The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-01-16
GRAND OPERA IN NEW YORK
neIba ssd Nordlcs Viii Surely Be
ss8 .sl Present.
the OPERAS 10 Be PERFORMED.
what II Coats to Have These Enter
tAinmenss--season boxes Come
Very High.

Now YORK. january a.-Mondny evening
grand opera begins IN New York This mean
tho official opening Of tho grand opera sea
son. For several yohrs--almost since the es
tablishment OF grand opera in America--th'
start has been taken IN New York. the Other
cities coming later.
New Workers. have at times strcnuously OBJ.
jected to this early opening of the opera sea
son and have insisted upon a supplementary
acascn after Easter. But the convenience Of
the stars was of FIRST Importance and the
famous Four Hundred had to bow to the
decree which told them that they must rn-
turn hastily from n holiday season. spent nj
their country homes. TO open tho grand opera
at tho Metropolitan opera house
The season this year consists OF fifteen
nights and five matinccs. During those ff-
teen evenings all the great operatic compusi-
tons VIII DO sung and moro thnn half Of tho
great singers Of tho universe Will be present.
The Big Four In yocallsm consist. according
to popular vote taken some time ago. Of
Eordica, Mclba. Eanes and Calvc. II IL
feared that Eames and Caiye may be alb
sent the whole season, but Melha and Nordica
will surely be present Other runors say
that Calvc and Eamcs will come later undor
another management.
Romeo IT j,iliettc," "LcH Huguenots.'
..Trayiata, .'.cayalleria Rustlcana, MA
"Tannhauser,' .'ple Meistersingrr" 'iTris-
tan und Isolde" "Das Rhcingold," Siog-
fried" md Die Coetterdacmmerung"
Tho sopranos and contraltos will be Melba
GadsN, Barna. seygard. Toronto. staudigl
hatfield, Van Cauteren and Nordica.
or tonors there Will BIO NJ. lbos. Herr Roth
muhl. u salignac. Herr Breuer. Mr.. Van
lloosc. Sgnor Vanni mud Herr Kraus, and
the bassos and baritones viii include MIR
Bispham. signor Campanar NJ. Boudour-
esque, Herr Slauhigl, Herr stobmann. MIR
Rains. Sgnor Viyianni and Herr Fischer
To tod
this year by Mr. Walter Damrosch and Mr.
G. A. Ellis, Ten of them are to be In Ger.
man and Italian ana tho othor ten IN Ger
man. In the first half Mime. Mobla win
essume the principal parts and Signor Bim-
bont viii conduct In the last ten Mmo |
Nordlca will sing and Walter Damrosqh VIII |
conduct. |
Nine. Gadsld. ono OF tho most valued mem,
bers OF the company for tho last three years. !
will return
The. accusation has been made that Il IS
less tho music than tho audience that con. |
stitutes the charm of grand opera. Lovely |
women magniheentiy dressed and mado gorge. |
GUS with diamonds occupy seats In tho boxes |
and receive their friends while listening to I
music sung by the highest priced singers In |
mo world Many OF the soloists receive $G0D
per evening which Is not such n yerv hlgh
sum for n frst-olass opera singer. ThiH h
counting four hours to an evening $3.50 per
hour. Yet. while the singer is rendering her
notes the beauties In The boxes smile and
snhtter, notice and are noticed with rs much
Freedom IA though thuy were listening 10
the hotos OF a handorgan
10 own season box at the grand opnrn
means money. The price paid is almost n
fortune TO the ordinary pocket book and
riches 10 a small ono,
uu the opening night every box il filled
ana standing back In tho boxes are men Of
wealth. anu fame who come to nav honnce
70 tho world OF society which they lind pres.
The presence OF grand opera season IN
any country speaks much for Tho e,atn nt
cNhMation In that country. Grand opera i'm
AIh.iica dates from 1922 but IL was long M
yer that that IT amounted 10 auytl.aa The
eounLry Was too young, too poor and too
.h aao 70 ihdoige ~ such exiravhganccs AZ
ma, time hlso nearly all sinycrB were foreign
porn and demanded big prices for their trims
20 this country. We had no Nordjcn nor
.san'ss, nor did We have "A school of music
worthy TO III singers for tho stage
ira ~idha opera now is regarded MS au eduna-
bring their pupils to hear grand opern s,n,,
W. one OF tho largest opera houses. and far
tntce weeks the town reynlvea around fra
l eK yellow building on nrondwny where Inc
singers go nightly to wafbIo. 's
a vanderbilt was once asked what % cns,
hn TO take his family through a seaaon If
sEand opera He said he didn't know, hut
Lhelr gowns cost go. 600 and then he bnliavaS
-narr was tritte for the box.
Many great matches are planned during tho
'pcrn season, aud tho coming three weoks
are rich IN romance ms we'll MS sonr
rho singers VI Inter yearg are riftod VIII
,eautiul lhces CalVe being one of tho hand
,,cmsat women OF tho ago, while Er,ron
n ns ~ lovely in classic mould
ipe grand opera Is function which none
r s.y c"i, aiiord should miss; and all should
eel thrili of pleasure thar tho first tjnkIn
y US notes begins tomorrow night In Na,y
9TH, 10 extend eastward mud westward IN |
io'eiy chiinn AZ the season advances