The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-20
K||IA CONDITIONS,
4 FALSE STATUS

&5N D4E4 n to I've director OF the New
Ork opera house. made some sr-
ncuncements OF NO small Importance
With regard TO his mex; season at
HE Metropolitan.
Or these the most significant told
What his mana cement would do 10
4 help or harm the cause Of opera in
english
The promise Of a work by Henry
EAdiey in two scenes suggested by
4 EAeOphile Gautiers Tine Mutt de
SGl0opAfre'' may mean much. or il
may not mean much. II depends or
4 Kr. Hadiey's inspiration and on the
character of the lihretto which has
heen made fer him by Miss Alice
- Rcilack- Much more portant rs
& tbs assurance that next season VIC
u wagner's "Parsifal" by Mr. kreh
3 hiei For, In announcing this, the
Y darector once more hauled down tho
81 proud nag on which was woven
sDpera only In the original language
MI be performed a. the N"tropnli-
tan Reluctantly but surety Mr..
Gatti-Casazza and his hackers are
! giving way to the demand of countless
4 4.mericans w he wish go Know what Is
ag to them What London has ap
4 proved may soon be accomplished IN
the great New York opera ho,rse
M Peculiar intereSt attaches 10 the
tact that Mr. Erehb;el has been
chosen for the task at writing tbr
y new English words for ParSif.4
The veteran critic has for wars 3:s-
rnuraged those who wanted opera To
- undergtand bic. II he has rad
rather tardy change Of heart SO much
the better. Ions wears age he did
IA seem opposed 10 tho idea ~ opera
Z m the yernacHlar.
But what one did mol find in Mr.
< Gafti-Casazzsf stat erneuf wa the as
snrAnce Of q thorough fcadWstment
ssof conditions in the opera house---a
i rea d1ustment which wid also come
I serle day when people realize the
faults and the niquitles Of the old
soperatic system
Grand" opera as IL has long pre-
Jvaiied, is based and built w on The
Nfr~nEe and foolish theory that inter
nrffers are greater than creators of
lyric drama and should not only have
Sthe lions share Of glory but also Of
profit. In other words q Carus0 Is
assumed To be more important than
m inspired composer. and trnmeas-
urabir more so than the now de
Ar.sed and half-ignored lihrettist
4 Suppose, for instance that the wor|1
performed is Aida" The royalty
n reserved fof Nefdl heFs may "@
s4oe, But Mr. Garnso. who appears
~ haaames ~ para Sz'9""' suppose
again. 10 quote q erosser case. that
Welt Ferrari is the com poser Of the
night and Geraldine Farrar the chief
singer IN the cast Won fefrhrl 10
whose invention we owe me opera,
Wfil--nominaily sieo royalty,
or which two-thirds Will 70 to his
agents and ms pnhllshef MISS farfar'
who sings oniy re" songs wli De
PAID. say sl,aeo.
The oisproporflon between the re-
Fpecfive merits or me composer IN
moM instances a genius, ana OF the
singer, who, as rule, may be de-
scribed as tox Ell praeterea nthil is
very evident et with an utter dls-
regard of sense ana lnsilce, the cfea
tors OF ar opera t~h" lnclude hoth
the com poser ana ne hhrett'st} earn
harasf anything "hl!" the interpret
ers SET Almost eFcrEthlh2. a mozart
II allowed 10 END mas years IN misery
nile some star singer iFes IN "eahh
and insurS
american composers ana lioFe''lS's,
aboFe all. are scornea by tse directors
% American opera houses. Inc
awretrhed lee or S2p Tor one-ar'
work, or Albe ior four-act opera -
AunG TO tnern. Tx" crust OF nreao'
The case OF Natofna proved an "x-
cepdon 70 the RUE but u was an
aSxception
Some day. when opera roers see
Inlngs saneiy the existing scheme OF
Hmln1s VIII De reformed ihe slhk~f
WnI return 10 ms righ' pace IN me
+ Aole scheme OF opera. wniie Inc
c0mposer ana horettist, without
nom ne cocin nov nope 70 earn ms
ltving, VIII be rewarded IN accordance
nth their worm. is II not more than
INensesess and unlust--ls y not scan
s0Al0us. that in the United states, ana
M me metropolitan or the chicago
opera mouse genius tne COM
pOser) and the Nhr"ttist lwho may
nave unusual talenD should not earn
AMyfhing but even stand TO lose by
WhA1 has cost them at the least a ruiz
1919 ianor9 Ana of'en Two or 'hree
Mr more long years ~ eoi' ana thoueht
E4na spiritual anguish nave been re-
M0ired 70 perfect a composer score
I Moreover, IN chicago Though not.
H. - said. at the Metropolitan the
|x0mposer has 10 spend $1,000 on the
4efe copying out OF an orchestral (
DQse. Can one marvel. II IN the cir
1n1eances, Few Americans have the
eef1fy 10 lock horns IN the opera
49, with those fortunate foreigners
100 have not one or two. but fifty or
0nndred opera houses In their own
@1q1tSies in which, II their works are