New-York tribune., 1918-10-20

foreign exotic The Century Theatre
was nominated rs the home of the City
Clubs ambitious undertaking because it
had been built with view OF co0pera
tion between it and the Metropolitan
Opera House, which made an inter
change of scenery practicable. Sops
were thrown to Subscribers by the offer
Of titles; by subscribing for 81 900 or
moro one became "Foundcr of Opera
for the People; one might become a
"stockholder' for from 500, 0 $1,000.
on Il "subscribng member for 500 or
on the receipt Of subscriptions amount
ing to $500 900, u board of directors
was to be elected by the founders and
stockholders on the basis OF the amount
subscribed and the City Club. through
It's board of trustees. was to appoint
three directors each year.
Organization Of the Century Opera
Company
On May J, 1913, the City Club an
nounced that subscriptions amounting
to one-thrd of the 100000 had been
secured. Mr.. Kahn subscribed $50 1000;
William X. Vanderbilt and Clarence II.
Mackay, $4,000 each; Harry Payne
Whitney, $4,000. and members Of the
City Club, 900. The Century Opera
Company was incorporated on May 8,
with a capital stock Of 100000 and
organized >by the election Of Edward
Kellogg Baird, presidents; Otto II.
Kahn, vice-presdcnt; Alvin w. Krech,
treasurer; Edward i. Finch, secretary,
nnd the following board Of directors:
Otto II. Kahn (cl,airman), Edward Kei-
logg Baird, Edmund l.. Baylies. William
c. Cornwcll, Andreas Dippcl, Edward II.
Finch, Alvin W. Krcch, Thomas w. La
mont, Philip NJ. Lydig, Clarence f.
Mackay, George McAncny, Paul NJ.
Warburg. Harry Payne Whitney, Henry
Rogers Winthrop and Frank a. Wander
lip. These gentlemen made fair rep
rcscntation Of three public institu-
lions: the Metropolitan Opera House,
the Century Theatre and the City Club.
They chose Milton and Sargent Aborn
as general managers Of the company
and intrustcd them with the admnis-
tration of the first season Of opera.
which began at the Century Theatre on
September 10, 1913. with a performance
in English Of "Aidn." The Messrs.
Aborn had had experience in giving
opera Of the crude and cheap English
variety, their peripatetic companies
being generally made UP Of singers who
had gained some stage experience in
operctt& or native and foreign COM
panios and novices ambitious to enter
the opcratic field. There we-e many
companies like theirs devastating the
musical territory of the Middle West,
but, backed by the dignity and money
which the new institution afforded them,
they organized q creditablc and capable
troupe which contained such singers as
Lois Ewell, Elisabeth Amstcn, Kathleen
Howard, Mary Jordan, Morgan King
ston, Alfred Kaufman, Thomas Chal-
Mcrs, Gustav Bergman, Morton Adkins
and Louis Krcidler--a company com
parable with the organizations which
Alr. Savage had long been maintaining
"on the road" The original plan 70
give d season Of sixteen weeks, eight
before and eight after the Metropolitan
season, was abandoned in favor Of one
which CONTEMPLATED thirty-tive continu-
Gus weeks with six evening and two
afternoon performances each week, one
performance Of the opera on the list in
its original tongue the other perform
ances in English. The cgregious ab-
surdity of such & scheme was apparent
to all who had made even a cursorv
observation Of theatrical and operate
affairs. but it was still further en- |
phasizcd by the announcement that the
repertory would be made up Of thirty