New-York tribune., 1908-08-02
fcopyrieht, 1905. by H. E. Krehbiel-)


This was the American Opera Company, wnich
after an extremely ambitious beginning. mace a
,7serab bic end a season later. leaving an odor OF
scandal commercial and artistic. which infected
the atmosphere for years afterward German
opera was also given throughout large part OF
the season at the Thalia Theatre, the manager
being Mr.. Gustav Amberg and the conductor Johh
I.und, who had into notice at the Metropoi-
itan Opera House by reason Of the death OF DR.
Ilarnrosch These performances were unpreten-
tieus and divided between operetta and the type
Of opera which grew out of the singsP'eL Their
s;rn6cance so far as this history is concerned lay
in the evidence which they bore of considerable
degree Of interest on the part Of the public outside
Of the patrons Of the Metropolitan Opera House IN
German opera. There were also cornInehaapie
features in the repertory- Thus. the performances
began on October 1s. 1885, with Der Freischutz'
in which appeared Ferdinand Wachtel son OF the
famous .-coachman tenor Theodore Wachtei
whose sensational career in Europe ana America
had come TO an decade before, though ne
did not die till The fathers battle horse lie
Position de Lonjumean. was brought out for the
son but the public not long in discovering
that the latter had all the faults and none OF the
merits of the former and he failed TO become even
q nine days wonder. Among the operas brought
forward by Mr.. ArIberg was Nicolais I>dsuse"
Weber Won Windsor and Emil Kaiser's from
peter Won Sakkingen," production obviously
prompted by the sensational success IN Europe oI
Nessler's opera of the name. Nicoiais opera
which has lost its popularity with the Ger
mans was probably given its merits alone, but
the fact that DR.. Damrosch had abandoned IL aiter
putting il in his prospectus may have had some
thing 10 do with its performance by Mr.. AInoers
modest troupe well by the proud american
flnera COMPANY which brought il out in spe-
cially prepared English version Mr. Anoefs
company also brought forward German version
of AIaillart's Les Dragons de Niars, uhoer lle
title ~Das Guckchen des Ereniten
Colonel Mapleson having spent the summer DICK
ering and negotiating with the directors OF the
Academy after having failed 10 get into the Ne'ro
l,olitan Opera House under the cloak OF MS SON
Charles began his eighth season in the Academy
of Music which had been furnished up for the oc-
casjon on November . 1885. Mime Patti had de-
serted HIM and if he ever had made oFeriufes u
Nine Nilsson, whose engagement ne mao an
,,o,nced they came to naught. He now made
virtue out OF necessity and proclaimed the merits
of good all round" opera and the iniquity OF the
star system His company. however, was the olo
one with Alma Fohstr0m and Minnie Hauk IN plaoe
of Mines Patti Gerster and Nevada Among the Ia
4niar names the prospectus were those OF NINE
I.abache, Ravuli, de Anna. Del Puente cheruolhl' PIN
and Carraciolo; among the newcomers We're slghor
tgiaDnini an extremely serviceabe tenor. who had
sung in the previous season in the "Mltao 'Iraho
tepera Company compiled by James Baton Key
and Horace AicVicker. related in the preceding
chanter: also a Mile. Felia Litvinof, 1hom we
shall meet again Nine IitVfr -ter-lh-la"
of N Edouard de Reszke and me- : Of the COM
many singing at the Metropolitan pera House
Mapleson opened with .Carmen.' ti.e heroine rep
ac1er in London and New York and set standard
yvbjcn prevailed in England and America unti the
coming Of Nine Calve; but time had dealt harshly
with Mime Hauk during the nineteen years which
had elapsed since she, lissome creature mad hfst
sung at the Academy of Music tshe had effected
her operstjc debut in Brooklyn few weeks before).
and much of the old charm was gone from her
singing and nearly all from her acting The open
ing was distinctly disappointing, and the season
came 10 an end on November 2S after twelve even
scarcely have been q more convincing demonstra-
fionr of how completely the fashionable world had
abandoned the Academy of Music than the giving
of a subscription season of only four weeks dura-
ton. within this period. moreover. there was no
Sign of effort get OF the old rut into which
Colonel. Mapleson's repertory had sunk Carmen"
was given three times III Trovatore twice, Lucia
df I.ammerrnoor' twice. ''L'Africaine" twice, La
Sonnanbula'' once. La Favorita" once. Fra
Diavolo'' twice, Don Giovanni twice and Faust
once Mile Fohstrom effected her American debut
fn performance of Lucia 'on November g. She had
been announced for the second night OF the season
in II Trovatore.' but was taken ILL., She had been
little heard Of previous to her coming though dlh-
gent observers of musical doings knew that she had
sung for several seasons in Europe and, oeIieNe,
South America and had figured in Colonel Maple
sons spring season in London in 1885 She was a
small creature with features OF markedly Scand-
N nayian type-she native Of F4nland-and had
evidently studied the traditions Of the italian op-
to present acceptably. The stereotyped round of
characters. But her gifts and attachments were
great enough 20 take her representations out
of the rut of conventionality. TO her sing
ing from the charge Of nerveessness and monotony
Of color Three seasons later QSSS-'S9) she was q
member Of the German company at the Metropol-
tan Opera House. and sang such roles as Mar
guerite de Ealois C'Les HuguenotsD }, Mathioe
{''wiliiam TelTD Marguerite c'Faust), Bertha
f'Ie Prophete') and Eudora ola Juive), giving
place at the beginning OF February TO Nine Schroe-
eer-Hanfstangl who had returned to the delight OF
her admirers In the interim she increased her
artistic stature very considerably, her voice proving
more effective In the house than in the Acad-
envy of Music which was incomparably better
scousticaly. Mapleson's singers came back 10 the
g Academy December 20 10 sing Wallaces Marl-
stena" IN Italian with Tito Mattes recitatives in
place Of the spoken dialogue and at the manager
benefit on December % Massenet's ''Manon Lescaut
xas pertorrned for the first America Under
the circumstances the cast deserves 10 be set forth
The CheyaHer des GTieux, Signor Giannini; Lescaut
eisnor Gel Puente: Monfortaine, sgnor Rinaldini;
the Count ces Grieux, Signor Cherubini Gu Bre-
cssny, Signor Foscani (Mr- Fox, an Anericen)' an
4unkeeper SiCnor de Vaschetti; attendant of the
Seminary Of St Sulpice. Signor Bieetto; Poussete
Nile Bauermeister: Javotte. Mme. Iablache; Ro-
sette Mile de Vigne: Manon. Mime. Hauk,
From January till April Il the Academy OF
Music was occupied by the American opera com
pany, the artistic director of which was Theooore
Thomas who had long stood at the head OF orches-
,,al ynus5c in America AS I have already init
mated rightly nenged this institution might have
become OF the same significance TO the future OF
opera IN the United States the German company
which had just established domicle at the Metro
poiitan Opera House. Indeed. II might have become
of greater significance for the best friends Of the
German enterprise looked upon It merely nee
sssary Intermediary between the italian exotic and
e national form of art with use Of the vernacuIar'