New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-12
MUSICAL COMMENT.
THE. OPERA QUEsT1oN--AN ENDOWED
NATIONAL INsTITUTION-THE LAST
PHILHARMONIC CONCERT.


piIded cage in upper Broadway this evening, ana
II IS safe to say that there will be az much gossip
IN our drawing rooms this week about tho operauc
future as there will about Easter Donnets anu
gowns In the newspapers there Will DO more
and that Is a pity. 1t would have been fortunate
thing for Mr. Grau and his enterprise q" inc Se"
son through II they had provoked less newspaper
talk A great deal Of 1.-THE bulk OF 1t, In fact-
has been mere idle twaddie The regular season
woa cheekered by an unusual number or unto"a'u
circumstance but nothing happened 10 ai'er ma
terlally the operate situation as those WIN n'o
in the habit OF observing have known II TOT gee
AIDES: and the prospects Of opera next season are
M hotter and no worse now than they nave oeei'
year in and year out. since the system winch WI
crou and hls associates are following was intro
duced Money has been lost by impresa''os oe
fore. but impresarios are like the ihpieu ee'S Vi
the Mllesian cook-they are used 10 pehs shiin'
alive-and the likelihood that the Metropoh'a,
opera House will be kept closed next winter neeu
not alarm any one. That there Will De reor
ganlzatlon OF the company known as Abbey
scbneffel g. Grau Limited" is extremely propape'
but II does not appear that any fate which may
oyertal<e that organization VIII nave an appic0'"
bearing on the continuance or operauc rep'e'
lions Certain persons to whom the o'o '''','
money which It could not pay chose 10 become
1900 o., thomseIves instead OF creditors OF the
sn,y, ,rho, have found out that their amiable
cborpe IN the point from which they viewed then-
selves did not change liabilities into assets hoi III
their purses. There was no reason 10 '''' -
II would and 1t might as well be known "o" %
later that the existence Of the opera was III ITO
respect dependent upon their acton. fiau
hoa, M Abbev SchoeffeI &c Grau. Limited there
would nevertheless have been opera ana unuef 'n'
management Of Mr.. Grau, too Inc comp'''
70 one there be- Is not for the public 70 oecoe
concerned about. opera has often oeeh Ill a w
d,stressful state without going TO destructon' ~
% .
T. :, nevertheless a pity that so mucn uhneces-
sarv pother has been made about the matte, III ,'s
,,tuc nrints Less attention to the smiles ana
the little aches and big fees, OF the singers
d mora serious and enlightened discussion OF the
ororas and their representations would nave peeh
,nrie,v more beneficial TO the public and pronta-
able 10 the management. 1t would be p''.iu, ~
deed II the existence Of opera In the Chi'ed states
should rest on the health or whm Oh any o"e
singer or any dozen singers; SUN mor' P''iu',
oven direful. II the idle malicious utterances Oh
anors should be seriously considered by Mr.
cau or the public -spirited citizens to whom the
peonIe are Indebted for the opera mouse III oelei
mining the character OF our operauc repie'e' ,
tions The opera has survived all such uis-
couragements many times before ann VIII ou'ii'e
them again It will not even be necessary 10 save
~ ,rsti,u.ion that a prlma donna shall cease
nout,ng mr. n tenor agree to kiss and make up.
"shau ouips and sentences and these paper OUTLETS
Of the brain awe man from the career OF Ills
! humor?"
~, cro,, d,d not lack backing last year when
his n,or for continuing the operate performances
at the Metropolitan Opera House was set "s "
favor of Mr. William Steinways plan Oh o'sdn
,ziry the creditors OF Abbey. SchoeHel q "iau
,,o = limited corporation; It is not likely that he
will lack backing next season IL lie ue IA
sumo the management of the house lie mas NC
ooa weu M the hands OF the pubic: ne
hos the Goodwill OF the Opera House stockholders
His connection with the opera IN Lohuo" pas
him at n great advantage over all TWAS " 80"
shown that he has ample enterprise ana coua ee ~
carry the operatic experiment through ''ii ;. 10"
hoor thoroughly tested. With all It's Driidn'
features the present system is not one winch eee
~ hIchest of wisdom TO The Tribune out the'o
+, ~ occasion for impatience. When the Demon
stratlon is complete 20 people. manager ~
holders and artists a change VIII iooM'
thar will be need not be guessed AZ Inc eto@N
ho,ders NJ the opera have a book OF local history
uhch "a omen to their study. Inc system ""i.'
novors in Hamburg might be introduced IN MOI
IA ,o-,n the notifications being such as wouio
ho mada necessary by the fact that the Suhlc'pa'
Theatre in Hamburg Is pubic properly anu ~
Nfetropolitan Opera House private Or pdi,
n,gbt he formed which would give the CITY anu
country what they ought 10 nave ha n io.e go" %.
endowed OPERA On this point The Tribune came
trrord with a suggestion at the time wnen the
destruction Of the audence-room OF the Metropoi-
.an by fire In 1892 left the future OF oPe'" P'oD
Iomatical. There can be no harm In repeating II
now.
National onera is a possibility We were on the
nigh road to its attainment while the directors
were their own managers AT the Nieiopo
The growth OF popular interest. as evidenceo w
the season subscriptions, was STEADY anu e'e"'
ord had there been holiness and less eN-
adj
,o,,d have been possible to put the institution on
= hosr financially satisfactory to the stocknoioers'
Greater holiness ought to have been SHOWN III
tho adoption OF a policy with the suHehihs ere
monts OF directness and permanency Those gained
- would have been possible to give better repre-
citations at smaller cost. In nve years. WIN
wise and Jealous guidance In the hnanciai ana
r,,s,,, departments 1t would have been possible
~ create an institution as truly National as the
Grand Opera In Paris or the Hoioper III VIENNA
Tho vernacular would have come into It's rights
90 the language OF the performances ana the opera
hoya hecome n tranng-school and an employer
for native singers.
Opera Is an expensive luxury-too expensive TOT
anv one American city under existing circum-
s,ances Suppose the moneyed men OF New-forK'
BOSTON and Chicago who are anxious to help
IN tho advancement OF art to associate them
selvea together and endow a National opera.
season of six months could easily be distributed
among the three cities. 1t might be necessary IN
order 10 secure the most perfect manifestations to
begin with foreign artists; but season OF SIX
months and long time contracts would Insure vastly
be,ter terms than were possible under the policy
pursued by the Metropolitan directors from 1854 to
1891 permanent endowment fund would make
nosslble the establishment OF public-spriied and
wise policy. the fixing OF a high standard OF per-
Torrance and the choice OF large ana lioerai
renertory. The homes of such an organization
sbouId no the Metropolitan Opera House In New
York. the Auditorium in Chicago, one Of the large
theatres in Boston, and possibly also the Springer
Hall In Cincinnati. Looked at in the light which.
as a rule illustrates the projects OF men devoted
to phanthropic endeavor. the plan Is entirely
feasible and Its aim wholly commendable.
The last concert OF the Philharmonic Society At
Carnegie Hall last Saturday evening ended, like