The New York herald., 1922-04-07
OPERA CLAQUE
AN OLD STORY, SAYS HABITUE
Regards DamrOsch Revelation
as Joke-Like Trying to
Stop Bootlegging.

When Walter Damrosch. in a speech
at the dinner to Willem Mengelberg.
guest conductor OF the Philharmonic So
ciety. said that an organized claque. or
body of hired applauders, operates at
the Metropolitan Opera House. he
stated something that has been evident
to those familiar with the Metropolitan
almost ever since 1t was an opera house.
Mr. Damrosch introduced the subject In
referring to the new fad that certain
visiting conductors whom he did not
name had recently introduced manufac-
tured applause into the concert halls.
Mr.. Mengelberg was the guest at din
ner Wednesday night at the st. Regis
of the Netherlands America Society.
The dinner was in the nature of a
farewell ard appreciation Of his SER
vices to music here. Mr. Damrosch in
explaining his statement as to the
Metropolitan claque hastily exonerated
Mr.. Gatti-Casazza and Otto II. Kahn,
chairman of the Metropolitan board,
who was present, from responsibility for
the claque and placed It on artists who
seemed to think they needed the kind Of
applause that is induced by lusty lunged
and hard handed men who may be en-
gagged at So a night.
~
was amazed at the publicity that at
tended his speech. as he was assured by
the secretary Of the Netherlands Amer
lea Society that no reporters would be
present.
The prominence given to my remarks
IN the newspapers" he said, Showed
that touched on a subject not unknown
TO them In a general way.
Excellent artists do not need any
ClaQIa i,,ot
honest applause of the public All the
tpeople referred to at the Metropolitan
NE did not give any names-are excel
lent artists who do not need claques
ana should be above employing them
The artists of the first rank who en-
ploy claques encourage mediocre artists
to try the claque scheme and there In
the HARM
Mr. Gatti-Casazza could not be in
ouced to comment on Mr.. Damrosch's
statement 1t was said that he found
II easy to keep silent because Mr.. Dam
rosch IN his original speech said the
general manager Of the company was
IN no way responsible for the situatt
FROM another quarter came the report
that Mr.. Gatti was much ANNOYED over
the fact that the old bugaboo Of hired
applause had been stirred up. And the
END OF the season so near!
Something of n Joke"
A person in close touch with Metro
poHtan afrairs was willing to be quoted
II his name was not used:
1T Is something Of a Joke" he said
to have Mr.. Damrosch discover a claoue
at the Metropolitan. There always has
Deen claQue or set of claQues at work
there as long as the oldest opera habitue
can remember. And there always will be.
probably. Just as well try to stop boot
Logging as stop the claques How are
you going to stop them? AS long as
artists have money to buy admission
tickets for their friends, eight or ten or
Twenty-Five, those friends are going to
be there and accelerate the applause"
William ]. Guard. head Of the Metro
politan publicity department, speaking
Tor himself and not for the company,
said: When Mr.. Damrosch was giving
opera at the Metropolitan twenty odd
years ago and was a reporter for THE
NEW YORK HERALD, do not remember
that conditions were different from what
they are now. When he is present now,
either as guest OF a singer or Of the
management have noticed that no one
outdoes him in the enthusiasm and fire.
cuency of his applause. Asgentlemanly
thing to do.
Il would be sorry to think that the
genial conductor Of the Symphony
Society Is hitting ae some fellow con-
ductor over the head of the Metro
politan Opera Company"
1t Is the opinion of those who have
been going to the opera for many years
and have seen claques operate there
end. know by sight at least the chef de
claque. the boss Of the applause ac-
celerators. that the claQues this year are
more vfrfIe than The al w
they say, has grown to larger proper
tions than ever before.
Giovanni Martinelli. who sang for the
first time last night the role of Samson,
made famous by Enrico Caruso, and
Beniamino Gigli, one Of the younger
tenors of the company. were mentioned
yesterday as among the Metropolitan