Evening star., 1915-12-12
Max Rabinof,
biography of an Impresario.

bosiapAs VI an lWpfesarlo
| Max Rabinoff. poor today. in spite of
| the successes he has achieved, full of
belief in fate and victory at present as
when he first landed in Chicago, will
go down in the musical history of
America for his efforts to create a real
movement for grand opera throughout
this country. Few careers are more
romantic than that of the man who
commenced as an impresario by arrang-
ssslg settlement concerts i'll Chicago and by
giving music lessons to the poor children
of the laboring districts.
Max Rabinof was born in Russia
Until the age of fifteen he lived in
Moscow, where his father was an at
torney He studied at the Rubinstein
Music School, and had it not been for
his desire to see the worlds fair in
Chicago, today probably he would have
been an artist instead of an impre-
Sario. His parents would not hear of
his going to Chicago, and SO he ran
away from home
Il really couldn't tell in a consecutive
way how l worked my way across Rus
sia. Europe and the ocean" he tells
suffice IL to say that when | finally
did arrive i'll Chicago | was a very
tired and very much disappointed boy
who would have given great deal to
be home again | was too proud to
many months my people didn't know
where ! was.
when hunger became my daily com
panion. after my last penny was spent
| found job stripping tobacco at SO
week. 1t was the starting point in my
American career. | didn't have steady
work. and there We're many days when
! really and truly starved. 1t was
then through my coming in contact
with the real people. that | first con-
ceived the idea of bringing music to
them
In the course OF time 1 became an
upholsterer, and later entered the Uni
versity of Illinois, supporting myself
by working at my trade at night. ]
mad no piano. | loved pouring out my
suferlngs and my dreams in improvs-
ing. so | obtained permission to use oc-
casionally a piano in one of ChicaGo's
largest piano factories. There the head
OF the concern took sufficient interest
IN me to invite me to enter his employ
as collector during vacation time.
My next step was to become a sales
man.. and when easier days came |
found partial outlet for my dreams
by teaching music free of charge at
night in the various Chicago settle
ments. / organized a self -educa tional
club. which later became the Hebrew
institute of Chicago, and a elf-culture
club, which today is the biggest Polish
institution.
Il also organized the so-called piano
centers. and to come into closer touch
with the masses | began to arrange
concerts. making my debut as impre-
Sario in 1893.
Il began to interest the heads of va
rious musical institutions in Chicago
in my work. | induced the people |
came into contact with to study music.
and one of the pleasantest recolIections
of my work is that the Musical College
of Chicago and the American Conserva-
tory of Music gave me six free scholar
ships every year. Thanks to each,
there are several young artists who are
rapidly winning celebrity throughout
the world.
Il went to Europe. visited nearly
every opera house and studied its
methods. and it was then that ] con-
company in Chicago, one that would
form the nucleus Of similar organiza-
tions throughout the United States.
Il organized the Philharmonic Or
chestra, and starting a series of Sun
day afternoon concerts at which one
could hear really first-class orctes-
ira, a famous opera star and a cele-
brated instrumentalist for the small
sum of 11l- cents. and then in 1895 l
commenced an active aganda for
permanent opera company.
81 encountered at first disheartening
opposition. ] was laughed at: l was
ridiculed. and it is a gratifying recol-
lection that the man who turned the
JlUe IN FAVOR ana VINO dppedEcd
as my chief and practically my only
supporter was the late Charles
Frohman. whose interview in one of
the Chicago papers practically started
things my way
But I was far from realizing my
dreams. Although the Chicago Asso
citation of Commerce voted a subsidy
of $4,000 a year for three years; al
though others came to our assistance,
and although Oscar Hammerstein was
to cooperate with us. | was doomed
to disappointment. The failure was
still more heart-breaking because the
site was selected and purchased and
the plans were drawn. Mr.. Hammer
stein refused point-blank TO tolerate
even an architect in an advisory
capacity. and that brought about the
failure. When the Metropolitan Opera
Company bought out the Hammerstein
organization the last straw of hope
became apparently lost to me.
Il came to New York to organize an
operate company, but abandoned that
because the idea of introducing the
Russian ballet in this country seemed
TO me at the moment the more at
tractive one. And so | engaged
Pavlowa. I date from that time as a
real inpresario.
In 1910 / was director of the operate