Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-26

quarter, speculation becomes reasona-
bly, safe. But popular taste Is tickle.
and even Melba and Nordicn have no
guarantee of continuance IN public fa-
vor. though their voices remain as
glorious as they are today.
1t seems extraordinary to the average
unmusical mind. no doubt. that men
and women will pay ,such enormous
sums for 3ia or hours of entertain
ment The Metropolitan Opera House
Will hold about $500 persons. At the
prices charged for opera this season it
has held on some nights $4,000 That
measures harmony at $500 an hour. or
more than $40 a minute. Golden Indeed
are the notes OF the opera singer!
or course the $4,000 Is the gross
amount received. Out OF TINT come the
items of expense which have suggest
ed, together with the rent OF the opera
house. Some operas cost as much as
$1,000 or $4,000 to produce. The amount
| depends on the stars in the cast II ia
possible to give an opera with $500
soprano or with a $3.50 soprano. II has
been the policy of Mr.. Damrosch not to
have star casts at intervals, but to
give an adequate performance of each
opera and to make the season even and
worthy throughout. So none of the per-
| formances has been SO extravagantly
costly as some that Mr. Grau has given.
and none has been cheap.
Even 5000. however. is n very large
sum to pay for the sound of seven voices
and 90 musical instruments. That is
what a performance of "Siegfrled" costs,
and in "Slegfried" there is no chorus
and the soloists are few.
III 1t were not for the announcements
which are being made concerning next
seasons programme at the Metropoli-
tan should say that the experience of
Mr.. Damrosch and Mr.. Ellis has shown
Mr.. Gr0u that adequate hut not ex-
trnvagant. opera is more profitable
than that which turns over most of the
receipts to a few stars. leaving little to
he spent on the chorus and orchestra
and on scenic effect, with the result of
presenting an III balanced, one sided
performance. But Mr.. Grau seems too
firmly grounded in the star habit to be
cured Of 1t In II season. The disastrous
experience of year ago was not enough
to effect a change in his policy, and
now the experience OF the Damrosch-
Ellis company finds him with contracts
signed for one OF the most expensive
opera companies New York has eyer
seem Mr. Damrosch says he Ia not
ready to talk about his plans for next
season, but | VIII back his ideas to win
again under ordinary conditions.
lilo Is modest man, Is Mr.. DAM
rosch and one TO whom the applause
OF the multitude is less grateful than
the quiet OF life In the country His
face has been made familiar all over
the world in the newspapers and period
} icals. His partner, Mr., Ellis, IT no less
diitdent about public notice. lilo is a
man OF medium height, whose hair and
small mustache are touched with gray
lie wears n derby hat and so modest an
appearance that he would never be
: taken in a large crowd for u man con
! nected with the management OF any
thing theatrical. Mr. Ellis has been for
some time the personal manager OF
Nine. Media, the leading prma donna
of the Damrosch- Ellis company 1t wa.
her detection that broke up the pros.
, pectlve season of the Grau com my ir
! New York this year. Mr. Ellis has beer
FOR many years and still Ia the manager
; OF the Boston Symphony orchestra, tn,
! finest Instrumental musical organiza.
I ton in the United States.
, The season OF the Damrosch- Ellii
. company has been made notable by tht
appearance Of Aielba and Nordlca IL
: new roles. Media has cssayed Aida II
Verdrs opera with Indifferent success,
= and Rosina in THE Barber OF Seville
t In way which won for her splendid
vocal art new friends. Her Rosint
l has effaced the memory OF her failur,
t in "Siegfried' last season, and she ha,
$ repeated her trlumphs In Faust" an,
y Romeo and Juliet" Nordlca has beer