New-York tribune., 1919-05-04

ANoiAy, winch mad vexed his
soul during the preceding year. The
physical obstacles had been overcome
even before the annual prospectus was
ISSUED, IN October, and all that the di-
rectors had to fear between the dav
when war was declared and the OMEN
ing of the season on November 1s wa.
the loss of some Of their singers and a
possible slump in the subscriptions
The former danger loomed up as Tho
greater of the two.
Many of the singers of the Metro.
polltan company were foreigners. who
were accustomed to hurry over to Eli
rope as soon as the New York season
was over, either to become artisticallv
active in the London season at Covent
Garden or to rest in their old homes
With the outbreak Of hostilities it be-
came necessary to look after these peo
ple-artists, choristers and instru-
mentalists-and make sure of their re-.
turn to New York. All of them were
not essential to the season, but Mr..
Albert Reiss occupied so unique a posi-
ton in the artistic economy Of the in
stitution that the help Of the French
Ambassador to the United States had
to be invoked to rescue him from a
concentration camp in France Mr..
Dinh Gilly, a valuable but less neces-
sary member of the French and Italian
contingent, became a prisoner Of war
in Austria and had to be left to his
fate. AS for the rest, the roster was
complete when the prospectus was
issued, on October 19. 1t contained, in
its German contingent, the names Of
Emmy Destinn, Johanna Gadski, Frieda
Hempel, Melanie Kurt "a new acquisi-
tom, Margaret Matzenauer, Margaret
Ober, Rudolf Berger, Johannes Sem
bach Ca new tenor, jacques Urlus,
Otto Goritz, Robert Leonhardt, Carl
Schlegel, Herman We'll and Carl Braun.
In this season, which was as like it's
predecessor as two peas are like each
other, there being neither addition nor
diminution Of the German list of
operas performed, the war affected the
financial outcome in a twofold manner.
The subscriptions fell off (for no rea-
son except apprehension of possible
financial depression, fear which led
to the abandonment of the Boston
Opera Company which had been
losing institution from the beginning
and the bankruptcy of the Chicago
company, which, however, was reor-
ganized for the following season., and
there was a loss Of expected revenue
from the failure Of the expected
affilation with the organizations in
Boston and Chicago. No effort had
been made to conceal from the public
the fact that the demands of a few
politan company had become exorbi-
tant, partly because of the end Of the
Hammerstein competition, partly be-
cause of it, that the only means which
offered to satisfy them was to share
their services with Boston and Chi |
cago. With no opera in the capitals
of New England and the Middle West. |
and the concert season ruined by
popular apathy and an invasion of for
eign artists and unexpectedly large
burden fell upon the Metropolitan
Opera Company. How large a loss was
entailed I do not know, but the di
rectors, while withholding figures in
accordance with their invariable GUS
tom, let it be known that the loss was
not so large as that Of 191O-1911.
About the middle Of the season Mr..
Gatti made it known that the war had
brought with it what seemed to him
the psychological moment for reform
which should look toward the emanci
exorbitant demands of the singers.
What he did in the way of retrench-
ment it is not in my power to say;
nor have l ever been curious to find
out. l prefer to confne myself to the
artistic doings of the institution. A
great deal Of gossip was created by
tho fact that 1t was announced early
In January that Signor Caruso would
cut his season short in order to sing
at Monte Carlo. 1t was, Of course, at
once concluded that the admired tenor
had rebelled against an attempt to re-
duce his honorarium, notwithstanding
the statement Of the directors that he
was worth to them every cent Of the
$4,000 night which he was receiving.
and that the projected measure of re-
form was not aimed at him. In the
last week Of the season the directors
issued a statement to the effect that
Signor Caruso would be a member of
the company in the entire season of
1915-1916, which compelled the con-
clusion that the curtailment Of his en-
gagement had been an amicable ar
rangement.
Miss Geraldine Farrar, another pop-
ular idol, without waiting to learn the
intentions Of the directors concerning
her, executed q strategic movement and
placed herself in the hands of Mr..
Charles A. Ellis, Of Boston, who had
been her agent for concerts. 1t was a
shrewd move, but Miss Farrar evil
IDENTIFY thought it needed defence, for
she put forth some high-sounding
phrases about her art as vocation
and the necessity of laying up money
against an evil day. This she in
timated would not be necessary "if we
had government opera house, with