Evening star., 1909-04-27
HEINRICH HCONR|EDD|ES
Former Director of Grand
Opera Victim of ApopIexy.
BEGAN LIFE AS WEAVER
Health Undermined by Worries Over
Metropolitan Singers.
RESIGNED NEARLY YEAR AGO
Benefit Performance Melted $4,000
for Him-Silver Cup From
Company.
BEGAN LIFE AS WEAVER
RESIGNED NEARLY YEAR AGO

SOAAAkAAAys
MERAN. Tyrol, Austria. April o7.-Hein-
rich Conried, former director of the Met
ropolitan Opera House in New York. who
; suffered an apopiectic stroke several
days ago, died at 2:3O yesterday morning.
i Career of Heinrich Conried.
from the Metropolitan Opera House, Herr
Director ,Conried died
For two years he had been failing, and
the worry of managing grand opera. COM
bined with the exceptional stress that fell
upon him at the time, stress that he
experienced over the Caruso scandal,
among other things, wore out his energy
and left him physical wreck.
l In his final letter of farewell to the
opera goers, Mr.. Conried wrote:
1.-THE patrons of the Metropolitan Opera
House not only desire an ensemble of the
most eminent artists. but also a mise
en- scene of high artistic standard
/ In the all-around perfection OF his per-
formances he took special pride.
/ Heinrich Conried was born in Bielitz.
Silesia, September I3 1885. His father was
a weaver and had no sympathy with the
artistic aspirations Of his son. He wanted
him to follow his own trade. and insisted
| that at any rate he should serve his ap-
premiership at the loom.
| Not till he had worked for two years
| and had woven a Faust and Marguerite
in fifteen colors might he earn his freedom
and the right to shape his career as he
would himself choose it.
/ Then he went Vienna, and obtaining a
place, first in a commission house, then in
a bank. turned his energies toward get
| ting on the stage He met Forester, the
stage manager of the Burg Theater. and
was taken in hand by him. He had to
promise that he would either duality for
the stage in five weeks or give up forever
the idea of being an actor.
Stage Career Begins.
For three weeks he met his instructor at
8 o'clock every morning in the Auer Gar
den, and received his instructions as
they paced the walks At the end Of that
time he was chosen by the Burg Theater,
and his career on the stage began.
| Mr.. Conried afterward filled engage
ments in Berlin, Leipsic and Bremen. In
| the latter city he had his first expert
| ence as a stage manager.
| The Stadt Theater failed, and he was
| called upon by the other members of the
dramatic and operatic company to take
over the management. He was only
| twenty-one, but was SO successful that
| the Bremen Senate passed a resolution
| thanking him.
This success called him to the attention
| of Adolph Meuendorff, who was at that
| time manager Of the Germania Theater in
| this city. Mr.. MeuendOrf invited him in
| 1878 to come to America as chief stage
manager, on the understanding that he
| should also appear in character parts
| While he was with the Germania Thea
ter company he starred in several cities,
and in 1881 went to the Thalia Theater
| {Cf4o
joint manager with Mr.. Hermann. In the
same year he transferred his services to
the New York Concert Company and
| became the artistic manager of the Ca
| sino.
With this organization he staged many
of the best known light operas, among
! them being 'Nanon," "Amorita :" 1.-The
Gypsy Baron "Poor Jonathan" and
| 'Apollo..
Goes to Irving Place Theater.
| After leaving the Casino he managed
for short time travelling company in
partnership with Carl Hermann; and
| then. in 1893, he entered upon one of the
| ventures with which his name has been
chiefly associated in New York.
| Gustav Amberg had tried to run the
German Theater in Irving place, but had
made a failure OF it. Mr.. Conried decided
| that he could convert 1t into a success,
and threw himself into it with the utmost
energy.
He changed its name to the Irving
Place Theater, provided its patrons with
a large choice Of plays, and determined
to present stars only at the end of the
season. He relied upon the general
| strength OF his company for attracting
and keeping a clientele.
In the first season he presented no less
than seventy-one plays. OF which forty
six were novelties, and in his manage
ment he produced we'll over 800 Among
his most notable productions in the Irving
rh;c Place house house were ,, "Masda" "Jugend,"
| 'COrolanus,' Julius Caesar Strauss
operas and Millocker's operas.
| He also introduced several Of the lead
ing German actors and actresses to New
York audiences, among them being Agnes
Sorma, Adoiph Sonnenthal. George En-
gels, Ludwig Barnay. Helene Odilon and
Katherine Schrott.
In 1903 Conried began his connection
| with the Metropolitan Opera House, when
| he was invited to succeed Maurice Grau.
He started in at once to reorganize the
entire institution, even to rebuilding the
stage and its mechanism. He organized
| q regular corps Of stage hands, extended
| the time in which the orchestra and cho-
| rus were under engagement, so that they
might be drilled to greater excellence, and
| set himself to recast the repertoire so as
to diversity it and to introduce to New
York number of operas previously un-
| In the very first season he decided that
| he would produce Richard Wagner's
| ''ParSifal." In this he ran contrary not
| only to the wishes of Nine. Wagner, who
declared that her husbands work should
| be performed nowhere but at Baireutl1,
but also stirred up much opposition among
| the clergy of the city, who objected to an
opera based on the theme of the Holy
| Grail.
| Nine. Wagner tried to get the courts to
| prevent the production but the absence
of copyright laws on this point prevented
such interference. Finally the work was
| presented, with great success, its eleven
performances bringing in some $1S6,OoO.
Brought Caruso Here.
1t was Mr.. Conried who introduced Ca
ruso to New York. He had already
great reputation in Italy, but had re-
fused all offers to come to America until
Mr.. Conried persuaded him Other IA
nous singers engaged by Conried were
| Olive Fremstad, Edyth Walker, Marion
Weed, Lima Cavalieri, Geraldine Farrar.
| Emma Abbott and Marie Rappold
| May 1, 1905 he terminated four years
| connection with the Metropolitan A
great testimonial performance had been
rendered to him March a. at which near
| ly all the stars appeared. 1t brought him
in $4,000. and he received as well sill
| yer loving cup from the directors of the
Metropolitan Opera Company.
| Mr.. Conried sailed almost Immediately
/ for Europe. and since then had been ltv-
ing in retirement.