The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-09
THE OPERA HOUSE REPORT
SPECULATION ON ITS POSI-
BILITIES.


what Might He Discussed by tho Metro
poiitan Opera Company InvestiEa-
ting OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES No One
Can Tell what Has Been Discussed.
Now that the dust of the operatio season
has settled and most Of the performers
and some OF the managers have sailed
across the western ocean, 1t appears that
some matters interesting TO those who
observe the progress Of musical incidents
have been left in a state Of uncertainty.
sSarise time ego. it will be recalled. . com
mittee OF members OF the Metropolitan
Opera Company was appointed by that
corporation to examine into the conduct
of the affairs Of the company and report
In regard to various conditions regarded
a. not perfectly satisfactory.
That the report was completed and
laid before the board OF directors long ago
has ut no time been a secret. For this
reason 1t is perhaps significant that no
detail OF its findings has found its way
into the fierce light Of publicity. To be
sure the report and its contents belonged
in a certain sense wholly to the Metro
politan Opera Company, but In another
sense it might be expected TO concern
deeply a public which expends yearly
very large sums on operatio entertain
ment. Although this is the cas 1t has,
probably for good reasons, not been the
policy Of the board Of directors to expose
tine details OF the document.
The situation itself, however, suggests
x-.> .e;o%c .rh;oh ri0ht naturally haya
been discussed in the report and some
findings which IL made would incline the
board to profound quiet. For example,
suppose that the committee, deeply con-
oefned about the great deficit staring
the company in the face, had investi-
gated carefully the cost Of giving opera
In the leading lyric theatres Of the world
and compared it with the cost OF giving
1t at the Metropolitan Opera House.
Suppose tho committee had found. for
instance, that 1t costs less than 500, 900
a q to give opera at the Theatre ALA
Scala In Milan, while here 1t costs more
than a million. 1t might in such a case
be pertinent for the committee to ask
why an impresario accustomed to giving
opera on the lower scale should have
been selected to conduct the affairs OF
the Metropolitan. and that too without
any previous knowledge Of conditions
in this city. Naturally this inquiry would
lead to another, as to Why works fore
doomed to failure, such az lie Will
and sLawally." should havebeen mounted
at large expense, Undoubtedly the COM
mittee would have found that the impre-
sario Knew that these operas had been
failures in Italy. and it NIGH have found
also that their production here was the
result Of inability on the part Of the i'm
presario to appreciate tho advanced
state Of American taste.
Perhaps the preservation Of secrecy
In regard to the details Of the report
was not occasioned by consideration
for the feelings Of the impresario.
There might easily have been some other
reason Suppose the committee had gone
80 far as to suggest that the action OF the
executive committee. OF at least OF some
of it's members. had not always been
judicious. Then indeed there would be
excellent ground for keeping the contents
OF the report secret. Internal disagree
ments have already been at
the Metropolitan. but thus far they have
appeared to be entirely between Messrs.
Gatti-C asazza and DIPPED.
If,it became known that there were also
differences Of opinion among the direc-
tors themselves, such diff erenoes as might
give rise to harsh feelings. it would be
most d~eplorable. For instance. II the re-
port should declare that a contract for
two more years between the company
on the one side and Messrs. Gatti- Casazza
and Toscanini on the other had been
placed in the hands Of the chairman Of
the executive committee with power 10
conclude it at such time as the newcomers
had demonstrated their whole worth, and
II the report should in substance recount
that this contract was concluded immedi-
ately after one opera had been meritori-
ously produced, this would certainly read
like a censure of that chairman. II such
a matter we're set forth in the report the
board Of directors would with good reason
decide that the document ought not to
be made public. :
Let us suppose. however. that this
particular chairman, finding his time too
much occupied, resigned his post and
that another chairman took up his oner-
Gus duties. What would be the feeling
among the directors il they learned that
the report also recorded certain facts
in regard to this new chairman apparently
In a spirit OF criticism. or at least in the
hope that improvement might be made?
Suppose it appeared that in certain mat
tiers this chairman, somewhat after the
manner Of his predecessor. had taken
the affairs OF the company into his WI
hands and in plain English done as he
pleased. II. for example, he had de-
spatched to Europe to select singers for
the new theatre such an unrepresentative
person as the private secretary Of the
general manager Of the opera house. the
report might possibly find this a ground
for disagreeabie comment.
II in the course OF the season 1t came to
b the case that this chairman attained the
position Of actual manager Of the theatre.
while the general and administrative
managers were obliged to oonfine their
activities to the execution OF his designs.
II would.hardly be the situation contem-
plated by the formation OF the company.
The report might and probably would
not speak OF this condition Of affairs, but
II might make record OF certain details
which could not have come into existence
except in this manner.
II these matters were discussed In the
report II would indeed be strange II the
chairman Of the board would allow any