New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-08-23


by inquisitive newspaper scribes.
The story of the opera concerned itself with the
succession to the throne of Portugal the death
of Enrique, with whom the old Burgundian line be-
came extinct in 1850. wicked man plotted TO give
the Philip II OF Spain (who really got it,.
and employed Provencal adventures TO help keep
1t from the nephew OF the dying King. But the
adventures, who lent her name to the opera, lost
enterprise because she fell in love with
the nephew and stabbed TO death for her
pains. The wicked shot by the nephew
and there was thus proper amount of bloodshed
to Justify the historical character of the work the
grewsomeness of which modified by much edify-
ing defamation the part of the dying King eN-
preston of the lofty sentiments which. the "oIlu
knows. always fill the breasts of monarchs Inc
opera was performed January g. 1891 ana re
ceived two representations. A third was announced
for Saturday afternoon, but called forth so EN-
phatic popular request for 'Ffdelo that the rep
sentative the stockholders adjudgsd 1t TO De 'he
OF wisdom to set aside Ernest IL IN favor Oh
Beethoven.
For six weeks Mr.. Stanton followed the line Vi
policy laid down by his directors, and within that
time brought forward the three novelties which
have described, besides ''Tannhauser. Loheh-
grin" THE Flying Dutchman," Les Huguenots'
LIE Prophetic" and "Ffdelo." Already in the
third week of the season, however, it became mani
fest that the policy of the directors did not meet
with the appreciation of the public. One result OF
the German representations In the preceding SIX
years had been develop class Of opera patrons
with Intelligent tastes and warm affections A
large fraction of this public become season sub
scribers, and among these dissatisfaction with the
current repertory growing daily. 1t may be
that panicky feeling in financial circles had
something do with falling off in general at
tendance in the early part Of the but this
is scarcely borne out by the fact that the advance
subscription amounted to $1,000 representing about
one thousand persons and that though the novel;
ties yoIIld not Wagnerian
proved to be as attractive they had been
The significance of the popular attitude, indeed
was obvious enough. although the directors chose
to close their eyes and TO it It was, In fact
SO obvious that The Tribune newspaper did not
hesitate TO predict tremendous success for Fl
deIio" when II was announced for performance
only" on December 26 and to assert in advance Of
the performance that 1t would have TO be reacted to
satisfy the demand for good dramatic music when
had grown up because of the Wagner cult and been
whetted by Mr.. Stanton's neglect TO put on the
stage a few works imbued with the modern dra-
matte spirit Two repetitions of ''Fidelio and the
lifting of that opera fourth place in the list at
tested the soundness Of The Trbunes diagnosis Of
the situation
Bv a coincidence. on the night of the first repre-
sentation for the of Of the latter day
works of Wagner which, had the directors chosen
to read the signs Of the times Alright and be guided
bv them might have l;shereG in the of pros
pertty which they signing for but repelling
by their course, the decision was reached 10 turn
over the opera house TO Mr.. Abbey for perform
ances In italian and French. This date was Janu-
airy a. So far the subscribers to the opera and
the majority OF its patrons were concerned, this
action of the directors seemed like nothing else
than the elimination of a conspiracy to set back
the clock of musical progress in New York quar-
ter OF a century at least The news came upon the
public like a bolt from the blue. The plan had
been laid early in the summer twas, in fact, the
fruition of the postprandial Patti season of 1889
go, but all concerned had been pledged to
secrecy Mr.. Abbey seized the right moment to
strike and when he had bagged his game he
hibited it forthwith and it was received with a
loud chorus Of cheers from the enemies OF the
German institution. The directors gleefully con-
tinued their course little while longer, though
the handwriting the wall had begun TO blaze
forth when all the canons of art and the fruit of
years of serious effort nsulted by the produc-
ton Of the anonymous creation Of one whose sole
claim popular attention as composer was that
e a royal duke and the brother-in-law of the
Queen of England.
At the first performance after the announce
ment Of the projected change had been made the
public took IL upon themselves 10 show their dis
approval of the action of the directors There
seemed be but way TO do this enectually
without injury TO the form art which public
had learned TO love, and that way adopted:
After January Il not single representation was
conducted by Mr.. Seidl at which the conductor was
not compelled TO appear upon the stage and
had come to be the representative in an especial
manner OF the spirit as opposed to the direc-
tors. who, by their action. had shown that they
stood for the old. And the directors were
buked in the honors showered upon the conductor.
II needed little prophetic gift TO predict what
course Mr.. Stanton would pursue in view of the
new developments it had required to predict
the of ''F1delio' after the experiences OF
1858 had seemed to indicate that the opera had
lost all charm for the public. On January 20, only
Of, 5axy af.er had dgra
tors, The Tribune, commenting editoriauy the
Operate Revolution" remarked:
Financially Wagner must save this season or It
will suffer shipwreck. Mr.. Stanton knows that and
1t is not rash ash prediction to say that the whole
forth TO the production of Wagner's works. The
1t win go further than anything else TO save the
season; It viii be welcomed by the public because
short-sghted policy attempted to foist upon them.
The prediction fulfilled TO the letter; after
January 20 thirty-fve representations took place,
and all but ten of them were devoted TO Wagner's
works. notwithstanding that within this period
Nine Minnie Hauck added to the company
and that the two operas in which she appeared
CLAfricaine" and "Carmen'O proved more popu-
lar than any works Of the non-Wagnerian list, with
the single exception of ''FIdelio." An amusing
evidence OF the enforced change OF heart in the
directors a PRONUNCIATION of order request
ing the occupants OF the boxes to discontinue the
conversation during performances which had grown
TO be a public scandal The resolution TO publish
the order adopted either al the meeting OF the
directors at which the agreement reached with
Mr.. Abbey. or the day after; the order bore date
January 10. the contract with Mr.. Abbey WIS
made on January Il
1t is proper that L devote some attention TO the
story Of the growth OF the spirit which eventually
overthrow German opera at the Metropolitan Opera
louise. or, rather. not German opera. but opera
clusvely IN the German tongue: for It not long
tn that he irDe Efr
OF success unless 20 Italian and French German
opera was also added. The vicisstudes which