The Washington times., 1904-01-31

heretofore conceived in America All
the numerous attempts of impresarioS
in the past thirty years dissolved elth-
er in financial ruin for the promoters
or great financial embarrassment MI
Savage has demonstrated that there Is
a sufficiently numerous class in the prin-
cipal cities to support grand opera In
English by making his organization self
supporting This fact alone should en-
courage him to continue, as TO doubt ne
will until the entire country shall even
tuaIiy recognize the merit OF perform
ances of music drama IN the vernacu-
lar.
1t is interesting to observe the meth
DDS of this new operate manager in the
theatrical world.
First of all, he discarded the star
system, holding religiously to ensemble
presentations. His idea has ever been
to give faithful representation of the
composers work as Il was written rath-
er than TO make II a vehicle for ex-
plotting some favorite artist. Nor does
this imply that his force of principals
has been cheapened or is lacking in tall
ent Prima dOnnas have gone forth
from his company not only to numer-
Gus other organizations in this country
but TO win 1ane ABROAD.
Each year for the past four seasons
his annual visits to Paris and Italy
have resulted in a fresh stock OF Ameri-
can-born singers returning to sing in
Their native land after years of study
and training under the greatest teachers
Of the Continent Prior to that time,
while his English Grand Opera Company
was achieving success during Its three
years in Boston and three years more
in New York. a great amount Of effort
was expended toward educating an
American grand opera chorus. To in
sure the ensemble results desired. Mr..
| Savage held that the choral body should
be composed Of American voices. Ac-
cording to Nine. Schumann-Heink, no
country affords such excellent material
as is to be found in America, and the
graduates of Manager Savage's chorus
are now bearing out this assertion
Many Operas and Large Orchestra
Vastly greater strides toward bringing
| his organization near his ideal have
been taken by Mr.. Savage during the
past two seasons. He has increased his
repertoire until now the record of his
company embraces .eighty-one operas
produced in English. Many of these
have never been sung in the yernacuiar
| by any other organization His corps
/ of principals has been enlarged until
now It numbers a score, with a triple
cast for every opera presented. Each
! season his repertoire includes a dozen
/ or more grand operas. with at least one
new work freshly translated and elabo-
rately staged.
Probably the most expensive step was
that taken for the present season, when
/ Mr.. Savage decided 70 give his operas
with a fun grand opera orchestra \
competent body of instrumentalists is
the first essential for interpreting a
great opera, and this Mr.. Savage now
has. He also carries two directors.
Cheyalier n. b. Emanuel having charge
7 of the Italian and French operas largely.
while Elliott Schenck. the Wagnerian
conductor. has been especially engaged
/ for the works Of the German master.
7 Mr.. EmanueTs record OF thirty years
at the principal opera houses OF Europe.
presiding over some oT the largest or
| chestras on the Continent, makes him
one of the best equipped conductors that
has visited America Mr. Schenck. af-
ter spending eight years in study of or