New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-15


Copyright 1890 by Ame Dupont)
time for several Years he had been in the habit
of working for his uncle Jacob Grau. the I'M
presario and theatrical manager and as no grew
older the opportunities and attractions ohered ny
the business led him 10 abandon the law ana "'
never applied for admission 70 the nar'
He remained in his uncle's employ IN various
oo,,ci,iAs mill 1872 when he branched out on MS
own account In association with ChaItes -
Chizzola and with joint capital OF $i'YVY 80
engaged Aimee. the French opera oouHe '''e0
,,bo had been introduced 10 AHeTic" W. -,
before by Ftsl-for n season OF seHe.l :. "a
o,,a,ed in bridgeport Conn, on February - anu
- oe,z of the first week were enough 10 p"'
-, ,orses Of the entire engagement Inc P''.'
-. as CO cratlAed that she remained win
NJ Grau for three years. and all heF 'a'e' 80
team appearances were MADE u'ue'
nent. -. American tours
=, ,,,,tns,e{n and WIeniawsk the latter p"S'',e
n association with Theodore Thomas sarro-
p,b,nsteln received 500 night TOT MS P,arI
,,cas and IN eight months mis- "',''as 80,
.ca ~, ~ his engagement alone IN l"'e'
T., ,,,,,o,ded and received $500 IA pefi"'.'
80. The following year the young lihP'e ~,
80 then only tweuty-slx years oio-o' s"'''".
C1o~, I oulse Kellogg English opera ,o'''''' :.
,,rred his management OF Aimee. ana u'0Ne'
this country Tomasso salvini the itaLH ..o.,aIr
who appeared at tho A'aue"'' "
on October IL
sr-CCEss BALANCED FAILURES
90. ,..,5as managing four separate companies
.,La.s the Coralie-Geoffroy Opera Boune 'otn-
many the Emily Soldene English opera h'r,ie 80
Adelaide Ristori-he leased the A-y'eU ~,
nov. known as the Fourteenth street 4"7"''' -
s,lo1 his ambition to have a house OF ms own III
the metropolis This theatre. which proved 4
5issstro,Is speculation 20 his Uncle jacob anu
E-echter was an almost equally expensive luxury
10 the younger Grau Success IN other ventures,
however enabled him to weather the hhaHci"i
,torn, even after season OF bad luck in 1910 had
led "a the severinE OF his association with ChzZoa
Onerating on his own account, he made a contract
70 bring Rossi this country but the latter rather
than give up a successful season in Paris PAID Nran
500 900 in forfeits This about balanced his loss on
inc Onenbach concerts In the Madison Square Car
den in 1876 and another season with Aimee put
bi,, once more on his financial feet Then. IN 1873.
came his profitable tour with the great Capable
Marie oIa-Angele combination IN French opera
cornioue. that included seventeen months IN South
America. Cuba and Mexico, Nine Theo appeared
in America under his management in 1882
when Abbey & Schoenel obtained control OF the
AIetropoli,an opera House for it's first season In
1889 they sent for Grau TO be their manager
Though disappointed In not being admitted 10 part
nershlp in tho enterprise. he nevertheless accepted
their offer, and soon had occasion 20 thank his
e,ars when the end OF the four months
showed loss 10 the firm OF $4,000 Abbey &
SchoeRel went back TO theatrical management
and Grau devoted his attention 10 another tour
with Aimee
Judic appeared here under his auspices In 1885.
Mr. Grau had been associated with Mr. Abbey in
the South American tour OF Sarah Bernhardt In
1888 and 1884. and when he brought her to the
United States I'm 1886 immensely profitable sea
son OF thirteen months followed
In May, 1887. formed the partnership OF Abbey,
Schoene & Grau. which. until IT'S failure in May.
1886. was recognized holding the foremost place
among American operate and theatrical managers.
Henry Irving. Ellen Terry, Sarah Bernhardt,
Adelina Patti Mary Anderson. Etelka GersteE. Lily
Langtry Christine Nilsson. Coauein. Jane Hading.
Josef Hofmann. the vionist; DAlbert, the pianist:
5arasate, the viOllnist; Rejane and Mounet-Sully
were among the important stars who appeared
under the direction of the firm.
TAKES THE METROPOLITAN.
After the first disastrous season of tho Metro
politan Opera House under tho Abbey & Schoeffel
management there had followed years OF
German opera. and then the stockholders decided
TO try the experiment Of return to Italian opera.
The management OF the house offered to Alb
/ hey Schoehel 81 GrRu and accepted by them
In the fall Of 1884, accordingly. the firm Of which
| Mr.. Grau was a member presented to New York
! Operagoers a company that included Mines.
Emma Eamcs Lili Lehman Noriica, scalch
and Albani Mile Van Zandt. Jean and EdOuard
! de Reszke ana NJ. Lassale. Plans for the next
season upset by the burning of the opera
/ house. but the house rebuilt. and in the fall
/ Of 1893 it was reopened under new arrangement
with Mr. Grau's firm. The company
more brilliant than that OF the season of 1S9l-92
! The succeeding were likewise notable for
the number OF distinguished singers brought to-
| gether in a single company.
| The opera was profitable TO the management,
! but not enough to counterbalance their losses
! IN other ventures. and the firm forced to
/ make assignment Mr.. Abbey did not long
/ survive the disaster. and Mr.. Schoeffel had never
been actively associated with the management of
/ the opera. which had devoved In its executive
control upon Mr.. Grau.
/ On May 8, 1897, the Maurice Grau Opera Com
pany organized ny number OF Mr.. Grau's
/ friends and creditors with Mr. Grau president
/ and managing director. From that time Mr. Grau
! directed the affairs Of the Metropolitan Opera
House with constantly increasing success.
RETIRED WITH A FORTUNE
Mr. Grau first presented ''all star casts in grand
! opera and introduced the custom Of having the
! operas sung in the languages in which they were
written Unfriendy ut first to Wasnerian OPERA
when he saw that there demand for it, he
/ gave to its presentation the same careful atten-
ton that characterized all his other productions
| He knew that New Workers wanted and expected
| the best in music. and were ready 20 pay for H.
He gave 1t, and reaped his reward. When, in 1903
failing health compelled him to relinQuish his work
he was the high tide of his success and he IS