Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-18


/ Francis Boyle did every bit as good
work as Canetti, and man for man,
woman for woman, the Savage singers
| ranked with or above the Lambardi
artists. The choruses that Savage pre-
sented were so far superior to the
| present nightmare that comparison Is
| impossible. The Savage choristers
always had beauty; always could sing
divinely; always must act. They were
| trained to a hairline by the best Of
choirmasters, and their appearance
was wholly a delight.
The stage management of O. Savage
opera reached the high water mark in
American annals. In costuming, scenic
investiture, environment, pictures, his
presentations were masterpieces. His
orchestras did not always equal the
one that the Auditorium Will have
when this season is done. but they
were better than this one was when 1t
began. And the productions as q
whole were thorough, artistic, soul
stirring and satisfying.
Yet the Savage organization was a
travelling opera troupe. 1t had no reg
ular, permanent home, such as has
Conried. 1t played short engagements
even for q week or less 1t demon
strated that the finest of grand operas
could be thoroughly, carefully and
scenic fashion, by company on tour,
and that money could be made from
the enterprise.
These two organizations are the
present-day standard in America. One
might bark back to the days of Grau,
and even before him, to the Abbey,
Schoeffel and Grau regime; one might
discuss the Mapleson era, and that of
the National company with its great
workshops wherein real armor was
made, and it's scenic studios, where
artists painted from photographs of
the actual environment depicted; one
might revert to the Damrosch-
days of German opera and the Wag-
merriam cycles-but to what odds? They
are past and gone; they will not re-
turn in this generation vitiated as it is
by musical trash. The Conried and
the Savage performances are of the
now, as are the Hammerstein offerings
of the future, and they more nearly
compare with Lambardi events because
conditions are somewhat similar.
On them as a basis, it may candidly
and honestly be said that the Lam
bardi performances are not up to the
Conried at-home standard, even prices
considered. Nor do they come within
the Savage purview at twice the Saw
age prices.
But, on the other hand, the Lambardi
offerings have their own special merits
and should be considered accordingly
also In relation to the many diff
culties met and overcome, the strug-
giles won, the triumph achieved. They
are meritorious, in many respects
great; in almost all, worthy of serious
critical attention and deserving of
heartiest patronage-which they have
not fully had.
In the first place, it is no slight task
to pick up an opera company in these
days. Competition for distinguished
soloists in New York is keen; abroad,
1t is still more so. Opera Of late years
has been in the doldrums, and singers
have not been developed as they were
a quarter century ago. Where, for in
stance, are the successors to Patti.
Melba, Eames? What tenor is there
besides Caruso, of world-fame? When
shall there be another De Reszke pair?
They are not to be had on every pub
lie highway.
And again, operatic patronage is not
anything nowadays to what it was.
Peoples tastes have changed-for the
worse, be it admitted We take our
music canned la photograph, ground
out by pianola or jigged in ragtime and
muSlcal comedy. only the few care for
the masters; the hoi polloi refuses to be
bored. The Metropolitan itself is more a
social function than temple of music.
Hence, there Is no great incentive to
gather together a body of trained solo
lists only to lose ones fortune on them.
And there is more money to be made,
for singer, on the light opera stage,
than in grand opera, any day--witness
the defections of Schumann-Heink and
FRITZ Scheff, for instance.
And when it comes to chorus-pity
the man who dreams of one! The
former great bodies of trained singers
who filled the ranks exist no more.
There was no call for their services.
Choruses have come to be made up of
show girls and broilers and ponies and
the like, and the last thing asked of an
aspirant is: Can you sing?" No; it