Maurice Grau, who for many years was prominently identified with the
exploiting of grand opera in this country, was born in Brünn, Austria,
in 1849, and came to New York with his parents at the age of fifteen.
He graduated from the Free Academy, New York, in 1867, attended the
Columbia law school and later was for two years an employee of a law
firm. Mr. Grau, however, was gifted with foresight. He saw that the
citizens of this country, on recovering from the stress and strain
of the Civil war, would not only be possessed of money with which
to gratify their artistic instincts, but that these same instincts
would come into active being. In other words, in his own way, Mr.
Grau had faith in the recuperative powers of the United States. In
1872, therefore, he became manager for Aimée, the opera bouffe prima
donna, and was also the manager of Rubenstein, pianist; Clara Louise
Kellogg company, Salvini and other foreign musical and dramatic
stars. Finally he became a member of the firm of Abbey, Schoeffel &
Grau. Sarah Bernhardt, Patti, Henry Irving, Coquelin, Jane Hading,
Maunet-Sully and Mlle. Rejane were exploited by the firm. Until
1902 he was managing director of the Maurice Grau opera company and
lessee of the Metropolitan opera house, New York, in which capacity
he annually produced for some years standard grand operas, the casts
of which included the most famous singers of the present generation.
He furthermore has acted as managing director of the Royal opera
house, Covent Garden. On 1903 Mr. Grau severed his connection with the
Metropolitan opera house, much to the regret of those to whose musical
taste he had so successfully catered.