Blowup at City Center

Laszlo Halasz felt pretty chipper about his New York City Opera Company. His fall season had just wound up in the black after seven weeks in Manhattan and four weeks on the road. Back from Chicago last week, Director Halasz asked to see his board chairman, Manhattan Lawyer Newbold Morris, about plans for the coming spring season. Chairman Morris and the board wanted to see Halasz too, but about a different matter: they gave him his choice of resigning or being fired.

There was no criticism of Halasz' musical achievements over the past eight years. He has been offering New Yorkers the liveliest opera bill in the U.S.--a wide and engaging repertory of old and new music, sung by bright young singers, many of whom Halasz discovered himself. But over the years, Halasz just did not seem able to get along with enough of his company. Only last month he riled some musicians in the case of the flying baton, which struck Concertmaster Alfred Bruening in the face, whether Halasz actually hurled it or let it slip (TIME, Dec. 10). And earlier last week, the American Guild of Musical Artists, headed by Lawrence Tibbett, had filed a protest with the board over Halasz' lofty treatment of his singers.

The board told Halasz it would honor his contract and pay his $12,000 salary through the 1952-53 season if he resigned. Otherwise, he could sue for his salary. In that case he might get nothing; the board considered that it had a case for breaking his contract, on the ground that he had broken the company's morale.

Hungarian-born Laszlo Halasz, 46, admitted that he is a slave driver:' "I believe in that." And he is often sarcastic ("Sing a B-flat rather than a flat B!"). But he could hardly believe his whole company was against him. Within 24 hours, he gathered 45 testimonial letters from singers, conductors, and musicians. City Opera's topnotch Conductor Jean Morel promptly announced his resignation in protest. Halasz refused to resign, demanded an open hearing. But the board's mind seemed to be made up. Conductor Joseph Rosenstock was named to direct the spring season, opening in mid-March.

Whatever happened next, the City Opera seemed to have been sawed right down the middle. It might take a long time to put it together again.

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