Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-02-14
OPERA GAINING
ADDED SUPPORT
American Managers Find
Their Troubles Dimin.
ishing Each Season

the American Orora manager. lie h.
beginning 70 see a safe financial har-
bor Until recent years the business
OF opera has been more than ordin-
prily hazardous. hut II the success
won by the Metropolitan. the Phil
adelphia- Chicago and the Boston OPP
era companies continues II will not
be long before the impresarlos may
slap fat pocketbooks AMI smile on
tentedly. /
The Metropolitan. especially. has
! cause 10 look like tho cat that swal-
lowed the canary, for the excellent
reason that this years surplus will
approach the 100000 mark. The
Chicago company will
ABOUT pay expenses and the Boston
! institItion expects TO do almost as
well. Only a short time ago all three
companies found trouble in securing
from the public enough support 10
pay the yearly bills. but the growth
/ Of opera In America has now assumed
such proportions that many helleye
llt only a matter OF time until all
| cities Of a quarter OF a million ~
lover will have their " opera
houses.
When this time comes It will offer
4 fine opportunities TO the many Amer
lean singers preparing for opera TO
! secure their stage experience In their
own country instead Of being com
PEELED 10 20 abroad for II. Like
wise. slch 4 state OF affairs viii
broaden the musical possibilities for
all engaged in the profession and
make the United States the first NIT
steal country in the world.
I'm the old opera DAYS, when Henry
+. Abbey and Maurice Grau fought
for recognition on this side of the
Atlantic, their monetary worries kept
them awake nights. These men not
only had TO raise thousands OF dol
lars every season before they could
sign contracts with the foremost Flu
ropean stars. but they also had other
heavy expenses lirior to the time
when the curtain rose on the first
performance OF the year.
These days the chief executives of
the three leading opera companies OF
the United States can rely upon the
I comfortable advance subscriptions
which form the mainstay Of the TWEEN
ty-odd weeks that covers TIE yearly
opt-ations-and also look for In
creased supTbrt from the general
public that buys its tickets for sepG-
rate performances.
Oscar Hammerstein's recent ulti'
matum TO the %operagoers OF London
to the effect that he would close his
house unless satisfactory subscrip.
tions we're forthcoming sounded he
keynote OF the opera managers
needs. without a fair season sub.
sCription the uncertainty OF proyid.
4, ling a long series of presentations Il
f, too risky, and this is causing the va
/. rious im~presarios 30 give mor'
{ thought to this end Of the cuisines
than ever before
No little interest Is heinr sho VI
% I'm the coming tour 10 De mad.
- throughout the United States by IN.
London symphony Orchestra undo
n the direction Of Arthur Nikiseh. look
ed upon as one of tho most h%rlllian
conductors that ever lived. 10 Is SOW
b. cral years since ,hc former Ioader o
the Boston symphony Or0h.ftrl IN
o. exercised his gifts To- Mi and an
DIS efforts win De VOL worth %
, serving.
while his orianizatiou may No
rank as a musical body v.'h some q
: the best We have over here. 4 Is cen
r. tain that Nikisch will got more frOr
them than almost any conductor VII
can he mentioned. This mrslcia
:" has the musical KNOWLEDGE and m
z, temperament 20 accomplish urusu;
things, and he Is certain 10 maxi
musiclo'ers attending the concerts
is 10 conduct 10 sit mp an dtake m,
steal notice.