chicagoopera

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riccardo_Stracciari Theodore Bauer, sculptor

This Theodore Bauer is the "Mr Theodore Bauer in charge of Columbia's concert and operatic departments"
books.google.com/books?id=NREfAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA4-PA32&am...
see also

Theodore Bauer, theatrical manager, died in 1924, aged 40, in a fire, s. obituary in the WATERTOWN DALY NEWS, col. 1, "FIRE VICTIM IS KNOWN IN 'BURG" fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%20Disk3/Watertown%20Times/Wa...

In 1918, he was involved in the organization of a concert of the Metropolitan Opera in favor of the War Savings Committee. Riccardo Stracciari sang in this concert, s. the NYT, March 13, 1918 query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9C07E3DD1F38E5... S. also The sun., February 22, 1918, Page 7, col. 1, "STAGE STARS IN WAR CONCERT" chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030431/1918-02-22/ed-...

New York Times account of the Bauers' death, with further biographical details, including his earlier affiliation with Columbia Graphophone. "OWNER AND WIFE DIE IN RESTAURANT FIRE; Blaze Sweeps the 'Petroushka' and Traps Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Bauer. Fire which spread with explosive speed through the upper floors of the Club Petroushka Restaurant building at 50 East Fiftieth Street last evening caused the death of Theodore Bauer, part owner and manager of the club, and his wife, who were trapped on the top floor." query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B06EFDF1539E233A...

See:

Mary Garden, 1874-1967. Scottish/American Operatic Soprano and Giorgio Polacco, 1873-1960, Italian opera conductor, aboard the RMS Aquitania on their way to shake up the Chicago Opera scene. from his allmusic.com bio . . .

After that first Chicago season, engagements in France, Cuba, and South America kept the conductor busy until Mary Garden called him in 1921 to become music director and principal conductor of the Chicago Opera, reorganized as the Chicago Civic Opera. Working with the tempestuous Garden, Polacco -- despite several voluble conflicts with his "directa" -- filled the position more than honorably. From the November 14, 1921, production of Samson et Dalila through the time of his retirement for health reasons in 1930, the conductor concentrated on his work in Chicago, conducting just one year (1927) in Boston. During his Chicago tenure, Polacco confirmed his outstanding grasp of a wide-ranging repertory and an unflagging ability to light fires under nearly any cast. He often conducted Garden, notably in her French repertory and in Strauss' Salome. Polacco's final Chicago performance found him leading Garden's Mélisande on February 1, 1930.

For more on Garden see

They arrived on October 21, 1921, s. The New York herald. [volume], October 22, 1921, Page 9 (photo) chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045774/1921-10-22/ed-...