New-York tribune., 1908-07-12

, wouId-be innitators like Giorcano Taaca sns
others that filth and blood are supposed to fr1c-
tify the music which rasps the nerves. even ths
dramas revolt the moral stomach. In view Of the
products of the period in which began operate
veritlsn. so called. la GIoconda" seems almost
washed in innocency. and II its music Is at tines
highly spiced. II is at least frankly and simply
rneIodous Naturally he has followed his 1ibrsttist
In aiming at contrast at higgledy pisgiedy fnales
at garfsh orchestrstion. at strenuous defamation
IN the dalosue not cast in rneIodic. at abrupt
changes But he has stin plenty II not profound
righteousness. La Cieca's air. Enzao's romance
Iaura's stella del Marinar." Barnaba's barcaroIs
and the ballet music have lived on In cur concert
rooms from that day to this
la Gfoconda" the last opera brought for
ward In the winter season which ended on Dsoer,-
Der e. leaving out Of thirty promised subscrfp-
ton performances to bs supplied on the return OF
Mr. Abbey's forces from Boston. whittier they went
for the holidays When he came back in fort
night he gave Carmen" January Q. with Trs-
beTH Campinini and Del Puents (who had bean In
the cast Of the original London production);
peated IL on January II. and La GlocOnda. Oh
January a.
On March 10 a spring season began, which lasted
till April T. It added four operas to the list Am
brofse Thonas's Hamlet March 10 FIotow's
Martha" CA1arch lf. Meyerbeer's Hugusnots''
March 1g and LIE Prophete' (sfarch ID. The last.
which had first been heard In New York at tina
Astor Place Opera House four years after its orig
absent from the current operatic Hst 80 long that
il was to all intents and purposes novelty 10
Mr. Abbey's patrons The last week OF the season
brought two disappointments Mines. Nilsson and
Senbrfch both fell ILL., the iEdispositon OF the lat
ter (or something eIse) causing the abandOnment
of Gounod's Romeo ct Juliette, an opera that
was new to New Yorkers and was promptly brought
out by Colonel Mapleson with Nine Patti tn his
spring season at the Academy OF Music
As has already been set forth. Ar. Abbey n1ads
a monumental financial hasco; but his was heroic
effort to galvanizs Italian opera which seemed
raortbund into vitality. He showed an honest de-
sire to keep all his promises TO the public mads
when he asked support for his enterprise. and al
In ALL his administration was sgnalized oy virtues
too frequently absent in the doinss Of operate
managers His stage sets we're uniformly hand
some and some of them showed greater sumptu-
BUSINESS than the people had seen for many years;
his orchestra though faulty IN composition as well
as execution, did admirable WORK under Sig
nor Vianesi; his chorus was prompt vigorous and
tunefuI his ensembles were carefully and intelll-
gently composed. and his selection Of operas was
judicious from managerial point Of view He
gave to New York the strongest combination OF
women singers that the city had ever known; nor
has II been eQuallsd IN any one season since Tbs
financial failure OF the enterprise caused
prise among intelligent and impartial observers.
One headed be prophstcally gifted TO foretell
twenty-five years ago that New York could not
support two such costly establishments the
Academy OF Music and the Metropolitan Opera
House. The world OF fashion. which IN the nature
OF things is the supporter Of italian opera, and has
been since the art form was invented. was
divided its allegiance, and divided. moreover. IN
a manner which made interchange Of courtesies
all but impossible. This threw the burden OF main
tanning the rival houses upon two limited groups
of persons. and the loss was mutual
In Mr. Abbeys prospectus he promised 70 pro-
duce twenty-four operas which he named; he kept
his promise to all but five, these being "Lu-
crezia Borsia" Linda di Chamounix." Fra d.
avolo," "Otello' and lie Nozze df Figaro. "Ro-
meo ct Juliette.' which he attempted to give but
failed the last. not In the original list. Be-
sides these performances, he gave fftyeight out
side OF New York in visits TO Brooklyn. Boston.
Philadelphia. Chicago Cincinnati. So. Louis, WASH
ington and Baltimore. The local record may be
tabulated follows: