The sun., 1897-05-16
MARETzEK'S START IN NEW YORK.
His First Season mt Astor Place and Ills Trials
mt the Academy.

HIS First season mt Astor Place and His Trials
mt the Academy.
When Max Maretzek. who died on Friday.
came to this country, nearly n half century ago.
the music provided for New Workers was fur
nished exclusively by the Philharmonic Society
and tho occasional Italian companies that ap-
pcared in the city. Mr.. Maretzek said in an in
tervicw printed several years a9o that the Phil
harmonic Society, which was then under the d-
rection of Timms used TO give four concerts a
year and play only very limited number OF
symphonies by Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn,
rarely attempting any new works. or the op-
cratic performances given in September, 1913.
Mr.. Marctzek said:
The first night got here went TO the Astor
Place Opera House TO hear Rossini's Barber.
The house was small, and seated about LOO
persons in the parquet and 600 in the gallery.
The orchestra consisted Of thirty-six players led
by Signor Lictti. who didn't beat time hut con-
tented himself with playing the first violin part
So much louder than his subordinatcs that they
couldn't fail to follow him; at the same time he
pounded out the time with his feet.
Tho singers were neither very good nor very
bad, and l have forgotten their names Tho
next morning l sought out the manager. who
was known as the General Intendant OF L. p.
Fry's Opera His .intendance' was a very gen
eral one. He was secretary. stage manager,
hcuu aiPtht'i, anu huSoahu " tiic SobluHucT.
The property room Of the theatre. where found
him. contained carpenters, tailors. and chorus
singers. had no success with this 'intcndant,'
and sought out +. T: Fry, who seemed to he q
written opera called Leonora,' and that was
one reason why he had left his post as book
keeper In commer erCial house to engage In oper-
attic management.
At tho close Of his first season of opera at the
In debt. despite the advances made to him by
tho citizens who subscribed money for the sake
OF hearing opera IN New i0r6 , The value OF the
first season as an impresario in New York, and
as far as its financial characteristics went, Mr..
Mare,zek said many years afterward that 1t was
fairly typical of nearly every year Of his man
aKerial career.
The Academy of Music had its vicissitudcs at
the beginning. The question OF prices is inter.
esting; Mr. Maretzek related these experience:
when ,h II, the academy T of Music was opened
was managed BY Mcssrs. Leonard Td ". jerome, Jerome
was to be fitted up with luxury unknown In
this country and was to seat 5000 persons. For
had n company containing GrIsi and Mario, and
o who gave on M tho ID "a Of October his first per
G osrs was asked for
parquct seats and from $12 to $40 for the boxes.
The performance began, at half.past z. Tho
ing of the Academy was n failure In every sense
OF the word. Only 1900 persons were present,
h"if The % season % only lasted until S the end q q
that year and was closed at "A loss of ~, 900.
Then the stockholders took turn, with Chew
alier Wikof as manager, and lost about $2s, 900.
Altogether the first year OF the Academy cost
about $5O.OOO
In my old papers, dating back TO 1895, I find
some printed pamphlets concerning the affairs
of the Academy and my own affairs. because for
thirty years the two have been more or less inti-
matcly connected. ! always held, and ! still
hold, that most of tho disasters which befcll OPP
cratic enterprises at the Academy Of Music were
duo to the system under which the building was
rented The original capital OF tho stock COM
pany which put up the first Academy was $780,
600 In shares OF 81 900 each. One share en-
owned four shares or more were entitled to
box. For thirty years, almost without exception.
tho building was rent ed only upon condition that
tho seats and boxes owned by the stockholders
should belong to them for every performance.
During tho years from 1894 until the war ihe
must be added the cost of losing most OF the best
boxes and tho best seats. The 0pcratic manager
know what the results OF his enterprises arc go
ing to be. Ii there IL great success he is holp.
less to take advantage OF " when the best half
that the Strakosches, the Graus and MaplesOn
will agree in cOndcmninR the system as ruinOtis."
That the prices at the opera remained low after
that can be seen from the fact that in 1866.
when the war had raised the price of everything
IN New York. Mr.. Marctzek apUlOgizcd 10 the
Tor parquet seats from NJ to III 30. Until that
time tho price had been III for such scat. and
in the gallery prices were ms cheap as 20 cents
for "A scat.
The house in which Mr.. Maretzek died at
Pleasant Plains WAS bought by him moro than
forty years ago. The grounds about II are large,
although the frame house is very simple and
plain.