New-York tribune., 1918-11-24

under the impression that purchasers
from the ticket agents would in the
coming season be able to buy an or
chestra seat for $3.50. In less than
fortnight, however Con April II, to
be eXact), the board of directors of the
opera company issued an official an
nouncement that in the next season,
that of l911-12, the price of stalls in
the orchestra and orchestra circle would
be advanced to Sc, but there would be
no increase in the cost Of admission to
chairs in the dress circle, balcony and
family circle. At the same time the
tlchet agents were informed that their
purchases could be made with the usual
rebate. The information was given to
the subscribers in circular letter. in
which the reason for the advance was
set forth. The public, it was said. had
become more cxacting than formerly.
demanding the best performances from
every point Of view, whereas they had
formerly been satisfied with perform
ances If they only included "some lead
ing stars In those earlier DAYS, so
ran the argument, "the production of
opera involved consequently little ex-
pense, aside from the outlay for SOLO
lsts,' now it was become necessary to
engage "the most eminent orchestra
conductors, the training of we'll
equipped orchestra composed of high
class artists, a thoroughly drilled
chorus of the best obtainable material
mlse-en-scene, stage management and
general accessories, which will satisfy
the most fastidious demands and the
] employment Of a large and highly
framed corps of assistants in all
branches of stage work-al of which
with the added factor of the general
rise in the cost of labor and material
has caused an enormous increase in tho
expense of the production of opera as
now given at the Metropolitan Opera
House. The letter explained further
that there had been very heavy. loas
recurring each year by reason of the
i 'hlhgs enumerated, and that this loss
had been borne entirely by the few
I stockholders Of the METROPOLITAN Opera
Company. To eliminate this loss on
tlrely would require material raisino
Of prices throughout the house. but &c
'his might mean real hardship" to
the holders of lower priced seats tho
advance was confined to the orchestra
and orchestra circle. The Metropolitan
Opera Company being a business cor
poratIon not subj to an accountino
financially to the public | am neither
able nor disposed to traverse it's state-
ments concerning its losses durinp the
period of competition with the Man.
haitian Opera House. 1t is enough for
present purposes to direct attention 70
the facts for which I go to its own
prospectuses): There was no increaso
or prices in 1909'10, when the MANAGE
ment made proclamation of great
augmentation of artistic forces to en-.
able 1t to give seasons of opcra IN
brooklyn, Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Boston, as we'll as at the New Theatre
and the Metropolitan. in this ctv
Then Toscanini and Hertz were the
principal conductors, the chorus nun-
Dered lso, the orchestra $50, and among
the leading singers were Destinn. Far
rar, Aida, Fremstad, Gadski, Homer
Nordca, Bonci, Caruso, Martin. Scott;
Dldur, blass, Hinckley and Withcr-
spoon. In 1911-'12 few singers. Bonci
Nordlca and Blass among them had
oeen dropped from the roster, and as
many, including Slezak, Metzenauer
Gllly Rothier and Griswold, added.
1oscanlni and Hertz were still tho cor-
ductors, the artistic administration no.
manned practically unchanged, but the
chorus had been reduced to 12O and
the orchestra to 100. Nine. Tetrazzin;
who had been announced amonr the
pflma donnas, sang five times in the
course Of the season.
Tyson Buys s157,O0O of Tickets
rms, then, was the picture of af
lars when, in the summer of 1918, Ty-
son d Co. purchased tickets to the
value of s157,00O for the approaching
season of opera. OF these tickets 200
/ or more were bought for regular
patrons of the opera who had been
accustomed to make their subscrip
tions through the agents. The re-
mainder were bought for the usual
purposes of speculation. Tyson e. Co.
and Rullman (and the statement went
unchallenged) were said at the time
to be purchasers of about one-half of
the fashionable seats in the house. and
practically the only purchasers of
seats for all of the subscription per-
formances. A short time before. the
control of Tyson & Co. had passed
into the hands of Richard J. Hartman.
q promoter of srer,11otivo op@aror;..