evenings a
few poor houses make large decrease In
the average receipts. Now, when play
Is running regularly every evening and
changes of programme are frequent, the
off nights do not matter much. No; New
York cannot support two opera houses,
and as for musical taste being on the in
crease, cannot see it,"
"Judgng from the salaries"
"Salaries1 Why, Inever paid IS, q
night to prima donna, as
MAPLEsoN HAS PAID TO PATTI.
Salaries will never, believe, be higher
than they are at present. l don't see
how they can go any higher"
"And the prospects for next seasonf'
But next year was too far off for the
manager to say what might be de-
veloped. He had been treated fairly by
the directors Of the Opera-house, but nc
consideration would induce him to re.
peat this seasons experiment. Prices
for seats, he thought, were as low as
they could consistently be put, and the
facilities afforded by the new house were
all that any manager could ask. The
general theatrical season throughout the
country, he said, had not been brilliant
one~-not as good as last year. In regard
to the report that he had signed con
tract with Mary Anderson, by which she
was to form one Of company, includ
ing Edwin Booth, Mr.. Abbey said he
had heard nothing of 1t. II he was tC
manage such company he had not beer
80 informed. The outlook for the Spring
operate season was especially good
many of the old subscribers having
taken their old seats again. His com
pany disbands April IL, and he though
most of the artists would return Il
Europe. None of them, he believed
had signed contracts for next year.