davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
r. Hamm erstein's Last Operate Achievements
without any material change either IN casts

without any material change either IN casts
or stage settings; while others, notably "Lc
Prophetic" and LA Juivc," might we'll have
done so. In them some singers of excel
lence were heard, such as William Beck,
Marguerite Sylvia and Zerola-tho last n
tenor whom he had recruited from an Ital-
ian company which began summer season
at the Academy of Music and made the Gus
tomary shipwrcck. After the season got
under way, however, these singers were
heard from chiefly in the newspapers in
connection with the disaffcctions and dis
agreements between them and the rival
managers, Mr.. Hammersten and Signor
Ferrara. There was downright value in the
experiment not only rs test Of tho mex
tinguishnble notion that the public is clam
orous for opera at low prices. but also as
means of giving singers with operate aspi-
rations the routine which is denied them at
large houses in fashionable seasons.
In the season proper Mr.. Hammcrstein
tried to give opera co7nique Gas he politely
termed it though it was largely opera
boufe) on Saturday evenings; but the cx-
pertinent proving failure, he admitted the
fact like a brave man and abandoned it.
substituting for it grand opera at popular
prices. He came creditably near to keep
ing his promises in respect of novelties. He
had said that "Herodiade," "Elektra,"
"Gris6lidis" and "Sapho" would be among
his new productions, and they were; he had
also said that "Cendrilon," "Feuersnoth,"
"Natoma" and "Thc Violin Maker of Gre
mona" would be given, and they were not.
The sensational feature of the season was
the production of ''Elektra," which had
seven performances, the first on q special
night with prices raised to $40 for the most
expensive stalls and $3.50 for the least.
The receipts at the premiere" amounted
to $19l17.50, according to Mr.. Hammer
STEMS figures, and the excitement was in
tense. There was another extra perform
ance on the afternoon Of Washington's
Birthday and five representations in the
subscription. Between the first performance,
on February l. and its last, on March s, the
opera served its purpose and lived out it's
welcome. The season ended on March 26
Had it lasted any longer fancy that
"Salome," which was at once revived, would
have proved the more popular work of
the two, although its novelty was worn off
OF the French operas "ThaIs' and "Les
Contes d'Hofmann" disclosed the most en-
during qualities. "Sapho" was distinctly a
failure, receiving only three performances,
and SO was "Griselidis," although Miss Gar
den appeared in both of them.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
Singers Counted for Less Than the
Operas Exclusiveness - Many
Novelties Are Presented
By H. E. KREHBIEL
Chapter TX
Copyright, 1918. BY II. E. Krehbie1

lie stood unique among impresarios pnd
directors of opera houses in the world"
so far as French operas and the United
States were concerned, the claim was no
doubt justified. The METROPOLITAN Opera
Company had been permitted to become M
potent IN this department and though in its
prospectus for the same season it pro-
CLAIMED the exclusive ownership of nine
french operas only two Of them have seen
the stage lights ut the Metropolitan Three
OF the nine were said to be operas by
Claude Debussy, and though they were per-
mltted to figure in the announcements Of
Mr. Gatti down to the end of the period
with which I am particularly concerned.
they were little more than focculent dreams
when the composer died on March &c. 1918.
vi the operas for which he claimed the sole
right of representation in America Mr..
Hammerstein said they we're "the master
pieces of living composers" though Often
bach, who composed "Les Contes d'Hofr-
mann.' had long been dead.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
\ n Attempt at a
"a French "Iannhauser"

Mr.. Hammerstein's plans for the season
contained anomalous feature growing
out of his desire to make his scheme As
comprehensive artistically as that of the
rival establishment. AS the international
character of the operas performed at the
Metropolitan Opera House had long been
the boast of its operating company, and
much of its success had been due to its
German contingent, Mr.. Hammerstein deter
mined to include operas from the Wagner
ian list in his repertory. He announced
"Tannhauser," "Lohengrin" and "Die Meis-
tersinger,' but having no German singers in
his company he compelled to resort to
French translations. A like exgency had
forced the Metropolitan company to give
"The Bartered Bride a Bohemian opera,
in German in the preceding season, and the
expedient was afterward followed
with "Boris Godounowf," ""Prince Igor" and
"Pique Dame" Russian operas, which were
sung in Italian, and "Iphigenie en- Aulide,'
French opera, which was sung in German,
a proceeding exactly paralleled so far as
the effect upon the work was concerned by
Mr. Hammersten's French "Tannhauser"
Mr.. Hammerstein was not only audacious
in all his undertakings, he was also coura-
geous in confessing his mistakes Finding
light French opera Ineffective for his pur-
poses, he abandoned it; after three perform
ances of "Tannhauser" he became convinced
that the work was too German in spirit to
prove acceptable in French, and he put it
upon the shelf and made no effort to pro-
duce its companions. 1t was a manly act,
for with manifold shortcomings the per
formances were yet indicative Of a sincere
striving for artistic good. So far as the
general public was concerned l shall not
undertake to estimate the extent to which
the use of the French language initiated
against the success of the opera.
No doubt many more of Mr.. Hammer
STEMS patrons understood German than
understood French; doubt those who
understood German preferred operas which
are German in subject and spirit sung in
the German tongue; but it is much to be
feared that the majority of operagoers in
New York to-day are as bithely Indifferent
to the language used by the stage people
as were the English people of Addison's
day, when opera was half English and half
Italian, or the Hamburg people of Handel's
early day, when German rectatves and Ital-
ian arias alternated with each other in the
same scene. Our population is composed
OF many elements, and the enjoyment Of
each element is unquestionably greater at
a performance given in the language native
to it than in any other tongue. But on the
whole it has been made plain a thousand
times that the general attitude is one of in
difference to everything except the person
ality of the singers, their singing and the
pictures by which they are surrounded.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29

that is When entered the
city, in December, most of the shops
closed and it had deserted appearance.
To-day closed shops more the exception
than the rule. David's Street and the Jatfa
Gate have resumed their crowded and pict-
uresque appearance, and the shopkeepers
are exposing for sale goods which were
thought to be unobtainable, and which they
have unearthed from the places where they
hid them from the Turks. One significant
evidence of the British occupation is af-
forded by the condition of the streets. In
the new city they were quite passable, but
in the old they were renowned for their
filthy and unsanitary condition. To-day the
old city is cleaner than it has ever been.
writing of the condition of Jerusalem
prompts one to point out that it is thou
sand pities that, when the Turks authorized
the inhabitants to build without the city
walls, they did not insist on the main
tenance of clear space between the
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
\ Devil From the Roof
~ of Notre Dame

The changes which the modern dramatic
ers of the Griselda story made seem to have
had for their chief purpose the rehabiita-
ton of the character of the marquis who
for centuries has suffered denunciation as
cruel, tyrannical and abnormally suspi-
cious husband. In the opera he is as uxo-
rious knight of the slipper as any win
dow-storming suffragette could wish. 1t is
not he who fears to trust his wife, but his
friar, who is supposedly Griselidis's father
confessor. 1t is not he who subjects her to
trial and temptations, but the Devil. who,
being a henpecked husband, has as sorry an
opinion of womankind as has the friar for
reasons which he does not divulge. In in
PRODUCING this devil NJ. Massenet and his
collaboration have been more naively medi-
aval than the creator of the familiar of DR..
Faustus. He is not Goethes devil, who
was so much of u gentleman that the only
observable abnormality about him was his
limping gait. He is not even the rather
too gaudly dressed cavalier of Barbiere
Carre and Gounod. He is devil from the
roof of Notre Dame Cathedral called into
life, His ostensible purpose in the opera
is to accomplish the destruction of the nno-
CeHC GTlSellQlSs the Tedl ODJeCC OF mas IN
PRODUCTION is to bring comic element into
the play. And surely devil who has
wife shrewish and clever enough to keep
him in hot water is comical. He would
have served his purpose without so much
opera bouffe as NJ Massenet burdened him
with. He has horns and possibly hoofs,
though he is lighter on his feet than
Mephistopheles.
He lays wager with the marquis that
Griselidis will play him false, just as Me
phistopheles does with the Ancient that he
will lead Faust astray, and Satan does with
God that Job will not withstand his wiles.
The marquis is guilty of no wrong, but only
of the weakness which afflicted Posthumus
Leonatus in Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" and
Adolar in Weber's "Euryanthe." The Devil,
having made bet, tries to win it. He pre-
walls upon his wife, Fiamina, to play the
part of slave to the marquis, who has
gone off to the holy wars, and introduces
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29

which seemed beyond fulflment Ger
man work which has affrighted the souls
or managers and singers of the maj jority Of
German opera houses was performed by
company predominantly French, in style
which compelled the admission that its
spirit in general had been grasped, that
there we're few deficiencies in details to
deplore, and that in respect of the princ~
pal actor there had been a performance
nothing short of marvellous. Little was
the surprise of the knowing that Nine.
Mazarin had suffered physical collapse
after she had accomplished an almost su-
perhumnn labor and was made to realize
that she had been successful.
The measure of that success cannot be
described even at this date. For two hours
she was on the stage shrekng in the
Straussian manner the emotions of Hoff
mannsthars maniacal Eektra, yet when a
kind dspensation of the composer per-
mitted her to sing, she sang, and always
she freighted the imagination of the
audience with the image of q tragic char
acter unfathomably pathetic because of its
offence against all that is gotd in art.
Compared with her, all the rest of the per-
formers were marionettes, not excepting the
representative Of Klytemnestra, who ought
to have seemed dominant with her regal
pose and attire.
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
The Regeneration Of Palestine

tive and economic work, and special or
ganization, the Provisional Military Admin
istration, is under the direction of Major
General Sir Arthur Money and controls all
the occupied territory in Palestine. 1t is
under these auspices that the work already
achieved has been done. Experts are busy
investigating the agricultural situation, the
fiscal question, the educational require
ments, public security, including the
prisons; the complicated question of judi
cial organization and pious foundations.
Slowly but surely organized administra-
tion is being built up despite the lack of
local officers and the difficulty of obtaining
competent men from the outside. Already
there is on every side abundant evidence
of the fruits of this activity
Especially is that noticeable in city
like Jerusalem, where the norm life of
the people has been entirely resumed, and
where, except for the difficulty in obtaining
domestic commodities, one would not know
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
Calomes of Contrasting
~ Character

If one Salomc could move the pool so
pleasantly for an operate manager, what
was more natural than that another should
follow? Despite the agitation against the
drama by Richard Strauss, which may have
had some influence in the rapid collapse Of
interest in "Elektra" at a little later day.
the composers star was not in the descend
ant; nevertheless, Mr Hammerstein
seemed determined that that of Massenet
should be kept in the ascendant On No
vember g. 1909, he brought out "H6rodiadc."
There arc Salomes and Salomes, as poets
romancers and painters have amply demon
strated, though they are at one in skill in
dancing and the purpose to which they
apply it. The woman created for the music
of Massenct by one Italian and two French
opera book makers has nothing else in COM
mon with the perverted creature of Wilde
and Strauss. She is love sick damsel,
sentimental and silly school girl, and
at the last penitent Magdalen. For
study of her and MassGnets work | must
refer the reader to my Second Book of
Operas; | cannot consume time and space
with the subject here. 1t is entertaining.
but not significant Ten days after its
production another opera by the same con-
ductor was heard at the Manhattan Opera
was "Sapho." The date was November 19.
1909
The rapidity with which Mr. Hammerstein
was bringing his novelties forward threat
ened danger to some of the operas in his
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
Goethe: Anti-PruSSian

r OETHE was anti Prussian and felt
~ himself to be such, according to,
Edith Franklin Wyatt, writing in "The
North American Review" of this month.
Referring to his first visit to Berlin, she
writes: "He is charmed by Berlin's ex-
ternal splendor, but not by her court.
which he attends with his patron, Karl
August, the Duke of Weimar, nor with
that courts intrigues and sycophan-
cies. This much can say he observes
of it with disaffection, the greater the
world, the pastier the farce"
Goethe took a deep interest in world
letters, but his Glove for the light of the
globe" was destined to receive crush
ing blow from Prussia.
''The avatar OF this passion was his be-
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
A Sensational Production of 'Elektra"
Contributes to the Interest
of the Final Season

her as mistress into the castle over which
Griselidis imagined that she reigned.
Griseldis remains mute and accomplishing.
He brings back her shepherd lover, Alain,
who had poured his passion in an exquisite
song in the prologue and had been most un-
accountably thrown over in favor of the
marquis at first sight; and though she
wavers slightly she is held to sense of her
wifely duty by the sight of her child. In
rage at being cheated by maternal love the
Devil steals the child and hides him away.
Then the Devil in the disguise of a corsair
attempts to persuade Griselidis to go down
to the ship, whose pirate captain, he said,
was enamoured of her, on the promise that
there she should find her SON. But the
marquis returned from the Crusades, and
when the Devil brings forth false witness
against Griselidis the good marquis refuses
to believe him, and if he had suspicious
they vanish when he sees his lovely wife.
At the last the Devil (who had been aping
Gounods melodious fiend in other things)
hides himself in column and thence pro-
claims that the lost boy, Logs, is his. Then
the loving parents knee down before the
shrine of st. Agnes, and as they pray the
tryptich opens and there was their child
unharmed. Happy parents! Asinine and
discounted DevilI
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29

by HoFmannsthal found no more favor
passion did, Let thus much be said in
favor IF the artistic tendency Of people
who were willing to bark back to miracle
tale like that Of "The Juggler of Our Lady"
and to a legend like that of "Griselidis.'
Who, indeed, but Frenchman would have
thought of calling "the patient Grizel" back
to life? That marvellous model of patience,
humility, fidelity and wfely obedience! We
thought that the lachrymal foodgates which
the perusal of her sufferings kept open for
three centuries or more had long ago been
closed. And to present her with truly me-
di@val simplicity, without philosophic gloss
inspired by modern thought in these days
Of female assertiveness-wha daring!
Massenet's opera mystery before it
was an opera. Its authors, Armand Sylves-
ire and Eugene Morand, produced the play
at the Comedie Francaise on May Is, 1891.
To make an opera out Of it required little
else than the prefixing of prologue and
the investiture of the lines with music.
Thus changed, Massenet brought it out at
the Opera Comique on November 90 1901.
In the cast were two artists known to New
York. Nj. Huberdeau, who appeared in the
DEVILS part in Hammerstein's production,
was the original operate Gondebeau, and
Mile. Breval, one Of Mr.. Grau's prima dom
mas at the Metropolitan Opera House in
190o-'01, was the Griselidis. The opera
differs in some particulars from the me-
diaval legend, but the story may first be
told IN ito nld form
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29

and the old cities. Jerusalem is perhaps
one of the most perfect examples eXtant of
a walled city of medieval times, but at
present its character is quite lost, owing to
the fact that in places the new city is
built right up to the old walls, and that
in others huge mounds, the debris of CEN
turies, link the picturesque old Jerusalem
with its very modern suburbs. 1t is only
on the east, southeast and northeast sides
that the walls lead on to the greensward,
which, to give the Holy Land it's distinctive
character as the shrine of three religions,
ought to run right round it,
"The effect of the era of justice and
peace which has been inaugurated by the
British is apparent not only on the faces Of
the people, who appear carefree and as il
they had awakened from q terrible night
mare, but also in their general behavior
and their attitude toward the new regime
Complete confidence reigns between the
people of every community and the British
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29

administration, as is evident from the man
in which the former look to the latter
for support and assistance in their diff
culties and the readiness with which, with
out any display of force, they do the be-
hest Of the authorities. The whole of the
population Of Palestine is indeed whole
hesrtedly pro-British. This is equally true
of all communities, which have openly well
coined the British occupation as q release
from the Turkish bondage under which they
have suffered
"The cost of its administration and Of
the regeneration Of the country is at pres
ent being financed from army funds No
funds were available when we entered Pal
estine-th Turks had emptied all the cof-
fers-no taxes have SO far been collected
from the people, and everything that has
been taken has been paid for in hard cash
somewhat of a contrast to the practice
Of the Germans in occupied enemy terri
tory.
Even as regards the funds devoted TO
religious OR benevolent purposes, the pro-
ceedngs Of the Turkish government do not
appear to have been above reproach. The
income of the Palestine Wakfs (religious
and benevolent endowments) amounted to
some $4,000 to $4,000 a year; and there
were few years in which some thousands
Of pounds of this revenue failed to find
their way to Constantinople for uses which
can only be guessed at, as the expenditure
does not appear in the accounts but which
may safely be presumed to have been other
than pious. Moreover, when the occupa-
ton took ce, and the treasures we're
emptled by le retreating Turk, the Wakf
cash balances were involved in the common
lot, with the result that the funds neces-
sary for ne upkeep, maintenance and re-
pair of these institutions have had to bs
provided, at any rate as temporary meas.
ure, by the British government. But the
Turks went still further, and on the order
OF the Turkish Sheikh VI Islam the moneys
held in chancery for the education and keen
Of certain orphans were sent to CONSTANT
nople just before the evacuation Of Jeru-
salem"
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
.NHE prosperity of Palestine under
British rule is pictured by the
Cairo correspondent of the Lon

VIZ PI IOoPcilVy VI I dieSClnc unQcC
British rule is pictured by the
Cairo correspondent Of the Lon
don Times" who has just paid a
visit to Jerusalem. He says:
'Fuel has been, and still is to certain
extent, q very serious problem in Palestine
Especially has the situation been acute in
connection with the orange industry, which
normally is one of the mainstays Of the
Jerusalem Sanjak Most of the groves are
watered from wells by means of pumps, all
German it may be added, and all worked
by oil fuel. There was a dearth of petro-
leum in the country and the industry was
threatened with disaster.
zone of the first things we did was to
arrange with Egypt for the immediate i'm
portaton of sufficient oil to work these
pumps, and our efforts have undoubtedly
saved the situation, to judge by the -four
ishing condition of the orange and lemon
groves all over the country.
"Most of the crop, however, is exported
to Europe, with which communication is
now difficult if not impossible. Whilst,
therefore, the crop was saved the growers
were confronted with the problem Of the
disposal of their produce. Here the army
came to the rescue. In many places it sup
piled wheeled transport to carry the fruit
from the fields, and the export quantum has
to u great extent been absorbed by the
troops, who purchased in large quantities,
and to whom orange ration is now being
issued.
"Steps being taken to save and help
in a similar manner other industries threat
ened with disaster. AS soon the critical
agricultural and economic period has been
traversed in Palestine--and daylight is
even now making its appearance-the people
will begin to reap the full financial benefit
of the presence of the British forces, which
are already spending large sums locally.
ut is, of course, impossible for the ordi-
nary staff of an army in the field to deal
with the vast detail involved by administra-
New-York tribune., 1918-09-29
Nj usical Nationalism in
4VI the Choruses

In the last act national idioms again had
expression in the direct and literal quota
uon OF q Flemish song (written by Prudens
van Duyse), which must have amused the
hunters Of melodc parallels. 1t is a splen-
did specimen of tune written in the simple
folksong manner but in its first period
there is a strong resemblance to the famous
political song of the Netherlands evil
MENUS Won Nassaucn," and in the second
70 an American Sunday school hymn ("I'm
FNgrim0, parody of which has long af
'ofded amusement to college students in
'hls country, Musical nationalsm was dis
eefnloIe to the more sophisticated minds
N'so IN most of the choruses, in which the
opera IS singularly rich. Though they
"'o'ed In dance rhythms there was a sturdi-
ness IN their melody which published a
lea'onic rather than the Gallic spirit. Also
soundness coupled with elaborateness of
structure not ordinarily found in French
operas The composer makes use of Wag-
uefs system Of typical phrases and the or
'"eseraNon is frequently brilliant
"hen MIR. Hammerstein issued his pro-
spectus for 1909-'l0 which proved to be his
'ss' season as an operate impresario his
pans were not fully or accurately formu-
ia'ed. Even the date of the opening was
Shanged afterward from November IS to
november 8; but this was for the purpose
" taking advantage Of the annual fashion
oie gathering for the horse show. He.
-'"eVer' promised twenty weeks, and though
rum was staring him in the face long be-
A0re the expiration of the term he kept his
1aft H. 81.
s.. '"' nst OF singers, but laid stress upon his
81. ,'' ol operas, putting forth the boast that
Al the matter Of exclusive rights of operas