The San Francisco call., 1901-12-08

tions, a delight they had not bargained
Tor. In ADDITION to this the management
announced that Tristan and Isolde
would be produced during the supple
mental season of four days. Efforts were
made by the subscribers to have this
uitlrnatum changed and Figaro. substi-
tuted, but without success. The "MeiS-
tersinger" was given instead, as was a
series of Wagner operas which General
Shafter said he liked because he could
fall asleep at any time during the per-
Iormance and on waking find that the
Unread OF the musical narrative was not
disturbed. To most of the subscribers
Wagner's wild music was an inf1iction
Whlch was borne at any old price simply
because society was there and pretended
not only to understand but to enjoy the
yargon or bachannalian sounds. Grau
was appealed to in vain to provide enter
tainment with a little less of that indie
Unable soul which the Wagnerites declare
3 cha3racterizes the work of their master
ana which has the effect of stunning the
senslbilittes of those poor, uneducated
people to whom Wagnerian strains are
an aff1iction rather than pleasure.
Grau's Risk Was Not Great.
1t now transpires that the risk taken by
Grau In bringing his stars here was not
OF the magnitude claimed for II nv his
enterprising press agent. 1t appears that
the Grau Grand Opera Company is a
STOCK concern, with a capital of $3.50 900, of
Der of capitalists, including John w.
Mackey and others, the remaining fifty
shares The company has lease of the
metropolitan Opera-house- in New York
ana 1t is its custom to send a company On
tour every year. 1t is a business PROPOSE
ton which pays well to its promoters
Grau is manager, and in addition to his
interest in the profits as a share holder is
allowed a salary of SIS 900 a year and a
percentage of the receipts. Grau has
made the discovery that the music loving
people OF San Francisco will pay almost
any price for something which has a
metropolitan reputation and he is in the
business of supplying just what is de-
manded.
But in order that he may be absolutely
on the safe side, he works the subscrip-
ton scheme for all 1t is worth. Then,
assured against financial loss, he trusts
to luck to carry out his part of the agree
ment. If one of his stars becomes iii or
her voice cracks by reason OF some slight
bronchial trouble, he merely makes his
excuses, shrugs his shoulders and ex-
presses the hope that his prima donna
viii soon get well. The subscribers to
the season just closed were led to believe
that they would have several glimpses of
Calve and the rest of the show but [
the last they were informed by circular
that they might have their choice of seats
for the supplemental season of four DAYS
by paying anything from 81 to IS a seat.
During these few days Calve appeared
three times to packed houses. There was
method in this, for Calve drew $4,000 at
each performance and on each appear
ance she was paid $2500.
Subscribers Refused to Pay.
About rs per cent of the subscribers re-
fused to pay the additional sum demand
ed by the management for the privilege
Of seeing Calve during the supplemental
season, and many vowed they would
never again subscribe for anything to
which the name Of Grau is attached
1t is quite likely that the music loving
folk of San Francisco will remember
the shoulder-shrugging Indifference with
which Grau met all their requests after
he had their mOneX SQfplV StOwpd
The astuteness displayed by him in add
ing supplemental season at which his
great stars appeared at reduced prices,
while his inferior vocalists were given
carte blanche at phenomenal figures for
a season of three weeks, may have re-
suited in increasing his bank account, but
it did not endear him the more to the
class to which he must of necessity cater
when he brings his aggregation of vocal
lists to San Francisco again. That class
has set the seal of its disapprobation
Grau'S next season here is a FROST he
will have none but himself to thank for
such a result.
That the Grau company has not treated
the San Francisco public with fairness in
the matter of charges for seats is illus
trated by the advertisements now appear
pany is to open in Carmen at the Con-
vention Hall tomorrow night and the
prices for seats range from 81 to s3 ac-
cording to location While 1t is true that
the expense Of transportation of a large
company to San Francisco is necessarily
large, still that does not justify a doub-
ling of prices to hear singers who are con-
tent to take what they can get elsewhere.
Grau's stars, there is no justifica-
ton for the charge of 81 for the same
privilege in San francisco This is an
and when he appeals to San F'ranciscans
in the future he may learn to his cost that
he cannot twice fool the people here to his