New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-10
CONCERNING GERMAN OPERA.

The announcement that Mr. Walter Damrosch
having received subscriptions for his Wagneran
opera scheme aggregating $4,000 and promise to
meet losses up TO $1,000. will to-day start for
Europe to engage artists. is not comforting to many
lovers OF Wagner or Of German opera. In fact II
is more calculated to fill them with CONSERVATION
than JOY How German opera be given such
financial basis? II the full sum of $4,000 wen
paid in now, with the understanding that 1t was
TO be expended in staging" one work (say Die
C;3tterdammerung'D and that corresponding sum
should be forthcoming for each of the other operas
on the list, and that then singers were to be en-.
gagged worthy of the name the drama and stage
furniture It might be possible to look upon the
enterprise with equanimty at least-if not as one
likely to produce good results. at least one
likely to do only minimum of harm. But the
statement shows only too plainly that the scheme
is capable OF nothing better than such makeshift
representations as were given in the season Just
ended and whose faults we're covered by the cloak
OF charity The plan Is deplcrable II violates every
principle for which German opera stands as dis
tingushed from old-fashoned Italian opera. 1t can
have only one result, which Will be TO discredit
German opera and postpone the period OF iu
restoration to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera
House. Intelligent and sincere lovers of Wagners
dramas, who know how difficult and costly
is the task of producing works like Die
Meistersinger" Tristan and die Gotterdan-
merung" should not sanction such hazardous ex.
perments as Mr.. Damrosch Is contemplating. In
all the turmoil and confusion of talk which fol.
lowed the announcements of Damrosch and SeidL
there was only plan proposed which had reason
and good sense on its side. Had the subscriptions
united reached 100000, they might have been turned
over TO Messrs. Abbey and Grau as an inducemens
TO organize a German company in connection with
that which will give performances in French and
Italian next year. Such argument would have
been Irresistible. for the subscription would have
been larger than that obtained for the French and
Italian season, brilliantly closed short time
ago. and with the house In their hands, with all
its servants, furniture and business apparatus,
might have been possible TO produce German opera
in the style exacted by the term in the that
II has come 10 have, and to do so prohtably But
independent OF Messrs. Abbey and Grau, not even
10000 would be safe basis - a season OF forty
performances OF German opera. What hope then,
is there for a season OF sixteen performances on 9
loss up TO $4,000? Unless TO have scratch"
performan by singers waiting for engagements
In this country, than subscription and guar.
anty will have to be deposited to secure contracts
with artists.
There is no haste about the return Of German
opera. What need is not opera In the German
language, but opera with the German artistic
the language used be the language OF the coun-
try: but meanwhile. the important things are
adherence to artistic standards. devotion TO lofty
aims. insistence upon honesty OF purpose, and 9
repertory which shall be dramatic in fact and not
merely in pretence.