The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-12-20
Starvation RationS.
Washington Reaching Out to
Baltimore for operate
Subsistence No Help in
Sight.

y advertisement in The Times
n Of last Sunday announced an
L A Operate Festival of One Week
Grand Opera in English" which
was TO occur in Baltimore at the Lyric
Theater. Doubtless many readers Of
these columns noted the advertisement,
perceived the opportunity it offered. and
took advantage OF It. But il is equally
likely that much of the significance at
tached TO such an announcement from
Baltimore in a Washington newspaper
escaped notice. and the purpose of this
article is TO enlarge that significance
into the view of all who read The Times.
The operas presented were Verdi's
"Othello" and I'll Trovatore." Bizets
Carmen" Balfe's Bohemian Girl
and Wagner's "LOhengrin.' For the
presentation of these works the en-
trepreneur. Henry W. Savage, provided
a company OF much strength, the chief
vocalists being Marian well. Miss Rem
nyson. Jane l.. Brooks. Miss Newman.
and Messrs. Gherardi. Marsano, Boyle.
Gor. and Sheehan. The orchestral ac-
compartment was done by members OF
the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra 10
the number OF about fifty. The invesd-
ture otherwise was equally sufficient
4AAtlti lNc0 AtANAGlA AAlcAAA lAtetN Va many
musical comedies. but decidedly more
elaborate than that OF most grand
operas Of ten years ago
Successful in Many Senses.
Thus, the announcement by Mr. Saw
age and his aides a particularly COM
petent corps. comprehended five operate
works of established popularity and, on
the whole, acceptable dignity; a COM
pany abundantly capable OF singing the
scores Of those works; an orchestra
which contributed value to each of the
several performances, and a material
equipment which completed the pictures
of which those works consist.
No surprise will be felt, then, when
It is known that the engagement proved
a pronounced success. Notwithstanding
the imminence of Christmas and the
counter attraction offered by Miss Rob-
son in zangwilrs idyll. Merely Mary
Ann" I'll Trovatore." Carmen" and
"Othello" were best patronized But
''Lohengrin" almost filled the Lyric.
capacious as the old music hall is. and
THE Bohemian Girl overcame the
temptation to DO Christmas shopping
last night TO about the same extent. 1t
is to be doubted that any other theatri-
cal undertaking exhibited in Baltimore
Der OF persons and it is equally question
able that any other engagement of the
month had half so much artistic signifi-
canoe. That Washington sent a repre-
sentation of good size to swell the at
tendance from Baltimore must be a
source of great pleasure 10 everyone
who hopes for better things musicaily
in the National Capital.
Those Who Dance.
Yet opera at long distance Is not the
most encouraging sign Washington
might ask. 1t ought not be impossible
Tor Mr.. Savage to conduct correspond
ing festival i'm one OF our own theaters
Not long ago we heard four members
OF the Metropolitan company in work
which bore about the same relation to
grand opera that Beethoven's chamber
music bears to his symphonies Several
years before that we heard these same
Metropolitans in two or three good
operas and two or three mighty poor
cnes. Before that still further we had
a week Of grand opera-some bad, some
Indifferent, and some nightly good
which awoke the whole city.
That is the record back TO the time
whereof the memory of man runneth
not to the contrary. Surely there is
room in a city fed such starvation ra-
tons for at least one week or opera
like that offered by Mr.. Savage.
Yet it is not surprising we do not
get it. We are not willing TO pay for
#; and these are days in which art
must be paid for as inexorably as gro
cerfes or coal 1t is said on reliable au-
thority that the last visit Of the Met
ropoiitan company cost the promoters
OF the engagement over s., coo. The
tabule opera performed last year was
obtained on a guarantee from a charity
II real opera is 10 come again maybe
some other charity viii come to the
front II is certain fho managers will