iczek,
Burmester, Halir, Gregorovitch, Marsick, Maud MacCarthy, Petschnikof and
Madame Normann Neruda, who had been prominent in England for many years,
and was long past her prime when she visited America. But the greatest
artist of all was Eugen Ysaye, who first appeared in 1894, and who,
since the great war, has been conductor of the Cincinnati Orchestra.

Opera continued to flourish on misfortune. Henry Abbey, who had ruined
himself in driving out Mapleson, formed a partnership with John B.
Schoeffel and Maurice Grau, and for some years provided opera for the
country. Signor Luigi Arditi, who first appeared as conductor of the
Havana Company in about 1848, and had seen more operatic service in
America than any other conductor, made a brief but interesting estimate
of the impresarios under whom he had traveled during those years. "I
have come to the conclusion," he writes, "that Don Francesco Marty (of
the Havana Company) was the most generous of men, and Max Maretzek the
cleverest. Colonel Mapleson was decidedly the astutest of all directors,
... while to Henry Abbey must be attributed every straightforward and
honorable quality. Maurice Grau was the cleverest of _entrepreneurs_."

Among the singers brought here by this combination was Tamagno, who
appeared in 1890. The following season came Jean and Edouard de Reszke,
who reigned supreme for a number of years. Also two American singers who
had made reputations abroad,--Emma Eames and Marie van Zandt. In 1893
Nellie Melba and Emma Calve came; and in 1894 Pol Plancon. In 1896 the
Abbey and Grau combination collapsed. Abbey died soon after, and Grau
continued alone until 1903.

In 1895 Walter Damrosch made an effort, which extended over several
years, to reestablish German opera, at the Metropolitan Opera House.
This house, by the way, had been burned down in 1892, but was rebuilt
and opened again in the following year. Several new singers were brought
over from Germany, among them being Johanna Gadski.

In 1897 and 1898 Walter Damrosch joined forces with Charles A. Ellis,
the manager of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who had already been
managing a company of which Melba was the star.

In 1896 Ernestine Schumann-Heink made her first American appearance in
Chicago, and the following year joined the Metropolitan Company. Also
Milka Ternina, an excellent artist, made her first appearance in Boston.

In 1898 Maurice Grau was the leading operatic impresario once more