New-York tribune., 1919-04-20
OPERA All THE METROPOLITAN DURING 1918-19

five weeks when the Metropolitan COM
pany was compelled to endure the
rivalry of the Chicago company, the at
tendance at the great theatre in Broad
way seemed undminished. The Chicago
company made protestation (Which, we
fancy, none among the knowing be-
ieved) that it had come out of the
New York ordeal whole; but its losses
on the season we're reported a week or
ten days ago to have been 100000, a
sum sufficiently large that it may put
its continued existence in jeopardy in
view of the economic unrest and un-
certainty caused by the war. The fact
that the Metropolitan company recently
extended the term Of Mr.. Gatti's en-
gagemcnt as general manager before
the expiration Of the contract is an
| indication of satisfaction with his bust
ress administration at least. To that
phase of his activity those who are
best informed-the stockholders Of tho
opera company-have paid tribute bv
their action, and recognition of the
fact may we'll go into the seasons
record. We must address ourselves to
the phase in which the public is more
directly concerned
The conditions which confronted Mr..
Gatti at the beginning of the season
just ended were practically those which
had existed since the end Of the season
of 1916-1917. The war had caused no
injury from financial point of view,
but had placed a formidable obstacle In
the way of the company's artistic &C.
tivities. Until the United States be-
came cmbroiled in the struggle Mr..
Gatti was permitted to pursue a policy
which retained the German, especially
the Wagncrian, operas in the repcrtory
of the company, although the prestige
OF the German representations had
been permitted to fade. This cntailed
the employment of German singers and
the use of the German language in
performance. When the attitude Of
some of the singers toward this coun-
try and the language which they spoke
became lntolerable to American ears a
taboo had to be placed on the singers,
as we'll as their tongue. The repertory
thus lost a large element which was
particularly attractive to that portion
OF the community which attended the
opera out of love for art rather than
Difference to fad and fashion. Some
operas-those of Mozart, for instance
might have been retained, since of the
three which appeared periodically in
the list two were Italian works. The
third, "Die zauberf70te," had been
habllitated in it's original tongue for
q comparatively short time, and might
have easily reverted to the guise in
which it was best known-as al Flauto
Maglco. But for works Of this class
the company 3 reorganized was, and
still is, inefficient. Flotow's "Martha."
although composed by German. was
retained for two reasons, either Of
them sufficient to overcome a chauvin-
lstlc prejudice which spectacular pa-
trlots forced to excess. The opera is
one which only the memory of septua-
genations could associate with the Ger
man language, and also one in which
the voice and art of Mr.. Caruso exert q
great charm. Last year the second con-
slderation operated to effect a revival
OF lie Phophete," French opera by a
German whose career is identified al
most wholly with French art. Both
operas were received not only without
protest, but with cordial approval II
became obvious, however, that reyivals
OF this kind could not be relied on to
refurnish the depleted repertorv. and.
wllly-nlly, Mr.. Gatti was compelled to
essay more energetic encouragement
OF opera in the vernacuar in the phase
OF translated works, which wa. for
elgn to the avowed policy of the es-
tabllshment as we'll as that Of original
composition.
and so we had an English version of
Liszt's "St. Elizabeth"-a work never
designed for dramatic approximation
and the American opera "The Canter-
bury Pilgrims" and "Shanewis." Liszt's
transmogrificd oratorio and "The Can
terbury Pilgrims" which was brourht
out two years ago, failed to gain a foot
mold, and only Mr.. Cadman's uncons-
clonaoiy amateursh and silly Indian
opera was thought, by virtue Of its
tunefulness, to be worth an effort at
perpetuation this season. Last fall. |
however, Mr.. Gatti selected two one-act
operas by American composers and
placed them on his list for production.
They Tho Legend" by Joseph Breil,
and Tho Temple Dancer" by John
adam Hugo, were among the novelties
OF the season under review.
The reintroduction of English ner-
formances-after purpose proclaimed
somewhat spectacularly immediately
after Mr. Gatti's advent, had been
abandoned was indicative of the
policy which has been adopted
Tor the present and near fu-
ture at least, and as such is deserving
of careful thought on the part of the
public, as we'll as the management. For
a time it will ask for leniency in iudp.
ment on the one hand and compel a
wise, patriotic and generous attitude