New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-09-13
MUSIC.
SOMETHING MORE ABOUT ENDOWED OPERA.

SOMETHING MORE ABOUT ENDOWED OPERA
Two letters were received by The Tribune yesterday
which invite words OF comment. The nrst from "r.
Anton Se.d contains hearty expression Oh app'o'"'
OF the plan for establishing grand opera on u Perha-
rent basis which suggested in an edtoial ai.oo
printed in this journal on Sunday. The sec)hu' l'ohi
another musician, while equally hearty In us appropd
,ion contains discussion which is not without
genuine value and interest, but Is not fully warranted
Nv The Tubune's suggestion. The letters are AS FOL
lows:
TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: With great pleasure and much greater lnterest
did read in loday's Tribune your appeal IN 6e5al 81
tho Metropolitan Opera House and t1e es.aons IN,
caro. / have had otcs@n several times to discuss
this subject, In The Herald ana other PIHs, 90
smpIc' practcable and artistic also sure Of sue
cess n supported By honest artistic desire tI eai
not ria nerr ry Agreement With your IDEAS wish
heartily that the plan might be Preiu III GO Tho Nit
DeOIH .e per House for is high time that the
whole artistic question involved 9e w9S nor he i'm
thing approaching n nse in US the Spectacle Of
Rmetrpos ike New-York utterly indifferent to ,he
p peasf Of Of All a Src I
IN the name Of thousands OF musicians psoIufioo Of
and amateur, who are h RssI.c aM,s '"e
New-YOrk september IL, lc"-'
H.
TO the Editor OF The M oounoser
SIR Every native musician, whether copUSv
.noer or instrur cntals;, well as every a,o
who is ambitious for the aayanee n Cor "a tho editorial
nnanr the headline Endowed Opera In yesteI9ay
edition. II the stockholders OF the lIcsprited
onorn Itonse and the patriotic ana Pubic
men OF New,Yor Boston and Chicago are WIZ your
their day and gencrio they VIII The ar peop p Of The
nit1 Ssaes so advanced and aggressive IN ott g,
respects, DO longer content Win an ia nv dod reason
%is1I one HH'Ts deny possess the
requisite financial meals for vt the tor the estsbshmen
% W pcrmnnsnt Saiiohai opera And by Nan9n
opera do not mean opera IN e or american per-
tormers This scheme has been suggested oeiofy,
bmt has Invariably been rdcued oy pprs and
a;r ma wc in switzerland and who tns
idea that music not written ana perioe%a d W NOT claim
sSn % aye Wagner or Beethoven among u
it took thousand yS%f, to RrHase hundred and
.a atIcT ve wI old One thing Is ceral1 ho S1
that we shall never win important m are American
m,I nm,V day who are perfectly capable OF wmmns
grand operas perhaps not equal 10 and quality
Faust oni Or 40 t@ credit to this Naon. don't
they do IT, then' s9ser The ncIS:r What IS to
Is gaNE ,nnm and their families while thus engaged
Ind what prospect have they OF reahsh Ing a x nut
Some one win ask 70 name the Amenca psm @"a
can write e cr "a sTI Paine George
"" cSsavicf hrhur Fooe Dudley ~ Ka HSS George
B sndreTs 'sS w. Gchrs Frederic Grant cs SdSn
Victor Herbert RcinhoM Herman, ,, e and 1Iorotio
HUI Edgnr az 81 ,bose gentlemen have complete
nncr,s in manuscript and have had ior a,,na
years but how faint nh has oG Saar rnS nope
Surely there is no need OF mentioning he a. Inc
1r.ndO
hnrS ~ ind do not mean TO assert that We p1ss
dozen PATHS Lehmanns . score we Oh have enough
OF Scod Singers to make highly crehltabe nes nnS
when National opera shall haze roIV viii be sooner
or Iotor there win then be sufficient ineri,oronS
ear forth number OF gcn eSs The need is for
oneycd men with an single to the
Of native talent. who are wlnlng 20 az r Themselves
Of their without s;s aMES sfG E MHTslcAS
That which all SINGER" lovers OF mn''c an" VIC :,
srcmont which music promotes cohsiicr tue ,'o'O Nv
,r,b,e thing Mt the present tine Is tho eS'aD''"
u, nm opcratic institution which shai nave pc. .,
and no free from the caprlces Of fashion, "hat Siau
10 tho language OF the performances, what ''' Ia
,,o,ou,v ~ tho singers and players. and whence 'e
,is q, oneras shall be drawn are questions wch "'s
sofelv he left 70 time. The meaning Vi N""o"' P
an chit not 10 he narrowed down to the eoheepu"' VI
r,tivistic opera To found n great endowment '0''
Tor the promotion Of American composluohs hnu I>'
tom singers might he q pntllouc AT p"' i~'
,, 10 o,,en IN question. No nation ever mas oeeh
~. ,,or win he content witt, the cultivation OF art
-, ouch narrow lines Least Of all could the 'hi'c"
e,o,es afford now to adopt such a policy di'lineu
oper,tIc estallyhment, capable OF SATISFYING inc 'V
-, ,, ople OF the country and safe from the CANCERS
which pcrpctually menace private spccuiauo' III ."
denartmcnt Of artistic activiy-that Is the emu nis'
and rrost necdf and desirable. The rest wouo o'"''
naturally and inevitably.
It's almost unnecessary TO say. AFTER the eNpefien'e
% IA, last sixty wears that standard OF performance
,co,t the highest would b toleabe. The suggestion
that has been made Is based on perfect recosiho"
., that fact The endowment OF permanent lyric
,heatro bv syndicate Of patriotic men in the principal
ctuos u, The country would make the maintenance OF
such a standard feasible and at the same time jusuS
cha maintenance OF local homes Of opera like the Net
onolton Opera House, with all that they contribute
o., ,hc cubellshment Of social life The primary sec
ordarv and ultimate aim Of the founders would be cd
ucotionol II would start from consideration Oh inc
fact that It Is possible TO make opeIn an agency vi
roarcment I'm nll the larger centres Of population
II voud be measurably perpatetc schoo Oh aes-
,hct,cs Its claims upon the phanthroplc promoters
% education MI, like those Of the universities lherc
sone reason why local feeling should prevail In tle
,,ot,er 81 the endowment OF libraries and art museums
In yrcat degree their influence is local; but VA
,ioroi Opcra COmpany's minlstraons might be eN-
tended all over tho country When. eventually IL
entered upon Its full aud proper estate, moreover, u
wouh DO the parent and Instructor oil local COMPANIES