The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-01
FIGHT FOR CONRIED'S JOB
ANDREAS DfPPEL BELIEVED TO
NAVE THE BEST CHANCE.

otto Kahn Expected Home To-day With
Authentic News % the Future Of the
Mesr0Deaitsn -Csnried 10 60 Unless
He's F1t-Itto Record Picks Himself.
Otto Kahn In due in this city to-day and
there will then be authentic news as TO the
management OF he Metropolitan Opera
House. II Mr.. Conried has 40 far recovered
his health that he will be able to resume his
duties there wifi be no change in the adj
ministration. II, on the other hand. Mr..
Conried's s~ojourn in Europe has not proved
beneficial it will DO necessary to select a
successor.
The directors OF the Conried Metropolitan
Opera Company will decide whether or not
the present msnage is in condition to con-
tinue. II was settled last spring that under
no circumstances would the theatre again
be conducted as It had beer last winter,
when for days at a time Mr.. Conried was
too sick TO transact any business. MIR.
Conried has been In Berlin and Nauheim.
IL IL said that he is somewhat improved.
There has been a fierce struggle among
European imprssarios and near-impresarios
10 get q chance at the management OF the
Metropolitan. IL 10 the richest operatic
plum in the world.
Mr.. Kahn has had abundant opportunity
to oonsu with other directors Of the opera
company In Europe. including Eliot Greg
DRY and w. X. Vanderbilt. They have
heard the claims Of all the aspirants.
Jean de Reszke says that he was APP
preached by a Frenchmsn Of title on behalf
Of the directors and declined. II is said here
hat the veteran tenor nae been thought
Of, but the appearances of various pupils
alarmed the directors who looked forward
to the possibility Of q company composed
Of NJ. de Resxke's pupils. SO his name was
cut out OF the list. Andre Messenger went
to the Opera in Paris. Albert Care was
voted too French in his sympathies. Henry
Mspleson was never seriously thought Of
nor was Henry Russell Of the sc-called San
Carlo company.
Anton Fuchs of Munich, who came over
here to make the only respectable Wagner
performances given at the Metropolitan
Opera House since Mr.. Conried became
manager. was talked OF, but IL was decided
that he might prove too exclusively German
in his syrnpathies.
The most determined Effort 10 capture the
management was made by a candidate who
proposed himself. He ia Tito Ricordi, a
representative Of the Milan firm Of music
publishers Of that name. He is a sort of
travelling stage manager for the firm and
goes to produce in various countries the
operas which they control. They publish
the works Of Puocini, which are lust now
popular in the repertoire OF the Metropolitan
and when Tito Rcordi came over here TO
produce Mime. Butterfly" for the Savage
company and later at the Metropolitan he
realized what a gold mine there was in the
Metropolitan, where at one performance the
receipts were equal to what would go into
the box Office in n month at La Scala.
Ever since that time Mr.. Ricordi has
struggled in every possible way To get the
promise Of the directors 20 ca him to New
York in case MIR. Conried does not recover
Many persons have thought that il would
he bad enough 10 have no American without
choosing an ltsfsn. who would make the
Metropolitan merely the American branch
of an Italian music publishing firm. Mr.. !
Records ideas of the artistic standard that
ought to prevail at the opera house may be
judged from the fact that he was lnstru-
menta. ~ securing the engs g nsent OF NINE;
10 direct La Scala in Milan, but without
success.
Another candidate who il thought TO be
the one most likely 10 sIcoeed Mr.. Conried /
In Andreas pipTel. who has sung for several
yea RI at the Metropolitan and is thoroughly
familiar with the conditions that exist there
md with the taste Of New York audiences.
He had always been very helpful both TO I
Mr.. Grau and Mr.. Conried in their terms Of
mana cement. He has had a wide and va
ried experience in oLera and is regarded
& : ar excellent busine AZ man He il Dreju-
diced Ia favor Of no school, as he has sung AZ !
the Metropolitan in all schools. His operatic
training was had here under Anton Seidl
and at the Imperial Opera House in Vienna.
Since that tims he has been in New York. !
Of the directors Of the Conried Metro
politan Opera Company favor him.