The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-17
THE PLAYGOERS TALK OPERA.
NERVE TICKLER, LIKE ALCOHOL,
SAYS ONE SPEAKER.

Agrees WIN Rim -IDnm dc VIII warner
Prevailed On 90 Discuss me subject,
So many Of the American playgoers
turned out last night to discuss aesthetics
that the Hotel Assor had to seat them in
the big ball room instead Of the small
ball room, where they ave held previous
Sunday night intellectual festivities. The
subject under way last night was whether
opera a. an art form IL just pifie or whether
it is a necessity Of culture.
Nine. Kirkby-Lunn presided and with
her upon the dais were Mrs. James Madison
Bass, Mrs. Fernendes and Murray Carson,
who once ocllaborsted with John Oliver
Hobbies In q play. Mrne. Bovy. the wife Of
Herr Direktor Conried's now conductor,
sat at the piano and accompanied Carl
Heyden, Nine. Arnaud. Dick Temple Of
the Blue Moon company and other noted
artists. A o n sailorman with -U..S. q.
Hancock on his bonnet sat in conspioHaus
retirement oil the side lines and seeufeH Us
deeply interested In the feast Of reason and
harmony AZ was the audience in him. He
offered nc explanation a. to how be had
come or why.
Refore getting down to settling the ques-
ton as to whether opera was art or mush
Dick Temple sang . song of his own
about
Behind rbe mosquito screen,
On q porch that y painted green,
Oo-oh, Q man and Q miss
And a sound IKE this;
(Ssssquitt- nup,
Behind the mosquito screen.
Then Press Agent Charles Henry Meltzer
Of the Metropolitan Opera House, wearing
No Mammalian. ..--lA- A. $4,000 a
the invitation Of Nine. Kirkby-Lunn and,
facing in the direction Of Herr Direktor
Hammerstein's new opera house, remarked
thoughtfully that opera IL on the increase
in little old New York. He added that
opera ever appeals to people Of no culture
and that it does not compel You TO think
but only TO feel. There Il an extraordi-
over the country and the further west one
goes the bigger the rough house. Opera
does no one harm, Notwithstanding the
gross immortality OF the hbretto. Gar
men" is everything you Hike except moral
and some opera hbretti are 90 naughty
that out Of respect TO the ladies present
Mr.. Meltzer said he couldn't repeat their
plots. The noblest work that could be
lone here, he said, would be to popularize
the opera for the poor.
Some one dragged the gray haired young
Mr.. Aubrey Boucicault up to the speakers
NASNAs u SUN klN0t AC
had paid 81 among the standees the night
before and that judging BY his lame legs
and back at he end OF the performance
he would hardly say it was q fad. Mr..
Roucicault also said that he always liked
to get in a good word for his own country
men, the Irish. and said a few kind words
for the late Mr.. Palfe.
Father John Talbot Smith argued thai
music is beautiful but that as for the COM
bination of music and the drama there is
nothing to it.
"Fads!" cried the speaker. -Once il was
the bicycle and now it's the motor car and
the opera, and opera is the greatest fad of
modern times. 1t pleases he ear md eye.
but il is merely a nerve ticker. SO is alco-
hol. II all the opera were wlped out the
only loss to the world would be the charm
ing singers who go through so wonderful
a training
Charles Dick son, who is said to be a
playwright and actor, said he frequently
goes to grand opera by way Of ~phonograph
records but try ne never so hard he couldn't
cotton to it.
Once" said the speaker, Il tried 'Parsi-
fall Ard Judging from the way you peo-
pie applauded Dick Temples mosquito
screen song just now there's q whole bunch
here with me-"
Adolph Muhlmann, the BARITONE, said it
%rrrrreally was YER harrrd TO spik the Eng
hsh. Opera, however, was a necessity for
him, he said. That's the way he bought
MS breakfast 1000. PeOpie mere go 10 De
seen, you say2 All, the Americans 8rrre
so chaTrrming-so-so nice, eb, what
The meeting had almost broken up when
John De Witt Warner, h had not been
down for a regular speech, worked his way
to the dais and summed up all the speeches
of the evening and then delivered a verdict
that many thought TO be very fair and i'm
partial. After reviewing the speeches Of
the evening Mr.. Warner went back to the
prehistoric times when the spheres first
teEan to sing" and then worked from the
Old Testament up to Hammerstein He
reviewed the prehistoric foundations of
essentials" when everything broke into
rhythm. and then taking a rhythm at a
time he descBihed them all up to the days Of
the Garden Of Eden. Moses's sister, when
the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, hit up
a vcouple of pieces on the Tyre, said Mr..
Warner, and when David got back from
staying his hundreds of thousands" he also
carolled.
Mr.. Warner had reviewed some OF the
Sin ing mentioned in the New Testament
al at a late hour bad reached our own
tir e.. Mr.. Warner did not commit him.
self TO one side or the other, but was quite
impartial throughout. IL was announc
that tho plavuoara will ha va anOfher maat-