The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-12
By w. J. HENDERSON.
+ the Metropolitan Opera House
Rerc "A opcaptrnfton ~ tho spusS-

oPSto AAOuCV
were a concentration Of the must
"a life of this town 1t would be
an inspiring study and one filled
Will instruction. But the true musical
life Of the metropolis slips silently past
the brilliant and restless social vortex
Mt Broadway n Thirty ninth street.
Not that the people who constitute the
real musical public of the city do not
go to the opera-they al debut they
are a negligible minority OF the
audience and they have nc perceptible
influence on the reporters o. the seiec-
t!On of singers or the character OF the
performances.
The opera house Is a. cosmopolis. II
Is q place of amusement. And 1t liz a
social hall. But IL Ia not and In the
nature of things never can be a temple
Of art. one shout not expect IL to be,
No opera house except the two or three
devoted to special festival seasons. as
In Munich and B~ayreuth, can be ex-
elusive and supremacy an art enter
prise.
OF course the Germans wish us TO
believe that every little stadt theatre
in their fatheriand Is sn art temple
n that all the people vino re~verentiy
listen to the indescribable baw.ings and
screenings in II are com loisscurs
pardon. ku~nstkcnnern). But 1t Is by
no means proved that the grocers and
beer seller ard leather goods dealers
n other small sloplaecpers and eim!-
lar people Of Il provincial German town
form a public capable OF recognizing
the best in music md Is performance.
So the etadt theatre Is not invariably
"a Hagia Sophia uf the music drama.
one can hear some of the worst per-
~fOrinances of opera in the German
towns. Nothing could he more d.
plorable than the hopc,essly bad sing
ing. the burgher attitude toward the
lyric drama a. a whole. the shoemaker
method of presentation and the bakers
point Of view in the conception than
one finds in the minor German theatre.
But whatever the shurtcoming v.
the whole thing may be II is all Ger
man. In New York the opera house
10 not possessed of any distinguish
tng characteristics. Its atmosphere
changes wheu the type OF opera Is
changed. This j. something which
should never he forgotten, for IL signi-
fics much in any survey of the musical
situation in this city.
In the i'rs; place the focus NJ attrac-
ton a the Metropolitan is f.nrico
Caru>o. Wisoacr,s In the corridors
discuss with excited faces and gestures
the comparative values Of singers. but
the ticket Spectator does not hesitate
q single instant. These who have
offices where one can purchase seats
for m performance always make
Carusu their headliuer. one Of the big
(dealers always advert.ses. Seat for
lCaTuso IN Carmen"
Now Mr.. Caruso Is primarily an Ital-
ian singer and is heard oftenest in
Italian operas. For this reason that
part OF the repertory which is not
German centres around him. But
what Is of more Importance in its bear
Ing on tie present line OF reflection
is the character OF the audiences which
q To- the opera ON caruso nights, and
~sccondarily on ali Italian opera nights.
These audiences contain an Almost
incalulab,y small percentage of those
who will be found in ;he house when "A
German opera is given. The sub
scribers ,f course may be regarded az
a fixed quantity. although many of
them give away their seats when the
opera is not 10 their taste and others
arrive very late and depart early.
But the ISLANDERS and the purchasers
of single seats in al parts o. the house
are entirely different. The sum .otai
of result is that when Aida Is sL.i.
the audience is Enthusiastically ltL.-
ian. p.us u small COMPANY Of ltterly
Indifferent persons who 90 10 the opera
because il is the opera and who are foI
the most par; bored by anything.
This disposal OF the matter. however
cannot be accepted as iinal or exact
The character Of an audience Is largely
modified by the influence Of h op-
cratic training If its individual mem
bers. When did YOU begin to hca'
opera. reader? What kind OF lyric
drama was your musical infant food.
That is generally the kind the opera
goer wishes to hear hen he has lived
few years beyond childhood.
When fla Sonnambula' vas suns
the house was rnamented with beau
tiful silver hair. All the fine old gen.
tiemen and adorable old ladies' WHIT
used to 20 20 hear Gerstcr at Tho
Academy came out 70 hear their ne
loved old opera. These are Americans
and they impart to an Italian ev"ninf
at the Metropolitan 81 character and d
charm which II would otherwise lack
They are 20 he found In the auditorium
I'm noticeable number only when III
heroine Is Il coloraturc soprano
"Lucia," "Dinorah." "Semiram!de' ant
sRigoletto" are what they love, Tie!
often sigh and wonder why "Dinorah'
and 'Semiramidc" are pushed aside D,
these strange modern operas ahon
Russian dcbauchery or French symbol
ism. Most OF them have made a: lcas
one trial Of the newer things, and som'
Of them have even learned TO endure
long pa gees Of "I.ohengrin" for the SAX
OF Elsn's dream ana the weddin'
march. But it Is not Ike the Oh
times. Is 1t?
When Nine. Barrientos sings o
HGoyescas" IL given the corridors ar
musical with the liqui" Span'sl
= When Nine, B~arr'cntos doe
not sing or Granados's opera Is silen
YOU would have to initiate p!oRenc
with his lantern in a search Tor on
Spaniard in the theatre.
The Germans will have nothing t
do with the Italian operas. 1t mat
tiers not Who sings In them. Som
of the foremost German members q
the company sing in Italian opera
sOmetimes, but the VIII M
20 10 hear them. The Teutons x
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