San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-29
More Than 100000
Profit Made in Twenty
three Weeks of Almost
Continuous Grand Opera.
By PIERRE v. r. KEY,

have just been completed. Quantity
hasn't hid its light under any pro.
verbal bushel. At times, when ac.
tivities were at their height, it has
almost been a matter Of opera morn.
ing, noon and night. That is the
Giulio Gatti-Casazza policy. Had be
gone into the manufacturing business
Gath would have made full use OF
every by-product in his plant. AT
the Metropolitan this astute general
manager pushes The opera ball all over
the lot, and to very good monetary
purposes. Gatti SHES at the word
deficit" as any horse will before an
umbrella suddenly opened. Having be-
come expert in making the financial
ends overlap, and steadily each sea-
son, the most celebrated impresario
we know is immensely popular with
his board of directors. His contract
still has four years more to run. And
1t might, if Gatti so chose, 60 on for
as long as he elected to remain.
Something like 100000 has been
received in the Metropolitan Golfers
since last mid-November. The differ
ence between that sum and expenses
is approximately $100,000-on the
profit side of the ledger.
Gatti will depart next month for
Europe to look about for a new opera
or two he considers worth presenting,
and some singers regarded as quail
fled to let their voices be heard in
the red-and-gold auditorium which, as
Caruso once put it ''scares the great
est artists in the world"
Quality Not the Best.
Artistically, the accomplishment
during the past % weeks hasn't equal
ed the finest we have known. There
have been some rather large "holes"
which needed to be stopped up, chief
~ to the unevenness of the quality
of the principal singers.
Strange though it may appear, we
are lacking in truly fine singing ar
fists. Compared with those of TWEEN
ty years ago most of those we now
know must be ushered to rear seats.
Nobody We know seems able to ex-
plain why this is 50. Competition be-
comes keener each year. The critics
continue to roast without mercy, yet
the crop of singers goes on at about
the average level as has prevailed for
decade. Here and there we find an
llIlt
fist, who knows how technically to
use the voice and rises interpretative-
ly to supreme heights.
What often saves the Metropolitan's
artistic goose is its fine stage produc-
tons, and an ensemble-orchestra, cho-
rus and ballet-which helps to lift
the general achievement out of the
rut.
Nevertheless, we experience some
sad lapses, and Gatti himself, to-
gether with his subordinates, are
wholly to blame. There has been this
season, some lamentable examples Of
dull artistic perceptions on the part
of some of the leading singers at the
Metropolitan, and some stage manage
ment, which should have known bet
ter. All OF which is sufficient reason
to commend, with distinct qualifica.
ton, the Metropolitan's standards
which have prevailed since last No
vember.
Some Opera Statistics.
Measured by the quantity rule, afore-
mentioned, the 1922-1923 endeavors
must command our respect. No Or
ganization can give, five and six times
week for some six consecutive
months, opera which holds unswerv-
ingly to an unimpeachabie level. So
the Metropolitan deserves its just due.
Nowhere else in the world do We find
such consistently admirable perform
ances as those provided in New York.
Our objection is that the shortcom-
ings are by no means altogether nee
essary since they are largely the
result of stupid characterization by
principals who should know better,
and of stage management which limps
when it might walk serenely.
One hundred and seventy-three pres
entations have taken place in New
York between November 10 last and
April 81. Verdi leads the list Of com.
posers with 81 performances of his
works Puccini is second with %, and
Wagner is a close third with 20. When
Sunday night concerts and perform
ances in Brooklyn, Philadelphia and
Atlanta are added to the first total,
the footing is 226 representations.
For Variety's Sake.
As a youth we remember Henry
Clay Barnabee, of the old Bostonians,
remarking in Reginald de Kovens
Robin Hood: II never yet have made
one mistake, I'd like to for variety's
sake" No longer do we have such
fine companies singing light opera as
the Bostonians. But We do get, at
the Metropolitan, variety. Next sea
son there is to be still more variety,
in the matter Of principal artists.
This variety is to be achieved
through engaging considerable mum.
Der of leading singers for only half q
season each, in place of the former
custom of drawing a contract for the
entire opera year.
The days Of an autumn, winter and
spring in New York for a distin-
guished soprano, contralto, tenor, bar
itone and bass are vanishing. When
Geraldine Farrar was offered, and re-
fused, a half-season engagement the
story became current that 1t was only
Gattis way of dropping Gerry from
the Metropolitan roster. Now We dis
cover that the general manager was
genuinely sincere.
During the first part Of the coming
season the Metropolitan will present
as its leading tenors Chamlee. Gigii,
and Fleta. In February will come
Martinelli, Lauri-volpi, johnson
and Chamlee, whose contract for q
| full season has another year to run.
The same course will be pursued with
other representative artists, among
them Florence Easton, Rosa Ponselle,
Lucrezia Bori, Barbara Kemp, Mar
garete Matzenaur, Titta Ruffo and
Michael Bohnen. Maria Jeritza, Giu-
seppe Danise and Giuseppe de Luca.
Ia - 80 AT fkn