New-York tribune., 1909-04-27

stock company. The new playwrights Of Germany,
too. Sudermann. Fuda. Bleibtreu and Hauptmsnn
made familiar here IN the German before they
known in English Tickets TO these per
formanCes were sold AT special pupils. and
the German Theatre came TO he considered in
measure educational inCtitutiOn-
Mr., Conried's regime at the Metropolitan Opera
House began with the season of 1s03-4 on the re-
tremeut of Maurice Grau on account of I'll health
Mr.. Grau sold the possessions of his company to
. the Heinrich Conried Opera Company These prop
critics included contracts with several singers whom
Mr.. Grau had engaged for the next season Che
of the contracts Mr.. Conried thus took over was
that with Enrico Caruso. the famous tenor. and
it was that good fortune which did much 10 con-
tinue the prosperity Of the Metropolitan Opera
House Much of the Grau organization was re-
/ tanned by the management including the Ger
man conductor. Alfred Hertz To it was added by
Mr.. ConTied Ackte, Marion Weed. Olive Fremstad.
Edvth Walker Eleischer-E Edel, Lima Cavaiiert,
Geraldine Farrar AICis BUrgstaller, Heinrich knote
and the conductor Mottl.
/ The most striking act of Mr.. COnrieds career
was the production of Wagner's "Parsifal' in the
first season. in defiance of the protests Of the
/ composers heirs. That opera had never before
been given outside of Wagner's own theatre, at
Bayreuth. account of the copyright law OF Ger
many which prevented production there till the
Wagner copyright shall expire. in 1913 There were
eleven representations OF ''Parsifal in that first
season at double the usual prices. and the re-
cepts totalIed S1s6Gs 60 besides about $4,000 at an
extra performance for the benefit of the manager
Mr. Conried is considered have made his fatal
mistake. however. when he tried to follow up the
/ .ParsifaI" sensation with the production Of the
! "SaIor,e' OF Richard Strauss Its production
aroused such general protest that the directors
/ compelled its withdrawal This decision was
/ great disappointment to the director. There are
! MANY who attribute to this cause his phSsical
! breakdown.
! Mr. Conried was active I'm the movement for
national endowed playhouse, which resulted IN the
New Theatre, recently dedicated in Central Park
/ West between SD and 62d streets In December
! 1906, Mr.. Conried appointed by the FOUNDERS
/ first general administrator OF the New Theatre
! During the season of 1866 the director became
involved in a dispute with his chorus over the ques-
| ton of wages. and on the night of January . ne
was Obliged to present Faust without chorus
tho singers going out Just before the performance
/ It was the first appearance of Mrhe- Eames tnat
/ season.
| In that season also he figured in a test case OF
! the Sunday closing ordinance. He was arrested
but was acquitted in the Court of Special sessions
Heinrich Conreid was born in Belitz Silesla'
! Austria in 1850. His father was weaver ana nc
/ received little education. He early eVlnceu d ue-
/ sire to go on the stage but an unappreclatiVe
| father apprentced him a weaver But the ar
| tistfc passicn proved too strong and he fed For
| ster of the Burg Theater, took him up, and there
/ as super in 1873 he began his career Under the
/ name of Robert Bucholz he appeared In Leipslc'
Berlin and Bremen.
II was in the last named city that circumstances
! thrust managerial duties the young actor Ihe
Stadt Theater failed month after his arrival. and
Conred took il up and carried the season through
! Then he came to New York. In 1878, under Adolf
Neuendorf. as stage manager at the old GerTnanla
| Theater later Pastors. Tammany Hall Ma
/ thiIde CottreIy lured him over to the Thalia-
| Next Conried and Carl Hermann brought over
Ernest yon Possart to the Thalia, but the venture
/ failed in two years.
1t was as stage manager for Rudolf Aronson at
/ the Casino that the young German staged some Of
the most famous light operas given here Those
! were the days when Della Fox was first star
| Then he went in with Carl Hermann as manager
/ OF a road company.
| In 1892 he assumed the management of the Irving
! Place Theater, buying it from William Steinway-
! He remained director there till year ago To this
! theatre he brought stars like Sonnenthal Soma
| George Enge!s, Ludwig Barnay Helene Odlon and
| Kathi Schrath.
Then, in 1905. he won the dictatorship OF the
Metropolitan away from Damrosch. c. f Ellis
and George Wilson. His success was brief The
sensational arrest of Caruso. it is said, proved
| severe strain the directors Then the
end of that season came the San Francisco disaster
| when SlO6OOO had to be refunded by the companv
| on tour The 'Salome" incident followed. That
proved the climax. He I'll at the time with
Iocomotor ataxia at his home in West list street
and was only a spectator of the contest The
| venture cost him least $4,000. Finally. his own
| directors bought him year ago. The price
said to have been offered him $4,000. OF which
SOS 900 was paid. AS part ground owner of the new
theatre. ne said to hold a further claim OF
100000
/ Aside from his theatrical and operatic ventures.
Mr. Conried was for years connected with the com
pany which rented chairs on ocean steamers. From
! this he made considerable fortune.
! The last two years of his life he spent in charge
| Of Dr. Frankel Swiss expert. and finally at
Meran. in the Austrian Tyrol. hoping TO regain his