New-York tribune., 1921-08-14
Grand Opera in
Cincinnati for the
Summer Season

CINCINNATI, Aug. 12.-This city is
realizing long cherished musical
dream in the great popular success
OF her Summer Grand Opera Company
which, in cooperation with the Cincin-
natl Symphony Orchestra, a local cho-
rus, local ballet and visiting artists is
playing an eight weeks engagement
to immense audiences nightly at the
geological garden. Under the business
management of Charles G. Miller. man
ager of the geological gardens, and the
artistic direction of Ralph Lvford
young American musician. operatic di-
rector of the company, the project is
reaping a success, both financial and
artistic gratifying alike to the pro-
moters Of the movement, Mr.. and Mrs
Charles P. Taft and Mrs. Thomas J.
Lmery, and to the general public
which has proved its hearty support
by capacity houses night after NIGHT
For twenty-five years the musical
element of this city has dreamed Of
the establishment Of permanent local
grand opera company. Such an organ
lzatlon seemed the logical third of the
three musical institutions, two of
which, the Cincinnati May Musical
Festivals and the Cincinnati Symphony
Orchestra, have long been firmly built
into the civic social and musical life
Of the city. 1t remained for Ralph
Lyford to convert the more or less
hazy musical dream into a sound and
authoritative reality.
Lyford, who is still Young man.
was born in Worcester, Mass. He Sc
cured his early musical education at
the New England Conservatory of
Music in Boston, where re studied
organ, piano, cello and composition.
he spent number Of years n Eurous
where he specialized in concert cor
ducting under Nikisch in Leipzig arj
where he also devoted considerable
time to the study and conducting of
Mozart. Lyford also spent a season
as assistant to Claude DeBussy at the
Chatelet Theater in Paris.
Returning to this country he became
assistant conductor to Henry Russell.
then of the San Carlo Company, and
with him toured the United States.
for FIVE years Lyford was assistant
conductor of the Boston Opera Com
pany, going with that organization to
Paris in 1914. He came to the Gu
cinnati Conservatory OF Music in 1916,
where he became director Of the de-
partmert Of opera. Little by little and
tioa of permanent grand opera con-
pany in Cincinnati he developed the
various elements which he last sum
mer coordinatcd into a tentative or
ganization. The venture lasr yea~
was more or less Of an experiment.
This season it has passed beyond the
experimental stage and is an cstao-
lished success which anclude definitely
developed plans for winter season
and ultimately an opera house OF .ts
twn.
In the developed state of musical
culture in Cincinnati Lyford found
many of the needed elements ready at
hand. From the Cincinnati Symphony
Orchestra, a body of more than twenty
five years. experience, he secured
musicians highly specialized, trained
and responsive to his demands. There
arc forty musicians in the orchestra,
this number being augmented as oc-
casion demands. The music schools Of
the city, cf which there are many
supplied the singers for the chorus.
Another feature Of the operas is the
bale. under premiere danseusc Mile.
Ella Daganova. Sixteen ballernas are
appearing throughout the season in
advertisements or various dances
With only few exceptions the
singers are PROFESSIONALS artists re-
cruted from the ranks of the Metro
politan, Chicago, San Carlo and former
Boston opera companies. The list in
cludes Henrietta Wakefield, Greek
Evans, Mario Vallc. Salvatore Schla-
retti, Romeo Boscacci, Italo Picchl
ratale Cervi, Regina Vicariro, Jean
Barondess, Elnor Mario and others.
Among the local singers are Clara
Thomas CHM and Marguerite Bentcl
The operas given include aida,
"Carmen," "Othell," "Don Pasquale,"
"Lucia,7 "Rigoctto," I'll Trovators,"