The new spirit in drama and art (1912) (14778552475)

Identifier: cu31924027208184 (find matches)
Title: The new spirit in drama & art
Year: 1912 (1910s)
Authors: Carter, Huntly
Subjects: Theater Impressionism (Art)
Publisher: London, F. Palmer
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



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hed affair. The Comedie Frangais was organised eightyyears ago, and it has bred a line of efficient directors. TheEnglish director has yet to be born. But if the Continentalsystem of State theatre subsidy has this advantage, and more-over serves to promote a public taste for the classics andthe development and study of theatre architecture, it hasfurther serious disadvantages, to be found, for example, in theworking of the Paris Opera House. The Opera House doesnot pay ; it never has paid. From the first it has been indifficulties, and this in spite of a huge subsidy. It receives800,000 francs a year from the State for 194 performanceswhich it is bound to give. Each performance costs 16,600francs, including everything. The total cost of 194 perform-ances is 3,220,400 francs. This amount, less the subsidy, is2,420,400 francs. To cover this are the receipts from 2200seats. Against this are the working expenses, the endlessprivileges to all sorts and conditions of outsider and spectator,
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THE NEW SPIRIT IN PARIS 65 and those summed up in the free list and cheap list. Besidesthis, there are the tyrannies of the subscribers. Then thereis the field of possible corruption, much too wide to be dealtwith here. One form of corruption may be indicated. If,say, I am making a thousand a year out of my operas, mightit not be worth my while to have as many more operasproduced as possible ? And I might therefore say to thedirector, You produce my opera, and I will pay you ahandsome commission. And the director might see his wayto accept my commission without compromising with his con-science. Further, enormous difficulties with which such anorganisation as the Paris Opera House has to contend presentthemselves in the various demands of the directors, the artistes,the authors, the enormous mass of other people who aredirectly or indirectly concerned, and the season-ticket holders,who, if they do not get what they require at once, refuse torenew their tickets, I propose to deal fully