New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-03
NJ USIC,
Review of the Metropolitan Opera
Season.
AN EXTRAORDINARY RECORD.

The twenty-hfth regular season of opera al
the METROPOLITAN opera House came 10 an enc
las: night ard with il there was conciuoed
a chapter of musical history which VIII
never be recalled with pleasure by any lover
OF the art From beginning TO end II was
50 rermeated with petty lntrigues and DICK
e-ings between directors, conductors. artis1S
and underIing employees that ii Is now
scarcely possible to obtain a clear view OF
its artistic achievements because OF the oo-
scuration caused by the dust Of scandal
TIE season began with a proclamation OF
harmonious cooperation between the wv"
directors in scheme of unexampled mag
ri-idc; il ends with what amounts 10
dismissal of one Of the two because OF the
failure OF a policy which ought never 10
have been attempted but which he only
could have carried out. 1t ends, too, with
the proclamation Of another policy which
is as little likely 70 be successful as wes
the Cther Reduced 10 its lowest terms, the
plan which Mr.. Gatti-Casazza is to be en-
powered to enforce amounts 10 this: BATH
more viii be eliminated from the list OF
cities n which opera viii be given every
week throughout the season. ard the oper-
attic representations al The New Theatre In
this city VII be abandoned. But there VIII
be perforuan noes in Philadelphia every
Tuesday and in Brooklyn on Saturday
nights There may also be extra nlatinees
at the local house. This would seem almost
as large contract as that which has ad-
mittedly been a failure. Yet the force ~
choristers and Observation-Disclosures is 20 be re-
duced nearly one-haIf There will never he
two representations at the same TIM. Which
is a change for the good: but an agreement
will be entered into by which singers en-
gagged for New York. Boston or Chicago
will distribute their services among tre=e
cities. This means a saving of money 70
three companies (Which are as closely a.
flated as they we'll can be- and possibly
also a reduction of compensa ton TO the
singers; but IL is not quite apparent how
the local representations and the local rep
ertory are to benefit from the arrangement
IF singers like Caulso, Nine. Destinn, Nine.
Gadski Mime. Homer Mr. Slezak and n
few others. who have upheld all there was
of dignifed interest in the season just ended,
are 10 be shared with Boston and Chicago,
next year other singers OF equal merit must
be brought from abroad; and we do not
yet know where they will be found One
thing is certain, and that is that the Aldas.
de Pasqualis, Iipkowskas and Norias will
tinns. Gadskis. Fremstads and Homers
than they did for Mines Sembrich and
Eames But this is a matter to be deter
mined by the future
The season which ended last night began
on November Is. and thus endured twenty
weeks But the twenty weeks OF the local
subscription period do not sum up the
activities Of the company. These, as has
already been fntimated. were extraordinary.
The first performance was given in Brook
Ign on November s. and before the regular
season opened here representations were
also given in Philadelphia and Baltimore
There were also five performances in Bos-
ton in January and six last week Phila-
deIphia heard twenty-five performances.
and when the record is finished in Balti-
more on Tuesday and Wednesday of this
week that city viii have heard twenty
representations. During last week the COM
pany was divided between New York and
Boston. and there are yet in contemplation
Western tour and visit TO Atlanta,
where a phenomenal subscription and guar
artee have already insured financial sue
cess. The local season can be most clearly
and succinctIy set forth in tabular form,
it being promised that apparent discrepan-
Cies between the number OF occasions and
the number Of performances are to be ex-
plIiued by the fact that frequently two and
sometimes three works were brought for
ward oil one evening or afternoon. These
double and triple bills came TO be very uu-
nerous in the last month, when it was
found that the Russian dancers. Nine.
Pavlowa and NJ. MOrdkin. exerted a greater
attractive power than any combination of
singers.
sUBsCRIPTLON sEAsON At TIE METRO