The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-28
Hammerstein C apitu.
lates and Quits Grand
Opera Field.
LEAVES RIVALS
IN POSS ESSION
Famous 1mpressario Sells His
Holdings to Metropolitan Com
pany for $4,000, 900, and
Ends Unique Career in
Development Of Opera
in America.

New York, April 2T.--Oscar Hammer
stein has abandoned the field of grand
opera Through Samuel Untermeyer.
his counsel, and his son, Arthur, he
announced tonight that he had ca
pitulated to the exactions of the ar
tistic temperament which. aided and
battered by competition. now demand
e.i salaries which. IT paid, meant
bankruptcy, and II refused meant no
performance. Both his own and the
Metropolitan Opera Company faced de
fcits, he said, for the season Just
closed Therefore, he had concluded
that the public here and elsewhere
would be better served by one COM
pany in the field. and as the Metropoli
tan had through its stockholders what
| amounts TO a subsidy. he left 1t to
fulfil the public need.
| e. T. Stotesbury. the banker and
horseman, will take over the Phiiadel-
phia opera House by the terms of an
agreement ratified last night by Mr..
| Untermyer and u. 3. Root, for Ham
merstein Mr.. Stotesbury and Paul ID.
Cravath, for the Metropolitan Opera
| Company Hammerstein retains his
| Manhattan opera House here, which he
| will probably turn over to vaudeville.
| but his costumes, scenery and all othcr
properties. together with all his con
tracts for next season, pass to the
Metropolitan for cash consideration.
which, with the amount paid by Mr..
Stotesbury. Will guarantee him a total
of s2,ooo.ooo.
"Giad and sorry"
By the terms of the settlement to-
night, it is not thought Hammerstein
will ever appear again as an impress
/. sario When informed to-day b. cable
that the agreement had been signed,
he cabled back: "I am glad and ain
sorry"
Hammerstein has been both pic
tupesqEe personality and significant
figure in the development OF opera
in America. AS a producer of opera
in English he gained profit and praise
in years gone by, but IL was not until
1905. when he opened the Manhattan
Opera house. with Nine. Nellie Melbi
as his leading star that he began To
i loom large on the horizon. The popu-
lar support accorded the first per-
forrlance grew as the season aged.
The following year Hammerstein
sought energetically for novelties, and
gradually built up repertoire IN
which the works of modern French
composers predominated.
Two years ago. Hammersten startl-
. ed the musical world with Richard
strauss's "salome, with Mary Gar.
den in the title role. after the Metro
i. politan had abandoned 1t. This year,
he followed with "Elektra," by the
same composer
! 4 venture in the field of opera
comique with a separate company
! was abandoned last season. after a
, short trial. and so-called Educational
, season. at popular prices. though car
! lried to completion, was not box office
success.
New Agreement Made.
!, Philadelphia, Pa, April 27.-Follow-
} ling the sensational announcement from
New York of Mr.. Hammersteins salt
. of his operate interests to the Metro.
politan Opera Company. and his re-
tirement from the grand opera field
z. T. Stotesbury, the wealthy Philadel
phian, who came to Mr.. Hamerstein'
rescue last season and loaned hin
100000 on his opera house here, ant
again this season, when he guaran
(, teed the impressario against loss whel
: he was threatened with financial dis
aster in his local season. gave out
: statement equally interesting.
i In it he tells of the purchase o
!. the Hammersten property in Phla
) delphia and an agreement whereof
!, Philadelphia joins next season wit
~ Chicas go, New York and Boston In TIL
!. production of grand opera. Mr.. Stotes
I. bury will become member OF TIL
board of directors Of the metropolitan
. Opera Company, and Otto H. Kahn
+ Clarence H. Mckay and William K
. Vanderbilt will join the directorate o
II the Philadelphia organization.
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