New-York tribune., 1910-04-17

L = ve--v obvious that The books Of the
Metropolitan Ore4a Company are not closed
when the curtain goes down on the last
persorraance ~ the season in the msgnif-
cert Ivrfc playhouse in upper Broadway
That Incident occurred g fortnight ago,
but tie opeaa hae made more noise. meta
pEo-ics-lv n Lot literally, since then than
s. did in month before. Performances
contracted for have been concluded since
theu sn Brooklyn. Boston. Baltimore and
lslttsburg, ana others are progressing IN
Cri.aeo and other cities in The West. In
city after city the people, II the news
1apers ere - be believed tand il is not Tor
as 10 csestion them, have proclaimed
Their seslous pangs and desperation,
I'.lry, frantic Indignation,
Depth of pains ard height OF passion
F'or the f8ir disdanful dame.
,Sobodv is satisfied; nor public. nor artist.
ror manager. The plant Is universal,
and the wonder OF il all is that no one
seems TO have tried to explain il on the
ground OF common sense. The American
people are assumed 20 be onera mad New
York had had more opera than city
.yice its size ought 10 have been expected
70 maintain except on 3 basis Of honesty
sn the business management and virtue IN
its artistic conductl. yet Il was suddenly
called on 20 support al least a hundred
performances more. which performances
meant not Improvement in artistic excel
lence but only increase OF expenses for the
benefit 81 persons some of them too smaI
artistioallv. Others too mean and unneces-
sary otherwise. 10 afford an excuse FOR their
1,resence. In the matter OF the operas cost
the public. il IS easy TO say, has no inter
est. II we have body Of public spirited
citizens willing. in order that We shall en-
5ov opera. 10 bear The burden which is as
Humed hy governments and monarchs IN
foreign lands the greater should be our
rride in democracy ana in the possession
o. such citizens. They are thrice nobler
than kings and princes. But 50 long a. the
ultimate existence OF opera depends upon
the public. that public has right 10 exact
aid pro quo Cor its contr buttons ana 10
measure the virtue of its demands by arts
tic instead OF other considerations. To oe
piaiu. ii the cost Of opera giving has been
Increased more by folly I'm the business aa-
rruistration than by the demands or 1he
artists IL is wrong 10 0Aarge The increase
10 the rspacity of singers. III is douplN
wrong 90 make the charge when the ao-
r,infe-rarfon has displayed gross Ignorance,
or something worse, in the engagement oi
The singers. u is no excuse 10 say that
obtsinahlc. when other artists unsuitable
ave walking Broadway earning hush
Nancy. IL is less an excuse 10 employ haI
dozen l1eveons Of infinitesimal artistic
sipniacance 20 sing the Same roles when
,,ot one OF them is acceptable 20 the puohc
i,- amy one Of the roles. Here is WheHs the
ovs--r1e Of Maurice Grsu never lauded
@cr his artistic devotion, but never 10 pe
forgotten Tor the business spirit which gave
-be rublic always Of the besD becomes
Uuuinatlyc and even admirable.
>-ev- vo-l. has suffered little hut not
50 much as other cities. whose pubic spirit
"a citizens came forward with Guarantee
fund. from the expansion policy which
,l.s been made the scapegoat fer the sea
.,e,,s failure: but IL the policy announced
sor next season Is read Alright il means the
s4rna polic,- with promise Of smaller re-
,.,.rts 10 the people of New York. Ii the
,,..rs is "a matter of public concern there
.r-cIr 10 be no ulncing o. matters on the
mart OF commentators. nor false preiencs
oa the part ~ the PurNeyots- Ne" hoIA
can have as good opera a. is obtainaoe III
rn. world without loss TO the gentlemen
who lave voluntarily undertaken me sia-
,ious task Of giving 81 to the city. Il these
s-f-t1crrcn are willing. a. they have 50 loud
l, -,foeeSsed 80 Doe. TO give IL Al a sacrlhce'
-t,er t-. publIc are entitled 10 IL Ia return
-a~ "a generous and mcomplaiuing support
In the dav~ not long past the Metropolitan
ouers House echoed TO the greatest singers
sr -r. world and The managers mace
money, Tre smaller singers of to-day can
,,af cost So much more as 10 make . loss
of hundreds Of thousands OF dollars N
.,itahle. The matter b. not summed up lh
,.arl-so. Conried made money when he TOOK
,,-e~ taruso as a valuable legacy IRON
Grau And t Is TO be questioned II Caruso
has over drawn as much money nish'
-r,n. tle Metropolitan eNchequer as Jeal
al. Re~zke did in Dis palmy days. Yet IN
fra-, da-s yre had not only Jean de kes]he'
bgt S,mhfich. Eames Edouard De Reszke.
and beside 1aom as excellent an ensemble
s. tHs cuIlIe company to-day u must
Therefore Do. folly 90 say that the increa sea
.o-t of opera is Que 10 the rapacity %
singers Tho present company ought -
cost Jess tHau the company which Grsu l'i'
rr his SUCCESSOR. If it costs more, the fault
1It- with OBJ, sys'em which the manage
rrrrt Hss permitted 20 grow up not with
rra market price n such "a term may pe
pcfm.tted.
The Notropo..tan compsny-that is, its
main hraneh-is hIHuE a months engage
lrerf iu Chicago Tho first week was 80
....-.... a...,....or raffrrrl r-.f The hi