New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-08-23
Chapters of Opera
Recollections and Records of a Quarter Century.
CHAPTER VIII.
- opra-W

;-g- some e r,,,sing but they were all dwarfed
by the announcement which came in the miaosefoh
January that the directors OF the Metropolitan Up
era House had concluded contract OF lease with
Henry E Abbey Tor Abbey and Grau) under whlch
opera be given in the next season in Itailah
and French The alleged reason was that MI AID
bey Yves willing TO assume all risk of failure for
the Same subvention which the stockholders as IN
eirddaals were paying themselves in their capacity
as entrepreneurs; the real reason was that the
stockholders. majority OF them. were weary
OF German opera and especially of the dramas Of
Wagner. This spoke out OF the acton
whitehead been looking 10 the eighth sea
OF opera Seventh in German) before an agree
ruent had been reached with My Abbey. Wagner
ha6 supplied the financial backbone to all the sea-
since German opera had been introduced as
viii appear presently: but the directors were
willing admit that until. a result Of their
change OF policy disaster stared them in the face.
Then they made haste to reverse their action as
far possible and did other works OF repent
ance which enabled them 10 save a nodcum of
prestige and some money; but the hands of the
clock had been set back and the goal OF national
opera, toward which the German movement
leading. was forgotten 1t has never been seen
since
When Mr. Stanton vert 10 Germany in the spring
OF 1880 TO engage singers and select repertory
he carried with him definite policy, formulated
by the directors. which was the fruit of q senti-
mental passion for the amiable Italian and &
spirit OF thrift Italian opera under their own
management seeming still impracticable because
of its eXpensiveDess. the directors conceived what
they thought would prove to be a happy compro-
mise: they would continue 10 give German opera,
but would make a radical change in the character
Of the repertory. Wagner be snelved
ell but his earlier operas. such as -~Tannhauser"
and ''Lohengrin'' and the season enriched with
new works by Italian and French composers. With
this purpose in view. Mr. Stanton completed his ar
rangements. and the of 1ss0-91 was opened
On November rs in q manner that looked like a
bold and successful stroke favor of the new pol
Icy AsTael an opera by Italian composer
which had stirred up favorable comment in
Germany and Italy. given with great deal of
sumptuousness IN stage attire and with g company
which critics and amateurs agreed in recognizing
as on the whole. stronger than any recent years
NINE Lehman halisch was not at its head il is
true. but instead there was singer of excellent
aoliIty and considerable personal and artistic
charm in the person Of Antonio Mielke. Emil
Fischer was retained. and also Theodor Reich
mann ana some Of The lesser members Of the old
company, and 10 them were added Heinrich GUIDE
nus. Jennie Broch tsoprano legg4ero). Marie Rit-
ter-5oetze tTnezzo-sopranO). Andreas Dippel Marie
jam (soprano) and Others. Nine Minnie Hauk
joined the forces later in the season
AsraeI" was in every respect a surprise-as
strange TO the audience had been composed
1or me occasion The name OF the composer, Al
berto Franchetti. had never appeared in any local
list save once, in April, 1887 when q symphony in
Z minor bearing It, had been performed at con-
cert Of the Philharmonic Society under the direc-
ton OF Theodore Thomas. The Tribune news
paper contributed all that the public learned about
him then and since. This was 20 the effect that he
was a young Italian Cor. rather Italianized He
BREW a member Of one OF the branches of the
Rothschilds, who had studied in Munich and lived
much Of his time in Dresden. where Kapellmeister
Schuch sometimes gave him opportunities to hear
his orchestral music. Also that he was very
wealthy, having purse large his artistic
bitiOn, and Eot disnclined. when a work of his
composition accepted for performance, TO care
for its sumptuous production by paying for the
stage decorations out OF his own pocket He re-
sembled Meyerbeer being q Jew, and also in
that il possible his mother to say of
My is musical composer. but not OF neces-
Eity." The book of the opera proved 10 be g most
beWfdering conglomeration Of scenes and person
ages from familiar operas, and though the pictures
were magnificent and much of the music pleas
ing "Asrael" had only five performances, and
when the record of the season was made up il
found stand thirteenth in a list Of seventeen
operas
At the bottom of this list stood two other
novelties OF the season, and If the public were be-
Iildered by ''AsraeI" they were thrown into
sternation by Der Vasau SzIgeth," and into
contemptuous raerriment by Diana Solange.'
Both OF these operas sung in German. Of
course, but Der VasaI" moi only had Italian
with modification composer like ''As-
raeL" but had originally been composed in Italian
and borne Italian name II Eassalo di Szigeth-
Here plainly concession 10 the Italian pre-
objections Of the stockholders But the composer
Dalmatian. like Won suppe, the operetta
composer. His native tongue Italian, but the
influence Of Austrian domination and Austrian art
had deeply affected his nationalism, and enabled
him infuse Hungarian subject (the story Of
Der Tasau" was Hungarian with Hungarian
musical color II therefore CHANGED that this
instance, when the stockholders seemed to have
bargained for Italian sweets, they got strong dose
OF Magyar papr1ka- AS for the libretto it offered
such a sup Of horrors had never been
and has hee-
since. Der VasaI Won Szigeth," which
brought forward on December p had four per
forraances in the season so, which
was probably much more than the cost of
staging the opera
The amused gossip touching the potency of new
influences which had begun with "AsraeI'
given fresh fuel BY the production Of Diana Won
Eolange-" Why an opera which had lain so LANCE
ito make an obvious German pun) IN the limbo OF
forgotten things, which, indeed had never enjoyed
& popularity of any kind, though il was thirty or
forty years old. should have been resurrecteo for
production in New York was question well calcu-
lated to iTTitate curiosity and provoke many i'll
raztIred sally Of wit Diana Solange"
the work of Ernest Il, Duke Of Saxe-Coburg
oSotha- The family which the duke belonged
had long dallied with music; that the public knew.
His ducaI highness's brother. the British Prince
Corsnrt affected the art in his time, and left evi-
cences Of good, sound taste in the story Of English
music, and Il was known that the Duke OF Edin-
ourgh lson of the Prince Consort and Queen Vic
torfa) was an amateur fiddler, quite capable Of
heading the band al a London smoking concert A
con1pIacent German photographer had even admit
ted Ernest II into the fellowship of Beethoven
but that fact not widely known. and after
Diana Won Solange'' had been produced the most
coeent argument in explanation OF its production
among the theatrical wits based on familiar
German stories OF the lavishness OF the Duke OF
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha IN the distribution of orders,
especially among musicians. No anecdote was
49, ~ le Nrr-