New-York tribune., 1908-02-16
MANY CHANGES IN
OPERA DIRECTORS.
LIST 1T METROPOLITAN
RECALLS EARLY DAYS.
RiuGlry Of -4bbey and Colonel
Napleson- Damrosch's
-fchieCemeRt.

-fcfleCeneRt.
change OF directors at the Netronolitan
opera House is of great interest TO American
music lovers and OF considerable moment 10
European patrons OF the opera as well The
chang announced last week whereby Heinrich
Conried r. % be succeeded by Signor Cfiulio
Gatti-Casazza. manager Of La Scala. of Milan
and Andreas Dippel raises various questions
What VIII be the policy OF the new manage
rnent?
VIII there be new singers and, If so. who viii
they be-
What style Of opera viii predoninate French
Italian or German?
These are questions which interest not only
New York music lovers but those through
out the country. for the companies assembled
for the season at the Metropolitan Opera House
n recent years have been taken to other cities
a. its close.
For the musical world OF Europe the change
raises the question. who viii be called next? -
Most OF the conductors and singers az this
house heretofore have come from European
opera houses The answers 10 these questions
VIII appear with time. Already 1t IS announced
that possibly one opera written in English viii
b added 70 the repertory under the new regime
with the idea OF making the institution more
national At This new milestone il the history
OF the opera house. which VIII celebrate its
worth while 10 turn back and note those which
have been passed. Up to the present time the
fortunes Of the house have been directed by five
persons. These have been Henry E. Abbey. /
Leopold Danlrosch- Z c Stanton. Maurice Grau
and Heinrich Cnnr1ed- In the course Of the
quarter century il has grown from a colossal
failure 20 z huge success financially.
The honor Of transferring the operate centre
C the city from the Academy Of Music in 18th
=orh street fell 10 Mr.. Abbey. His was not q
pathway Of roses. Although prominent New /
Workers interested in opera had decided that
the Academy cf Music was too small for what
was desired and had organized the company
which constructed the new ope-a house. the 7
Academy did no- Immediately change its char I
scte- There was q merry war between the TWO /
musical institutions before the Academy ceased /
Io be musical centre.
ABBEY AND MAPLES0N RIVALS.
Long before the season opened aIr Abbey and
Colonel AIaPieson. the director Of the Academy. .
were depIoyzng their forces. Both managers
taG enlisted excellent companies. That OF
Colonel MapIeson was headed ny Mines. Patti
and Gerscer. and included Pappeahein and Ca
lassL Nj Abbey had his prtrna donnas
Mines Se-nb-ich and Christine Nilsson. Ea
also had engaged the services o. Canpanini. the
rero- then most admired hy Americans
aboey had much more Formidable array Of
talent than his competitor when they joined
issues on October -. fsS3. On the evening Of
that day each manager opened his season. M
Atbey presenting Faust with Nine. Nilsson
Marguerite. and Colonel NIlpeson giving La /
Soruanbula-' IN the course of the season M. (
Abbey gave siz-y-one performances, IN which /
nineteen different operas were presented, each /
one requiring special stage furnishings. A. the /
close 2-r- Abbey had Won victory over his /
rival. but a. a cost which Is said 10 have placed
him il the front rank il the long list OF operas
managerial victims from HandeTs time 10 the .
present. Il has been stated that his success !
cost 1Ir. Abbey $4,000 a week and il was cur
rerrly reported that his losses for the season I
were S,}H0oGo. a sum which swallowed Up the
profits of three or four other phenorlenally sue
cesstul enterprises n which he was engaged /
This loss would indicate that the receipts were
about one-haIf what they have been every year
Il the last decade
The directors had guaranteed Abber against
loss % the extent Of S60 COO He was obliged
u ask for this sum from them. Il was promptly
PAID. anc they suggested that he accept d bene-
f. concert. which, il is believed. uetted $4,000
Tor him. They had such respect for him that
they invited him u continue as director but
NJ Abbey f7rsw0re the management Of opera
81 which he had any financial responsibility.
I vas then proposed to have NJ. eye OF
London. become the director. There was q hitch
over this owing 20 = desire tho part Of the
directors Of thu opera house ID continue Nine
Nilsson as the prina donna and the belief on the
par Of NJ Gve that his wife, Nine AIbani
would serve IN This capacity as well Mr. eye.
fearing a bad season owing 10 the approach Of
e Presidential campaign. dropped all negotia-
tious ia the middle OF the summer Of 1884 This
Ier- the directors il q dilemma. The Gordian
knot was cut IL a way that has left its impress
upon the music world Of the United States Il. F
KrehbieI described II II one Of his musical re
views more than twenty years ago IL this way:
AZ this jCncture Dr. Leopold Damrosch. who
rad 1een exceedingly active and successful in
local musical affairs for thirteen years, came
forward with a plan 70 replace Italian opera
with German opera, he To assume the manage
-1eu- for the directors The energetic musician
had exercised great foresight and wisdom IN
developing his plan. and without involving him
self or the directors had secured the refusal OF
the leading artists of the company which he
had IN contemplation. Il IS familiar tale now
how. n the space Of a month, he went TO Ger
many. organized his establishment and was back
IN New York preparing u start the enterprise
which seemed the most venturesonle ever under
taken n this city The Italian operas OF
which New York had had a surfeit for years. were
rut aside for the masterpieces Of the German and
French composers. one o. TWO efforts 10 in
clcde works Of lighter or lyrical character be-
f<7pia .