Academy of Music
East 14th Street and Irving Place, Manhattan
1854 – 1926
The Metropolitan Opera House – also known as the Old Metropolitan Opera House
1411 Broadway
1883 – 1967
J. Cleveland Cady
I chose to explore this topic as it will be featured in season 2 of The Gilded Age, wich will be released on Sunday, October 29.
Between 1906 and 1910 New York City was the setting of the War of the Operas.
At first the Academy of Music was the setting for Operas. It was considered the epitomy of high culture and refinement. Initially 4000 seats on 5 levels a fire in 1866 necessitated rebuilding and reduced the number of seats to 2500. New York high society had their boxes. These were owned by the old money. New money was not able to obtain boxes. New money at the time being John D. Rockefeller, J.P. Morgan, and William Kissam Vanderbilt.
The battle started when the new money had the Metropolitan Opera house built. Twice the size of the Academy it was of course very opulent. Boxes were purchased at the time for $15,000 ($46,000 in today’s money).
Eventually Caroline Aster who was the ultimate New York socialite conceded and relocated to the Metropolitan Opera House. With her acceptance of the new operat house the rest of the old money followed.
