The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-10
HAMMERSTEN WELL PLEASED.
NOT EORRIED ABOUT the ~
TIRE OF HIS OPERA SEASON.


O-Htr Hammersteln, inventor, theatre
under and the creator OF the Manhattan
opera House, sat back in his chair yester-
.l' afternoon with a smile Of satisf action
% his face. In spite of the strain that he
IT'S gone through recently there we're no
gns Of worry or no lines of care IN his
nee. He seemed 70 be as happy as a school
.ovo on the eve of a long vacation.
What about this opera venture of yours;
..rr going 10 be a SUGGEST" he was asked.
Mr. Hammerstein beamed upon his ques-
TONER. There is no going to be about it,"
bee said, 1T is an accomplished fact, as
you can see for yourself. In other words,
have made ~good-that Is, | have given
View York genuine grand opera. as | promised
'a' would. And New York has responded
~ generously. As TO the future Of the
n'lrc | nm not concerned at ali. II it
rcccd permanently-and / most earnestly
,pe that it will shall of course he proud
60 Inc achievement, but | assure you that
am not losing any sleep over the possibility
,f a failure. If my hopes and plans in this
erection are not realized il will not disturb
no in the least. | vent into the enterprise
with my eyes open and l am willing TO abide
ry the results as expressed by the music
owing public of this community.
Judging by the enormous attendance at
the Manhattan Opera House in the first
week Of its career l feel that | am able to
say that my theory is correct. That theory
j. that New York city is able and willing TO
support not only a grand opera company
hut a grand opera company containing the
greatest artists in the world. Such is the
company that | have presented to New
York"
Are yol satisfied with the practical
results of the first week of grand opera at
the Manhattan"
Most emphatically yes. The income for
the first week was much larger than the
expenses. But. then, you know a payroll
Of $4,000 a week requires an extensive
patronage. IL requires more than the
enthusiastic approval of the upper tiers of
the house. II requires, in fact, the steady
attendance of those who have the means
70 pay for high priced seats and boxes.
But | am far from being discouraged by
the showing made thus far in that respect.
or course, we can not expect 70 have always
such vast audiences as greeted the company
on the opening night. There was naturally
n slight falling of in the number who sat
on the lower floor and in the boxes at the
performances on Wednesday and Friday
evening, but il was due mainly to the fact
that my subscriptions are not so large as
they will be when the Manhattan estab-
fishes itself as a permanent institution.
Nevertheless, the demand for boxes
and the higher priced seats is steadily
growing and the advance sale for all the
operas already announced is very en-
Couraging. l am astonished at the number
Of people, absolute strangers TO me, who
have come 70 me and thanked me for the
quality of the performances at the Man.
haitian.
so far | have been disappointed in hone
of the artists who are so splendidly aiding
in making the Manhattan Opera HOUSE a
permanent success. The entire negotia-
tons necessary to bring them here were
carried on by me in person and we are all
the best of personal friends l think that
these artists will grow in the esteem of the
public as they become better known to the
people OF New York. Strangers as they
are, however, their reception has been I'M
expectedlv warm and enthusiastic. This,
| think, will be admitted by the most exact
ing critic.
Il do not assert by any means tina the
opera has gone along with uninterrupted
smoothness since the opening night. There
are bound to be a few bitches here and
there. This being a new house, il must be
taken into consideration that the
machinery of the stage needs to be run for
some time TO show anything like the best
results. The combination OF a new opera
house and the formation of a new company
of such artists as l have brought here and
will continue to bring here would seem in
itself an utter impossibility.
Asked what had inspired him to enter
the field of grand opera when he was doing
so well in vaudeville and other theatrical
fields, Mr.. Hammerstein said:
why, il has been the dream of my life.
This is not my first venture into grand
opera. In fact, it is the fourth. That the
others were failures did not deter me in the
least from my ideal, and if the Manhattan
does not prove successful my ideas on the
subject will not be altered in the least.
when | announced my project to build
the Manhattan and give grand opera as it
should be given in New York the world APP
Y,-nnWIHF VhA,Vnhf uuaG In Tho
financial world l was looked upon as some
thing Of a lunatic and / could have raised
more on some wild balloon building scheme
than | could upon the opera naR ect."
Mr.. HammerSteln paused bor a moment
and then said earnestly:
The idea that any one heI1ed me flnan
cially to found or build up the Manhattan
Opera House is entirely wrong. have
heard the stories that this man or that man
was my financial hacker, but there was
nothing in them and / did not think they
were Of sufficient Importance TO be denied.
Now II was said that Charles Nj. Schwab
was financially interested in the enterprise
and again that John W. Gates was my
hacker. There was no truth in the stories.
| DO not know these men at all. Whatever
was done was done by me and solely upon
my own resources.
IL was only last March that took up
the task in earnest. At that time the opera
house was but partially built. Coupled
with the problem of erecting this structure
was the TASK OF Du1lulnR ana decorating the
mountains Of scenery required for some
twenty repertoire operas. And then there
was the making Of costumes, which in this
case already number more than 5000. And
they were all made here under my personal
direction. To add to this was the acquiring
Of the properties necessary for the stage,
an undertaking in itself that in the minds
of the public as well as those versed in opera
and theatre affairs seemed utterly impossible
IN view of the early date ! had set for the
opening Of the new institution. That was
one Of the reasons why the outcome of the
undertaking seemed problematical to even
eEDcrIerced men.
But | was able not only 10 furnish the
house and open it practically on time, but
| succeeded in getting together a company
worthy of the patronage Of the great army
Of opera goers in this city. The formation
oil the company required two trips 10 Europe
and what seemed TO be countless days OF
negotiation.
The result Of my work is before the
people and l feel that | have reason to be
satisfied. 1 look upon the Manhattan
Opera House as an unqualified success
that will improve with time. But II it