American Experiences

Extract

When I went to America for the first time, in the autumn of 1937, it was in connection with the tour of the so-called Salzburg Opera Guild. That was an Austrian operatic ensemble of fifteen singers which travelled through the United States during five months, with a repertory of five operas (Monteverdi, Mozart, Rossini, Ibert, Milhaud). As we soon found out, the choice of works was not the most adequate one, the whole apparatus of the group a little too clumsy, and the organization supplied by the American management even far from being satisfactory. Nevertheless, the undertaking turned out to be quite successful on the whole. We encountered everywhere a most lively and genuine interest, especially in smaller communities where opera playing is still little known, or in some cases, as yet not at all. I believe that opera has definitely a very promising outlook in America, yet its realization will require an entirely new artistic and organisatory concept. There is very little hope of establishing regular opera houses throughout the country similar to the type of the German “Stadttheater,” but it should be possible to build up a network of small touring ensembles, with a few singers and musicians who are able to move around quickly without tremendous expense. The repertory of such groups has mostly to be created. The smaller operas of the eighteenth century are by no means sufficient to awaken lasting interest.