The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-02-02
For the First Time in This Country's History We Are Presenting Mimo-C -Choreoerdphc' and
 Melo-Drdn1dtic' Grand Opera" Says Mr. RQbinoff
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE

|
 A tured to a degree, whose jet black
 hair waves back from a broad, intelli- 1 gent forehead, and a manner that is for
 eign (for he Is Russian to his finger | tips), and frank even to enthusiasm, and
 you may consider yourself presented to
 Mr. Max Rabinoff, managing director of
 the Boston Grand Opera
 MT. Rabinoff is yet a young man, cer-
 tainly very young man to occupy the | position he does as the head of a great | musical organization which includes many 1 of the worlds most famous singers, and
 certainly the worlds most famous dancer, critic once said:
 | She has captured all the grace and bodily beauty in the universe and inn
 prisoned them in her radiant self.'' | MT Rabinoff brings to his work unlm- 1 ited enthusiasm and evidently a sincere
 desire to prove himself worthy of great
 trust given into his hands.
 | The Boston Grand Opera in conjunc- | ton with the Pavlowa Ballet Russo, com bining as it does the unique idea of two ] art forms 'mimo- -choreographic' and 1 "mimo- dramatic" while a distinct novelty never having been produced in this coun- try before. has passed the experimental stage
 The effort of MT Rabinoff and his fixed determination to perfect a plan that is a dream of many, many years with him has established this form of opera perma- nently in the United States if one is to judge by the reception that has been given it this season, and the future of this popu- lar form of art now seems absolutely as- sured
 "The Boston Grand Opera" Mr Rabin- off said in chatting about the appearance of the company here on Monday and Tuesday, February 14 and 15 Ifs neither exclusively grand opera nor exclusively ballet but they are combined and put to- gether in a symmetrical whole, fusing in- strumental and vocal music, dancing, drama and painting.
 It is entirely new, and every detail has been worked out to perfection"
 Our trip through the south," MT. Rab-
 noff continued, is purely a test trip. Next season we will have 36 weeks of opera, visiting every city of importance which cares to patronize us. Birming ham will have an opportunity to say whether we shall come permanently every season not, after our premiere per formances here"
 "Tell me about the plan of this opera and ballet and how it started, I asked.
 Tt has been worked out in the past sea son from an idea that had root in my brain many years ago. when I first came to this country" MT. Rabinoff answered.
 When I became a resident of Chicago I used to do great deal of work among the Polish and Russian people. It was my desire to bring to the masses opera 1o ho ar,tif ! Ii nation. I began by starting what we called the Self Educational club among the immigrants. First we invited our
 patrons to come and dance. Then we added a concert; the dance, you under- stand, was merely a lure for the other things. Then added lecture and finally the trilogy made such an appeal that our fondest hopes were realized by a trsdenmous patronage From this was conceived the idea of combining opera and dancing as it is presented in Russia. It had never been done in this coutry and even then l had to make my way to it by esta blishig the opera first. This I did in Chicago, the Chicago opera being the outcome of my efforts.'
 Five years ago I became associated with Mile. Pavlowa," said MT. Rabinoff and with her marvellous talent it oc- cured to me that the Russian ballet was just what was needed in combina ton with grand opera. 1t was still a dream, a mirage. an smula crum, but something
 happened in the nich of time. When the war came about, Mile. Pavlowas engage
 ments like all others abroad. were can celled; she meant to go to Australia; that deemed unadvisable and so we decided on our present plan. The Boston opera on which MT Eben Jordan had spent G 100000, was purchasabie I immediately jumped into the breach, the result is the beautiful dream of my earlier days come true.
 'T have chosen the personnel of the opera with eye to symmetry and ap- proriateness," MT. Rabinoff said Tive seen so many fat singers-some of them weighing nearly 300 pounds pirouetting and skipping around ridiculously over the stage in a role that suited them not at all. that I made up my mind that every artist l engaged had to look the part he played and be the part. This star-wor- trip and are at home in the Levert apartments. Mrs James Muslin of Tuscaloosa is the guest of Mrs. Tanner
  Miss Fannie George Young of Hunts vile arrives today to be the guest of Miss Carrie Yates