The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-21

San Francisco's Musical Taste-PlanS fol
New York's Coming Season.

New York'a Coming Season.
Though San Francisco has never had a great
opera house like the Metropolitan and has
never heard famous singers with the same
regularity as New York audiences. 1t ia said to
possess a taste for opera uneaualled BY any
other own In this country except New York
and Boston. Famous nstrumentalists 20 to
California and find that San Francisco refuses
them the patronage which every other town
has delightedly accorded. Orchestral music
receives little support from its citizens. Plan
lists, hddlers and sometimes singers in concert
make little appeal to the taste Of It's public.
But an opera company has rarely any excuse
for such complaint.
Last spring Nine. Melba. with q small com.
pany. gave Amost prosperous season OF opera
there. with tickets at 81 apiece.-The operas
were III Barbiere di Seviglia" and =" La Ira
viata." and the orchestra, some OF the singers.
and all tho chorus were engaged In San Fran
cisco. But so delighted were the citizens to
hear ono Of the eminent singers OF the day that
| they paid the high price asked for tickets
and were satisfied to do. II. The italian
singers who appeared at Wallack's last
spring were able to give ten per-
formances OF la Boheme" in San Fran
cisco. which is quite n remarkable record.
New York audiences would never endure .
novelty 80 often in one year II It were the most
lnSplTeu WOTk ever WIlIVeHL. Lut1 u VpuIb
II the operas are the ones they know and
the singers are their favorites: but IL
would be q difficult matter to persuade
them to go ten times to hear q new work
Maurice Grau's theory Is that q novelty
here may be counted to draw two audi.
ences II every circumstance is favorable.
Sometimes even two performances prove
an ver-liberal. allowance. II latest novelties
Optimism ofthiS view, win be manifest %.Fsis
staff " drew one audience and never had an
St6e aid rs De sfFst aR FS S SalE RffEfS OTm %ss g head Sf% s.
q small audience. and lie Cid" last season
iqyinES a season q opera EiSiSfh has bropshs
A AfTas,@ EFf faust.S 3" Is? R-O SsS tsESp ana se sHsrSi
other operas Of the I'D repertotES hove beer
Theatre Ssat eul ReSStyals sS q serious sSl1 WORKS & are re- a FeSa.
lSr teatIEe # the sI ssasoPP at the 6i3i T1yoa; end II z
kks see been s% el EanHf there ri a Sps eSsap p effssSt&6s o$iS
Gf dFm 81 g %usicaI fares ef have G Been sung sum- sSsrss
at prices which put the performancee within
the best works Of the musical world has not
been without Its effect in San Francisco. what
ever The, opponents Of cheap opera may have to
say Ct the necessarily incomplete manner IN
s En,f Fra AZ ehS e Is De Snl QUEEN IL o nSe re sTSeEie 'TSeT 20
the success OF cheap opera has been enduring
In every other city OF the country the scheme
has usually played itself out In about two years.
New York is to have It's permanent cheap
Of the Castle Square Opera Company last sea-
son has. satisfied the management that the
scheme has possibilities OF permanent success,
and the energy formerly expended on the other
Organization, Copcurrently comes the an
n~ouncement that heavier works will be sung.
Last year one of the most profitable. perform
ancea was Faust. Following that intimation
Lucia u!'"MS sp Sqs't Teseaat.S yfaoc;lni'st. are
announced for this season, and the manages
ment says that subscriptions have already be-
gun to come In from students who are anxious
works 1Ss a S are unable to pay Sr the prices nee % ssk ed
to Indicate that The educatiopal work
Of cheap opera was to begin here, next
as to the efficacy OF performing grand operas
at prices which make It q practical certainty
that their greatest merits will not be revealed.
Some persons think the end In such q, case does
not Justify the means; But 70 u make q large
musical works is thought by many to produce
good results. even though their Interpretation
Is not f%aultless. The only. really important
opinion in the matter is that OF the public. II
the question. And the managers Of the cheap
opera which. New York heard last winter had
no ground for complaint Of poor attendance.
The public showed what opinton it held Of the
tinuss the same. the educational influences Of
Ban Francisco's cheap opera may be felt here.
Quite apart from any educational effects II may
possess. cheap opera would. certainly seem to
I'LL one purpose we'll II II entertains. whether It
calls for A.