The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-10-06
A FAMOUS MANAGER.
MIR, MAX srRAKoscu N TOWN,
An Entertaining Talk with the Great Im.
prsssarlo-somO of the Famous sIpsers
He Has Brought to this Country
The New Prlma Donna.

Hp Has Brought to TINS Country
The New Prlma Donna.
Mr.. Max strakosCh, the famous impress
arlo and manager, ia in the city, making
arrangements for the appearance Of Miss
Kate Bsrnsberg at the Opera House on
Monday and Tuesday, October Is and 10
She is supported by Miss Pauline Monte,
CRITIC, contaalto, Mr., Ross David, tenor,
Mr., Frank Walker, basso, The first ev,
enlng the performance will consist oil
Balie's comic opera, "The Sleeping
Queen" and the third and nth acts Of
Faust and Marguerite" The second ev-
ening Balis's opera and one act Of "Mar-
tina" viii be given, MIR. SlrRkosch is en-
thusiastic in his praise OF Mics Befnsberg,
who ia yet young, He thinks she has o
great future before her,
An INTRLLIdEScER reporter had very
interesting conversation with Mr., stra'
kosCh last evening, which naturally
drifted into channels Of "Reminiscences and
AneCdote. Mr., StIakosCh spoke in warm
terms Of Charles Gounod, the great French
composer. Gounod's "Fauht,n he said,
was by far his beat work, and he added,
with his significant smile; UT is far
ahead OF anything else he has ever pro-
duCed. 1t Ia q significant fact that In
this country operas founded on the
librettos OF Shakespeare have never been
popular. Macbeth,' Hamlet and 'Ro.
meo and Juliet are all illustrations Of
this. Somehow the words Of the divine
playwright arc too grand and lofty to be
enhanced by music, The music Is not
strong enough for the words"
Being asked about Nina, Patti and NiCo'
linl the impressive spoke Of theirs as
love match. To the Marquis De- Csux
Patti was q mare speculation, The title Of
countess WAS also not without lts charm to
Patti,
In response to a request to give agort Of
resume OF the artists whom he had intro
duced directly or indirectly to this country,
the great manager said he believed he
had brought over moro than any other
man, He had imported at his own risk
personally, Nilsson, Albani, TitieRs and
Teresila. He was RlAo the manager oil
Adelina aud OAlotta Patti, Anni9' Louise
Cary, GsIBter, Albani, kellogg, Minnie
Hank, Paradi, WilhorBt and Oolson. He
brought ont also in This country the
teuora Mario, Campanini, BElgnoll and
CApoul. "lhe best baritones | brought
over" he said, "were Storti, PautaleOni,
Dsl PuontO and Maxwell" lilo also
brought over Nsnnettl and Carl Former.
Said Mr., StrakosCh "All these people
| had when their fame was yet to VIII, and
when their voices were fresh and musical,
So got them on reasonable terms. Now,
their voices are failing, but their fame is
great, and their managers have 10 pay
them 80 much that no money can be
made, l think" lie added, that my
brother Maurice md made more money
out OF Patti than any other manager, and
We never touched her. We had her
nderContraCt; when the came timefor her
TO come 10 America, she gave us $l5 900 to
postpone 1t 4 year. At tho end Of that
year she gave ua $4,000 more to wait an
other year, and then she gave us $4,000
to cancel the contract, So We cleared
$4,000. We were TO pay her $1,000 O
night. She was worth that. She got in
this country $1,000 night. No manager
can pay any singer that and make any
money.
Nilsson was engaged by mo first in
1928 in q season Of concerts, and in 'G3
and "a in season Of opera, also after
ward BY myself, and subsequently by Mr.,
Abbey. She is now in Europe with my
brother Maurice. l have offered her
s., 900 u night to come to America, but
my brother wrote, She 10 getting 81. 900
here."
"Whst do you think OF the possibilities
Of the American volCeW
1.-THE American Soprano" said the i'm.
preSSari0 with enthusiasm, 'is tho soprano
Of the future. True, Italy Is the best eli.
mate for the voice, but the American 80.
prsno has q great capacity in the higher
notes. The American soprano will DO the
finest in the world"
On the subject Of English versus Italian
In opera, MIR. StrakosCh ,ssid: 1.-THE Ian.
guage Of tho people is the true language
for opera; English in London and New
York, German in Berlin aud Vienna,
Hungarian in Hungary, Swedish in
Sweden"
100 many women" said the impns,ario
in conclusion, ''insist that they are sing.
era: speak plainly, and they go away
aud cay 'SrakogCh Is rough, hard, unsym.
pathetic. But art demands fidelity. Aa
a manager ! know OF man who had
taken one lesson and asked what were tho
charges. Two dollars, sir, aud this is
your last Lesson with me- why 30
aCked the Rspiraut Indignantly. BE.
cause you will never sing. l take my pay
for what | have earned, but you couldn't
hire Inc to spend any more time enCour.
aging you in vain quest"