The critic. (Washington, D.C.) 1890-1891, 1891-01-17
sEIDI,.
The Apostle of Wagner Talks.
H.. -. fyG.a...a tr.fg.....

FFVVt ttt tNttUVO IffOWNf.
Anton Seidl, the conductor Of the Met
ropolitan Opera House Orchestra, was at
first disinclined to talk on the subject, but
finally said "This great change does not
alter my opinion that Wagner and the
German school of music generally hold
first place in the hearts of the American
people. They may desert German opera
for q time but sooner or later they are
certain to come back to the true music"
His face lighted up with enthusiasm as
From your experience Of the American
public do you think that the substitution
of the French and Italian opera for the
German will prove to be u paying specu-
tion2" was asked.
Herr seidl shook his head doubtfully.
u am rather ,averse to the expression Of
an opinion" he replied, but | should
say decidedly no. There can be no ques-
ton that Italian and French opera have
strong hold with n large section of the
public, but in order to attract IL must have
magnetic name in the programme. In
this respect it is unlike the German
school. In the German opera people go to
hear the music--they go to hear Beethoven,
Mozart and Wagner. In the Italian opera
they do not go to the theatre to hear Lucia,
Dinordh, Lconord, Rosina or HdY,prite--
they go to see Patti. Without Patti or
some other great star Italian opera will
play to empty houses. Take the cast last
season. Compare the box-ofiice returns
on the Patti nights with those of the
nights when Patti was not singing, and
there you will have practical illustration
Of my meaning"
"Tamango Is supposed by most people
to be great tenor, and certainly had
great name, yet he failed to attract in
William Tell nsaid the reporter.
Herr Seidl looked YEARLY up ut the
ceiling. "Tamagno-wcll,T amagno has
a big, strong voice." he said slowly, after
pause; "but then John l.. Sullivan is a
big, strong man. You see, in order to get
full houses every night of the season you
must not only have great singers with
great names and great salaries but you
want supporting companyof thefrst class
and superb Suggesting and ensemble.
| The chorus above all, must be intelligent.
II must have some idea of the meaning of
words. It must be something more than
a piece of machinery moved from point
| to point by the stage managers index fin
| ger. Now, all this is costly. The star
| singers of Europe mostly want something
| like 81 600 night and get it, Say that
| Mr.. Abbey engages soprano, tenor, bari
| tone, basso, and contralto, there you have
| 5000 night gone. Now, the Metropoli-
| tan Opera House holds about s., 800 when
| packed to the doors. / cannot sec how
| Mr.. Abbey can make the business pay. If
remember rightly, Mr.. Abbey was very
much out of pocket in his former season
here. He put Italian opera on the stage
in splendid setting and lost large sum of
| money"
what do you think of Mr.. Abbey's
| proposition to give 'Meistersinger' and
| Iphengrin' in Italian or French?h was
| asked.
| German opera is probably better in
| the hands Of German singers" replied
| Herr Seidl. However, / won't express
| any opinion ON that point until we have
seen the experiment tried"
| HAS German opera as at present con-
stituted proved profitable?" asked the re-
| porter.
An opera put ON the stage in good style
and with n iirst-class cast must always be
extremely expensive, too expensive TO pay
anything like a good profit said Herr
Seidl. "rhis alteration in policy will I'M
doubtedly make considerable difference
in my. place, but with a shrug. of the
shoulders) | am musician--I shall ex-
| ist.n