New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-25

roo,, has volunteered the Information that the re-
CENTS for the seventeen representations a"ioU"'
10 over $4,000. a statement which, ior op'.o"' c,
sons we do not choose TO consider seriously 'uV"
.a.a.,a,+s ora only nut forward in moments "heh
excess OF enthusiasm inspires forgetfuihess Va p'
cal possibilities. Average receipts OF over 50 -,
ont OF the question at the prices cnd' So " -,
Netropotan Opera House during the season ".''''
discussion. They would be phenomenal a. $50
Abbey and Crau's prices. If the statement ~.
,r,e and the representations had cost as much dS
tho. did durjng the high tide Of the seasons o'
German operas given under the auSP'CeS "a
stockholders themselves that is ABOUT S''' '"C''
Mr. Damroschs profits for the four WeeAS ms,
be set down at $4,000. 1t is possloe ''"' =" 80
reach that sum- but II the receipts aggregated SiS'
mn they would be much larger. for IL Is not HKeN
ma, the cost Of each representation was more IMAM
$4,000 H. indeed IT reached that sum IL = cas-
10 believe that somebody has been lnduishs d"
little extravaeance of statement. he mat as may
however the fact remains that the hnahcial SUE
cess of the season has surpassed the expectations Oh
even the most sanguine friends OF the venture
eon,e enterprise and therein lies large subject LOT
study.
In endeavoring to ground the significance OF TINS
nbenomenon for it is nothing short of that, IL
must not be forgotten that Mr.. Damroschs season
followed hard on the heels OF the regular Fre"o"
and Italian of thirteen weeks " 0'"'
marked by many brilliant incidents anu o"e '''"
was said TO have been extremely S"O''S'i -
q financial point of view TO Messrs. Abbey ana
Gran 1t Is therefore evident that the operd-soihs
n,hlic Of New York is more numerous than mas
heen dreamed Of heretofore and is inspired pS'ueS
nv a most ardent love for the lyric drama II ."'s
were not so the depression which mas eNs'e" al
business would have made Itself felt IN uepaiN
rnent supposed to belong exclusively to luxury
Aeain since all preceding seasons nave laIe" S"0i
of this it would seem that influences nave oee az
work which have greatly stimulated popular inter-
est in the affection for this form OF entertainments
This is doubtless true. and the eVluehceS % "''
last ten years show what the most po'e'i' "a
Influences has BEEN namely. the new principles o.
ar, ,,culcated by the German seasons when oeSdn
IN 1884 and lasted till 1891 Between these u"'e'
lies a period of wonderful educational activity the
f,,,, effect of which not felt until the ch"nse
in the policy OF the Metropolitan opera tiouSe w"
nrived the public of form OF entertainments 'o"
ard which IL was found to be impossible 10 mann
tain the careless attitude invited oY 'he oiu-
toned Italian opera. For this a great meed Oh
credit must of course. go to the Nasheriaf
dramas but also some to the spirit OF earhes'heSs
and sincerity eXemplified in the German Peiioii"
ances If this were not true 1t woulo DE iii'po
.h,e N account for the fact that the recent repre-
sentations of "Lohengrin' seemed 10 De Qul'e O.
attractive 10 the public as those OF the la'er
aroroas of Wagner though there could be no com
harrison between the forces which Mr.. DaihloscH
brought forward in his performances OF 'lal OPei"
and those enlisted by Messrs. Abbey ana Hrau'
or course the patriotic devotion OF our IeHo"
citizens of German birth and anteceoehts !" '
language of their fatherland had something 10 10
:, the matter but there was never so great pre-
dominance of Germans in the audience as 10 leao
10 the conclusion that that factor IN the Piop'ei'
was alone sufficient to effect Its solution 1t l.
the combination of all these things with the pop
uarity OF Wagner at the head that hdS p'0O"
the astonishing results
Ara these results to be set down as altogether al
roirable? BY no means. The best achievement VI
the season has been the demonstration 'ii"' .0
neople o, New-York want Wagnerlan OPERA We
should like to leave out the question OF German
language IL II we're possible TO do so. but as yet
.ho, is No, tho case This popular desire seems 10
he so great that have it grathed large elehei'
is willing 10 forget that Wagner and the German
language do not make up the sum OF German
opera In a speech OF thanks spoken last FRIDAY
night to the public in general and the members
~ the Wagner Society in particular Mr.. Damrosch
,a,d oreo, stress on the proof adduced by the re-
sults of the season that the people OF New-forK
were DESTROYS TO have Wagneran opera In the Ger
man language and the German spirit. But IL was
the lack OF what is Wagnerian and German IN MI
Damrosch's representations that gave pause 10
rnany lovers OF German opera when they wished
~ rejoice AT the popular enthusiasm aroused by
IN. season False pretence and insinceTty are IN
eompatible with the German ideal OF the lyric
drama and there was TO say the least great
deal OF nsincerity IN the recent representations
and a great deal OF manifest Willingness 10 let
n,etence take the place OF performance. The stage
MANAGEMENT has been offence that called loudly
for rebuke. and the manner In which the pi'h-
cin,es ~ Wacner's art-work have been violated
and ignored frequently invited hot indignation IL
was an extraordinary eagerness 10 near pie
walktire" "Die G0tterdammerung and DIE Meis-
tersinger" which enabled the public 10 overlook
the faults o: which they were full. We are not
speaking Of the faults OF reading. the incapacity
n, singers or even the want of balance and finish
In the orchestra which were manifest all through
the season but the absolute indifference TO scenic
and dramatic proprieties, as. for instance, In the
scene OF Sieg fieds death where the changes IN the
picture on the stages are as much commentary
and explanation OF the music az the music Is
commentary and explanation OF the picture. Here.
as so often i'm Wagner's works. all the elements
IN the representa- IN are mutually complementaI'
and IL is an injustice TO the art TO speak OF devo-
zion 10 the Wagneran spirit when II is Grassy ana
knowingly viola ted. The mere announcement o. a
Wagnerian season sets standard by which a
manager must stand ready to be judged.
While pronouncing condemnation in this respect,
as we have been compelled to do in others. il must
be added that Mr. Damrosch did not in his speech
attempt 20 conceal the shortcomings OF his season
from an artistic point OF view, though he sought
10 palllate them through the plea that by force
OF circumstances. and in spite OF the courtesy OF
Messrs Abbey and Grau. the Germans were in
,ruders on the Metropolitan Opera House stage He
likewise limited that had he. when driven by sor;
OF fatastic instinct 70 undertake the enterprise.
imagined that he would receive the generous sup
rort that has come 10 him, he would have done
better from an artistic point OF view That we
shortcomngs OF the season would nave remained,
had he started with guarantee OF $4,000 FOR the
four weeks Money. stage furniture and artists
could no; have supplied the deficiency In poetcal
charm OF his readings. In ending his speech ne
gave expression TO the hope that the result OF his
experiment would be TO reaabilitate German opera
as an element OF the French and Italian seasons
81 the Metropolitan opera House-a pious wish In
which every music lover can heartily join. provided
that the rehabilitation be accomplished in the true
Rrievous as II is TO say so. has not been con-
spicuously present in the season Just ended