The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-29

Boston, December zs.-(Special )-"Ah, that was vocslized just the way we have been taught. bae don't always do, He is going to sing ugain. Just hsten' Isn't he perfectly splendidl
 The big basso once again expanos ms chest beneath the heaving fawn-coioreo waistcoat his immaculate coattaiis are yisibly agitated while his fingers clutch under the pearl-gray gloves, ana seVerai hundred music students hold their breath while he emits his. Then when ene prompter suddenly catches the Great One napping, and makes him sing the lines again, the audience Is all but awestrueK. This thing happens, of course, to the duffer who Is being coached for an ann ateur performance, but whoever expected + in a rehearsal involving operate stars with international regulations. However, even Homer nods-perhaps Mime. Louise Homer. at times-and the courtly Spanish robleman who takes base parts in the San Carlo performances may have now and then a moment of forgetfulness one of the advantages of the laboratory meth cd of studying grand opera IS that De- sides attending finished performances you are in at all the rehearsals and see Just how everybody In the caste, great and small is coached Into perfection or form.
 There are now new opportunities Tn this country for pursuing this laboratory study of the most dramatic kind of class fcal music These furthermore are gong to be greatly increased Tn the near future say the wise ones. Grand opera is likely before long to be actually at home m this country. Up to now 1t has been only an oxotic-that is, except in New or- leans New York, of course, has seen a multitude of presentations of grand opera under foreign auspices, ever since the performance of the "Beggar's Opera hack in 1750 A few others of the largest cities have had now and then few days of the time of the opera troupes that spend most of their American season in the metropolis, where high society Is will ing to squander some of the proceeds or high finance upon high-priced boxes Most average Americans, even those who are interested in music, know grand ope- ra mainly by reading about it. Only New Orleans which first introduced operas or the French and Italian school into Amer lea in 1791, has had to its credit practl- cally unbroken series of annual perform ances under local management. Comic opera, of course, has been Americanized long since.
 Just now there is a likelihood that per- manent grand opera on broad demo- cratic and non-sectional basis may pc y, than New York serving as headquar- ters. For the idea of the San Carlo opera company which has just completed the first engagement of it's second season In America with three weeks in Boston and which has now started on its tour among the leading centers of population, is to abolish the monopoly of grand opera hitherto held by the rich. cutting in two the usual prices for seats, as charged by bof, in York. ing. a scheme which will appeal to Amer leans in all cities, with discrimination against none.
 If Boston is chosen as the center from which this plan of grand opera for all Americans will work, distinctly new element will be introduced into American music. For the Puritan capital, although fin some respects, particularly as regards musical composition and musical educa- tfon 1t has long been the leading Ameri- can center, has always been weak In chances to become familiar with grand opera. New York deserves great credit among American cities for having first given encouragement to enterprises or this kind originating abroad. For more than a century Gotham has patronized successfully a long line of famous operatlc singers--to become familiar with Manuel Garcia and his daughter Mime. Malibram, Mme. Carradori-Allan, Signorina Bor- ehese Senor Marty, to say nothing of the "galaxy of song birds"-to borrow fa- vorite phrase of the press agents-whom Colonel Mapleson, Mir Grau, and Mir Conried have introduced in later years to the American public. And in all this time Bostonians, and New England folk generally, have mainly grumbled at the prices of grand opera curing the brief engagements that have been played In the Hub.
 Last spring a pleasant little surprise was sprang on those who would rather hear good music at moderate price than pay five dollars a seat to see a gorgeous display of the jewels of the Four Hundred. An opera company Of whom nobody-except the music critics seemed to know much, which had been touring in a wearisome series of brief stands across the continent, turned up for a few hurried performances in Boston as a wind-up to the season. The prices of the seats were reasonable. This feat ure appealed to the frugal New England CT. But it was soon discovered that be- cause the performances were relatively cheap they were not inferior. Indeed an impression was very soon spread that this company was one which aimed rather to present finished artistic performance than to display fin connection with each opera three or four much adver- tised celebrities, fabled to receive thous- ands of dollars night.
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