The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19
THE PARIS OPERA.
Tribuistions Of ITS Present Management
Coming Reign OF NJ. ROuche.

self just now. What can we do for It
and with It?
The situation Is this: Messrs. Mes
sager and Broussan. the present man
ayers, cannot possibly go on till the end
OF their privilege. which expires on De-
cember 81 next. At that date, their con-
tract being at an end and having not
been renewed they must leave the place
and make room for the new manager,
NJ. Jacques Rouchc.
The management Of the French
Opera House. or the Academic Ma
tionale de Musique ct de Danse, as it
is officially styled. Is a very peculiar sort
of business. The building Is a national
property. 1t is given. free of charge,
Dor seven years to the manager or
managers appointed by the Minister Of
Public Instruction, subject 10 his or
their signing and accepting certain con-
ditions concerning the number of new
operas that shall be produced every
year, the rights of the lower personnel,
&c. and also the deposit of a guarantee
fund which amounts TO 100000 francs,
warranting the due fulfllment of the
contract.
This was done six years and a half
ago by NJ Messenger and NJ. Broussan,
the former a we'll known composer who
has been in the pulpit In the French
Opera Comique and at the London
Covent Garden, the latter Of lesser re-
nown but a political friend of the then
Minister of Instruction and Beaux-
| Arts, NJ BRAND. Their appointment
having been officially decreed. they or
ganized company for the exploitation
of the Opera and began business on
January l. 1908, succeeding to NJ. Pedro
Gaillard. who had managed the Academic
! Rationale de Musique during two sue
cesslve terms Of seven years.
Tee beginning of the undertaking
was rather difficult. One year was
scarcely over when Messenger and Brous-
san found Il necessary to increase their
capital 1t was brought up to 1000 900
francs and then things went on cabin
caha.
The Opera is n big and expensive
/ business. The receipts must amount
at least to 1900 francs for every per-
! Torrance. The schedule requires four
performances every week. To meet the
heavy expenditure, which is constantly
| increasing owing To the enormous prices
paid to all singers OF renown. the mana
gers and the shareholders had two prin-
| Clpdl SOuTt"S Oh TtBNldT revenues
namely. the subvention and the annual
payments of the subscribers to the
boxes and the pit seats. But these were
far from sufficient and the average re-
ceipts have been scarcely over 1900 or
$4,000 francs. leaving therefore an av-
eraea loss Of 5000 or 1000 francs four
| times a week.
Some nights, 1t is true. were far more
successful. The performances of "Parsi-
fall" for instance, have been quite re-
Smunerative. The first nights. with an
increased tariff and even the others
have left a good margin Of profit, but
this temporary flow of gold and bank
notes into the cash box has only post
poned and not arrested the final failure;
this Is the point we have come to.
The capital OF the company has nearly
vanished. In a few days Messenger and
Broussan will be unable to pay the
salaries of the formidable personnel Of
the Opera II things are left in tde pres
ent state, and the Opera will have to
be shut. The two managers have APP
pealed TO the Minister. They have
asked to be released from the obliga-
tons of their contract which bind them
up to the end Of the year.
What will the Minister do?
He can refuse outright the re-
quest of Messrs Messenger and Broussan
but he cannot compel them TO go on.
His only recourse against them would
be to seize the guarantee fund and Ia
use that sum and what remains due on
the subvention which is paid monthly
and which amounts to 100000 francs q
year. 10 run the Opera with an official
manager. This was done few months
ago in the case of the Odeon when the
director. NJ. Antoine. found himself In
such circumstances that he was Obliged
to withdraw; but the failure there was
complete and 1t would probably be COM
plete at the Opera.
The Minister may also appeal to NJ
Rouch6 and ask him TO take up The
/ management OF the Opera at once. But
it is very doubtful if NJ. Rouchs wouc
accept such proposal. His position /:
, quite different from that of Messenger
| and Broussan. or from that of any o'
his predecessors. He has no sharehold
; ers and 1t is his own money that Ii,
risks in the adventure he is undertaking
, For NJ. Rouche is rich man.
Formerly an artillery officer. he re
tired after marrying Mile. Piver, the onl,
daughter of we'll known perfumer
ana ne enjoys n big income. lie TOOK
fancy to the theatre a few years ago an,
has been the lessee OF the Theatre de-
. Arts, quite n small establishment, wher
he has generously lost, without an!
= prospect OF profit. some hundreds o
n thousands OF francs. He knows VIVA
= losing money In the theatrical business
{ L. and he must also know that tn
management of an opera house Is
very costly and never highly Lucrative
. adventure. He has seen what has jus
:, happened to the Boston company at IN
Theatre des Champs Elysees, and n
y has seen how things are going on IN al
3 the great European capitals which h
= has visited during the last months an,
j where the accounts are regularl.
y squared from the private purse OF tn
sovereigns or by means Of subscription
fonds perdus made by rich amateurs
He surely knows, therefore. that hi
management will probably cost him, 70
his seven years. about the same sum
has cost Messenger and Broussar
that is about 100000 francs; but
Is probable that he wishes to run tina
risk with a free hand that Is. with hi
own programme; and that programm