New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-07
GETTING UP A COMIC OPERA.
HEAVY COST AND HARD WORK.


The average visitor TO any one Of the three comic
operas now running at Pslmers, the Broadway an"
the Casino rarely thinks OF the enormous amount vi
labor and study that has been expended on securing INC
brilllancy of the spectacle and the smoo'npess a'
CELEBRITY OF It's working. His pleasure Is Que no' o'y
70 the music the singing, the story ana the acuns'
hut also largely TO features which are addresseu a.
most entirely to the eyes. There are the costumes,
scenery dances, tableau groupings and the frequent
changes I'm colored lights which often add so much 10
the effects of the pictures Some time ago an article
published I'm The Tribune described many Oh '"o
difficulties Of getting UP an ordinary play. oreit a.
they are they trivial in comparison WIN inc "o'N
of mounting an opera The actor has IN ue nun
spectacular play only 10 learn his words ana MS
business whether individual or In relation 10 INC
other characters The principal singers In comic opera
have not alone TO learn their dialogue but all "ic
solo and concerted music movements Win inc cno'"
and spernumerares, and very frequently one OF moo
characteristic dances besides the spirited neurs ha'
GENERALLY bring down the curtain. The WORK vi ,no
stage manager of comic operas entails the superVson
and direction OF carpenters scene-p painters properly
men cosrmers gas and calcium men, scene-shiitcrs'
charms ballet principals and orchestra. All OF these
departments must work together In compete har"o"y
and without the slightest friction before perieot
performance can be obtained. The old saying tna'
{" hard writing makes easy reading might wen W
parapbrased TO hard rehearsng makes easy acuns''
With the object Of gaining some precise oeta'lS
ahout the getting UP Of opera the writer went 10
Charles Barton OF the business staff OF the Casho WHO
at once offered TO give all the facts ana he''o9
I'm his possession and showed the books as vouchers
for all the figures quoted LAS RUE ssiu MI.
parton ait takes us about six weeks OF ha'n an"
almost incessant work TO get up an opera, ana VIC
could not do II I'm that time il II were not Tor the
t.ct that nearly half our chorus has been here Ior
several seasons Some have sung steadily III ths
house since It's opening in 1884 The average o"or",
man or woman sings by ear, and is Ignorant oi hus
notation, consequently II takes long liino
10 teach them the music. But out Of the chorus
OF sixty or seventy that we employ, accoiuhs !"
the opera selected, twenty-five or thirty can
rood AT sight and with their help the Others soon
learn. -,
aThe first thing done after an opera has been
determined upon and the manuscript has Deeh e''
into proper shape Is 10 have the acthg Singing
and chorus parts copied out This done our cnorus-
mistress Clara Ryse, begins TO teach the chorus
She takes each division Of voices separately Sopranos
ol,oS tenors and BASES at different hours In the day
This goes on for a week more and then she VIII
nut all the women together, next all the Hien, al"
finally work the entire chorus. III Will plOpaotS
take three or four weeks before the chorus IS ready
TO rehearse with the principals. Meanwhhe the
other departments have not been idle The principals
have been learning their parts; some OF them reao
music and are able to study at home with the help
~ a niano Others go TO teachers and have TO have
every note drilled into them. Carpenters nave maze
the frameworbs Of the scenes, and Hoyt VINO docs
most of our painting as we do not Keep an ARTIST
here not having pantframe, is busy on 'he scenery
Property men are making properties, everything Oh
| that kind used on the stage being made here by
Brabyn and his assistants, who can manufacture OF
| simulate almost every imaginable article Inc
| ballet has been rehearsed by Bibeyran, ana The
| principals in the acting by stage-mahagef ffeehan'
During the getting up OF an opera rehearsais arc
| going on simultaneously all over the building, on
the stage the lobbes the offices and even On the
| roof garden.
| aThe costumes are generally made from plates
designed abroad by Pelotti or Bceche' oil
| Paris In dressing large CHORUS sonio
| variations of color are made from these designs
The selection and arrangement are usually
| made by Rudolph Aronson. The mems costumes are
contracted for by an outside costumer, but all the
| women,s are made here by Madame Loe During
busy times she has about twenty assistants all mat
we can find room for, and during the entire season
six or seven women kept constantly at work over
hauling the dresses, as, unless the least damage Is
al once repaired, dress will be speedily ruined
We do not usually have than one dressrehearsal
| unless some Of the costumes should be found 10 DC
| inharmonlous or in another way unsatisfactory.
Oft is generally from three TO four weeks before the
rehearsals of principals and chorus can be COM
bned and then the hardest work Of the stagemahaeer
| and muslc-drector begins Most OF the operas We
| have done have been played abroad and the 'busl-
ness is marked in the manuscript. This is necessarily
great help to the stagemanager, but, OF course he
often deyiates from the foreign model. In the case
~ one of Gilbert and Sulllvans operas no changes
are Permitted by the person the authors send over
a. direct the production Mr. Gilbert has at his home
| . miniature stage on which he builds model OF bis
| scenes Then with little wooden figures he decides
,non all the movements he wishes made and he comes
10 the first rehearsal with all the business settled
| ave have dress.rehearsa three four days be.
fore the first performance. Al this the final group
| Inqs the lighting of tho scene. the mediums or
colored lights, to be thrown upon the dancers ana
| t,h,eaus and nnumerable minor details are finally
| arranged One very important point is the exact
| moment at which 10 bring down the curtain. Al
though the composers idea may have been indicated,
II IS frequently found that either greater or less
! number Of bars than he supposed Will prove more
naactive In some cases IL Is found advisable that
tbs music should almost simultaneously with the
fan OF the curtain II everything moves reasonably
rehearsal That Is complete performance, put The
people not REQUIRED to dress except POSSIBLY
changed.
The cost of getting up an opera usually exceeds
at this house $4,000 The a.. Brgands' cost a
tunes made outside. and for materials for costumes
| made here This was between $4,000 and $4,000.
and the wages for lressmakers here was over 5000.
The artists charge for painting was 81 200 and the
| lumber and canvas, without the carpenters WORK,
| rms ND 10 5000. -
| The weekly running expenses OF the Casino vary
with the requirements Of the opera the ROYALTY paid
he amount OF advertising done and other contingent
| expenses They never, however fall below $1,000.
A. the 1resent time the salary list for principals.
| chorus. orchestra and stage hands is over $1,000
Renf Office salaries newspaper advertising aud the
] nurc6ase OF materials Of various kinds account for
the remaining 81 900. The receipts OF Tine Brlgands
for the 1rst fifty performances we're over 100000
| eyceediDg those of 'Erminie by about ~. 900.
The regular salary OF the chorus is sl5 week,
but many OF them play little bits q pars Tor which
we'll Tor the nights which they are required to sing
in the places Of principals The trouble wts me aver