The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-03
,.mo, and wc have had poorer orchestral
,Iay,ne than Mr Hertz has given us

..,,,, md we have had poorer orchsA'fa
n,ny,ne than Mr Hertz has given us
' -
\,w cooking back over the list OF items
IN the Couricd prospectus no FAR az II u
Lr,yn what can ;"p gather from II? Doet
y, ,,.,kr.rf things were going on In pretty
,,,,,,.,h, sine Old f5hhiCn? On the sur
t,,. If doc. and yet there are evidences
,L,, A changn may possibly be at hand
I, Nr Curri"d really purposes to revolu'
,,n,lr the Stage mana cement OF opera "
,,,. ,,yn h. Will work wonders. but the
,..,a,mirlry WONDER will he compelling his
.,rccrs to- 60 to rehC8Tsa's and TO obey
..,or. manager after they do go
. N, ,,.arird thinks he can improve the
,,,.n management Of opera without giving
ga. .,orr manager authority over the
,...,o,,,I actors IN the lyric dramas. he Is
,-,pk,r BE- how IL he to induce the
.;,',ar. trained in the old school TO submit
=, 1be order, OF the stage manager? The
,o,,,r may no, know II, but II IL fact that
in the opera IS carried on under Mr.. Grau
A., stage manager had no right to tell any
nr,n,pal singer what to do.
Tni. i- absolutely opposed to the prin-
o,,ls. on which the dramatic theatre is
conducted There every person on the
stag, from the leading man to the last
uxrr, Numlr obeys implicitly the COM
mlrd- If thu stag, manager 1t is by
,b,, -y-','n that such harmonious action
a. w. sa"n in the performances under
Auc!,tin DaIy was brought about. That
.y.,om makes possible the extraordinary
nowarlu combinations of David Belasco
in ri, Darling of the Gods Stage
mlnag ,m'nt of that kind is practsed at
g,v.ruh and /, thu secret of the beauti-
mi, pc'ottal excellence of the performances
tn ~.
Now there are one or two singers Oh
Mr. C,nrlrc,'- list who may, perhaps. b.
iuduged,og) To rehaarsals, but this is doubt :
tul. Tm,S, whom h takes from the old
companies have never habtually attended
,ul .ar- Ms What can the great stage
mlq.g'r Ito when his opportunities are
limited wholly to the direction of the menu
l..r- If tho chorus. few small performers
and tn, scene shif,ers? That is the sort
o, stag, manag ,mcut we have had for
years, and i, has caused no end of COM
pllut among ,hosN 10 whom opern is some
thug rnprc than a Fl Id for the exploitation
OF singers.
This Whole mliter seems to reduce it.
sell 10 single issue. Has Mr.. Conried
tn cpurag, to take actual command of
his sing There is an ancient and moss
covered tradition tina, If Mr.. Grau had
over tried to deal With his stars on that
hasi, they would have refused TO sing under
hl- manag maht again. In all probability
if he had made any sudden attempt to
cnang' his system he would have had a
great deal of trouble.
But may it not he possible for a new
manager to enter with new system and
carry it on without grave difficulty? 1t il,
worth trying. One thing is very certain.
Unless Mr. Grau suddenly RECEIVERS his
health and finds capital for tho construc-
tioa of a new opera house. MIR. Conred will
have no opposition in the operate field
That being the case. he might well say 70
any singer who threatened rebellious con-
duct. You can't sing in America any more.
1t is rather likely that such a threat would
nave some weight, for all these singers get
more money here than they do in Europe,
aud they are always willing to come back
Despite the utter failure Of the ignorant
of the American presto discern
he greatness of Albert Alvarez, the darling
II the Paris Grand Opera. and despite tho
blind infatuation of the public for other
singers and its stupid refusal to pour dol
ars into the box Office on the nights when
ne sings, he came back to the United States
this season and contentedly pocketed the
huge honorarium which he never earned.
When all is said. the future OF opera
in New York under Mr.. Conried is uncer-
tain He has built up for himself a reputa-
ton as man Of artistic taste. The perform
ances given at the Irving Place Theatre
are among the best in New York, and in
some respects they are better than those
given elsewhere. But opera Is not drama.
The methods arc not the same. and the
habits Of the people engaged in IL are diff
ierent. Mr.. Conried has yet to learn these
When he has done so he may accomplish
much.
One thing is beyond doubt. This public
has the opera habit. 1t regards an opera
season as an aesthetic necessity. If the
opera is mediocre it will have support, II
il is good it will have warm approval 1t
would require a considerable amount of
outright ingenuity on the part of Mr.. Con-
red to make complete failure Of his first
season. W. j. HENDERSON,.