The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1908-11-23
NEW STAR SHINES
At OPENING OF
GALA AFFAIR
EMMY pEsTiNN, BEAUTIFUL Der
LIN SINGER, WINS ALL HEARTS
~ HER ART-cARuso TAKES
HOUSE BY STORM.

NEW YORK, Nov. 2l.-Emmy Des.
tinn Enrico Caruso, Arthur Toscanini
Aida" These were surely names
to conjure with so far as concerned
music lovers and the music lovers
curiosity TO hear world renowned new
corners and old favorites. But. after
all. they could hardly account for the
/ thousands who were present at the
opening OF the Metropolitan Opera
house. II was as well a society event
and the best-foot-forward OF the new
regime at the Broadway shrine OF
opera. where everything is TO be de-
voted 10 art--and society--without re-
gard TO expense.
| The question~of expense cut no fig
ure. II another sperson could have
been crowded into the house. the
casual observer saw no place where
he could stand. Every available inch
OF room was filled. and TO move In
the throng behind the railing which
| protects the orchestra seats was an
impossibility.
Long before o'clock Broadway
from Thirty-ninth TO Fortiethsts. was
thronged. AZ were the Hobbies OF the
opera house; and still IL was long
after 8 o'clock before the horseshoe
J ring that contained society, its gowns
and Its diamonds. was filled. Filled at
last II was. however--to repletion.
Recalls After Every Curtain.
| There was apparently no more room
left In the boxes than there was In
the standing space. II was q bril-
liant" audience In every sense OF the
word. and II was also appreciative.
The fall OF every curtain was the
signal for recall after recall After
the first act came Miss Destinn again
and again. for she had hit the pop
ular pulse as she did In Berlin. After
the second act more was insisted
upon, and the audience was not sat
isfled until Sig. Gatti-Casazza. Herr
DIPPED and Sig. Toscanini. as we'll as
the singers. had come forward and
bowed their acknowledgements.
There were two more curtains.
and there was the same enthusiasm
after each. the audience remaining at
the end until II had expressed its ap-
preciation to its hearts content.
Appreciation Of the entertainment
provided was not. however, the only
element which entered last night into
the hearts OF many real lovers OF
opera; perhaps the most appreciatiye.
unsteady, OF all who attended. Away
up In the top gallery, the family cir
Gle, sit many hundreds who are for
gotten or ignored by the denizens OF
the boxes and orchestra stalls. to
whom the word brilliant" is not APP
| piled and who are not ordinarily
reckoned upon when the crowded con-
dition OF the house Is reported.
For these there was happy sur
prise last night, when they discover
ed that the new management had pro-
vided for them two large elevators.
with which to reach the SKY" to
which they had heretofore been forced
laboriously to climb. And there. too,
they found newly built platforms.
where holders of admission tickets
might also stand and see and hear.
Thus did the new managers fulfill,
physically. as far as they were able.
their promise to make the Metropol-
itan a temple of art for arts sake"
without regard for financial return.
For the accommodation Of patrons,
everything was arranged perfectly. the
police regulations were strictly en-
forced, and carriages and automobiles
came In throngs, deposited their occu.
pants and departed without a hitch or
complaint Altogether, IL was a
night of triumph for managers, par
Elephants and society, and OF pleasure
| for patrons.