__. LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN IN MEMORY OF STEWART S. HOWE JOURNALISM CLASS OF 1928 STEWART S. HOWE FOUNDATION 782.. 1 M78f ccp .3 I.H.S. J. A. PETERS FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO Twenty Wacker Drive The permanent home of the Chicago Civic Opera FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO by Edward C. Moore 1930 HORACE LIVERIGHT • NEW YORK COPYRIGHT. I930, BY EDWARD MOORE Manufactured in the United States of America *p.3 L/5T OF ILLUSTRATIONS The Permanent Home of the Chicago Civic Opera Frontispiece FACING PAGE Lilli Lehmann, Marcella Sembrich, Francesco Tamagno, Victor IV laurel 20 Ellison Van Hoose, Johanna Gadski, Edouard de Reszke, Jean de Reszke 28 Nellie Melba, Lillian Nordica, Italo Campanini, Pol Plan- con 32 Luigi Mancinelli, Anton Van Rooy, David Bispham, Ernest Van Dyck 38 Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Louise Homer 44 Arturo Toscanini, Giorgio Polacco 48 Leo Slezak, Enrico Caruso 5° Margaret Matzenauer, John McCormick 58 Mary Garden 74 Luisa Tetrazzini, Emma Eames, Emil Fischer, Geraldine Farrar 90 Titta Ruffo, Giacomo Rimini 106 Cleofonte Campanini 118 Olive Fremstadt, Emmy Destinn 146 Amelita Galli-Curci, Lucien Muratore 156 Georges Balanoff, Vanni-Marcoux 178 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE Vittorio Trevisan 200 Rosa Raisa 210 Adolph Bolm, Mme. Tamaki Miura 216 Charles Marshall, Virgilio Lazzari 222 Marguerite D'Alvarez 232 Claudia Muzio 252 Feodor Chaliapin, Joseph Schwartz 260 Charles Hackett, Cynara Van Gordon 270 Edith Mason, Tito Schipa 284 Alexander Kipnis 296 Cesare Formichi, Richard Bonelli 304 The Grand Foyer of Chicago's New Civic Opera House . 318 Marie Olszewska, Frida Leider 330 Interior of the New Civic Opera House ; Steel Curtain, Pro- scenium Arch and Orchestra Pit of the New Civic Opera House 334 The Triumph Scene from "A'ida" at the Opening Perform- ance of the New Civic Opera House 344 Harriet Lundgren, Edward Caton and Ruth Pryor, Julia Barashkova 350 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO FOREWORD OF THE AUDITORIUM i The first performance of opera in the Audi- torium, Tuesday, December 10, 1889, "Romeo and Juliet," by Charles Gounod. Capulet, a Veronese Noble. .Sig. De Vaschetti Juliet, his Daughter Adelina Patti Tybalt, his Nephew Sig. Perugini Romeo, a Montague Sig. Ravelli Mercutio, Friend of Romeo. .Sig. Del Puente Stephano, Page of Romeo. . .Mme. Fabbri Duke of Verona Sig. Bieletto Friar Lawrence Sig. Marcassa Gertrude, Juliet's Nurse. .. .Mme. Bauermeister Gregorio, Servant to Capulet. Sig. Cernusco Incidental Dances by Ballet Conductor Sig. Sapio Stage Director William Parry The final performance by the Civic Opera Com- pany in the Auditorium, Saturday, January 26, 1929, "Romeo and Juliet," by Charles Gounod. Capulet, a Veronese Noble. .Cesare Formichi Juliet, his Daughter Edith Mason Tybalt, his Nephew Jose Mojica Romeo, a Montague Charles Hackett Mercutio, Friend of Romeo. .Desire Defrere 3 4 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO Stephano, Page of Romeo . . . Irene Pavloska Duke of Verona Antonio Nicolich Friar Lawrence Edouard Cotreuil Gertrude, Juliet's Nurse .... Maria Claessens Gregorio, Servant to Capulet . Eugenio Sandrini Incidental Dances by Ballet Conductor Giorgio Polacco Stage Director Charles Moor Apparently the two architects of the Auditorium, Louis H. Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, put their energy into building it instead of talking about it afterwards. No comment at all by Adler has been found; in Sullivan's book, "The Autobiography of an Idea," which is also his own autobiography, published just before his death, only this: "For several years there had been talk to the effect that Chicago needed a grand opera house; but the several schemes advanced were too aristocratic and exclusive to meet with general approval. In 1885 there appeared the man of the hour, Ferdinand W. Peck, who declared him- self a citizen, with firm belief in democracy — whatever he meant by that; seemingly he meant the 'peepul.' At any rate, he wished to give birth to a great hall within which the multitude might gather for all sorts of pur- poses including grand opera; and there were to be a few boxes for the haut monde. He had a disturbing fear, however, concerning acoustics, for he understood success in that regard was more or less of a gamble. So he sought out Dankmar Adler and confided. "The only man living, at the time, who had had the intelligence to discern that the matter of acoustics is not a science but an art — as in fact all science is sterile until FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 5 it rises to the level of art — was Dankmar Adler, Louis' partner." (Throughout his book Mr. Sullivan constantly refers to himself as Louis.) "His scheme was simplicity itself. With his usual generosity he taught this very simple art to his partner, and together they built a number of successful theatres. Hence Peck, the dreamer for the populace, sought Adler, the man of common sense. Be- tween them they concocted a scheme, a daring experiment, which was this : To install in the old Exposition Building on the lake front, a vast temporary audience room, with a huge, scenic stage, and to give therein a two weeks' season of grand opera, engaging artists of world fame. "This was done. The effect was thrilling. An audience of 6,200 persons saw and heard; heard, even to the faint- est pianissimo. No reverberation, no echo, — the clear un- tarnished tone of voice and instrument reached all. The inference was obvious: a great permanent hall housed within a monumental structure must follow. This feeling marked the spirit of the Chicago of those days. "Ferdinand W. Peck, or Ferd Peck as he was gen- ally known — now 'Commodore' at 75 — " (Mr. Peck died shortly after Mr. Sullivan's book was published) "took on his slim shoulders the burden of an immense under- taking and 'saw it through.' To him, therefore, all praise due a bold pioneer; an emotionally exalted advocate of that which he, a rich man, believed in his soul to be democracy. The theatre seating 4,250 he called the Audi- torium, and the entire structure comprising theatre, hotel, office building, and tower he named the Auditorium Build- ing — nobody knows just why. Anyway it sounded better than 'Grand Opera House.' "For four long years Dankmar Adler and his partner 6 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO labored on this enormous, unprecedented work. Adler was Peck's man. As to Louis he was rather dubious, but gradually came around — conceding a superior aesthetic judgment — which for him was in the nature of a miracle, Besides, Louis was young, only thirty when the task be- gan, his partner forty-two, and Peck about forty. . . ." Later he says: "The drawings of the Auditorium Building were now well under way. Louis' heart went into this structure. It is old-time now, but its tower holds its head in the air, as a tower should. It was the culmination of Louis' masonry 'period.' " It was finally finished and opened with lavish cere- monial. There was a dedicatory program on Monday night, December 9, 1889, with acres of speech making, a dedicatory ode, and two songs by "Patti, the divine." The next night the opera season opened with "Romeo and Juliet," and the Auditorium began its career as a home of opera, the initiatory company being under the management of Henry E. Abbey and Maurice Grau. Milward Adams was the house manager. Just to connect this matter with the rest of the world's doings, what else was happening at the time? The newspaper columns tell us much. Benjamin Harrison was president and Levi P. Morton vice-president of the United States. They had been nominated by the republi- can national convention in the same hall a year and a half before, the convention being held there because of the size of the enclosure, although the building was nowhere nearly finished. They came on from Washington to be present at the dedication, and were entertained in "true Chicago style," according to the headlines, which means that their hours of sleep were cut to an irreducible mini- FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 7 mum. It was undoubtedly not considered part of the en- tertainment that there were some disquieting rumors in the papers that Grover Cleveland might make something of a showing when the next presidential election came around. Dom Pedro had just arrived in Lisbon, having been heaved out of his job in Brazil after "forty-nine years of spotless reign," and was proclaiming in excited tones to all within earshot that Brazil was not yet ready for a republican form of government. Jefferson Davis was just dead in New Orleans, Robert Browning was to die that week in London, having lived just long enough to see his final book of poems, "Asolando," come off the press. In Chicago they were taking subscriptions for the coming world's fair in any sums that contributors could be induced to give, and at that time they had raised nearly $2,500,000. Over in the court house an extremely tired jury was listening to some extremely long-winded final arguments on the Cronin murder case by Attorney W. S. Forrest and his group for the defense and States Attorney Joel Longenecker and his group for the prose- cution, a group which included Luther Laflin Mills, W. J. Hynes, and Kickham Scanlan. The jury was to stay out for seventy hours, with rumors of strife and hard lan- guage coming from the jury room, and finally return a verdict acquitting John F. Beggs, and giving John P. Kunze a sentence of three years and Daniel Coughlin, Patrick O'Sullivan, and Martin Burke life sentences. During the first week of opera a group of Sioux chiefs went through Chicago on their way to sign some new treaties at Washington. They did not attend the opera, but were taken to Hooley's Theatre, where they 8 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO saw a bill of "high class vaudeville," presented, among others, by George Thatcher, "The renowned Irwin Sis- ters," and "The unique Lottie Collins," and where they witnessed a ballet and heard "Down Went McGinty." Among other entertainments on view at that time, Don- nelly and Girard were in "Natural Gas" at the Grand Opera House, "Shenandoah" was at McVicker's, the McCaull Opera Company was singing "Clover" at the Chicago Opera House, Bill Nye and James Whitcomb Riley were about to make a joint appearance at Central Music Hall, Libby Prison was on view where the Coliseum now stands, dime museums were all over the place, the Eden Musee at Wabash and Jackson advertised "Dr. Cronin's Murder With All Its Sensational Features," and at least half a dozen ticket scalpers announced in print that they had choice seats for all performances of opera at prices up to $6 — the Auditorium having been scaled at from $i to $3.50. Also, and this makes the male reader feel somewhat envious, the best men's suits and overcoats could be bought for $25 or less, the best white shirts for $1.50, and the best shoes for $5. Tuesday, December 10, was a great day for the newspapers. There were no staff photographers in those days to get out pictures with the magical speed which is the rule now, but there were staff artists with hasty but steady hands to make drawings and have them trans- lated into newspaper cuts. A four-column drawing shows the interior of the Auditorium and its stage, a "Scene at the Congress street entrance" takes a two-column width of space and "A pleasant private box party" two FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 9 more. Speeches were reported at length, and there are prose pictures of all eminent attendants. Mayor Cregier opened the floodgates of oratory, to be followed by Ferdinand W. Peck, and he by President Harrison. Then came John S. Runnells, and finally Gov- ernor Fifer. But there was also music. Clarence Eddy played Theodore Dubois' Triumphal Fantasie for organ and orchestra; the dedicatory ode had words by Harriet Monroe and music by Frederick Grant Gleason, both Chicagoans, and was done by the Apollo Musical Club under the baton of William L. Tom- lins, with an orchestra made up partly of Chicago play- ers and partly of the operatic orchestra from elsewhere. The Apollo Club also sang "See, the Conquering Hero Comes," "The Heavens are Telling," the Hallelujah chorus, and "America," which last was recognized with special pleasure by President Harrison. Finally came Patti. All she sang was "Home, Sweet Home," and, since she could not be permitted to stop there, a Swiss song by Eckert, whose trills and ornaments had been on her pro- grams for long years. The musical critic held that she was delightful, simplicity itself, though not devoid of tender feeling, but that two short songs afforded little basis of judgment upon how good she actually was. That was to come in the opera season. He also complained that the operatic orchestra did not apply itself to its choral tasks with the zeal or care that it presumably would do later in opera. However, great credit was due to all. And the next night came "Romeo and Juliet." One of the most unfortunate facts in the course of delving into musical performances of a former day is 10 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO that what actually happened must rest upon printed ac- counts or memories. Think what a well-made phonograph record of Patti in her prime would be as a matter of interest to-day! However, W. J. Henderson dove into his well-stocked memory not long ago in Musical America and produced this about her: "The voice was of the most flute-like character, soft, yet vibrant and far-reaching, voluptuous, yet chaste, 'as if somehow a rose might be a throat' (Sidney Lanier). Her forte was comedy; her Rosina has not been rivaled. Her Semiramide was a glittering maze of vocal beauties. Her Violetta was flawless and unmoving. Her Juliet was to be admired, but not adored. She sang like a lark but not like a tragedienne. She was one of the great singers of all time — as a singer, not as a dramatic force. There has been in my time only one Patti." The performance at the Auditorium seems to have been just a bit of a disappointment. The waltz song in the first act, one learns, was not remarkable for its bril- liancy, Patti evidently saving her voice. Ravelli's voice was "somewhat lacking in true refinement," but had some effective B naturals in it. Del Puente had "scarcely his old resonance of voice," and Perugini "seemed over- weighted with his part." Of Patti again, this: "It is evident that Mme. Patti's voice is not en- tirely the same that it was formerly, say ten or twelve years ago. The technical facility is still there to a great extent, but it does not possess the same limpid quality, and it is evident that it requires more care in its manage- ment than formerly. Even her intonation, which was for- merly so faultless, is less pure than it used to be, though the lapses from absolute truth are not so marked as to FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO II be offensive. It is a matter of fact, however, that she does sing flat at times. As regards the matter of warmth, which is so essential for the proper interpretation of the music assigned to Juliet, and so imperatively demanded for the delineation of the ardent character of the heroine, Patti never did possess it, so that even were her vocalization absolutely faultless there would still be left much to be desired." Genuine emotion, however, seems to pervade this paragraph, which preceded the technical musical dis- cussion : "The doors opened about 7:15 and the procession began at once. People came in shivering and hesitated to leave their wraps in cloak-rooms. It was a magnificent crowd, though, much more magnificent than that of the night before. Every one was in full dress, even those standing up. It was the most brilliant audience probably ever seen in Chicago. Monday night there were many who worked in simply to see the interior. They didn't have dress suits and wouldn't have known how to wear them if they had. These were absent last night; it was an opera audience exclusively." Forty years later Julius Rosenwald was to tell how, not being able to get a ticket for the opening, he crashed the gate by coming in through the stage entrance, cross- ing into the front of the house, and losing himself in the crowd. Patti, incidentally, would be considered well paid even in these days. She used to receive $3,500 a perform- ance, plus ten per cent of the receipts in case they ex- ceeded $5,000. But if she did not quite live up to advance notices and hopes, Francesco Tamagno, who was visiting 12 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO America for the first time that year, was acclaimed a "king among tenors." There was delight in print over his more than six feet of well proportioned stature and the magnificent volume of tone with which he poured out B flats and C naturals. "There seemed to be absolutely no difficulty to him to produce those extreme notes, for he gave them as though revelling in their sonority. . . . In fact it appears as if Tamagno's star was destined to eclipse Patti's." Patti evidently read the papers and knew how to give out an interview calculated to promote kindly feelings among the best people. The Auditorium was perfect, ac- cording to her, Chicago might well be proud of it, the Metropolitan in New York was a beautiful place, but compared to the Auditorium it was like singing in a ball- room, and there was nothing comparable in all Europe. Also, she was sorry that Chicago had not liked "Romeo and Juliet" when it had been appreciated so thoroughly in Paris. The interviewer, however, was not to think that Chicago had not the appreciation and understanding of Paris — it might be a question of taste. She herself would have preferred to open in "Trovatore," — something that ends with a flourish. And, "Chicago seems to get everything now. Really, I wonder what is to become of New York." The season ran for four weeks. One sees notices of Emma Albani in "Faust," Tamagno in "Trovatore," and he and Albani in "Huguenots," he and Nordica in "Aida," Patti in "Lucia di Lammermoor," "Semira- mide," "Martha," and "Sonnambula." Comments thereon grow less numerous as the season goes on, for even with a new Auditorium it was not considered desirable to re- FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 13 port every performance every time. However, there are complaints in the society column that opera is extinguish- ing most other social events, and in the music column that there are too many performances with a single no- table to justify them, that notable being inadequately supported by the rest of the cast. This latter has a strangely modern touch. There was a bit of hard luck at the end. The country was being devastated by what a later generation learned to call the flu, but what was "la grippe" then. On New Year's day the Tribune contained this not altogether respectful account of things at the opera: "Italian opera has the influenza. Sig. Tamagno is ill at the Leland. So is Mme. Guido Valda. So is Mme. Pettigiani, and Mme. Nordica is in bed at the Richelieu. As a result 'Les Huguenots' was on at the Auditorium last evening in place of Verdi's great 'Otello,' and although there was $9,000 in the house, the management was sad. " 'Only myself and Patti are left,' said Milward Adams, 'and I am not feeling any too well.' "Sig. Tamagno, the tenor, lay under a mountain of coverlids at his hotel with a red flannel bandage around his neck. He was absolutely indifferent to the wiles of Iago Del Puente. He refused to listen to the story of Desdemona Albani. The friendship of Cassio Perugini weighed not a penny in his mind. He buried his head in his pillow and closed his eyes to the scandal that was the talk of the gay chaps around the Rialto. Sig. Tamagno was sick. "In the morning Mr. Abbey and Mr. Peck and Mr. Milward Adams called. 14 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO " 'We must have a medical examination,' said Mr. Peck. Dr. Ingals was sent for. He made an excursion into Sig. Tamagno's $i,500-a-performance throat. He reported that it was swollen and colored a vulgar red. " 'He cannot sing to-night,' said Dr. Ingals. "The party repaired to Mme. Pettigiani's apart- ment. Mme. Pettigiani looked like a traveler over- whelmed by a snowstorm. Lace and down were piled to the ceiling and only her face was visible. " 'Mme. Pettigiani cannot sing,' said the doctor. "The procession moved to Mme. Valda's apart- ments. Mme. Valda was convalescent in a big, easy chair. Dr. Ingals viewed her larynx. 11 'Mme. Valda is sick,' said the doctor. "Mme. Nordica was found at the Richelieu. She was also abed. She had a fever. She had a sore throat. She coughed. " 'It is epidemic,' said the doctor. 'Mme. Nordica cannot sing.' "With four of its leading artists down, the Audi- torium was gloomy. Only Mme. Patti and Milward Adams were in good health. Mr. Adams has not ap- peared on the stage since he sang 'Silver Threads Among the Gold' at the opening of tne Pecatonica Grand Opera House in 1878, but he cheerily volunteered his services. They were politely but unhesitatingly declined. This left only Mme. Patti. Mme. Patti was sitting in her suite at the Richelieu eating marshmallows, which she says are good for the throat, and toasting her toes over a cannel coal fire. "'You are well, are you not?' Mr. Adams asked her. FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 1 5 " 'Perfectly,' said Mme. Patti. " 'Then you can sing to-night?' " 'For $4,000.' "The committee withdrew. "The Auditorium passed into the dumps. Mr. Ab- bey thrust his hands deep in his pockets and stalked about angrily. Mr. Peck buried his face in his hands and moaned. Mr. Adams lost his cheerfulness and kicked a man who asked for a pass. "At this juncture Mme. Albani appeared. Mme. Albani is an American and she is willing. Would she fill the gap? Of course she would. She went on in 'Les Huguenots,' and the $9,000 in the house was satis- fied." But Tamagno recovered enough to sing "Otello" on Thursday, January 2, and it was counted the crown- ing event of the season. Two more performances and the company was off for Mexico where grippe germs were not. The first season of opera at the Auditorium played to something over 100,000 persons, and in its twenty- two performances took in $232,952. The biggest audi- ence was the last. Patti closed the season with "The Barber of Seville," the Shadow song from "Dinorah," "Home, Sweet Home," and Arditi's "Kiss" waltz in the lesson scene — another bit that sounds modern — and the audience paid $14,320 to hear it. All of which was a considerable source of pleasure to Milward Adams. Mr. Adams, it has been noted above, was the house manager of the Auditorium, a position that he held from the beginning until close to the time when the Chicago Grand Opera company was organized. 1 6 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO Though no musician himself, in his business relations he became about as much of an influence in Chicago's musical development during his active career as any other single person in the city. As a young man he is first discovered in the box office of Central Music Hall, on the south-east corner of State and Randolph streets, for a long time about the only abiding place of concerts and lectures in Chicago. Next he is found as manager of the summer concerts that Theodore Thomas and his orchestra used to give in the Exposition building on the lake front, a structure that vanished a good many years ago. It is true that his name does not appear in the official souvenir program of the "First Chicago Opera Festival" held there April 6 to 18, 1885, but it is quite likely that he had some rather im- portant if quiet share in the proceedings. This was the operatic season mentioned by Mr. Sullivan for which he and Adler reconstructed part of the building into an opera house, applying thereto their own principles of acoustics. Patti headed the company — one reads, among other amazing statements, that she sang the name part of "Aida" then — and some of the other artists were Fursch-Madi and Dotti, dramatic sopranos, Scalchi, contralto, Emma Nevada (her first appear- ance), Nicolini, tenor, De Pasqualis, baritone, Cherubini and De Vaschetti, bassos. There was a "grand festival chorus of 300," a "grand orchestra of 100," and Luigi Arditi, now best known as the composer of the waltz song, "II Bacio," conducted. The season was in Italian, though only seven of the fourteen operas were of the Italian school. They were "Semiramide," "Linda di Chamounix," "Lucia di FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 1 7 Lammermoor," "La Somnambula," as it is named in the program, "Aida," "II Trovatore," and "I Puritani." The others were "L'Africaine," "Mireille," "Martha," "Der Freischutz," "Faust," and "Lohengrin," with one repetition on the final matinee. But they were all sung in Italian. The purists of opera in its original tongue had not begun campaigning then. After Mr. Adams moved into the business office of the Auditorium he seems to have become a kindly, if at times drastic, czar over its musical events. Not long ago Lieutenant Commander John Philip Sousa wrote me this about him: "The first time I met Milward Adams was on the occasion of my first tour with the Marine Band in Chicago. He was then a young man and exceedingly up to date. I remember that it rained very hard on the sec- ond day of our concerts, and my manager, fearful of the receipts, said, 'We will not have $1,000 in the house.' Adams said, 'I'll bet a magnum of champagne that it will be double that.' My manager accepted the bet and we had, if I remember right, twenty-three or twenty-four hundred in the house, and when Adams wanted my man- ager to pay the magnum he hesitated and insisted that a quart was enough to lose. Adams said, 'A quart be hanged. I bet a magnum and if I had lost I would have paid it — you lost and you must pay.' So we had the magnum." A man of that sort makes warm friends — and equally warm enemies. Mr. Adams had a number of earnest fights in the course of his career, but most of his associates became and remained his friends. He was a good deal of an idealist in music, which is why he 1 8 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO became such an important influence in the musical de- velopment of the city. At his death, some twenty years after these events, he left his large, interesting, and in many ways unique collection of photographs, souvenirs, and play bills of the celebrities who had appeared under his management to the Newberry Library of Chicago, where it still is. One notices in some of the newspaper quotations of the period a desire to tease Mr. Adams in print. Newspaper men were a graceless lot in those days, and all you have to do is belong to a newspaper staff now to hear frequently from the old timers that they have not improved. But the teasing sent in Mr. Adams' direction is almost always in kindly mood, which is one way of discovering the esteem in which he was held by his asso- ciates and acquaintances. II For some time thereafter the Auditorium was used only for concerts. The first was labeled a musical festival for the benefit of the I. N. G. new armory. Dr. Florenz Ziegfeld, the lieutenant-colonel, and for many years the president of the Chicago Musical College, was the musi- cal director. There were bands and soloists, among them Miss Grace E. Jones, soprano; L. A. Phelps, tenor; J. Allen Preisch, bass; August Hyllested, Emil Liebling, and Harrison Wild, pianists; the Schumann Lady Quar- tet, and the Lotus and Imperial Quartets. The dates were January 19 and 25. During the week of January 27, Monday and Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoon, Pablo de FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 19 Sarasate, violinist, and Eugen d'Albert, pianist, gave three joint concerts. They were respectively forty-six and twenty-six years old at the time. Assisted by a "grand orchestra" under the direction of Adolph Rosenbecker, d'Albert played for the first, the Chopin E minor concerto and solos by Grieg, Rubinstein, and Strauss-Tausig; for the second, the Liszt E flat concerto and solos by Grieg and Liszt; for the third the Beethoven "Emperor," and solos by Grieg and Liszt. Sarasate's achievements were first, the Mendelssohn concerto and his own "Carmen" fantasy; second, the Beethoven concerto and the Saint- Saens Rondo Capriccioso; third, the Bruch G minor con- certo and his own "Faust" excerpts. D'Albert would seem to have made an enormous hit, but some surprise was expressed over Sarasate, since he did not display the expected degree of Spanish passion, although credited as a very fine violinist. The Apollo Musical Club, having appeared up to that time at Central Music Hall, moved to the Audi- torium for its future concerts, and Mr. Adams announced that in February the J. C. Duff Opera Company would put on a season of Gilbert and Sullivan on a scale of magnificence never before attempted in this country. It opened with "Pinafore," Digby Bell taking the part of Sir Joseph Porter, Laura Joyce Bell, Little But- tercup, and W. H. Clark, Dick Deadeye, and they said in the papers that the company presented an ensemble difficult to surpass. As a Gilbert and Sullivan work, it was in competition with "The Gondoliers," then on for a run at the Chicago Opera House. In ten days it changed its bill to "The Mikado," and at the same time it was told in the advertisements that the Patti company would 20 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO come back March 10 for another week of grand opera. This outline showed six performances, Nordica and Tamagno in "L'Africaine," Patti in "Linda," Albani and Tamagno in "Otello," Patti in "Lakme," Albani and Tamagno in "Huguenots," and, to close, Patti in "Semiramide." Then as now, names of artists were con- sidered quite as important as names of operas in inducing the public to buy tickets. Patti was evidently in a bit worse voice than when she had opened the house. There are remarks about her having to be prompted and that "unfortunately" the prompter's voice could be heard clearly because of the admirable acoustics of the house. There are also comments on large blocks of empty seats. But the "Otello" performance was considered to be of extraordinary merit. More opera. On April 21 there came a company from the New York Metropolitan to present a season in German and to stay until May 10. Most of the names of the artists are now forgotten, but there was no less a personage than Frau Lilli Lehmann among the sopra- nos, another, Herr Emil Fischer as one of the bassos, and Mr. Walter Damrosch conducting. Two perform- ances of "Tannhauser" and one each of "William Tell," "Meistersinger," "The Jewess," and "Lohengrin" filled the first week. Again the opening made the first page, and again opera was treated with only partially complete respect. "There is a deal of difference," says one account, "between the applause at the German opera and that at the Italian opera. When Patti sings, for instance, the enthusiasm bubbles up in an irresponsible sort of way; people clap and cheer, and very young men cry 'Bravo 1' Photo by Dupont Lilli Lehmann Photo by Dupont Marcella Sembrich Francesco Tamagxo Photo by Dupont Victor Maurel FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 21 "At the German opera the enthusiasm accumulates in silence; then, of a sudden, it is thrown out in great, solid Teutonic chunks. It is the difference between pelting an artist with roses and presenting him with a house and lot. "There was plenty of enthusiasm in the Auditorium last night, but it was of a sober and thoughtful sort. And every one looked thoughtful except Herr Possart, who was conscious of wearing a pale lilac-colored coat and waistcoat and brown trousers. "The house was fairly well filled. The function was much like all first nights. A double line of carriages out- side; boys calling 'books of de oprer' ; the foyer crowded with young men in the dress that evening makes impera- tive; the parquet a bouquet of white shoulders and roses and diamonds. "Then Mr. Walter Damrosch, who looks like a Thu- ringian noble, raps a tentative rap and starts the orches- tra off on the overture. A young woman with fluffy hair and blue ribbons on each shoulder says it is 'wunderbar schon,' and the young man beside her adds that it is "ausgezeichnet.' And so it is — beyond doubt. " 'Tannhauser' from the outside may be all right for those who spell art with a big A and have a 'cult' and all that sort of thing. But the only way to study Wagner soulfully is from behind the scenes. "One stumbles up a pair of stairs to the stage. A score of men in checked blouses are wandering aimlessly about among the chaos of trees and rocks and palaces. A little four-wheeled trolley has been wheeled to the front of the stage and covered with opulent red robes. On this Venus stretches herself gracefully and Tann- 22 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO hauser covers up her feet. Then he rehearses the embrace he will give her when she will sing sweetly but firmly, 'no, love itself to worship thou beloved shalt move.' It is this remark of hers, by the way, that causes all the trouble. It eats into Tannhaiiser's brain like a fifteen- sixteen puzzle and eventually he becomes a 'Wann- sinn'ger.' ''While Venus lies on the trolley and the orchestra plays, twenty coryphees wander about and pirouette and slang each other in choice German. Then a fat man in a green velvet tunic made up with a dust-colored beard, tramps out of the dressing-room, a tin sword dangling at his heels. " 'Donnerwetter noch e'mal!' he growls. 'Vere de- deffel gomes dis draff out? I haf baid for no draff, undt I dond't vant ihm.' ''While two or three of the stage hands go to look for the imaginary draught, he goes into a corner and sings to himself. " 'That is Herr Theodor Reichmann,' says an awe- struck chorus girl. ''The bell rings, the curtain goes up; Venus and Tannhauser begin to row and spoon in an eminently matrimonial fashion. "The opera begins. "And after it is all over — the curtain down, the lights out, Mr. Milward Adams' smile folded up and laid away — what shall one say of it? "As a social function it was an eminent success. The long-haired Wagnerites above-stairs add that it was a religion. The boy who sold 'books of de oprer' on the FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 23 outside said cynically that the music was of the future, perhaps, but the singers were of the past. "But no one agreed with him." The season seems to have been an agreeable one in spite of those who professed to look down upon opera as an entertainment. The best of the singers were willing to work hard in those days. Fischer, for example, sang the first three nights in succession and once or twice more before the week was over. And it did not seem anything out of the ordinary for Lehmann on the second week to have as diverse a program as "A Masked Ball" on Monday, "Fidelio" on Wednesday and "Norma" on Friday. These and "The Flying Dutchman" were the second week's added attractions. Lehmann and Fischer were being spoken of with increasing interest, but there were complaints as to the difficulty of finding adequate tenors. And it seems a bit amusing to find objections being raised to "A Masked Ball" on account of "the somber character of its music." "Don Giovanni" and Cornelius' seldom heard comic opera, "The Barber of Bagdad," were added on the third and final week of the engage- ment. Early in June Edouard Strauss and his Vienna or- chestra came for four concerts. The chronicler dutifully records that such works as Adam's "If I Were King" and Nicolai's "Merry Wives of Windsor" overtures and others were well played, but he, like the rest of the audience, fell a victim to the entrancing waltzes from the pens of the combined Strauss family. They are still a hit on the occasions when Mr. Stock puts them on the Chicago Symphony programs. About this time Mr. Adams would seem to have 24 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO closed his office in the Auditorium for the summer, for he is found beginning in July at the old Exposition build- ing on the lake front as manager of five weeks of summer concerts by Theodore Thomas and his orchestra. Thomas had no idea of giving brief programs in these concerts. It was his tenth season in Chicago, and he opened the series with the "Meistersinger" prologue, continued with Schumann's "Rhenish" symphony, and then began to lighten up things with some of the Brahms- Dvorak Hungarian dances, Grieg's "Peer Gynt" suite, Goldmark's "Spring" overture, Philip Scharwenka's "Liebesnacht," one of the Liszt Hungarian rhapsodies, and a group of dance music by Gillet and Strauss, ending with the Berlioz "Rakoczy" march. This was good meas- ure. He was to proceed less at length when he finally got into the Auditorium with his Chicago orchestra. Ill For a considerable time, bookings at the Auditorium were more or less haphazard. The Duff company came back in September for three more weeks of Gilbert and Sullivan; when it had gone Strauss and his orchestra came for five farewell concerts; on October 29 the Auditorium organ was dedicated. Clarence Eddy was the soloist, assisted by Christine Nilsson, contralto, Vittorio Carpi, baritone, Rosenbecker's orchestra, and speeches by Mayor Cregier and Ferdinand Peck. Finally "Babes in the Wood," an English pantomime, came on November 10 and stayed until December 20. After that there are references to MacLennan's Royal Edinburgh Concert Company, lectures on Africa by Henry M. Stanley, bene- FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 25 fit performances of various kinds. As previously noted, the Apollo Musical Club was now giving its concerts here, having begun its season with "The Messiah" on De- cember 26. And there was a series of popular Wednesday night organ concerts by Harrison Wild, Louis Falk, and others, each assisted by singers of repute. On February 17 appeared "The Soudan," an Eng- lish melodrama with acres of scenery and — they adver- tised — 500 people. If names mean anything now, the cast contained Henry Neville, Louise Balfe, Frank Losee, and the famous boy actor, Master Wallie Eddinger. It stayed four weeks. Then came Theodore Thomas for a week with his "unrivaled New York orchestra, assisted by the great Italian tenor, Sig. Italo Campanini." The last named was the brother, elder by nineteen years, of Cleofonte Campanini, who in later years was to do his part in the making of operatic history in Chicago. And Thomas was next fall to start the first concerts of Chicago's permanent symphony orchestra. On this visit he had Max Bendix as concertmaster and Victor Herbert as first cellist, and one reads that Campanini's voice is "still possessed of many beautiful tones," which somehow or other does not sound overly enthusiastic. An interesting advertisement appears for April 17 and 18. It announces the only appearance of the United States Marine Band, John Philip Sousa, conductor, as- sisted by Miss Marie Decca, soprano. The Tribune critic did not so much as mention the name of the conductor in his review, but he discovered that the band as far as accuracy of note and purity of tone were concerned was nearly faultless, and that it was the perfection of band playing, technically considered. Then came Thomas again 26 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO for seven popular programs, with Marie Jahn, Metro- politan soprano, and Bendix as soloists. The nearest that the Auditorium got to grand opera that season was during the week of May 3, when the Duff company, having borrowed the services of Miss Decca and Marie Tempest, put on "Carmen," "The Bo- hemian Girl," and "Mignon." From all accounts, the per- formances were unexpectedly good. IV Friday, October 16, 1891, is an important date in the life of the Auditorium, for then for the first time Theodore Thomas raised his baton over a magnificent organization known then as the Chicago Orchestra, to continue in constant service there almost until the end of his life. After his death it was known for a time as the Theodore Thomas Orchestra, as it was popularly if not technically during his lifetime. Then it became the Chi- cago Symphony Orchestra, but it is the same organiza- tion and one of Chicago's continuing glories. It was well thought of from the start. After the first Friday afternoon concert, — they called the Friday con- certs "public rehearsals" in those days, though there was nothing in the performance to indicate anything except a completely rehearsed program — this comment occurs : "In this company of eighty-six players Chicago now possesses an orchestral association of which its people may indeed be proud, and the day is only a few months distant when they will be able to say to the similar organ- izations possessed by older organizations in the East, 'Here is your equal 1' The Chicago Orchestra is new, and FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 27 the only shortcoming possible to find in its work is attrib- utable to that newness. It is a shortcoming which is un- avoidable, was expected, and is one for which no one is to be blamed. Eighty-six players, no matter how per- fect they may be in the mastery of their art, cannot be brought together and in less than a fortnight give a program containing four great orchestral works without traces of recent organization being revealed. The com- parative absence of such roughness was one of the most surprising features of yesterday's rehearsal. Theodore Thomas has long been known for his ability to quickly bring newly-formed orchestras into condition for satis- factory work, but in this instance he has fairly surpassed himself, the results being simply astonishing." It is not told in this account what the "four great orchestral works" were, except that Rafael Joseffy, the first soloist ever to appear with the orchestra, played the Tschaikowsky concerto, but there are remarks about how the first audience was made up mostly of "music students from the several musical colleges and from the thousand and one professors who in this city teach the young how to play scales and exercises." The absence of profes- sional musicians was noted, also the fact that there were several children in arms in the audience and that one baby furnished an audible obbligato while Joseffy was playing. But of the appearance of the orchestra, this: "The orchestra players are a fine looking lot of men. There are few eccentric looking geniuses among them such as are generally seen in an orchestra. Seidl's band, for instance, is made up extensively of the men to whom Von Bulow contemptuously refers as 'long-haired musicians.' Mr. Thomas' assistants wore correct after- 28 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO noon dress — Prince Alberts and the suitable concomitants. Joseffy, however, brought no raiment from New York except an evening suit and a light gray make-up for the street, so he committed the glaring faux pas of appearing in a swallow-tail, vest, etc., before 6 o'clock in the after- noon. Mr. Joseffy's toilet was a matter of little im- portance, however, after he began to play." Grand opera in Italian and French was now an- nounced. On Monday, November 9, under the direction of Abbey and Grau a company appeared containing these names : Sopranos — Emma Albani, Maria Pettigiani, Ma- thilde Bauermeister, Emma Eames, Sofia Ravogli, Ida Klein, Lilli Lehmann, Marie Van Zandt. Contraltos — Sofia Scalchi, Jane de Vigne, Giulia Ravogli. Tenors — Fernando Valero, Paul Kalisch, Victor Capoul, Gianini-Grifoni, Roberto Vanni, Rinaldini, Jean de Reszke. Baritones — Jean Martapoura, Agostino Carbone, Antonio Magini-Coletti, Eduardo Camera. Bassos — Jules Vinche, Enrico Serbolini, Antonio de Vaschetti, Lodovico Viviani, Edouard de Reszke. Musical director and conductor — Sig. A. Vianesi. Assistant conductor — Mr. Louis Saar. Some of the names have dropped out of memory, but those remaining are enough to indicate that it was the beginning of what Henry T. Finck was later to call the golden age of music. They gave four performances a week. The first was "Lohengrin," and one is somewhat appalled to learn that it was sung in Italian. Evidently the proponents of opera Ellison Van Hoose, Tenor Seasons 1910-11, 1911-12 Johanna Gadski Photo by Dupont Edouard de Reszke Photo by Dupont Jean de Reszke FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 29 in its original tongue had not at that time attained their final vociferousness. But there is a record tending to show that the Germans in the audience shrugged disgusted shoulders over learning that Edouard de Reszke was discovered as "Enrico l'Uccellatore," or that Brother Jean remarked "Io t'amo" to Elsa. It was the first ap- pearance in America of Eames, Giulia Ravogli and the de Reszkes. The two men got away to a fine start, both being adjudged magnificent artists, but one finds a chance remark to the effect that Eames was "charming, but not a great artist," which shows how history sometimes up- sets first verdicts. But perhaps she was nervous on her first night. The critics liked Gluck's "Orfeo," the second per- formance, and the public did not, and both opinions were reversed on the third, when Marie Van Zandt made her American debut in "Sonnambula." The second week presented "Romeo and Juliet," in which the de Reszkes kept going up the scale and Eames began to be sincerely liked, following it with "Dinorah" for Van Zandt, and what amounted to an all-star cast of "Huguenots," the first of that variety which were to ex- tend through years of opera giving. Then came "Otello," "Rigoletto," "Faust," and "Martha," "Mignon," "Cav- alleria Rusticana" and "Don Giovanni," and on the final week the company celebrated the second anniversary of the Auditorium with a bill made up of the fourth act of "Trovatore," the fourth of "Otello," the second of "The Barber of Seville" and the third of "Carmen." The next event of interest is that on January 1 and 2, 1892, Paderewski makes his first appearance, coming as soloist with the orchestra and playing the Rubinstein 30 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO D minor concerto and the Liszt Hungarian Fantasy. "One leaves the presence of this mighty master of the pianoforte stunned by the sudden discovery of what seems absolute perfection — the unexpected realization of what heretofore had constituted an ideal." Patti and a small company of singers, also an or- chestra of fifty directed by Luigi Arditi, came back in February for four operatic concerts. "She is still Patti, the first vocalist of the world, peerless, suffering by com- parison with no one, save the Patti of one, two, three decades ago." There was no more opera that season. It was nearly two and one-half years before the Auditorium next saw any opera. During 1892 Chicago was getting ready for its Columbian exposition; in 1893 it gave it; after its close about six months were necessary to sweep up the pieces. Also there was a full-sized and adult financial panic on throughout the country at that time. Instead of opera for 1893, Abbey, Schoeffel and Grau engaged the services of Imre Kiralfy to put on a "stupendous spectacle" called "America," a pageant- like representation of episodes in American history, be- ginning with the departure of Columbus from Spain and ending, of course, with the Chicago World's Fair. A news note tells that there was a good deal of confusion the first night and that the final curtain did not fall until after one o'clock on the morning of Sunday, April 23. It was later set to run between the hours of eight and FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 3 1 eleven. In the cast are found the names, among others, of Louise Beaudet as Progress, and Anna Russell, later better known as Annie Russell, as Bigotry. The music of the exposition has no particular place here, and anyway it has been recorded at length in other publications. One learns with deep regret, however, that Mr. Thomas, who had been made musical director and had worked out elaborate and far-reaching plans for a six months' musical program, became the subject of so vicious an attack by Chicago business men and Chicago newspapers that he resigned before the fair was half way over. The main point of the attack was that he in- sisted on using his own judgment as to what was the best piano for his concerts and refused to be coerced into accepting what he thought an inferior grade whether manufactured in Chicago or elsewhere. In fact, one comes to the conclusion that the gibes at Chicago as an artistic center in those days were pretty well justified. Thomas resigned with no outcry and he never made a public explanation, but he was heartstricken at the results. To the end of his life he used to advise his inti- mate friends never under any circumstances, no matter what, to permit themselves to be made musical directors of any world's fair. On March 12, 1894, Abbey and Grau came back to the Auditorium with an opera company from the Met- ropolitan Opera House of New York for a four weeks' stay. The first week records the first appearance in Chi- cago of Emma Calve in the name part of "Carmen," of Sigrid Arnoldson as Cherubino in "The Marriage of Figaro," and of Nellie Melba as Lucia di Lammermoor, in company with such other first magnitude artists as 32 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO Eames, Nordica, Scalchi, Bauermeister, Jean Lassalle, another newcomer, Pol Plancon, still another, and the de Reszkes. Luigi Mancinelli was the leading conductor, and the Chicago Orchestra, Mr. Thomas', played. There can be no particular merit in showing how these artists were liked and how the liking warmed into rapture, but it is undoubtedly true that none of us now alive ever heard such another fine aggregation of star soloists in one organization. They speedily became a tradition, and for once a tradition was justified. And it continued a year later, March n, 1895, when almost the same company returned. The principal additions were the return of Tamagno and the entrance of the baritone who was to become famous in "Carmen," "The Barber of Seville," and other works, Giuseppe Campanari, also another famous baritone named Victor Maurel. And a great work, Verdi's "Falstaff," was given for the first time in Chicago. The opera was a success from the start, as well it might have been. This is the sort of cast it had : Maurel as Falstaff, Eames as Mistress Ford, Zelie de Lussan as Anne, Campanari as Ford, Scalchi as Dame Quickly, Jane de Vigne as Mistress Page, and the other parts distributed among Russitano, Mariani, Vanni, and Rinal- dini. And "Don Giovanni" used to be blessed with Nordica, de Lussan, Eames, Edouard de Reszke, and Maurel, and "Les Huguenots" with Nordica, Scalchi, Bauermeister, Melba, Jean de Reszke, Edouard de Reszke, Ancona, and Plangon. Those were the casts that even in those days long afterward cause envious lickings of lips. On April 15 of the same year came Walter Dam- Nellie Melba Photo by Dupont Lillian Nordica Italo Campanini Photo by Dupont Pol Plancon FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 33 rosch, bringing with him another aggregation of notables for a week of Wagner. Among them were Rosa Sucher, Johanna Gadski, Marie Brema, Elsa Kutscherra, Max Alvary, Conrad Behrens, Emil Fischer, and Rudolph Oberhauser. "Tristan and Isolde," "Lohengrin," "Die Walkiire," "Siegfried," "Die Gotterdammerung," "Tannhauser," and "Die Meistersinger" were sung. He returned that fall for two weeks beginning November 18. Gadski, Alvary and Fischer were still in the company, but Katharina Klafsky and Louise Mulder were new sopranos, and Barron Berthald and Wilhelm Gruening new tenors. This time he included more than Wagner, putting on Beethoven's "Fidelio" and Weber's "Frei- schutz" in the second week. People thought that the last named left an agreeable if not distinguished impres- sion, but the rest of the repertoire was an enormous suc- cess, as it had been in the spring. On March 23, 1896, the Abbey-Grau company was back for two more weeks, the same bewildering crowd of stars as before, presenting conventional operas with great industry. Why go in for novelties when there was such a crowd of first line singers to fill the house with well-known, popular works? And it was always possible to put on an all-star cast of "Les Huguenots," and it was a real all-star cast. It was some time during this period of the world that Jean de Reszke got into the news columns through an unexpected happening in a performance. Somehow or other an insane man managed to get up on the stage during a performance of "Romeo and Juliet," and began to make threatening remarks and gestures. De Reszke drew his sword and pinned the maniac in a corner, while 34 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO the rest of the singers on the stage retreated, until the stage hands could get on the spot and remove him. Then the performance went on. The company was back on February 22, 1897, f° r four weeks, an unusually long stay, having added four artists to the roster, Salignac, the tenor, Litvinne, soprano, Herman Devries, soon to become a well-known Chicago singer, teacher, and critic, and an American bari- tone who was making a name for himself in German opera, David Bispham. He opened as Kurwenal in "Tris- tan and Isolde." It is a little hard to find operatic comments at this time, for Corbett and Fitzsimmons were training for their fight in Carson, Nevada, and special correspondents were filling the news columns with that subject. But in one place there is a plea against the high prices of the opera company, $1 to $3, the point seeming to be that the public should be allowed to buy standing room and then slip into what seats were unoccupied. It is also learned that Calve, Creminini and Plancon made a great success in BoYto's "Mefistofele," and that Massenet's "Le Cid," with the de Reszkes, Plangon, and Lassalle was something of a riot. These operas were the two novelties of the season. Evidently the protests about prices had their effect, for on the final week of the season the house was scaled from seventy-five cents to two dollars. Another year, or rather thirteen months, and on March 14, 1898, a company was present representing the combined resources of Walter Damrosch and Charles A. Ellis. One finds the names of Melba, Nordica, Gadski, Campanari, Fischer, Bispham, and a repertoire that was FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 35 Italian and French on the one side and German on the other. Maurice Grau went it alone the next season. On November 7, 1898, he brought a company which included Eames, de Lussan, Suzanne Adams (new), Schumann- Heink (new), Sembrich, Bauermeister, Van Dyck, An- dreas Dippel (new), Campanari, Plancon, Adolph Muhlmann, and Edouard de Reszke (but not Jean). And still the same old operas were given. The opening attraction was "Lohengrin," with Eames, Dippel, and Bispham. But — "The great sensation of the evening was made by Mme. Schumann-Heink. Never before in Chicago have we heard a contralto with such splendid vocal gifts combined with such dramatic power." Ellis also desired a bit of solo management, and on February 13, 1899, ne appeared with Melba, Gadski, de Lussan, Kraus, and some others as his principal singers. More important is the fact that he opened his season with "La Boheme," and it was the first time Chicago had heard it. "Be it said at once that 'La Boheme' is an opera of unusual musical interest and value, and that its author proves himself a man not only thoroughly schooled in the technic of his craft, but a musical creator of ability and power." A little variety from the customary operatic visitants was afforded a month later, for on March 20 the French Opera Company from New Orleans paid a week's visit. Then on November 13 Grau returned with much the same company that he had brought a year before except that Calve was back and Milka Ternina was making her first appearance. Apparently she was quite a long way 36 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO from being a success. She was billed for the opening night, but was ill and did not get into the casts until the middle of the third week. There it was found that while there were many impressive features to her impersona- tion, "vocally she left much to be desired." That fine, crusted old phrase never fails, and you can read almost anything into it that you desire. VI The French Opera Company from New Orleans had enjoyed their trip to Chicago so much that on March 12, 1900, they came back, this time for three weeks. These were the good old days when they could play at the Audi- torium at a top price of $1.50 and still feel happy over the intake. At that, they had some works that other com- panies had not cared to present, Reyer's "Salammbo" among them. People thought well of it as a spectacle, but found that the music was not greatly inspired. "Sigurd," by the same composer, was another, and it received just about the same verdict. Meanwhile the Savage com- pany at the Studebaker was doing "Lohengrin," "Tann- hauser," and "The Flying Dutchman," and charging twenty-five cents to $1 a seat. In some respects music- lovers were better off at the beginning of this century, and the cost of attendance was one of them. For some time the more expensive companies had been passing Chicago by. Christmas eve of 1900 the Audi- torium reopened to Henry W. Savage's "Metropolitan English" opera company, and it, too, was a $1.50 show. Running in competition with the same manager's com- pany at the Studebaker though it did, it came for two FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 37 weeks with a repertoire that included "Aida," "The Bohemian Girl," "Carmen," "Mignon," "Lohengrin," "Faust," and "II Trovatore." Some of the singers were Grace Van Studdiford, Zelie de Lussan, Grace Golden, Kate Condon, Phoebe Strakosch, Fanchon Thompson, Lloyd d'Aubigne, Joseph Sheehan, Homer Lind, and Clarence Whitehill. Newspaper accounts hold that it was an honest com- pany, paying much attention to balance and good en- semble, just as the Castle Square Company had been doing in smaller dimensions. As a matter of fact Colonel Savage did more for the cause of opera in English than any one else, because he did things instead of talking about them, and he kept on presenting opera in English until the public proved that it would have no more of it. "Esmerelda," by A. Goring-Thomas, was the com- pany's novelty. It was founded upon Victor Hugo's "Notre Dame," but at that time people took an ex- tremely moral position on their opera going, as this com- ment illustrates: "The book ... is repulsive and unnatural in the extreme — a tale of licentiousness and deep-dyed villainy that would put to blush the most lurid melodrama. . . . The opera patron must, therefore, need forget the li- bretto's worthlessness and worse if he would know the en- joyment the music can give. Not that the music is at any time strikingly dramatic or unusually powerful. It is merely melodious, well-made music, showing the hand of a composer whose gifts include refinement, taste, and a creative talent which while undeniably able, did not rise to the greatness of genius." Mr. Grau held out a forgiving hand for the bad 38 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO business his company had done during its last few visits, and came in for a week on April 22, 1901, bringing with him such notables as Melba, Ternina, Fritzi Scheff, Bauermeister, Louise Homer, the de Reszkes — Jean, re- turning at this time, had been in bad health for some time and had stayed for a couple of seasons in Europe — Plan- con, Dippel, Marcel Journet, and Antonio Scotti, and during the week he gave Chicago its first view of "Tosca." Ternina had the name part, and there are stories to the effect that the second act of the opera as done by her and Scotti gave the audience a thrill and started a riot of applause such as was not to be equaled till Titta Ruffo came years afterwards. March 31, 1902, came the same delectable crew, except Melba and Jean de Reszke, but there were such additions as Sembrich, Gadski, and Schumann-Heink. There was a mishap the first night, for Emilio de Marchi, who was singing Radames in "Aida," went hoarse part way through the performance, and the audience had to be sent home without hearing the final scene. He was still hoarse on the second night — apparently Grau economized on understudies — and "Tosca" had to be changed to "Tannhauser." But Calve came along in "Carmen," and Gadski, Schumann-Heink, Van Dyck, Bispham, Edouard de Reszke did great things in "Lohengrin," and then on Thursday night "The Magic Flute" was given "with the following phenomenal cast" : Sembrich, Gadski, Ter- nina, Homer, Bridewell, Scheff, Dippel, Campanari, Reiss, Miihlmann, Edouard de Reszke. Putting that ad- jective on that cast does not look like an overstatement. Grau thought so well of it that he raised the prices from Luigi Mancinelli Photo by Dupont Anton Van Rooy it* Tf — <• ' ^^9 Bk^J - r > ' Photo by Dupont David Bispham Photo by Dupont Ernest Van Dvck FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 39 $3.50 to $5 and charged $2 for standing room, and the box office reported receipts of $15,000. Another interesting item of this season shows that on April 5, 1902, the first and only performance in Chicago of Paderewski's opera, "Manru," was given. Sembrich, Homer, Scheff, a new tenor named Von Ban- drowski, Miihlmann, Blass, and Bispham were in it and Damrosch conducted. The reviews speak of a common- place and ponderous book, but give high praise to the at- tractive qualities of the music. However, it was never given again in Chicago. It was an ambitious if brief season. The second week Grau put on the complete "Ring des Nibelungen," the first time that it had been done in Chicago as a cycle, and it received casting of a high order, too. One finds the names of Ternina, Eames, Scheff, Schumann-Heink, Van Dyck, Blass, Dippel, Reiss, Bispham, and Damrosch con- ducting. It was a fine week for the Wagnerites. Saturday and Sunday nights, December 20 and 21, 1902, are dates that will be remembered by a few. Per- haps Pietro Mascagni is one of them, for he appeared at the Auditorium in person to direct his "Cavalleria Rusti- cana," filling in the extra time with a concert program that had bits of "Iris," the "Hymn to the Sun," and various other excerpts. From all accounts he had come to this country expecting an enormous success, which, however, did not turn out as desired. Later in the season he appeared as conductor in a concert organized for his benefit. At one time and another since then he has been quoted as saying things not entirely enthusiastic about America. This tour may have been one of the causes. At 40 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO any rate, his singers left him in Chicago after the De- cember dates and sailed back to Italy. VII Grau paid his last managerial visit to Chicago in the two weeks beginning Tuesday, April 7, 1 903. He opened his season with the double bill of "The Daughter of the Regiment," with Sembrich, Salignac, and Gilibert, followed by "Pagliacci," with Scheff, Alvarez, Scotti, and Reiss. For the rest of the week there were "'Die Wal- kiire," "Die Meistersinger," and "Tristan and Isolde," also "Faust" and "Aida," and among the important names in addition to those of the opening night were Gadski, Nordica, Schumann-Heink, Homer, Burgstaller, Anthes, Van Rooy, Bispham, and Edouard de Reszke. Mancinelli and Alfred Hertz were the principal conduc- tors. For the second week they added "Don Giovanni," "A Masked Ball," "Siegfried," a double bill of "Don Pasquale" and "Cavalleria Rusticana," "Le Prophete," "The Magic Flute," and "Gotterdammerung." Running through the reviews, it is seen that all the German per- formances were considered great, and some of the others were passed as fair. Elsewhere one discovers that on the last afternoon in "The Magic Flute," Fritzi Scheff and Campanari made a great hit in the "Pa-pa-pageno" duet, and that the audience went on applauding even after Mme. Sembrich began to sing. She halted abruptly and left the stage — and the house. Then Scheff and Campanari gave the demanded FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 4 1 encore of their duet. But Sembrich did not reappear, and the closing ensemble was cut. For the next five years the visits of the Metropolitan company to the Auditorium were to be under the man- agement of Heinrich Conried. The first was of two weeks beginning March 14, 1904. Conried was no such spend- thrift as Grau in casting operas, but he gave Chicago audiences their first view of Aino Ackte and Olive Frem- stad, and the company that year had Calve, Ternina, and Plancon as returning joys, and Sembrich, Homer, and Gadski among the holdovers. Felix Mottl and Gustav Hinrichs appeared among the conductors. And in the next season, one brief week beginning March 20, 1905, he introduced no less a personage than Enrico Caruso the first night and presented "Parsifal" the second. Caruso appeared as Edgardo in "Lucia di Lammer- moor" to the Lucia of Sembrich, and it would seem to be perhaps the second time on record when the famous so- prano ever had the show taken away from her. The first has just been told. There are words about Caruso's auburn wig and black mustache, his short stature and stocky build, his air of good nature and bonhomie. But of his voice, this: "Enrico Caruso sings just as nature prepared him to sing. Art and study may have done something toward fashioning and developing the material given him, but nature 'placed' his voice and he sings accordingly. The voice is of exceptional sympathy and beauty — the love- liest voice heard in this country since Campanini was in his prime. It is a voice similar in pure tenor quality to that of Campanini, and, while possessing all of the lyric 42 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO charm which made the latter's voice unique in the operatic world, has even more power and intensity in the express- ing of the dramatic." The summary is by W. L. Hubbard. In "Parsifal," up to that time the private property of Baireuth, the performance began at 5:10 in the after- noon and the first act ran until 6:55. Then there was an intermission of two hours for dinner, and the second and third acts ran until about 1 1 '.4.0. Nordica, Burgstaller, Van Rooy, Blass, Goritz, and Journet were in the cast, and Hertz conducted. They charged $7, an unheard-of price in those days. Under the circumstances it is a little difficult to get a complete estimate of the performance. The cast was ad- mittedly excellent, but the supposedly semi-sacred char- acter of the work seems to have hampered frank expres- sion of opinion. It was not until later days that people could admit without feeling sacrilegious that Gurnemanz was one of the greatest old bores ever put into a music drama, and this in spite of the fact that elsewhere in the score Wagner put some of his finest music. But even on the first performance there is a bit of complaint over how the flowermaidens kept their eyes too tightly fixed on the conductor's baton. What neither audience nor critics knew was, on the authority of Havelock Ellis, that on the first performance in Germany, Wagner came to the theater in company with a keg of beer, in other words, spiritu- ality allied itself with spirituousness. Caruso sang "Pagliacci" and "Gioconda," and the company did another "Parsifal," a daytime performance from 1 1 130 to 5 :20, and in the evening put on Johann Strauss' "The Bat." There was an operatic combination that was a combination ! During the week the company FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 43 took in something over $80,000, up to that time the largest amount of operatic business for one week in the history of opera in Chicago. It was in the autumn of 1904 that Theodore Thomas and his orchestra moved out of the Auditorium. Ever since 1891 he had been there, directing superb concerts, fighting a good fight for the world's best music, develop- ing the musical sense of Chicago as he alone could have done it at that time. Like many other interesting events in the musical life of Chicago, the story of how Orchestra Hall came into being does not belong here. But it was Thomas' supreme dream, and he accomplished it. His life was a climax. He fought on until he reached its top. He saw Orchestra Hall built, he inaugurated its concerts with his great orchestra, and then he laid down his baton forever. His death from pneumonia occurred January 4, 1905, but his orchestra lived on. Since his passing, his place has been magnificently filled by a great musician and great conductor, Frederick Stock. His life, his aims, his ambi- tions are a whole romance in themselves, and Mr. Stock, with much the same sort of idealistic mind, but a more modern one, has seen to it that Chicago was impelled to step forward in its knowledge and appreciation of fine music. It is what Thomas would have desired. We who know and love Stock as a personality in music realize the wisdom of the Orchestral Association of Chicago in ap- pointing him to his position. Another week of opera, beginning April 2, 1906, opened with "The Queen of Sheba," sung by Edyth Walker, Marie Rappold, Bella Alten, Heinrich Knote, Van Rooy, Blass, and Muhlmann. It was free from sen- 44 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO sational features, but "Faust" the second night was sung by Eames, Caruso, Scotti, and Plangon, and it packed the house. It was then that Caruso became known as a car- toonist, having furnished sketches of Conried, Hertz, Scotti, and himself to go into the newspaper pictures. "Don Pasquale," "Hansel and Gretel," "Lohengrin," "Carmen" — sung by Olive Fremstad and Caruso, and considered spiritless — "Tosca," "Martha," and "Lohen- grin" completed the week. Chicago was destined to have two weeks of opera in 1907, the first by the San Carlo Company beginning February 18, and second by Conried starting April 7. This San Carlo company was not the one that exists at present, although bearing the same name. It was directed by Henry Russell, who in a couple of years was to take the chief post of the Boston Opera Company. In its names we find Nordica, Alice Nielsen, a recent graduate from the operettas of Victor Herbert, Fely Dereyne, Florencio Constantino, a young Spanish tenor who became greatly liked, Riccardo Martin, a young American tenor later with the Metropolitan and Chicago forces, Campanari, the Spanish basso, Andres de Segurola, and a number of others now almost entirely out of sight. Prices ran as high as $2.50 for the best seat. The performances were good, but with more per- sonal successes for individual members than distinctive steps forward in the art of giving opera. But when Con- ried's company got here it presented Chicago with its first view of Geraldine Farrar in "Madame Butterfly," and there was a new Italian baritone, Riccardo Stracciari, who was to have a number of appearances at the Audi- torium, these in addition to Fremstad and Eames and ^p * J #ft E ** J tv ^H V LL iT T*« pub ! [ ^-:. FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 45 Schumann-Heink, and Caruso and Scotti and Plangon and the other notables. "Miss Farrar clearly is an artist who thinks, and the number of such is so small that an addition to the ranks is subject for sincere rejoicing. Her Butterfly last evening proved a veritable dramatic portrayal. Thought and in- telligent care had been expended on its every part, and a characterization beautifully rounded and consistent, logical and clean cut was the result." January 20, 1908, the San Carlo returned, this time for three weeks. The company was much as before ex- cept that the names of Mmes. Olitzka and Claessens are added to the contraltos, Jane Noria to the sopranos, and Victor Maurel to the baritones. Again there were per- sonal successes. And Conried did another week from April 20, the most interesting item of which was Mascagni's "Iris" which not even the efforts of Eames and Scotti were able to save from derision. VIII In George L. Upton's "Musical Memories" he gives a summary of operatic matters in the Auditorium up to this point. As a matter of interesting reference, his table Opening Date Dec. 10, 1889 March 10, 1890 April 21, 1890 Nov. 9, 1 89 1 March 12, 1894 Company Season Abbey, Schoeffel, and Grau 4 weeks Abbey, Schoeffel, and Grau 1 week Metropolitans German 3 weeks Abbey, Schoeffel, and Grau 5 weeks Abbey, Schoeffel, and Grau 4 weeks 4 6 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO Opening Date Company Season March ii, 1895 Abbey, Schoeffel, and Grau 3 weeks April 15, 1895 Damrosch 1 week Nov. 18, 1895 Damrosch 2 weeks March 23, 1896 Abbey, Schoeffel, and Grau 2 weeks Feb. 22, 1897 Abbey, Schoeffel, and Grau 4 weeks March 14. 1898 Damrosch and Ellis 2 weeks Nov. 7, 1898 Maurice Grau 3 weeks Feb. 13, 1899 Ellis Opera 2 weeks March 20, 1899 New Orleans French Opera 1 week Nov. 13, 1899 Maurice Grau 3 weeks March 12, 1900 New Orleans French Opera 3 weeks Dec. 24, 1900 Savage Metropolitan English 2 weeks April 22, 1901 Maurice Grau 1 week March 3i, 1902 Maurice Grau 2 weeks Dec. 20-21, 1902 Mascagni 2 per : ormances April 7, 1903 Maurice Grau 2 weeks March 14, 1904 Conried 2 weeks March 20, 1905 Conried I week April 2, 1906 Conried I week Feb. 18, 1907 San Carlo I week April 7, 1907 Conried I week Jan. 20, 1908 San Carlo 3 weeks April 20, 1908 Conried 1 week This was the end of Mr. Upton's compilation. Dur- ing its course he counted up 278 performances of seventy- nine different operas, grand and light. For the saving of space and time the dates of first performances and the number of times each was performed may be omitted, but the operas themselves were these: "Romeo and Juliet," "William Tell," "Faust," "II Trovatore," "Lucia di Lammermoor," "Aida," "Semir- amide," "Martha," "Huguenots," "Traviata," "Son- nambula," "Otello," "Barber of Seville," "Pinafore," "Mikado," "Pirates of Penzance," "L'Africaine," "Lin- FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO 47 da," "Lakme," "Salammbo," "Tannhauser," "Meister- singer," "La Juive," "Lohengrin," "Masked Ball," "Fly- ing Dutchman," "Fidelio," "Queen of Sheba," "Norma," "Barber of Bagdad," "La Poupee," "Don Giovanni," "Walkiire," "Iolanthe," "Trial by Jury," "Patience," "Carmen," "Bohemian Girl," "Orpheus," "Dinorah," "Rigoletto," "Mignon," "Cavalleria Rusticana," "Phile- mon and Baucis," "The Basoche," "Marriage of Figaro," "Hamlet" (fourth act), "Pagliacci," "Werther," "Fal- staff," "Tristan and Isolde," "Siegfried," "Freischutz," "Gotterdammerung," "La Navarraise," "Mefistofele," "Le Cid," "La Boheme," "La Favorita," "Sigurd," "Manon," "Esmerelda," "Tosca," "Magic Flute," "Manru," "Rheingold," "Daughter of the Regiment," "Don Pasquale," "The Prophet," "The Elixir of Love," "The Gondoliers," "Parsifal," "La Gioconda," "Fleder- maus," "Hansel and Gretel," "Madame Butterfly," "Robin Hood," "Serenade," "Iris." Which of these do you think was the most popular, as shown by the number of performances? You are right, it was "II Trovatore," which was given thirty-eight times in that period. It was followed closely by "Carmen," with thirty-seven. The light opera, "Pinafore," comes next with thirty-two, "Lohengrin" and "Cavalleria Rus- ticana" tie with twenty-seven, "Huguenots" has twenty- two, and there is another tie with twenty each for "Aida" and "Robin Hood." There was a good deal of theatrical but non-operatic activity during the greater part of the 1908-09 season. Among the names appearing in the advertisements were "50 Miles from Broadway," the policemen's benefit show of that season, Richard Carle, Andrew Mack, Gertrude 48 FORTY YEARS OF OPERA IN CHICAGO Hoffmann, Victor Moore, "The Newlyweds," the Zieg- feld Follies, the Burns-Johnson fight pictures, and "The Shepherd King." Finally on April 12, 1909, F. Wight Neumann took over the house for two weeks for the Metropolitan Opera Company under his own local man- agment. This time the Metropolitan manager was Giulio Gatti-Casazza, just entering upon his long New York career. High among the announcements were those of the first Chicago appearances of "the eminent Italian con- ductor, Arturo Toscanini," and of "the Bohemian so- prano, Emmy Destinn, who probably claims first in pub- lic curiosity." They both appeared on the opening night in "Aida." The orchestra was considered ideal. Mme. Destinn, although "an unfortunately chosen makeup robbed her of the personal beauty which is said to be hers," with black braids of hair that "marred her facial charm and made her figure seem misshapen," made a great hit by the beauty of her singing. Homer was the Amneris, and the public had a chance to get acquainted with Giovanni Zenatello as Radames, Pasquale Amato as Amonasro, and Adamo Didur as Ramfis. "Die Meister- singer" came up on the second night with Karl Joern as Walther and Gadski as Eva, both destined to appear to- gether on the same stage in Wagnerian opera — though not in the Chicago company — exactly twenty years later, and both still going strong. In the same edition of the newspapers appears a report that Caruso was in danger of losing his voice, and a statement from Mary Garden that the story of her quarrel with Oscar Hammerstein was entirely unfounded. And Geraldine Farrar repaid to Mrs. Bertram Webb of Salem, Mass., the last install- o Wf i