A World of Detail

Few people have any idea of how many persons and how many departments are connected with the opera and its presentation. Considering them in order, they might be classed as follows:

The General Manager and his assistants.
The Musical Director and his assistants.
The Stage Director and his assistants.
The Technical Director and his assistants.
The Business Director and his assistants.
The Wardrobe Director and his assistants.
The Master of Properties and his assistants.
The Head Engineer and his assistants.
The Accountant and his assistants.
The Advertising Manager and his assistants.
The Press Representatives and his assistants.
The Superintendent and his assistants.
The Head Usher and his assistants.
The Electrician and his assistants.

Few of these important and necessary factors in the production ever appear before the public. Like the miners who supply us with the wealth of the earth, they work, as it were, underground. No one is more directly concerned with making the production than the Technical Director. In that we are fortunate in having the views of Mr. Edward Siedle, Technical Director of the Metropolitan Opera Company, of New York. The complete picture that the public sees is made under the supervision of Mr. Siedle, and during the actual production he is responsible for all of the technical details. His experience has extended over a great many years in different countries. He writes: