Mr Carl Rosa on English Opera.

Evening Star, Issue 7326, 26 September 1887, Page 3

Mr Carl Rosa on English Opera.

[From the Londo.v 'Chronicle.'] In a recent number of' Murray's Magazine' Mr Carl Rosa publishes an article on " English Opera," containing some features worthy of note. Concerning Mr Rosa's opinions on operatic matters we have never been kept much in the dark. He has generally been a ready prey for the irrepressible interviewer. This is the first time, however, that the public has had the advantage of gathering the impresario'* ideas direct from his own pen, and truth to tell they seem in consequence to smack of a slightlynovel flavor. To begin with, as regards a State subvention for opera, Mr Rosa, having apparently given up the hope of obtaining it as a bad job, now argues that its effects are pernicious. He says:—" But is subvention from the State essential to put opera on a firm and financially - sound basis ? I think not. In subventioned theatres the manager is handicapped to a certain extent In Paris He U obliged to produce a certain number of original French works every season ; and as you cannot satisfactorily buy new works by the yard, the result of these productions is not always an advantage to art. He is also restricted to a prescribed class of repertoire, out of which he must not venture. He has to pay enormous taxes, amongst which the ' Droit des Pauvres' is the most formidable; and above all, he has to take into account the wishes and influence of many, headed by ' Monsieur le Ministre de Beaux Arts,' etc. Italy is in even a worse position. Though the municipalities a grant to the theatres, varying according to the importance of the towns, the manager is the absolute tool of everybody. The towns do not only appoint a committee to look after their general interests, which would be quite fair, but separate committees for each different department. '1 here is a committee for the scenery, a committee for the dresses, a committee for the ballet, and so on. Above all, there is the editore (the music publisher). He is the prime factor with whom managers have to reckon. He dictates which work shall be performed and which shall not; he ordains which artists shall be engaged and which shall not. And with all these masters to serve, the impresario has only one duty to perform, and that is to pay —or not to pay—the piper; and he mostly does tho latter ! In fact, no one who values his independence would accept such a position. If we come to Germany, we find that there, after all, exists the most healthy state of affairs. The German loves opera. Opera in Germany occupies the same position among national amusement as sport does in this country. There you will as often hear a new tenor spoken of in clubs, restaurants, and railway trains, as hear the horse on which the odds are laid for the Derby. But it is more than an amusement; it is considered as a part of musical education. A German will go to hear a new work more than once if beyond his conception the first time. An Englishman, once bored, will with difficulty be made to return; and this is the reason why light opera, opera bouffe, and burlesque have the advantage in this country. They are so easy to digest after dinner." Mr Rosa, nevertheless, expresses his belief that Germany, as far as opera is concerned, is not progressing either in creative or executive power, and that the true art of singing is there fast losing its traditions. Coming to this country, he says : •' Englishmen like a good play, and depend upon it, if they could have a strong play or drama, with good music wedded to it (and this is, after all, the real meaning of opera), they would like it still better. By fostering thiß taste, and with a little moral support from those in power, I do believe that the English nation can be made to consider legitimate opera as one of their most rational amusements, as well as making it a necessary condition of musical culture andeducation. There is no doubt that opera is, to some extent, an acquired taste ; but the taste, once imparted, grows rapidly. From personal experience I know that some of my best supporters had to be dragged to the opera at first, and induced to sit it through. But have we the means to build up an establishment for national opera. To begin with, where are the singers? Well, the raw material is ready. Listen to a Leeds Festival Chorus! Can anything be finer than the quality, freshness, and volume of the voices ? I have been in the unenviable position of training my material for stage purposes at my own expense and that of the public. Half of my artists have put their feet on the stage under my management, and very awkward they were at first, though I do not think they thought so themselves. But considering the circumstances, it cannot be said that, as a whole, an English singer is devoid of talent for the stage. 1 lion one thing must always be remembered: when on the English stage an Italian singer addresses the words, 'Ah, I love you, to the gallery instead of to his • beloved one* on the stage, not many in front are the wiser. The great majority of an Italian opera audience do not follow the words; but in English opera 'the play is the thing,' and any incongruity is soon discovered. What an English singer does want as a rule (of course there are exceptions) is more love for his art and just a little less for his pocket. I think the ballad has to be saddled with a great deal of mischief. When young singers can earn a good living by singing a simple balladin an acceptable manner (and what English audience will not be satisfied with a ballad decently sung?) why, seeing that for moat of them music is more a source of earning a livelihood than anything else, should they trouble themselves about going through a severe artistic training of vocal Btudies, stage deportment;, acting, and committing long and difficult parts to memory ?" Mr Rosa next turns to the question of the repertoire, and here he combats a theory which may be describedasimaginary.rather than real:—" I do not admit national opera to mean opera by British composers alone. No country in the world carries out this theory. In France, Meyerbeer, Weber, Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Donizetti, Gluck, I are admitted at the Grand Opera. In Italy,

Mozart, Wagner, Meyerbeer, Halevy, Bizet, Gounod, Massenet, Goldmark, and others, are included in the repertoire. In Germany all nations are drawn upon, even England. Why, then, should England, which cannot yet claim (though I think the time will come when it may) a national school of composers, expect to have a repertoire exclusively of home manufacture? I think, without disparaging former efforts, that this notion as regards English opera has been the principal rock on which the ship has foundered. When I made up my mind to fight the battle over again, I resolved not to depend entirely on English productions, but to give them a fair chance at every available opportunity, and I certainly think the English composers have fairly come up to the mark."

After paying a tribute to English orchestras and English opera choruses, the impresario goes on to demonstrate the variety of the industries to which an operatic undertaking constitutes a direct source of gain. He adds :—" Still, in spite of the expense attaching to all these different accessories, I think I have proved that opera in the vernacular can be made to pay. Ido not believe in artistic enterprises which_ have no commercial backbone. Art soon flies away if' treasury day' is not met and the ' ghost does not walk.' 1 have always endeavored to accustom the public to go and hear a work instead of a particular singer; and when I found that a singer wanted to be the opera I have dispensed with his or her services, however valuable they might have been. I have never tried to deceive the public, as I think it is the greatest possible mistake in a caterer for the public to work under false pretence. Nemesis will surely follow. But, on the other hand, if you do fairly by the British public, I think it is the staunchest and most generous in the world. The difficulty of an impresario lies not, however, with the public; it is in the inside of the watch, with all its little wheels within wheels, that he meets the main difficulties that beset his harassing and ungrateful position." Mr Rosa concludes his interesting article with a few reminiscences of his managerial career, whereof the following is, perhaps, the moßt amusing:—"Of recent disagreeable experiences I recollect one night at Her Majesty's in 1882. I had produced ' Tannhiiuser,' and for the third performance of it Mr Gladstone, who was at that time in power, had notified his intention to be present. The intelligence had got about, and the opera being a great success, with Mr Gladstone's presence adding to the attraction, we expected a great nouse. I left the theatre about five, and was just sitting down to dinner, when a messenger arrived at my residence, saying that Schott, the representative of the title role, had suddenly collapsed, and could not sing. No greyhound ever jumped up quicker than I from my repast. Putting a cigar in my mouth instead of food, I drove down to the theatre, where my managerial eye met what at other times would have been a glorious sight. The colonnade before the theatre was packed with people, ready for the double event, ' Tannhauser' and Gladstone. But alas! they were going to be disappointed in both respects. In the afternoon I had received a communication informing me that Mr Gladstone could not be present, having been summoned to Windsor. When I arrived at the stage door great consternation prevailed. I had on my way down already telegraphed to most of my artists to come instantly to the theatre. I had determined to change to 'Maritana.' I knew that as Burns and Ludwig were in the 'Tannhauser' cast, I had my Maritana and Don Jose; but a quite unexpected difficulty presented itself. When I looked for the master carpenter and his principal assistant I found them in a perfect state of intoxication, lying on the floor in the cellar, and no gentle persuasion nor stern treatment would persuade them to change the scenery. By this time it was the hour for opening. Written bills were posted on the pay-box that 'Maritana' would be substituted; for ' Maritana' I must give, though at that moment heaven only knew where my Don Caesar and Lazarillo were to come from! The first man appearing was Davies, the tenor. ' You must sing Don Cresar !'—' I don't know it.' —' Can you not get through the first act?' — 'I might.'—'Try, and go down and dress.' Miss Yorke was the second to arrive, and I had my Lazarillo. My friend Randegger, although he had never conducted the opera, consented to do so until my sub-conductor had returned from home in evening dress, and up went the curtain. But what about the scenery? Well, we pulled the ' Venus scene' off, and played the first act in Thuringia with the Wartburg in sight, instead of in a Spanish market-place ; the second act in a chamber close at hand, instead of in a prison; and the third act in the grand hall at the Wartburg, instead of in a Spanish interior. But my troubles were not over. I soon discovered that, in spite of the best intentions, Davies would not get through the opera, and my eye watched at the stage door, as Wellington spied for Bliicher at the battle of Waterloo. Well, Bliicher came in the shape of Turner, who lived a good distance off, and had induced an express train to stop and let him out at one of the stations running into town. He dressed, and released Davies in the middle of the first act, to the great astonishment of the audience, and Pew did the same for Randegger. I did not shut the theatre, but it was as narrow an escape of doing so as any manager ever had."