New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-09
THEATRE MANAGEM ENT
Failure Of Municipal Control in
France.
Paris. January 30.

Paris. January 30.
II not of equal worldwide interest the problem
OF finding new manager for the National Opera
House has required almost as much exercise of
diplomatic ability and tact on the part Of NJ.
BRAND and has taken up nearly as much OF
his time as the latest developments Of the church
war. IN addition TO being Minister of Public
worship, the versatile n BRAND presides over
the Department of Fine Arts. and his is the final
authority appealed TO in all matters pertaining
10 the management OF the four theatres in
Paris which are in receipt OF subsidies from the
gtate-the Grand Opera, or National Academy of
Music and Dance. 70 give it its official name; the
Theatre Francais. popularity called the Com
edie Francaise": the Odeon theatre. otherwise
known as the Second Theatre FrancaIs." and
the opera Comique- There is one other subsi-
died theatre in Paris, the Theatre de la Gate
whose official patron IS the Municipal Council,
but Il does not entirely escape from the super
visng protection Of the Ministry Of Fine Arts
Hitherto il has never been found possible 10
run any Of these theatres without taking the
fullest advantage Of the subsidies which the
state the Municipal Council annually grants
them. Each new manager had Invariably de-
clared on the eve Of his appointment that he
would be able TO make the theatre succeed on
the merits of its programme and with the re-
sources derived from the ordinary playgoing
for popular performances at low prices. or for
the encourag cement Of composers and plavvrlt-
ers whose genius merited recognition but who
had not vet caught the public ear; and as IN
vsrtably these promises have come to naught
This time N. BRAND, by sending to London and
securing the services of NJ. Messenger. the brill
liant mana ser Of the Covent Garden Opera
House. which IS now, after many years of dis
sstrous seasons, on a paying basis and this
without the help Of any government or municipal
subsidy believes that he has at last put the
right man in the right place for reviving the
paIed glories Of the French national opera
Whether he is right not only the future can
show. but there have been so many disappoint-
ments in the past that people are pessirnistic
the subject. and the question is being widely
debated whether it would not be wiser in the
long abolish all state and municipal aid
for theatrical enterprises IN the case Of Paris
the subsidies. which IN no instance sum
Gent TO DO moro than avert absolute financial
disaster. tend, fl is argued. 10 stun the ener-
gies OF the managers who profit by them. by
suppressing the wholesome influence of compe-
tition and establishing a kind of monopoly. II
is not the subsidized theatres which can claim
any great credit for introducing new composers
or authors 10 the public providing popular
artistic performances at cheap prices
But It is in the provinces that the question Of
municipal ownership Of theatres has caused the
most heartburning. The battle over # has been
waged with extraordinary pertnacity on both
sides. for against the opponents OF municipal
support were arrayed all the local forces Of
colectivism and socialism. whose leaders rec
ognizs in the subsection OF theatrical manage
ment 10 municipal authority the thin end of the
wedge OF a general absorption Of collectivist
lines and IN the Of the state Of all public
enterprises which have hitherto been under the
direction OF private individuals or companies
For a time Il appeared as If the party IN favor
Of the municipal management Of theatres would
gain the day, and sure were they OF their ulti-
mats victory that the basis had been already
laid for q gigantic combination. closely resem-
bling a trust between the municipalities OF
Lyons Marseilles, Toulon Nice Bordeaux Tou-
louise. Rouen and Lille. for the rnanagerent In
common Of all the chief theatres Of these towns
during an initial period Of three years with in
terchange Of artistes and programmes But the
disastrous example Of Lyons where the munich
patty had already taken over the direction OF
the chief theatres OF the town, proved fatal TO
the scheme For three full years the experiment
was tried at Lyons, but, according TO the report
Just furnished 70 the Municipal Council by the
Mayor, which IS based official statistics. II
was a complete failure.
The theatrical enterprises which the munich
pslity had taken IN hand were three in number
the SEano 1heatre, the Theatre des Celestins
and the Concerts BeIecour. The municipality Of
Lyons contributed IN the first place and indie
penoently Of any question Of management a
subsidy Of $4,000 yearly TO the Grand Theatre
or $4,000 for the whole period Of three years
The total loss which the Grand Theatre alone
sustained IN this period was S93.160 from which
was 10 be deducted. however S28 500 paid 10 the
BeHecour Orchestra, which formed part Of tho
municipal combination The total loss the
three theatrical enterprises was 500 600. and
this sum. added 10 the subsidies paid by the
municipality. brought up the total cost to the
town during its three years Of ownership TO
about 100000. To set Off against these disas-
trous figures. the Mayor admitted that the or
chestra had much improved under municipal
management that many hrst-class artistes had
been introduced 10 the Lyonese public. certain
among whom, however, had been greatly over
paid. Wagners tetralogy had been given, not.
perhaps, go perfectly at Bayreuth, but sufIi-
GENTLY well 70 satisfy the Wagnerian conscience
OF an important French provincial town. But It
had been found impossible 10 break down the
yoke which the theatrical agencies maintained
over the necks OF artistes Of both sexes Prob
ably the latter were right 10 accept this kind Of
servitude. for the municipality could not prom
Use them engagement for more than three
years, while the agencies could keep them en-
ployed for lifetime The municipality had been
forced TO accept conditions OF a much more on
erous nature than any which would have been
imposed upon private theatrical manager,
doubtless in virtue of the principle that com
nunities are always made ito pay through the
nose and because TO have obtained reductions
IN the salaries demanded by certain artistes
would have involved naPof iafions oP q nature da-