New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-25
THE. SEASONS DIFFICULTIES DUE TO
OUTBREAK OF WAR IN EUROPE

O.r,. .r n few external things did the
ss.sar inst closed differ from Its re-
cont predecessors and these things
yrs~s ror-essortials, since the artistic
r,ro-ra-s of the season would have been
he same had they not existed. Last
wear -he directors Of our operate IN
:t,.r-.or were vexed and worried in
undue measure by the threats OF rival
~ made bv Oscar Hammersteln. heSe
threats were mere brVtuW lNiWH, but
.ror -r~ccG 10 keep up a kind Of
,~...-..r which. i'm q small degree, pre-
vco-s. -ao public from se.uing 90" i
% .DrtcrteG enjoyment OF the Things
vt..a were offered them. They did not
sr,.. the activities Of the opera com
PANS. which were larger and more ener-
c,..r than those of the season just
ended. The outbreak OF the european
Y.I was "a greater obstacle IN the way
o. the directors enterprise TINS sea-
SOL. IL had been removed before the
opening day arrived, and even before
me directors had put forth their Tor
ma. PROSPECTUS; but u doubtless dld
some mischief 20 the seasons sub
scru..ous. and thus affected the tinan-
ca. outcome. For a short time 1t ap-
reared as 81 the existence Of the opera
was threatened Many of the people
concerned iu our opera are foreigners
who hasten back 10 Europe as soon as
the season is over. either 10 become
tr..s.cally active in the London Covent
Garden season or 20 rest IN their old
homes. With the outbreak Of hostlh-
ties across the ocean II became neces-
sary 90 'ooE after these people artists,
ch0r.- tars and instrumcntahsts- and
insure their return 70 America. All
were not essential 70 the season, but
Mr Ee.ss filed so unique a position
IN the economy of the institution that
the help Of the French Ambassador TO
the United States had to be invoked TO
rescue Inn from a concentration camp
in France But il was done by Mr.
Gait. Fir. Dinh Gilly, a valuable
but less necessary member of the COM
pany, became prisoner Of war IN
Austria and had 10 be left to his fate.
As for the rest. the roster was com
p.ete when the prospectus was issued
on October j..
The European war, therefore, af-
iecteI the season in financial way;
but the action was twO-fOld. The sub
scriptlor fell off, and the revenues
counted on from the farming out OF
singers 20 the Boston and Chicago
opera companies, with which the Met
ropohtar company had been affiliated,
went by the board when these com
panies were disbanded. No effort has
been made to conceal the fact from the
public that few of the principal
artists Of the Metropolitan company
have been so eXorbitant in their de-
mands upon the management that the
only means of satisfying them has
been 90 share their services with Bos-
ton and Chicago, and sell them for con
eerts. With no opera in the capitals
Of New England and the Middle West
and the concert season spoiled by pop
ular apathy and the invasion Of for
egn art sts, an unexpectedly large
burden fcll upon the directors of the
metropolitan company. They have
youchsatej no statement on the sub
!ect bur The information has gone out
oAclally that though the company has
suffered loss il is not so great as
that OF four years ago. In the two
seasons from 1912 TO 1914 there was a
surplus