New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-13
Experiments With Cheap and
English Operas-A Lesson
That Experience
Might Convey.

The City Club of New York, having
listened TO the siren voices of Walter
Damrosch. Horatio Parker. Nine. Gadsh
and Mme. Gluck under the emolllent in
auences Of the table last spring. has
taken upon itself the burden Of satisfy
ing what il cOnceives to be crying need
oc the people Of New York. That need is
more opera of a popular kind. municipal
opera" the committee, which has been
heavy with the burden for long period
Of CESSATION. calls IT, The committee
made report at second luncheon yes
to-day afternoon. and an account Of what
was said and done ON that occasion will
no doubt be found i'm the news columns
Of ,his journal The purpose Of this writ
inc is To- illuminate the general PROPOSE
ton which the City club has called up
with the cold light of facts which streams
from thel local operate history Of the
last three decades during which time the
Nctropolitan Opera House has been in
existence. There may also be occasional
comment ON some of the phases OF the
situation which show kinship with the
movement which the City Club has
fathered
OF course. there would be no such
movement unless there existed somewhere
a strong conviction that New York needs
more opera than IS supplied by the Metro
politan Opera Company working six days
in the week for twenty-three weeks every
season. That conviction. or something
Ike il. has existed ever since opera was
invented. some, three hundred and twenty
years ago TOia like conviction is due the
circumstance that the operate shores for
centuries are strewn with managerial
wrecks. Why professional purveyors OF
public amusements. impresarios. man
ayers. promoters and the like. shonld be
eager TO follow what history shows 10 be
the veriest will-o'-the- wisp. even though
il lead them into a debtors prison. as it
did the philosophical Taylor Of London
, (whereat he rejoiced because Of the pro-
lection which the prison walls gave him
from his singers as well as his creditOrs).
is not hard TO understand. They are OF
The race Of gamblers-wiling TO play
large stakes especially with the money
Of other men. I'm the hope Of hitting II
some day and making large winnings. \
different explanation must be found for
the zeal Of such men as constitute the
Metropolitan opera Company and the
committee of the City Club. They must
be acquitted of all thought Of financial
profit The former are concerned prima-
rily, perhaps. in maintaining an institu-
ton which gives them a badge Of social
distinction. This, at least, is the case
with the company owning the Opera
House The other operating" company
so TO speak. may be actuated partly by
the same motive. partly by love OF art
and IN a very small degree by financial
considerations. The reference is 10 the
present organization, OF course. In the
time Of Mr. Grau. when the artistic poll
cies were fixed which are operative now.
the motive was wholly mercenary. and so
well did the astute manager know the
wants and whims Of his public that be
retired a rich man. as did also Mr.. Con-
gled Mr.. Graus stockholders, however,
made money with him; whether or not
Mr. Corried's did is more or less a mat
ter II surmise.
THE POPULAR CRAVING"
An these men are in different case
from the operate zealots Of the City
club. VINO seem to think It a patriotic
duty'to give "the people" more opera IN
compliance with what they believe TO be
q popular craving.