The New York herald., 1844-12-12


an accidental, but an essential and characteristic
quality OF the human mind, it is obvious that the
germ OF taste for music lies, as have said be-
fore, IN every soul-since music largely partakes
OF the beautiful. and frequently of the sublime
and wants nothing but an opportunity for lis de-
velopment, cultivation an refinement: thar ia an
opportunity 10 hear good aud well executed music
Concerts and cperatic performances acquire there
tore great Importance, which unfortunately is
lost s'ght of patty in the sensual qualification
they are expected to afford; pary through the alb
sence OF . CERTAIN degree Of purity, which is re-
qusite whenever ultimate perfection in any object
is aimed at Performing artists and managers are
very seldom sc.uatv by platonc love for the art,
but The more bv an epcu,ean appetite for gold and
bank notes. The best proof Of this assertion
which think 10 be correct, although il msy not
be very acceptable Ia numerous class Of pseudo
artistss to be found in the frequency of thoi, al
lusions 10 The sacrifices they are making 10 The
art, 10 the arr alone, and 20 nothing bit lie art
Nobody attaches greet importance 10 this dis
interested abntg Cation in the present agc of posi-
tive and matter ii fact ideas, but it sounds well in
the ears of musical phillntropsts an! 81 ca ne fan
pas d" bien, ca ac peut pas faire dw mat. know
several pians,s who consider Themselves regular
martsrs 10 the art, and fully entitled 10 ,he er, cton
of statue during lileiiuic or al least 10 laurel
wreath, because they run the risk Of epranng tb. il
wrists with a daily ten hours practice of octave
and tenths pasnagcs, amt ct tearing the phalanges
OF The fourth hager through sleeping with a chyro-
gynNdt In their hands Such artists althGugh
they mas not knowingly he hypocritte, are never
theless hypocrtes malgre eur, aud deserve as little
he name OF an s,-aafortunately very often
msapplled now a-days-as their pianos and violins
In reality they arc nothing but mechanical nstru-
menis To the composer, who alone is the true artist
TINS want OF putty, and, # am allowed to say
o. legitimacy IN musical exhibitions, although de-
rlmenlal In many respects, and strongly 10
| be condemned IN an absolute way, is never
theless, relatively productive Of some benefit with
regard TO the greater power Of attraction exerc
| ses on the masses, who always have been more
open TO the ie3itlmate than the legitimate. The
end excuses therefore, the bad means, although it
does ncr justify them. Operas deserve from this
reason more encouragement, since their sphere OF
action Is larger than that of concerts, which have
now lost considerably of tle ninbus formerly at
l tached TO them, through the sameness and mono,c
ny OF their complexion. There are, of course, nu
tnerous exceptions, but Notwithstanding, the c'es
beau mais eitnuyeur, will always be the best cr-
cism OF any concert. 1t IS moreover inoculated
with sprlnkllng OF arlstocratcal poison, which
contrasts rather strongly with the undolbed and
ndspulable republican nature oimusic. 1t is con-
seqnently great matter of regret, that concerts
go dfmtnuendo with happy prospect OF catand0
and moriendo, whilst the opera goes crescendo, and
~ Judging from the multiplicity Of operate esla-
blishments, has nearly reached Its dpogfe, whose
stability could be predicted with mathematical
certainty, if it ould not be under the control OF
ever.changing time Nearly every German, Italian,
and French town, has an opera company. who per-
form during the greater part OF the year. In
England, London alone has regular opera house,
and there the season - restricted TO five months the
casiona performances at Drury lane, the Princess
the English opera house, and the Surrey, cannot
be taken IN consideration. Dublin, Edinburgh,
l Liverpool, and other large and populous cities,
hardly ever have an opportunity OF hearing operas
and this accounts sufficiently for the entire ab.
sence of taste in the English provinces
II can hardly be said Of the London opera that
II has an influential bearing in the propagation Of
musical knowledge, being the exclusive property
of privileged class, since the high prices OF ad.
mission and several other silly regulations ride
the full dress resrictlon-interfere with its ever
becoming a popular school. Properly speaking,
this very much 70 be regretted, SINCE very little
good Can be said OF the manner with which il is
conducted. instead OF taking advantage Of its
immense pecuniary resources, and deyo,ing q
small part OF them TO the production of meritorous
works, IL confines itself to DoniZstti and
few operas by ossn. These, together with two
or three ballets, form the yearly bill Of fare,
which Is paid at an exorDitant price. The result
OF this one sided system, Is, that wrong direction
has been given to the little taste that exists in En
gland, which can be seen from the failure Of the
attempt to Introduce during three summers,a CON-
pany for the production OF the master pieces OF the
| Beethoven, Spohr, &C. This is the more singular,
since the English pride themselves on their love
of classic compositions, and proves, what always
saw when IN England, that they do not understand
Handle and Haydn, Notwithstanding the crowds
at Exeter Hail. who cOngregate tht re rather from
custom and religious feeling than from a desire TO
hear the artstlcal work. Yet il cannot be denied
that the English are more acquainted with those
two pillars OF the German school than many pro
fesslona musicians in Italy, France and even in
Germany, and the .lukewarm reception Of Oberon,
Eurdnthe, die Zaubeaote and Jcssonda is stheeore,
the more puzzng al all events, when il is consl-
dered that the orchestra and chorusses were mag
nicent, and the company any thing but in
different. This could have been expected
from 1taly, whose taste, although superior,
TO ,he fare it is forced to live upon too superb
cial, too much accustomed 10 irivialuy Of melody
TO digest those mighty creations, those textures OF
elevated melody and profound harmony which
cannot be appreciated after one or two he earrings
I. is indeed, melancholy to observe the degra-
datioD Of music as a science, in that unfortunate
country, the cradle OF all the fine arts Shadows
Of Dante, Tasso, Ariosto, Cellini, Canova, Auge-
fallen country
Italia, a te e,a fea Ia sore.
One pearl after the other drops from thy crown.
Thy poets are gone. Thy painters are goae. The
throne once occupied by Pdlestrina and PergoIesi
s left vacant, for-the only one OF thy sons, who
could lay claim to it-Rossn, the once perse.
cuted and vfed, has deserted thee for gay
France. The comparison is rather unpoetcal, but
the swan Of Pesaro makes me think OF rats leaving
II sound musical taste in Italy is TO be num-
bercd amongst things that were, the taste for mu-
Sic that is the wish TO hear it and 10 cultlvat. il
as an accomplishment, never was so much diiiu-
sed as now. II II is net any more country OF
musicians and perhaps OF music, il is country OF
tenors bassl and sopran, who, il they themselves
are not able to execute classic music, exercise
through their excellent method of vocalization a
notable influence on those, whose Intellectual ca.
pacity renders them lit TO do it, Fortunately, or
unfortunately, the Italians do not TO bewail
their fallen star, but rush in greater crowdsto
their theatres, and are lavish ever with their
t,aui, fuori and eviuas Every body, from the
narchesc down to the hssGrone, sings from early
childhood, and all have the same masters--nature
and the opera. The smallest town has splendid
building and a first rate company, at least once a
year Those which are not rich enough to have
some dipi or dive during the fera, and some
OF these smaller cities vie even in that re-
spect with la Scala, IL San Carlo or IL Pygota.
This is the easier effected since very little reg ard