The sun., 1902-02-23
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.

The management Of the Metropolitan
| Opera House has seen the error OF shorten
ing the New York season to eleven weeks.
but rs profits have so far been large enough
| TO reconcile the stockholders 10 the shorter
term, although public interest in the opera
this year would undoubtedly have made
the customary seventeen weeks highly
remunerativc.
As the profits OF the entire season be-
Ginning in October last now amount to
more than $3.50 ooo the Maurice Grau Opera
Company has no reason to be dissatisfied
with the result Of the curtailed period at
the Metropolitan. Boston, where profit
Is this year assured. Ia still to be visited.
and so are Baltimore. Pittsburg, where
the performances are already sold; Wash
inrton and Chicago.
There is every reason 70 believe that the
cities still to be visited will be equally
appreciative OF opera; 50 the figures mem
toned are likely to be considerably In
creased. Mr.. Grau can now look back on
thirty years Of impresarioship and can
say, II any man ever could, that he has
learned the lesson Of his profession. He
has learned the way to make opera pay
and there is no danger that IL will ever
spell ruin so long IA he is In control at
the Metropolitan.
1t is especially amusing in view Of these
results to hear that Mr. Grau has an idea
Of resiqning the conduct OF aNalra at the
Metropolitan. That a manager who had
learned the lesson Of Mr.. Grau should be
allowed 20 give UP management Is. Of
course, out OF the question. Nowhere
else il there ope ra Of the kind heard In this
city ard nowhere else in the world has it
been made to nav,
1t has already been decided that the
next season. which is 10 be under the con-
t"ol OF Mr.. Grau, MS his term does not erd
until spring OF next year. shall last for
fifteen weeks. Six weeks will be devoted
to road tour In the Eastern cities.
Although but one week moro OF the opera
season remains. there Is one member Of
the company who has not yet come before
the New York public more consplcuously
than the frame of photographs in front Of
the theatre presents him. This Is Sig.
Perello. the ba y one who was described in
preliminary announcements as an expe-
rienced singer In opera and concert and a
native OF Spain, who had been a lawyer
before he became a singer.
He sang In Barcelona and In the Italian
cities with success. according to these
they said was true. but the reputation Of
the gentleman will have TO rest on them
He has not been heard here and will NJ b,
Luckily the photograph that hangs H.
the lobby does him justice and doubtless
his advance notices did the same: so Sig.
Perello does not fare so badly. Certainly
lmbart de la Tour would have changed
places with him gladly, for 'twere better
never to have sung AZ all than TO have sung
once and then gone home.
1t has been decided not TO give the last
performance Of -Manru" at an extra mat
IL &c, but in the regular subscription series
at the last matinee. In all probability the
composer will be present at this perform
ance.
II is not yet settled whether or not ia
Bohene' will be sung during the last week.
Nine. Sembrich has been ready for some
| time with the title 90, but is somewhat
averse 10 singing it at the end of the sea-
son, when 1t Is not possible TO repeat IT,
given during the last week. Two Of these
| are for charity.
The receipts OF the fifteen performances
Of -Siegfried' at the Paris Opera have
exceeded those Of any other Wagner opera
produced at the same theatre for that num-
ber of times. The opera will be revived for
five more representations after Jean de
Reszke returns from the season at Monte
Carlo.
The new work by tho Brothers Hllemacher,
| which will be the next performance at the
Opera. is to be called "Orsola." 1t will he
| sung in April by Mines Ackte and ueglon
and NM. Delmas, Naguet, Note and Lafitte.
A recent revival of "L'Africaine" had new
"a
by unusual spectacle.
Alfred Bruneau has been invited 10 come
10 ST. Petersburg and conduct q series
Of concerts OF French music there.
Victor Maurel is still singing in Paris,
where lie Juif Polonais" was recently
revived for him at the Opera Comique.
Nortz Rosenthal and Ossip Gabrilowtsch
have recently been playing in Paris, where
Rosenthal In particular mace sensational
success He is to return TO this country
next winter.
lvonne de Trevilo. the young American
| soprano who has been studying in Paris,
is TO make tour in Spain. appearing in the
! French lyric operas.
Henry Mapleson has written to this
country that he has made an offer TO Jean
/ de heszke TO sing IN "A series of concerts in
! TINS country next year. The tenor was TO
! receive by the contract 5000 an appear
| anCo. Tho programmes were to consist
| OF scenes from operas given in costume
! hy IA small company and without a chorus.
! the tour was To include only the cities
! uo' io be visited 10y the Maurice Grau Opera
! Company
He was to make forty appearances Of
| this kind. Mr.. Mapleson il authority for
| the statement that lac expects NJ. de keszke
| 10 sign the contract. What is more likely
! and ls indeed almost assured Is that Jean
de Heszkc Is 10 sing next season at tho
Metropolitan Opera House and nowhere
else.