Bob’s
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J. Massenet

Reviews — The New York Times

From the New York Times January 20, 1909

MARY GARDEN WILL
HAVE NO NEW THAIS
If Hammerstein Puts Miss Cava-
lieri in the Role He’ll
Take the Consequences.
HAS TOLD HIM SO, SHE SAYS
“I have Worked Too Hard to Allow
These Roles I Brought Here to
be Taken from Me.”

     Miss Mary Garden and Oscar Hammerstein seem to be hopelessly at odds over the engagement of Lina Cavalieri to sing the title rôle in “Thaïs” on Saturday evening of next week. Miss Garden told a Times reporter yesterday that she would never countenance Miss Cavalieri’s appearing in that opera so long as she (Miss Garden) remained in Mr. Hammerstein’s opera house. She had told Mr. Hammerstein this, said Miss Garden and also had told him that if he persisted in his intention to present Miss Cavalieri in the part he would have to take the consequences. What these consequences are Miss Garden said Mr. Hammerstein already knew.
     Mr. Hammerstein in his regularly weekly announcement printed yesterday made known that Miss Cavalieri would sing the title rôle in “Thaïs” on Saturday evening of next week.
     “I was both amazed and indignant,” said Miss Garden, when interviewed by a Times reporter yesterday, “to see in the morning newspaper that Miss Cavalieri had been engaged by Mr. Hammerstein to sing the title rôle in ”Thaïs.“ Mr. Hammerstein says that I have more work to do than I can attend to. This is absolutely untrue. I can attend to all the singing Mr. Hammerstein wishes of me.
     “Mr. Hammerstein came to me yesterday and asked my permission to allow Miss Cavalieri to appear as Thais. This permission I refused absolutely to give and I told Mr. Hammerstein that if he allowed Miss Cavalieri to sing in any of my French rôles he would have to take the consequences. He knows what those consequences are. Suffice it to say that as long as I am at the Manhattan Opera House I shall never permit an Italian to sing there in any of my French rôles.”
     “I have no objection to Miss Cavalieri singing in the company. I shall be delighted to have her so long as she confines herself to Italian operas, but I will not allow those French operas which I have brought to this country to be taken from me. I have worked too hard and earnestly in them. Mr. Hammerstein knows how things stand and knows that I am a determined woman who cares nothing for mere monetary considerations.”
     Miss Garden’s statement was repeated to Oscar Hammerstein in Philadelphia last night over the long distance telephone, just as he was about to catch the midnight train back to New York. Mr.Hammerstein listened to it patiently. Then he was asked for comment on it.
     “Nothing to say,” was his reply.
     “Miss Garden is very much disturbed over your announcement,” was suggested.
     “Is she?” said Mr. Hammerstein, “Well, I’m not.”
     Yesterday’s Manhattan Opera House bulletin contained this regarding Miss Cavalieri’s engagement:
     The tremendous requirements for such a production as “Salome” have taxed Miss Garden to the utmost. She has been rehearsing for the past month every spare hour that she has not been singing in “Thaïs” and “Pelleas et Melisande.” Mr. Hammerstein is unwilling to subject her to too severe a strain, and as he expects to give “Salome” many times, both at the Manhattan and Philadelphia Opera Houses, with “Pelleas et Melisande” between times, and as no one can possible replace Miss Garden in these roles, he has engaged Mlle. Lina Cavalieri for a limited period this season.
     Mlle. Cavalieri will make her debut at the Manhattan Opera House, on Saturday evening of next week, Jan. 30, in “Thais,” an opera which she is said to have sung with much success in Europe. The cast will be the same as heretofore, including M. Renaud in his great character part of Athanael, Mlles. Trentini and Ponzano, and MM. Valles and Vieuille.
     There should be a great deal of interest in seeing what Mlle. Cavalieri will do with the role, of which Miss Garden has been such a superlative interpreter.

Last updated December 29, 2006