Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-22
BOSTON NATIONAL
GRAND OPERA HERE
Rabinoff's Great Organization
Will Be Heard in Omaha In
February Next.
NEW TALENT IS PROMISED

Pretentious grand opera for Omaha
once each year appears about to be
established.
As The Bee set forth during the
last winters appearance here OF the
Boston National Grand Opera COM
pany, this organization is endeavor-
ing to create an itinerary that will be
permanent.
In returning here for its second
Omaha effort, on Friday and Satur-
day evenings and Saturday afternoon,
February 9 and 10 next. a start in the
direction desired will have been made.
Arrangements have been begun to
form an Omaha grand opera COM
mittee whose membership will foster
the project and give permanence to
the plan.
Pierre V. R. Key, associate to Max
Rabinoff, managing director of the
| Boston National, who is in the city
consulting with business and musical
leaders. says Omaha may rely upon
being included as one of the forty
United States cities comprising the
chain to be regularly visited by this
company,
Believes Problem Solved.
THE problem has been solved de-
clares Mr.. Key, "of maintaining a
first-rate grand opera organization
that can give performances at halt the
old-time cost OF $4,000 each. 1t has
been accomplished through extending
the season to thirty-five weeks, un-
heard of until satisfactorily demon
strated as a possibility last year by
the Boston-N National. Such a lengthy
season offers star singers so many
appearances that the single high fee,
which is one of the chief expense
items in great opera, is virtually cut
in half"
Company is Increased.
Mr.. Key says the orchestra and
chorus have been enlarged, respective
Iy. to fifty-seven and sixty-two-an
increase OF twelve musicians each,
and that the Ballet Russo OF forty will
have this year fourteen of those form.
ing a part of the original Imperial
Ballet Russo. "Tosca" and Mascag.
mis- Japanese opera, Iris" are two Of
the operas in this seasons Boston
National repertoire. The others are
LES Contes, dHoffmann," Andrea
Cbenier" by Giordano; "Haensel unt
Gretel," Faust" "Rigoletto" ant
Madam Butterfly
New Principal Engaged.
Nadina Legat, Russian coloratur'
soprano, who is reputed to have wor
a high place, and Enrico Arensen
from the Paris grand opera, are two
of the newcomers from whom muci
is expected. George Baklanoff, Jos'
Segura- Tallien and Auguste Boullie;
are notable baritones who are re
garded as among the leading hal
dozen, while Eugenio Mariacheff i
basso now ranked in Russia as tn
equal of the distinguished Chaliapine
Maria Winetezkaja, a subject of tn
car whose mezzo-sopra.io voice !
compared with the best heard, Tovi'
Kittay, the tenor found in the street
of New York three years ago, ant
who has fulfilled every promise pre-
dicted for him, and Dorothy Follis, al
American lyric soprano, are also to b
heard here for the first time.
| Stars Who Return.
Former stars heard here with tn
| Boston National who will return ar
Giovanni Zenatello and REGARD
Martin, tenors; Tamaki Miura, til
Japanese prima donna; Maggie Teyte
the Irish soprano, and the great bassc
Jose Mardones. Tulsa VILLAIN, tn
dramatic soprano, who created Fro
at the worlds premiere Of "'Amore de
Tire Re-" is also with the organization
this year, as are Maria Gay, one of tn
: great Carmens, and the America
baritone, Thomas Chalmers.
The conductors are Roberto Moran
zoni, Fulgenzio Guerrieri, Adop
Schmid, Alexander Smallens; tn
stage director, Armando F. Agnin
and the producer, Prof. Ryszard Ord
! ynski.