The sun., 1896-09-06
GRAND OPERA IN AMERICA.
kIGSoR DE YIvO TELLs lBOCr TINE
PROFITS OF INPREsARIOs
Il Grau-Frontabis Srnsous h The Past
When High Salaries Were Paid ts
stare and nEigh Prices Were chsrr.S

& Grau-ProatabisS Ssasous n the Pas,
whcn High Salaries Were Paid q
stare and niEh l'riees Were Charged
10 THE EDITOR or THE SuS-Sir: The unfor
tunate failure of abbey, Schoeffel 4 Grau
directors Of the French and italian opera n,
tic Metropolitan Opera House, has been q
topic of public discussions in America as well
ns IA Europe, and has given wide scope to the
newspaper writer's In which {" make comm suts
From what have heard and read. the zen.
eral impression has been that the failure was
due to the high salaries paid to stars" 'the
star system OF the opera" and the high
prize, OF tickets" Whenever l have been
out Oh promenade for the last three months
tie query has met me, rs IL not 81, De Nivo :
Tell US AL about II, you old impres lrio."
lave ,een as reserved as could in discussing
tlis affair, but at last have decided to write
my experiences about this matter.
1t is an easy task for people to talk and for
newspaper writers 10 comment on operatic
management. q peculiar business. that they
do not know anything about The ins and
outs OF the business Of an inpresario OF grand
ug.ra are very difficult to learn. II requires
iuAny years OF experience and hard work 10
Jlc..se the public aud the press, and to succeed
rnanrialy especially when one or more stars
se in the company. do think that mana
ger OF any line OF business who is born for
that vocation, and has knowledge OF his trade
and some experience and tact, will In short
time become prominent in his line. But an
impresario of grand opera. Mon Dieul he
mus. possess many more qualities. He who
las under his management from $50 to 200
or m re people OF various nations and of diff
ferent languages, with one or more stars,
must first o. all be OF an iron constitution to
resist ana conquer the demands OF his ever
discontrnted little army. lie must be n good
general in strategy aud must have good OH
GERS 10 execute. lie must be lnguist,
iAust Lave authority, long experience, and
greet business canscty. He must have mag
nettsm. calmness. shrewdnes.. persuasive
power: an insight of human nature. nnesse, and
sdr"ir ',tirs, but, more than all, patience, pa.
t.rnce. patience. And there you have All ideal
imprcsurio who will invariably conduct TO
Victory his operatic campsGn. | call IL cam
pN!gn, a. consider it u battle with the public
IV win o. lose.
Now that William Steinway, n sound and
conservative business man. throu :h his gal
laGi efforts has reorgani:ed the Abbey firm TO
resume business this fall, permit me. as "a
we'll. ..nown opera manager. and the Oldest
one after Max Maretzek tonce the Napoleon,
correct some erroneous impressions. and
prove with facts and figures that grand opera
with great payments 10 stars" its star sye-
TEN. aad the high prices of tickets,'' has given
10 the impresarios. eight times out Of ten. .
var GOOD MARGIN of nroat IN mi. co,n,.
The public want the star. and will pay for
one. and opera without a star has not been
successful since brought out the divine Par
epa Rosa star in Italian opera III San Fran.
cisco in 1868 and an English opera here and
all over the country. in the seasons OF ls5g.1O
anu ls7l-.:.
lncidently will state here that when. in the
early irties. Nine sontag. Mime. Alboni. tho
greatest contralto OF the century. and Mario
and G,isi came here IS stars land they wcre
'"e N'e'esl III H.hope at ."e' .i"e'' inc en-
'rfprise WAS bad financial failure. while in
,,l SUCCESS nndsr the m.n.r. 80 -, r.
,'a, W., u,,e u' .no In"nAse .n heh' VI nAr'
oug on earth. was also the shrewdest and smart.
., ,,,,,,.r 7 bav. .v.r tn,r, IA -. ~
,,,,a loo, - ~, o"n. Nuu ".a, aN,iI, 'u
singer. but tha, on the operatic stage at that
lime she wa. not considered n Greater ,,n..-
tn'n the artists above named. She was a
rival TO Grisi in London only in Norma"
i,:t not in any ether theatre in Europe. In
lS"' had friendly ak with Barnnm at
the entrance to Woods Broadway Theatre.
wv Na'' . "nu AsAeu n'"I' WY nave so"
i'ade 80 much money with Jenny Lind. while
uaok.,, win Mario and ,.ri.i Ios, novel,,
aHt '.. VIZ MARIO y, anu "r,S', los, money.
"h' my hoy. he answered. iauRhin1iy' re-
Sapse ! am Barnum. and the only one who
knows at heart the American public. ar d how
y humbuG them. was just thinking now OF
bringing here her daqghter. who is singer.
ana not good one. but tie blc, believe,
will run to see the old lady more Than the
daIghtsr. Win you come with me. my boyi''
said No. as ! am the manager Of Parepa
ho.a, under a three years contract"
90 on with her." he said, 'as long as you
can hold her. ! heard her many times in con-
Se1' SSerIs: and tell you that she 10 the greatest
ballad snghr since Jenny Lind. and not In
ferior 10 her: for can hear every word she
sings, sinss, what could not with my Jenny. These
think that 1t is all their merit that has won
@ ,netr success. and that nothiI whatever is due
n ana night light us1G all his sstsgy 70 win the pub
takes. takes. and ! gave good lesson to Jenny Lind.
Before my contract with her endea at her re:
make more money without me: Poor girl!
After few concerts given at a loss. she came
back 70 me-"
pa1sos In aaK o.d 1888 became ts manager Of Mms
should mako her q star In Italian and English