The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-28
FEELINGS OF SINGERS HURT.
nor ENOUGH APPLAUSE At THE
OPERA TO PLEASE THEN.

LATE and TO Away Faf1y-An En0r
TO Educate Them 20 Better ways.
The conduct of the audiences at the
Metropolitan Opera House furnishes Q
topic for Interesting speculation every
season. II Is chiefly the extreme apathy
Of the persons seated In the orchestra stalls
that arouses the establishment Of enthusiast
tic observers. These wonder why people
who apparently take 20 little interest In
the opera should spend their time and
money on IL.
The singers Of the opera are accustomed
to the chilling attitude Of this part Of the
public and are affected by II In accordance
with the degree Of their philosophy. One
prima donna who is popular. 10 far a.
any singers can he said to be popular at
the opera house. has an elaborate aria for
her Introductory song In the role which Ia
thought by many to be her best. She sings
this long and difficult aria a. we'll as II
could be sung. And not hand is raised
to applaud her.
II is easy to observe her vexation. even
from the orchestra stalls. And it Ia quite
easy to sympathize with her.
One Of the other singers who encounters
the f.-igidity Of the Metropolitan as much
as the others exhibits no such sensitiveness.
Mon dieu,' she says; what do l care
for their applause' sing a. we'll a. I
can. ] get my cdchet from the direction.
know what am.
Il don't need the applause of q lot Of
bored people to convince me that ] am an
artist The rest OF the world assured me
of that long ago
In spite Of this attitude OF mind on the
part OF some singers, the GOODNESS of the
audience has it's effect on the artists. 1t
was only the other evening that one Of the
tenors was walking up and down the hall
way by the entrance to the stage.
Those people out there are as cold a.
pigs noses he said In disgust. What
Is the matter with themS Are they deaf
or sitting on their hands''
This outbreak was, Of course. followed by a
protest that he didn't care q hi, whether
or not they appiauded him. He was just
uttering his opinion by way u comment
on the general subject.
Occasionally the audiences do applaud.
When Sgnor de march, and Nine. f.ames
have sung the Nile scene in AIDA. when
Nine. Sen b ich has finished he lesson scene
In I'll Rarbiere di Seyiglia,' or the long
score in LES HuGuenots," or Mime GadsH
has delivered EtsIbeth's greeting in -Tann-
there Is some exhibition VI approval, except
at the matinees.
Then the women refuse to be moved to
any expression Of feeling. Nine. Calve,
who Ia =, armen" might have been ex-
recied tn stir up a matinee audience, had q
record Of not having once been compelled
TO give an encore at matinee during an
entire season. The women refuse to do
more than applaud In the most pcrfunctory
way.
singers during an intern.ission at mat inee
a short time ago. II think that Americans,
who are the most energetic people in the
world. ! am told, come to the theatre TO
rest Or they come TO get relief after they
have worked hard all day. At the opera
house they are too lazy TO lay one hand
Oh the other with force enough To make
it heard
1t will be- seen from the trend OF this
comment that the singers feel tho apathy
OF the public although they pretend 70 rare
audiences delight them.
At that time the subscription public 10
not present. The audience has come
because IL wants to. not because It's seats
have been paid for weeks in advance and
The people who oOne 10 the popular par.
formancee want to hear the opera or the
singers that are TO appear. and they expect
10 have a good time. And they are not
afraid to show their sentiments. One
result Of this apprsciative mood and the
Willingness to show II In the usually high
standard OF the performance.
The singers and the audience AEON estab.
lish n sympathy that inspires the performers
to do the best they can. So the Saturday
night audiences witness a. Q rule better
performances than those given on the
are twice as high.
1t has always been the custom of the
box holders to arrive late. ii 10 at least
$50 before the parterre row Is occupied.
This has become as much a matter Of course
at the Metropolitan as the rising and falling
OF the curtain.
Now the subscribers to the orchestra
stalls arrive muc! later than they formally
did. The opera begins as rule at clock.
The singers. who g. there az a rule at 5ore
is early for a New York entertainment
No theatre could gather its audience 90
early.
As a consequence the curtain at the
Metropolitan always rises before an almost
empty theatre; During the first art the
TO 0 all the seats are occupied
OF course there has been constant inter-
r,iption for every person who want ed to
hear the music. But to interrupt the en-
joyment Of the music for others ia not q
grave offence at the Metropolitan
1T il a remarkable sight said for.
eigner in the lobby the other evening,
TO see the great artists here at the Metro
politan singing their best in theatre prac-
tically empty until a little before O. In
none Of the European cities Ia there such
a company as that gathered at the Metro
politan. Any Of the principal singers in
that company would be able 10 draw alone
a large audience in any French, German
or Italian opera house. But the Metro
politan stands empty for nearly an hour
while they sing II l. incomprehensibls.
This foreigner, who Ia observing man.
ners In the United States for the bene-
fit OF n foreign newspaper, was a. much
astonished at the hour for the departure
Of the audience as at its tardy arrival,
Only a few confirmed opera lovers wait
until the curtain falls.
As rule, the last act Of any long opera
is heard by as small q gathering az lis
tened to the first Some of the subscribers
to stall seats leave during the intermis-
sion. Others wait until the last act has
begun and then leave whenever the spirit
moves them, quite independent OF the
proceedings on the stage
IOhen9rin' affords the best illustration
OF how that part Of the audience which
has had enough might leave without dis-
turbing those who desire to remain. Need
less to say, persons who hurry out rarely
consider thoSe left behind
There has been considerable Kissing Of
these early Roers during the present sea-
son and at the first performance Of la