* In double bills only.
SUMMARY
Number of performances ………………………….. 40
Number of operas produced ……………………….. 19
German operas …………………………………… 2
Bohemian opera ………………………………….. 1
English opera …………………………………… 1
Italian operas ………………………………….. 9
French operas …………………………………… 6
German representations …………………………… 7
French representations ………………………….. 15
Italian representations …………………………. 20
English representation …………………………… 1
Double bills (including ballets and divertissements) .. 15
Pantomime ………………………………………. 1
Ballets ………………………………………… 3
THE BROOKLYN SEASON
Opera Date of Performance
"Manon" …………………………………. November 8
"Tannhäuser" …………………………….. November 15
"Madama Butterfly" ……………………….. November 22
"Tosca" …………………………………. November 29
"Lohengrin" ……………………………… December 6
"Martha" ………………………………… December 13
"Il Trovatore" …………………………… December 20
"Il Maestro di Capella" and "Pagliacci" …….. January 3
"Aïda" ………………………………….. January 17
"Faust" …………………………………. January 27
"Fra Diavolo" ……………………………. January 31
"Stradella" and divertissement …………….. February 7
"L'Attaque du Moulin" …………………….. February 13
"La Bohème" ……………………………… February 21
"Otello" ………………………………… February 28
"La Gioconda" ……………………………. March 7
"Il Barbiere" and divertissement …………… March 14
"Rigoletto" ……………………………… March 21
"Der Freischütz" …………………………. March 29
"Madama Butterfly" and "Hungary" (ballet) …… April 4
There was an extra performance of "Hänsel und Gretel," and ballet divertissement on Christmas day. New York was never before in its history so overburdened with opera. The following table offers an analytical summary of the entire season:
Subscription performances ……………………………… 160
Total performances ……………………………………. 197
Operas produced ……………………………………….. 41
German operas produced …………………………………. 13
Italian operas produced ………………………………… 18
French operas produced ………………………………….. 7
Bohemian opera produced …………………………………. 1
Russian opera produced ………………………………….. 1
English opera produced ………………………………….. 1
German representations …………………………………. 56
Italian representations ……………………………….. 115
French representations …………………………………. 23
Double bills (including ballets and divertissements) ………. 48
Performances of complete ballets ………………………… 12
"The Awakening of Woman" and "Hungary" have been treated as ballets in this record simply for the sake of convenience. They were, in fact, a testimonium paupertatis to the feature which had aroused the greatest interest during the dying weeks of the season. The public wanted to see the two Russians dance; the management cared so little for artistic integrity that it did not trouble itself to keep its promises even as to the ballet. "Vienna Waltzes," which had figured in the prospectus, was performed but once, and then only because it was demanded by the German Press Club for its annual benefit. "Die Puppenfee," "Sylvia," "Les Sylphides," and "Chopin," though on the program, were not given, short divertissements after long operas being made to take their place. Operatic novelties promised but not given were: Leo Blech's "Versiegelt," Goetzl's "Les Précieuses Ridicules," Goldmark's "Cricket on the Hearth," Humperdinck's "Königskinder," Laparra's "La Habanera," Lehar's "Amour des Tziganes," Leroux's "Le Chemineau," Maillart's "Les Dragons des Villars," Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffmann," Rossini's "Il Signor Bruschino," Suppé's "Schöne Galatea," and Wolf-Ferrari's "Le Donne Curiose." The works which had a first production in New York were Franchetti's "Germania;" Tschaikowsky's "Pique Dame," Converse's "Pipe of Desire," and Bruneau's "L'Attaque du Moulin." In familiar operas the public was permitted to see new impersonations of Elsa, Floria Tosca, and Santuzza by Mme. Fremstad, and of Floria Tosca by Miss Farrar. Notable achievements from an artistic point of view were the representations of "Tristan und Isolde" and "Die Meistersinger," under the direction of Signor Toscanini, and "Pique Dame," under Herr Mahler.