The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-06
MASCAGNI'S TOTR GIVEN UP.
His Orchestra Rebels and the Engageme nt
At an End.

BosroN, Nov s. Mascagnis band Of Ital.
ian musicians delayed the performance for
one hour and thirty minutes this after
noon, but tonight they absolutely refused
TO play for the first American performance
Of William RatcliTe" and the composers
managers declared he Boston engagement
ended. The company i booked to 60 to
Portland tomorrow, bu, il was said to-
night that there IL strong probability
of the entire American engagement being
abandoned.
According TO one Of the Mittenthal
oilers. who are managers Of the Ameri-
can our, the musicians have already re-
ceived s?3 go in advance money since they
reached this country and at the present
time this sum il more than they have vet
earned Both parties To the controversy
have laid their grievances before the Italian
Consul here. About all the musician 3
say is mo mon no play
This aft ernoon a crowd went TO Music
Hall 10 hear the opera. For an hour and
twenty minutes the curtain remained down
and during that time Manager Wilbur Of
the PLAYHOUSE was surrounded by mum :
her of excited ticket holders who wanted
their money back.
Mr. Wilbur was threatened with arrest
ana all sorts of punishment Finally he
went back Of the SCENES and told Mas
cagui managers that if tho PEI forman,-a
~ not begin within ten minutes he would
have the orchestra and their Iaggagc,
thrown into the street The Italian uIu-
sicians saw that he was in earnest and the
! curtain went up at $3.50 O'Clock
Tonight the orchestra again baked
and no Performance was given There
/ 81 ttttt
come Of the engagement in this city. Mas
cagni saws he was advised in Europe 10
give the first Performance of William
| Radcliffe in Boston because il was the
most musical city IN America
There wer" difficulties with the orchestra
yesterday, but they were smoothed out
| The players had expected 10 receive their
paw envelopes before the curtain rose
last evening, and when the expected salary
was not forthcoming they refused to play
For half an hour the audience was kept
in waiting until Manager Mittenthal threat
ened TO dl-band the company on the spot
and then they considered the matter and
took their place in the orchestra
II appears late tonight that Mascagni's
tour of the country under the mana &c ment
Of the Mirtenthal Brothers appears TO
have been abandoned entirely, bur the
Italian composer will endeavor TO keep
the company together and I'll all his
on gagemcnts
Harry Mi,tenthal Of Mttenthal Bros,
IN" managers that brought Pietro Mas
cagni 10 his country. said Yesterday at
hi; Office in the Knickerhockrr Theat r.
building that lie had heard nothing Of the
troubles in the opera company from his
two brothers, who ara with the organiza-
| tion. Il hcli'v" that the trouble was caused
| hy some errRtic member Of the orches, ra "
Mr.. Mittontial said. who Persuaded some
Of the others 10 side with him. All the
salaries of the orchestra and the singers
have been peid and the firm is not in debt
| To anyhOdy."
II is known that the business Of the com
| pany, which was poor in New York, had
been still worse in the other cities Pct 70
| Mascagn had the 5000 guaranteed 20
him deposited in n bank in Rome before he
came here. The company is large and the
CNpCnsO of anspOrtRt ION grcai