The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-07
Few Operate Compositions
Written by Americans
LOWER PRICES FOR OPERAS
Mew York and Boston Opera Com
panies Win Emphasize Native Tai
ent--Operas viii Become In I'm
personal Institution.

BOSTON, June 6.--The dawning
OF new era in American operate
music is at hand The coming years,
il Is safe to say, will see a remarkable
improvement in the quality and NUM-
ber OF productions by our musicians
and composers. Heretafore the field
has been q difficult one to enter, since
the success OF an opera has depended
largely upon It's having been produced
successfully abroad. Not only COM
posers but aspirants for careers as
opera singers have though, It neees.
sary TO have Il foreign training and
introduction before endeavoring to
achieve success In America
But now comes the establishment
OF permanent, grand opera OF an
Amcricanizcd character, furthered by
an agreement made between the two
great opera companies OF Boston and
New York TO do all in their power to
raiSt the standard of opera TO the
hIhes, possible point and still TO
lkep il on a reasonable basis in order
bat the general public may have the
benefit of the best works in existence
Fand to be produced at price within
the reach OF all our pocketbooks
The new opera house in Boston will
shortly be started and. through the
generosity OF Eben d. Jordan and the
hearty cooperation OF many promin-
cnt business men OF Boston and the
vicinity, the success OF its future is
assured
This will afford to music lovers
throughout the country unlimited oc-
easions in which to enjoy both the
good old operas that have heretofore
fattened their purses and made more
than two or three performances a
season ont OF the question and such
new ones by American composers as
shall seem to the arrangements to be
worthy of production. Henry Rus
sell, the present manager OF the San
Carlo Opera Company, who will di-
rect the performances OF the Boston
Opera Company, is very enthusiastic
on the subject Of opera for the bene-
fit OF the public at large, and not OF
tthc well-to-do alone. Mr.. Dippel OF
the Metropolitan Opera Company in
New York fully agrees with his views
and it is expected they will do every
thing possible to help the cause of
good music in this country. Mr..
Russell says:
"A great step forward has been
taken in the operate history of
America. Mr.. Dippel and his CO.
workers have demonstrated that they
will not use opera as means OF COM
mercial gain or personal notoriety,
Their policy is to open their doors
to every influence which can develop
and widen the operate field in
America.
"Our executive committee not only
share in this policy, but they actually
came together with this end in view.
One excellent outcome of our COM
bination will be to impress on the
minds Of the American public that
operatic enterprise is not dependent
on the notoriety of one man, who
seeks to thrust his own personality
into more prominence than the enter
prise he represents. Opera will now
because the same serious impersonal
institution here that it is in Italy,
France and Germany, where the nam
ing of an opera company after any
one man is unheard of"
This national grand opera, as it
may be called, bids fair to make our
system of training as good in every
particular as that to be found abroad,
and undoubtedly better in many es-
sential respects. The Boston opera
house is to be located near the centre
|of musical activities in this country,
in close proximity to the home of the
Boston Symphony Orchestra and the