“The opera itself, noted Pulitzer, is nearly incidental. The singers, he wrote, were valued solely by price, for Society “prefers song which is so expensive that it must be the best. They prefer to trust the impresario’s purse rather than their own ears as the criterion of art.” Tichi, Cecelia. What Would Mrs. Astor Do? (Kindle Locations 1968-1970). NYU Press. Kindle Edition. ”