New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-16
GERMAN OPERA SET ASIDE.
FRENCH AND ITALIAN PRODUCTIONS NEXT
YEAR
A CHANGE OF POLICY AT THE METROPOLITAN
THE NEW PLAN NOT PERMANENT
oNE-u. L. ABBEY TO FURNISH
THE COMPANY.


night that a proposal made by Henry T. Abbey 10
substitute Italian and French for German opera next
season. be reported favoraby TO the stockholders Tor
approval circular in course OF preparation, setting
forth the dcsirabty and advantages OF the change
has been signed by twentyone holders OF boxes, ana
IL is believed that sweeping majority Of the others
will also sign it, The matter, therefore, is practically
settled German opera will be kept in the background
for season. 1t may then be revived. or it may not
Mr.. Roosevelt, why you going 10 abandon
German opera1' a Tribune reporter asked yesterday
of the president of the opera house company.
Abandon German opera! - said Mr.. Roosevelt, much
astonshed no such thing That statement is all
wrong
What is the truth Of the story about Henry E.
Abbey and Italian Opera1"
About the opening OF the season. was INFORMED
that Mr. Abbey would like to enter into negotiations
with the board Of directors for the production OF la
ian and French operas next winter. The matter came
up in an unofficial way, and at first thought nothing
Of it, but ten days or two weeks ago formal pioPo-
sit.on was made and Mr. Abbey's terms beng sa'Is
factory we decided to accept them. Only the amuse-
,nent committee Robert Goelet, George &. Haven
william c. Whitney and myself-knew anght OF inc
matter which had been kept very quiet, TIL 1t was
brought before the board on Wednesday night. Twelve
members of the board attended the meeting ana Voed
unanimously for season Of Italian and French opera.
"Gcrman opera, then, is TO be sheived during 'le
season OF 1s91-027'
ayes but nv no means abandoned. positive
that not for a moment would single member of the
board listen 10 such proposal We have had several
seasons Of German opera, and feel that change "ou
be beneficial. but we have not committed ourselves 10
any policy beyond the next season. In the season Oh
SOC. 'o3 we shall probably have German opera again.
OF course it would be impossible TO give German ana
Italian opera side by side
"Dd the question of expense have any weight Ill
the consideration OF Mr.. Abbeys proposal"
"Not the slightest We have been doing very well
financially and hope to continue So The cost OF
italian opera will be precisely the same as the cost OF
German opera. We agree to pay Mr.. Abbey stated
sum to give us good opera, and he will manage his
own company"
"what is this cost?'
"There are sixtyeight stockholders, who are as
,cssed annually SO 600 each making 1904 ooo all Of
which goes into the expenditures. The original cost
Of the boxes held by the stockholders was Sl9'5oo
each. There seventy-two OF them
And about the dividends"
AOh, there are dividends
several members of the board OF directors oecnneu
70 speak OF the proposed change
Mr. Abbey said Yesterday that he had secured Few
singers as vet for his at the opera house. IhoSo
already engaged were Jean and Edouard De heshe'
Mile Van Zandt, and Nile Melba would PROBABLY oe
added to the list Mile. Melba Is now at the "rahd
Opera House in Paris, and the Others are all al 81
Petersburg The De Reskes and Mile Melba VIII sing
in London in the spring. The season at the Metro
politan will probably begin little later than USUAL
a. the season Of the company is likely to open at to
Chicago Auditorium. No engagement VIII be maze eA
cept those for Chicago and NewYork Tie reperoTy VIII
of course depend largely on what singers are en-
rared hereafter but it will include a number OF
operas in which Jean De Reske has been eSpeciany
successful. Among these are "LohenErln' Inv
Mastersinger," Romeo and Juliet" g LIE GA Inc
Prophet. and Carmen II is not likely that any
OF Wagner's Will be sung except " LohengIIh anu
The MaSter>ingcr." Mr.. Abbey thought that the
Stage management of the opera house and the mounting
Of the operas would probably remain for the moSt
part in the hands as at present. put that ule
staging would not have TO be IN general 80 e!apo"Vo
and costly as that of the German operas No musical
director has yet been chosen, thoush MI |ApoeS no7
three four in view
Mr. Stanton will still be the director OF the opel"
house, Mr.. Abbey's management being Only OF inc
company. The whole arrangement covers Only one
season and decision has vet been reached OF can DC
reached at present whether the Italian and French
operas will be continued Tor longer tlHe VI to "e
ones restored
Walter DamrOsch, the musical director oi inc
Metropolitan opera IIouse was by 10 means do"hcasl
over the prospective change. This substitution OIL
French aud Italian for German opera Will not
weaken Wagner's hold on the affections Of tte Ameri-
can people he said g am convinced that when all
il done IT will be found that ne (, still master CT the
situation. by no means dsmayed at tie
prospect Each succeeding season has shown larger
total of receipts and has proved that we were more
than justified in course
what do you think will be the result Of this he"
movement -
Il believe that good Italian or French opera pat
on tie stage with frSt-class artists ana win
sufficiently liberal setting, might in an artistic sense
be successful and attract the public. Nhethef II
will be financially successful IS extremely doubtful III
view of the enormous expense attending such pro
ductjon. Look back at the result OF Mr. ABBEY
arst spiritef enterprise in that line at TINS mouse
rears ago Again. while the leading composers OF The
German school like Beethoven, Mozart MeycrDeer ana
WAGNER always retain the first freshness Oh ueir
,oDplarity with succeeding generations, the same
cannot be said of the older French and Italian school
some of these operas retain their aitT"ctvehe@s'
Others have long ago lost it, and IL seems tldt me
modern French school holds the sway. OF The
French examples take GOunOd'S delightful ." Romeo
and Inlet which is always heard with pleasure,
tae same composers "Faust,' PROBABLY one oil the
best appreciated operas OF the century, and bizetS
Carmen as instances in point, 81 the oder schooi
of French music AUber'' Masanleio' Is always
pretty sure TO draw good house.
DO YOU think that Rossm has loot any Oh MS
oId.time innuencei" was asked.
William Tell" with Tamagno, the eleates'
tenor Of modern times, tailed 10 urd"'
while The Barter Of Seville Is always
likely 70 be losing card unless We nave an
exceptional Gosina. Verdi the other hand, always
Ia q strong following However. in order 10 make
any kind of Italian or French music attractive ono
must go 10 the heaviest expenses, and the extreme
cosuncss Of tie venture is the greatest obstacle 20
its financial success. only consider for moment te
salaries which must be paid 20 hrstcass foreign art
isis, I'm order 20 get great singers we must import
them and il will always DC the same while American
singers are inferior 10 those in Europe America mas
uiduced some fine sopranos but where can we ma
IN th, country really great tenor baritone or b"'so
MIR. Damro,ch was here tod Of Mr.. Abbeys ihteh'
tion TO produce Waener's LOhengrn7 and McistcF'
singer in Italian. e" would not Ike 70 say what Inc
result will be, he said with laugh 1t Is possibly
,retv dicut 10 got singers IT,, ned in the Italian and
French schools 10 give the proper Interpretation 10
Wacner's music one thing, however, Is, ID my
view. certain: sooner or later all opeTa-Waencran
Italian French or otherS-when given here, VIII DC
done In ENGLISH. The reason Is thst tle Amenclh