The New York herald., 1920-01-04
BY PAUL MORRIS.


rivalry at the Metropolitan Opera House
, when the Chicago Opera Company comes
FOR It's annual season at the Lexington
Theatre Singers are on their metal. The
management plays its best cards and sets
Off invading stars with the strongest local
competitors.
On January Is the Chicago Opera Com
pany will come for @ season of five weeks
at the Lexington. This will he it's third
invasion OF the city. Cleofonte Campanini,
under whose leadership these per-
: for1nanccs were started, died recently in
Chicago leaving the company without a
general manager. But all preparations for
the season had been made before illness
deprived tho Chicago operatic forces of
his services. In all probability it will be a
leaderless company that comes to the Lex
ington. for it is not expected that new
director viii be appointed this season.
All the musical world is talking of the
next general manager Of the Chicago
Opera Association. But will there ever be
one? At present the management is d.
vided. Herbert NJ. Johnson. who for sew
cral years has been business controller
the organization. Artistic matters arc in
the hands OF Gino Maripuzzi. a new italian
conductor But 1t is not certain that this
arrangement is to be permanent
Runners OF q Successor.
There are many operagoers who would
= like to see Arturo Toscanini back in
America. Some newspapers have even
printed statemSnts that he would come as
head Of the chicago forces. but an Off
cial denial from the Board of Directors put
the report into the class of an unfounded
rinnor.
Then il has been whispered in musical
circles that Antonio Scotti, who was
impresario of his own operate COM
rany last spring and again last autumn,
had beeo approached on the subject
f;ut Mr.. Scotti himself has denied hav-
ing considered any such proposal.
Still others have raid that Morris Gest.
who was associated with Oscar Ham
merstein at the Manhattan Opera House
when grand opera in Thirty-fourth
street was a reality. has been making
mysterious trips 20 Chicago.
II is also intimated in certain circles
that Charles l.. Wagner manager for
Nine. Amelita Galli-Curci and John Nc
cormack. spends good deal of his time
in the vicinity of the Auditorium in
Chicago. where the Chicago Opera As
sociation has its offices, and that he
may be the successor of Mr.. Campanini.
limitations are likewise abroad that
Edward Ziegler, executive secretary of
the Metropolitan Orera Company, will
accept the job. and that the Metropoli-
tan and the Chicago Opera Company
will thereby be enabled to work anic-
ably with exchange of artists and no
duplication of operas.
From Boston comes the rumor that
j, Charles Ellis. manager of Miss Geraldine
Farrar, of Kreisler and Eachmaninoff
= and once impresario of the Ellis Opera
Company, will move to Chicago next
autumn to assume the management of
Csicago's operatic activities. Henry
Russell. who was impresario of the
Boston Opera Company prior to 1914,
and Max Rabinoff. who took the Boston
National Opera Company on a tour in
the following year, also have been men
toned.
But the Board of Directors OF the
Chicago Opera Company has up to the
present done nothing except deny all
rumors. Perhaps the present arrange
ment will prove satisfactory and no
change will bo necessary. At all events.
, the Chicago Opera Association expects
! TO continue it's activities on the same
=. elaborate scale as in the past
Many Changes I'm Company.
While three famous sopranos domi-
nate the Chicago opcratic forces, as
Galli-Curci, Miss Rosa Raisa and Miss
Mary Garden. there have been many
changes In the personnel. Last season
Miss Raisa was not with the company,
but she has recovered from the illness
that kept her from the stage at that
time. Two other singers OF world
prominence, Aiessandro Bonci, tenor.
and Titta Ruffo, barytone. have re-
turned after an absence of several sea-
sons.
Two other italian singers. Tito Schipa,
tenor. and Carlo Gaicffi, barytone. have
been added TO the company. and several
Americans have been engaged. the most
important of whom In Edward Johnson, a
tenor, who sang several years at the
Scala in Milan. Miss Evelyn Herbert, OF
Brooklyn, young soprano. and Miss Nina
Morgana, a coloratura soprano, arc also
among the newcomers
An unusually attractive list OF novelties
has been promised for this season. and al
ready several have been produced in Chi
caeo. La Nave by Italo MontemezzI.
composer Of 'L'Amorc deis Ire Re- can
not but attract interest. as II is the only
other opera Of this musician that has been
sung In America The company is here to
conduct It and Miss Raisa sings the princi-
+, pal soprano role. IL was sung 10 open the
season In Chicago in November Another
Italian novelty will be "Jacquerie," by Mr..
Marnuzzi, In which Miss tsaisa likewise
viii be heard.
French novelties include Elanger' $
"Aphrodts," in which Miss Garden VIII
appear. She created the prima donna role
in Paris in 1906. Mime. Chry san ntheme. -
ny Andre MessaFer. with a libretto almost
Identical with that Of "Madama Butter
~r.- will be offered. with Nine Tamaki
zsiure In The title role third French