New-York tribune., 1908-09-13


and II is curious that seemed to share my
almost fatalistic belief in Wagner opera. Neither
Abbey e. Grau, Seidl any one was willing
TO touch It. and finally driven into it myself
by an irresistible impulse which, SO far seems to
have led me right 1 glad now, for many rea-
sons. that events have so shaped themselves, and
think that the season will be productive of much
good for the future. curious and interesting
fact In connection with the performances has been
that the public to hear the operas. and not
the singers"
And such successl Not only far in advance of
what the fondest wagnerites had dared TO hope
for tribute 20 their masters art, but one
which compelled them to rub their eyes In amaze
ment and grope and stare in search for causes.
Twenty-one times in succession the vast audi
ence room crowded. and when the time was come
for striking the balance the subscription season
there talk, only little fantastic IL at all. OF
receipts aggregating s15O0N nearly 5000 a per-
formance. I should like to keep the thought of
this unparalleled financial success separate from
that of the artistic results attained Between the
financial and artistic achievements there was
wide disparity but that fact only sufficed to en-
phasze the obvious lesson of the season. namely.
the vast desire which the people of New York felt
again to enjoy wagner's dramas. Fortunately can
make record of the capaciousness of that hun
ger without necessarily lauding its intelligence ana
discrimination. Great indeed must have been the
hunger which could not be perverted by the vast
deal of slipshod work in the scenic department OF
the representations and the vaster deal Of bungng
and n,akeshift in the stage management Many
an affront was given TO the taste and intelii-
eence of the audiences and dreadful the
choral cacophony which filled some OF the even
ings. Yet the people came, they came as MI.
Damrosch observed in his letter, to hear the
dramas instead of the singers. and though "Lohen-
grim had been beautifully performed in the Ital-
ian season By artists like Nordica. Jean and Ed
Guard de Reszke and Maurel In the cast, the public
crowded into the German representation as IL eN-
pecting special revelation from Frdulein Gadski'
ttf
OF all the singers only Miss Marie Brema, new
conner and the veteran Emil Fischer were entire
ly satisfactory. For the beautiful dramatic art OF
Frau Sucher and for her lovelness or person anu
pose there was much hearty admiration. but this
could not the of her listeners to the fact
that her voice had freshness. The subscrip-
ton repertory, including the Alvary anniversary
was as follows: Tristan und Isolde, three tmes'
''Siegfried," four times; 'Lohengrin twice. dol-
terdgmmerung" twice; '"Tannhauser." twice; die
Walx,,re" twice and "Die Meistersinger,' twice.
In letter recently received from Mr.. Damrosch
he says: My first spring season Of thirteen weeks
in New York, Chicago, Boston and rev western
cities gave profit of about s5SoOO leaving me with
a large stock OF fienna-inaoe seehei9' 00'
and properties.
Mr. DaInrosch had won the first battle Oh ms
campaign and taught lesson of lasting Value u
his old and experienced rivals. Warned by the Sue
cess of his experiment and stimulated oy Pc
tition signed by about two thousand persons aSh a,
ing that German representations under Mr.. Seiui
be included in the Metropolitan scheme IheSsis'
Abbey Schoeffel & Grau made German opera
factor in the next season; but they ulo so ih
half-bearted way, which defeated its purposes anu
brought punishment instead OF reward Neverthe-
less German opera had returned to the metro
tan to stay and henceforth Will call ior a''eh'ol ~
along with the italian and French performance
in this history. Meanwhile since have begun IT.
LET me finish the tale of the impresaFlosnlp Oh MI
Damrosch.
Flushed with victory, the young manager p @
pared a five months campaign for the year lo'O'
and sought for new worlds to conquer Philaoel-
phia In which city he began operations on epr uAtS
90 treated him shabbily, but he did fairly wen III
New York and other cities in the East ana west
Unfortunately for him. he made an invasion OIL lio
South which not ripe for serious OPERA elthei
financially artistcally A performance IN one
CITY of that section which cost him over sS.V'
broupht him exactly S22o. The difference between
the sums was what Mr.. Damrosch paid to learn
that knowledge and love OF Wagners operas hao
not penetrated far into Tennessee
Experience is always purchased at large cost in
the operatic field. Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau re-
fused Mr. Damrosch the of the Metropolitan
Opera House for his second New York season. and
he was driven the old, socially discredited Acad
eny Of Music They did not look with favoring
eyes upon an enterprise which had achieved SO tre
rnendous & triumph at its very start and they pro-
vided a large percentage of the wormwood which
filed the cup which Mr.. Damrosch drank IN 1896
but they embit1ered their goblet by the pro-
cedure and when the time came for laying out the
campaign of lSs6-'s7 they quite ready as
Mr.. Damrosch to sign treaty Of peace whose pro-
visions promised to make for the good of both sides
instead OF the injury Of either. The rivals agreed
to keep out of each others way as much as possi-
bic and even to help each other by an occasional
exchange of singers. BY this means 1t was pur-
posed widen the repertories of both companies,
Mr.. Damrosch providing the Metropolitan establish
ment with q Brunnhilde and an Isolde for Jean de
Reszke's Siegmund. Siegfried and Tristan, and the
Metropolitan company lending him in return Melba,
Eames and Calye, or others, to enable him per
form some of the italian and French operas which
he had included in his list. Mr. Danrosch yielded
Chicago to his rivals and took Philadelphia in
change. 1t was wise compromise. Mr.. Damrosch
lest $4,000 in 1895: he made $4,000 in 1897 The
year, the Metropolitan Opera House being closed
during the regular subscription period. will ap-
pear later in this record. Mr. Danrosch entered into
partnership with Charles A. Ellis, manager of the
Boston Symphony Orchestra, who had undertaken
the management also Of Nine. Melbas American
affairs, and Italian and French operas were added
TO the German repertory The regular season
showed good profit, most OF which, however, was
frfttered away in a spring tour made by Melba
with portion of the company. By this time MI.
Damrosch had concluded that he was too good a
and musician 10 surrender himself TO the hate
full business of managing travelling opera COM
pany. and he withdrew from the partnership with
Ellis, TO whom he sold all his theatrical properties
and returned 10 concert wsrk and composition
though for two weeks in the next season he was
conductor of Mr.. Eilis's company.
And to some of The details of the artistic
work of these Damroschian enterprises The year
1896 was signalized by the appearance in America
of two singers who rapidly achieved first class i'm
portance. These were Katherine Klafsky and
Milka Ternina Mime. Klafsky the wife of
Herr Lohse whom Mr.. Damrosch also engaged as
assistant conductor. She came here under a
cloud, far the managerial ethics of Germany
were concerned How much respect those ethics