Gilded Age Opera Wars: The Academy of Music vs. The Metropolitan Opera

One of the major plot points running through the second season of HBO’s The Gilded Age was the clash between the Academy of Music and the Metropolitan Opera.  Although the battle between the two opera houses was historically documented, the conflict was amplified on the show for maximum drama.  The Academy of Music had been New York’s established opera house since the 1850s and only those with “old money” and connections had boxes.[1]  With the influx of “new money” into New York, many families were unable to get a box due to the academy’s exclusivity and lack of space.  As a result, families with “new money” decided to pool their resources and build a brand-new opera house, the Metropolitan Opera.  When the Metropolitan Opera opened its doors for the very first time in 1883, they did so on the same exact night as the opening for the Academy of Music.  This set up the two opera houses for a clash where only one would triumph in the end! But which opera house did Ruth & Ogden Mills choose?  Read on to find out!

Puck Magazine, a publication often using humor or satire to depict current events, showcased the clash in the October 31, 1883 edition, Artist Joseph Keppler, Library of Congress.

Hidden Treasures of the Collection: Brunswick Panatrope Records

Two months ago, I wrote this post about Staatsburgh's Brunswick Panatrope that is located in the Main Hall.  This music player, which dates to 1927, has one original record inside the player.  Was this disc the last piece of music the family listened to while using the Panatrope?  What else did they listen to?  I always wondered about the rest of their music collection and I am happy to report that I discovered two binders of additional records in storage!  What can these records tell us about the family's musical preferences and the role of music in their lives?

Staatsburgh's Brunswick Panatrope

Hidden Treasures of the Collection: Brunswick Panatrope

“Without music, life would be a blank to me.” — Jane Austen, Emma

Gilded Age entertaining and music went hand in hand.  Attending the opera, musicales, or grand balls with a live orchestra was a common social activity for the Gilded Age elite.  Live music was also a frequent component of at-home entertaining.  When Ruth Mills held a reception for Alice Roosevelt on the occasion of her father's election as President, the Staatsburg Band serenaded her, and the Hungarian Band played music for the evening's dancing.

It was during the Gilded Age, that a whole new way to listen to music was developed.  Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, which was the first generally reliable device to record and play back audio.  The sound was fairly scratchy by modern standards, but the technology worked and continually improved over time.  The phonograph was a cylinder playing machine, and by the 20th century it was replaced with the disk phonographic record.  With this new technology, a machine now existed that could bring recorded music into the home and public spaces.

Thomas Edison and his second phonograph, 1878

  

Staatsburgh & The Gilded Age

As the stewards of a site that interprets the Gilded Age, we were very excited to see an entire television series dedicated to the era.  We were especially interested because the show was created by Downton Abbey mastermind, Julian Fellowes who is known for the efforts he puts into the historical details and accuracy of his shows and movies.  The first season of HBO's The Gilded Age depicted 1882 New York and aired from January - March 2022; a second season is forthcoming.  The show brought the era to life with magnificent costuming, sets, and a dramatization of the clash between old and new monied elites.  In addition to this central clash of values, the show also depicted the life of the black elite in Brooklyn, the plight of servants, and the ways new technology was about to revolutionize the country.  Although the main characters were fictional, there were several real historical figures mixed in such as Mrs. Astor, Ward McAllister, and Mrs. Fish among others.  

Photo: HBO

On the 1st Day of Christmas...

 ...my true love gave to me...  Are you already singing it in your head?  "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is a Christmas carol with a very catchy tune.  This popular and enduring carol cumulatively lists increasingly lavish gifts during each verse from a partridge in a pear tree to twelve drummers drumming.  Even though the version we hear today identifies the gift giver as "my true love," some earlier versions of the song instead used "my mother."  Many different tunes were also used with the lyrics until the current version became the standard in the early 20th century.   

Music of the Gilded Age at Staatsburgh

Staatsburgh has been working with Dr. Christopher Brellochs, Chair of the Academy of Music at Dutchess Community College, on programs about Gilded Age music.  Dr. Brellochs has been researching Gilded Age music and performing at various Gilded Age sites throughout the Hudson Valley region.  He has explored the connections between the Mills family and music, and especially their relationship with the Metropolitan Opera.  Although his upcoming tea talk and music programs are postponed, please enjoy this preview of his research into the music that Ruth & Ogden would have enjoyed at the opera.

Dr. Christopher Brellochs