Music: Metropolitan’s Appeal

People were driving down Broadway in claret-colored broughams, ladies wore tiaras and insisted on heavy white gloves when in Box No. 8, the fourth from the stage on the right, Lizzie P. Bliss began entertaining on Monday nights at the Opera. Lizzie Bliss was a gracious hostess. In Washington she entertained for her father when President McKinley persuaded him to leave his wholesale dry-goods business long enough to serve a term as Secretary of the Interior. Cornelius Newton Bliss Jr. was part owner of the Diamond Horseshoe Box but New York has known him more for his charitable work—with the Red Cross, the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, Unemployment Relief. Lizzie Bliss died two years ago but last week in his quiet, wise way Brother Cornelius stepped into just as great prominence as ever his famous sister enjoyed. The Opera’s producing company,* headed by Lawyer Paul Drennan Cravath, had informed the boxholders that without a $300,000 guarantee it would be unable to renew its lease on the house, that the Metropolitan Opera would cease to be. Gravely the boxholders considered. Some were for disbandment. Cornelius Bliss led his associates to a decision which would have seemed revolutionary to the people who drove to the opera in broughams. He suggested that Opera in New York be made everybody’s problem. From the Metropolitan Opera House, which New York’s oldest families have controlled exclusively for 50 years, came an appeal for public donations.

The Metropolitan’s finances are run this way: The holders of the 35 boxes own the proud, antiquated house. They are paid nominally $67,000 a year rent by the producing company. In turn, taxes and insurance amount to approximately $4,500 annually for each box, a rate of about $7 on each chair for each & every performance.

For 22 years Manager Giulio Gatti-Casazza made the performances pay for themselves. He even set aside 51,000,000 surplus. But that is exhausted now, although last year salaries were cut and the current season shortened from 24 to 16 weeks. A guarantee of $150,000 privately subscribed last spring has been eaten into badly. With box office receipts at their present low it was figured that even a season shortened to twelve weeks would require an extra $300,000 to see it through.

Whether or not opera at the Metropolitan continues the boxholders must go on paying taxes. At last week’s meeting they were unwilling to assume more burden. In fighting disbandment, Cornelius Bliss stressed the number of people who would be thrown out of work—about 770. He consented to serve on a committee to impress outsiders with the need for help. Characteristically he took no credit for his efforts; small, popular Soprano Lucrezia Bori was made chairman.

* Majority stockholder is Banker Otto Hermann Kahn. Others: Clarence Hungerford Mackay, Robert Goelet, Frank Gray Griswold, Harry Payne Whitney’s estate.