The New York herald., 1844-12-22

SO strong as in the small provincial cities; as in
Sirasbourg Nancy, Tours, Montpelier, NC, who
have not the means Of engaging tenor with bellows
instead OF lungs. They prefer artists, who
universal, like Brockhauss' Conversa ons- Lexicon
who periurmed to-day IN the Domino noir, and
tomorrow in vaudeville in the -A,nbassadriGs
and farce, in the PostIlfon de 0ngumedu and
parade There the comic opera Is strictly comlca
All The world s gay, from the singers and the
h0bitues down TO the manager and the lampllghier,
generally admitted to be the most melancholy
character in all creation if the orchestra neither
numerous respectable, the chorus the stronger
and more ciamorous, being regularly joined bv
that part OF the audience which is luxuratng in
the blissfu regions of e pdradis," as the gallery
Is called in the French theatres.
But the real seat OF the opera is in Paris, the
France of France, whose influence is not confined
10 the metropolis, but extends to the extreme ends
of the kingdom, so that an air, which makes
furore in the capitaie must ipso reduce all the
provincial dletan to comparative state oil insal-
ity. This not only arises from the custom to look
for every thing towards Paris, Owing 10 the system
OF GENERALIZATION, which Is In France carried to
the utmost, but from the fact, that In city in the
world the opera is so powerfully represented as IN
Paris.
There are In Paris three splendid theatres solely
destined to opera performances. The Italian Opera
House, now located in the Sale Vanladour, the
grand opera in the rue Lepelleiier and the opera
comique in the theatre Feydeau The Italian
opera in Paris is inferior To the London opera, in
consequence Of the smaller number Of the singers,
the absence of ballet and scenic pomp. But the
orchestra, with Tlllman as leader, is mach better
disciplined, and the repertoire contain, besides
several operas by Clmarosa, Fzravanti and Pas
iello, the Don juan lie noZze di Figaro, la ce-
menza di Tito, which produce greater receipts
than Linda and Norma. Mozart has, therefore, no
reason to be jealous OF Donlzetii The admls-
sion Is about two thirds cheaper than in London,
but it is nevertheless as arlstocratlcal as her
Majesty's, with respect TO the elegance of the
from all the other Partisan theatres that il has no
paid cldTlcurs the applause Is therefore more
genuine, If not go noisy at the grand opera. The
grand opera academic rdydle de mnsiqne is under
the especial patronage Of government, from whom
it receives yearly subvention Of six hundred
thousand francs, which, together with the receipts
of million five hundred thousand francs,
form an income OF over two millions OF francs. An
immence sum, but which is nevertheless unsuffi-
cent to cover the expenses Several capital man.
ayers have already been ruined, till at last il fell
into the hands Of Mr.: Aguado, the celebrated
Spanish banker, who alone succeeded in making
both ends meet. lie appointed Leon P,llet as his
mandataire, who, after Aguado's death, was re-
tanned by his heirs. Pletis man of much prac-
tica sense but he has one great fault, that OF being
the acknowledged protecetur OF Madame Stollz,
who IS the present prlma donna, although she
possesses more claims TOR the name OF past one.
She monopollzes the great repertoire to the ipjUy
of the public, and host OF very promising young
debttantes. The same can be said of Duprez, the
first tenor, who, although very clever, is hardly
the shadow of what he was. Yet he IS the only
great card OF the manager, as great many trials
with younger tenors have proved unsuccessful,
owing to the immense size Of the theatre, There
are numerous bass singers, but none OF them are
ont of the common way. In fact, there is hardly
anything remarkable at present In the grand opera,
with the exception of the orchestra, prInci-
pally consisting Of members from the orches-
ira ot the conservatoire, and led by Habeneck,
and the splendor Of the scenery. This can truly
be said TO be fabulous, and is the principal
reason OF It's financial embarrassments the
mise en- scene Of several operas Robert le liable,
Ia puive Charles the Sixth having cost several
hundred thousand francs. The ballet which has
very much lost through Tagllonl's and Elssers
absence, very impeflectly replaced by Carlotta
Grisl, is likewise not paying affair The reper-
toire, owing to Rossnl's silence and Meyerbeer's
unsucce siu search after tenor, Is limited to two
or three OF the Older operas relieved, from time TO
time, by new-old work Of Halevy, in which
there always is more noise than melody, more
bizaruie than originality. He very seldom
and Rossin are counted by hundreds. They alone,
in fact, sustain The opera-sincc Auber, with the
exception OF hisLd mnette has proved as ..nsuccess
fu in this theatre he was, and still Is, successful
at the comic opera. The regular audiences are
OF. a very promiscuous character, principally con-
sst,ng OF foregu and vsi from the Provinces.
But the attendance on irst nights IS unrivded with
regard to the number OF distinguished persons and
the dazzling spleDdor oil the toiteffts
A remarkable feature in this theatre 10 the total
abstenence of applause by the audience, that busi-
ness beiug entirely monopo'zed BY an admirably
orxanIzed BODY, yclept ctoquews. The duties of an
accom- DIished cidgueur are not easily lrarned
il would appear at the Il st moment. The move
ment tf the hands must be regularly studied, be-
fore il acquires the requisite uniformity OF action,
resembling the rolling produced by a well drilled
corps Of tambours. This little army, which can
boast OF a. many victories as Napolcons uistiis