New-York tribune., 1918-11-03
CHAPTER XIII
By II. E. Krehbiel

tCopgrgul. 1918. by H. E. krehbieL)
"HE twenty-sixth season of
opera at the Metropolitan
Opera House, which began on
November ID, 1910, and ended
on April Is, 1911, was the first in which
Signor Gatti was sole manager de ju'e
as we'll as de fdcto, and also the first
in which he was untrammelled by the
rivalry of Mr.. Hammerstein and un-
yexed by unseemly scandal The fever
of expansion had been allayed, and
becoming modesty characterized the
announcements in the prospectus The
performances at the New Theatre and
the Baltimore enterprise were aban-
doned. and the Philadelphia represen-
tations limited to eight, the needs Of
that city in the latter half Of the sea
son being supplied by the company
with an invertble title-Chicago- Phil
adelphia in the West and Philadelphia
Chicago in the Easi- The forces were
therefore reduced fully one-haif. A
few new singers were added to the
can't help held out by reason OF the
affiliation with the Chicago and Bos-
ton organizations. The newcomers in
the Metropolitan list whose names
proved worthy of record were four
men: Dimitri Smirnof, tenor; Leon
Rothier. William Hinshaw and Basil
Ruysdael, basses- 1t was said that oil
the Chicago company Nellie Melba,
1ohn Mccormack and Maurice Renaud
would occasionally be drawn into the
performances of the Metropolitan
company, and OF the Boston organiza-
ton Lydia Lip&owska, Carmen Melis,
Alice Nielsen, sopranos; Fiorenclo
Constantine, tenor, and George Bakla-
noff. BARITONE. The value Of the affil-
ation proved to be negligible.
Nine. Melba sang once in "Travi-
alta" at special performance aud
once in aRigoletto" in the subscrip-
ton; then she was announced as i'll
and betook herself to England. Nine.
Lipkowska sang few times, as did
also Signor Constantine, but the public
seemed Indifferent to the performances,
which were devoted to old operas by
Verdi Mime. Melis, who had made an
agreeable impression at the Manhattan
Opexa House in the previous season,
Miss Nielsen and NJ. Baklanoff Ia fine
artist) wcre not heard, and M. Renaud
tho most finished and versatile of
~uNr hA crnh Nf
Mauxice Grau had retained for the
Metropolitan, but whose contract Mr.
Conried cancelled at the cost of a pen
atty" and who had been one Of Mr.
Hammerstein's strongest props during
tho years Of rivalry with the Metro
polltan, was heard only in the perform
ancs with Nine. Melba and in few
Of those of the Chicago company.
Tho season was financially profitable
though Signor Gatti had to contend
with deal Of i'll luck. Signor Caruso
was seized with an affection Of the
throat and sang for the last time il
the season on February s, 1911. The
fact was wofol to the subscribers
grievously disappointing to the public
and seemed full Of evil portent for tn.
future Of the institution; but Natures
law of compensation remained opera
tive. and the public was taught better
appreciation of operas not in Signo1
Caruso's repertory than it would have
received had the popular idol remained
more persistently in the public eye an'
ear. German opera. which seemed t'
be threatened by the enforced retire
nent Of Mr.. Dippel in the preceding
season, came into particular promi
nence because Of the enforced retire
ment of Signor Caruso in this. BY
peculiarly happy dispensation Mis-
.