The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-04
4 GREAT SEASON FOR OPERA
FOUR LEADING COMPANIES IN
THE FIELD THIS WINTER.

W " AhN
san Carlo Troupes Smaller Companies
WIN sing In English and Italian.
There was never before so much repara-
ton IN the part OF nag to supply
the demand for opera as this year. No less
than four deliberately equipped companies
are to be in the field.
Foremost among these organizations In
Of course the aggregation at the Metro
politan Opera House, which Is primarily a
local troupe. Whether Mr.. Hammerstein's
company will also be a local troupe chiefly
depends OF circumstances. He IL not go
ing to make any plans to send his oom-
pany on the road until he has demonstrated
here his right to demand high terms for il.
He knows hat IL he started to book a
tour now it would be necessary for him to
take almost any terms that the out OF town
managers offered him. II on the other hand
he succeeds in having a big season in New
York he can make his W terms on the
road. 1t seems practically certain that he
will make a tour Of the principal Eastern
cities:
The production of Nine. Butterfly
made by Henry ". Savage, who has the
third operstic company, is, next to -Parsi-
fall" the most elaborate attempt to give
opera in English ever undertaken here,
and is in all probability much more ez-
pensive and capable than half the produc-
tons Of Puccini's opera made in Italy out
side Of Rome and Milan.
The fourth impresario, Henry Russell, is
to take to New Orleans this year a better
company than the old French opera house
there has had in years. Most Of his per-
formances are to lie in Italian. although the
French works will be given in French.
The company includes a foreign tenor Of
real importance. This is Ferdinand Con-
stantine, a Spaniard, who in the taste OF
Latin countries rank second to only MN.
Caruso and Bonci. Nine. Nordica and Alice
Nielsen are also members Of this company.
1t is interesting TO note that Mr.. Russell
will follow the traditions Of the opera house
IN New Orleans and produce some new
operas, among which will be Cilea's -Adri-
ana Lecouvreur.' He has engaged forty
Of the chorus singers that were formerly
with Mr.. Conried and a much larger orches-
ira than New Orleans ever heard in opera
has been engaged.
There are other companies which are not
OF 10 much importance as these four. Ever
since the beginning Of September there have
been performances Of opera at the Peoples
and other Bowery theatres given by singers
who have come over here in one way or an
other. %Emani" was sung last week.
A group OF these singers imported several
seasons ago by a lower East Size impresario
sang on the Bowery az intervals ever since
their first manager came a cropper until
a few weeks ago. when they were engaged
TO 60 to Maine to take part in the annual
festival at Portland. They made a great
success.
The support OF these companies comes
almost entirely from their compatriots.
Performances are also given in Philadelphia,
Boston n other nearby cities in which
the Italian population is large enough 10
insure support.
In spite of the rather modest compensa-
ton the singers receive the number OF
immigrants OF this nature ia constantly
increasing. They are able to fno employ
ment in the intervals Of opera undertaking
in the Italian music halls ana cafes chautants
that are very numerous in the quarter
and their felo extenos from Mulberry Bend
Park to the Little Italy Of Harlem.
This local band of singers is constantly
increased by deserters from the opera
companies that pass through New York
on their way from Mexico OF Cuba. Several
troupes Of this kind pass through the city
two or three times a year. Sometimes
they include artists Of real reputation ms
Emilio al march,, who went last month to
Mexico. II was with The idea of finding
employment in some of these companies
that at least fifteen Of the choristers that
were formerly at the Metropolitan came
over here his season with no settled en-
gagements.
- ..- u- 49,
panies are the small troupes that exist in
various cities to sing opera in English.
Never before was there 80 much confidence
on the part Of the impressriOs in the peoples
desire to hear opera.
Whether or not this is well founded will
be better known at the end of the season.
| Certain it is, however, that the supply is
capable OF meeting a large demand.
The Russell company will play in all the
large cities including the principal Canadian
towns, and will come TO this city in May.
The Savage performances of Mime. Butter
fly. which are to be given all over the coun-
| try, are 80 elaborate that a special train OF
six cars is needed to transport the enter
prise from one town to another.
1t is an suspicious fact for the San Carlo
company, as Mr.. Russell calls his troupe,
| JIlhb va NhA N'bO "K WINS yO"A
confne it's energies to the latest OF the
operas Of Pucoini. He will put aside the
regular repertoire of the company for a
year, as the demand to hear NINE. Butter
fly" is so great that it will not be necessary
to mount any other work.
The San Carlo enterprise is interesting
in that it is the outcome Of Alice Nielsen's
| determination to become a singer in grand
opera. She abandoned her career In oper-
eta Just When she was at the height Of her
popularity. II is no ~exaggeration TO say
that she voluntarily sacrificed $40 900 a
season rather han sing in operetta.
Even last season. when she had returned
here as a full fedged prima donna, every
influence was used to make her return to
operetta. She steadfastly declined, took
q small company to the West and South
and there gained in Don Pasquale" and
similar works the material success and the
critical approval denied to h Ter in other
cities.
Her success in New Orleans was so great
that the directors Of the theatre. already