The New York herald., 1845-01-22

Close OF THE ITALIAN OPERA-Irs PROBABLE
FAILURE IN NKw YoRK.-We learn that the present
week is TO wind up the perform of the Italian
Opera Company, and that they are about proceed
ing South to fulfil engagements there. The amount
of patronage extended TO them has not been sufh.
cient TO yield an adequate compensation, and we
are thus TO lose, probably TOR long time, this re-
hning and delightful amusement from amongst US
This is the more TO be regretted, as the present
company is an excellent one, and possesses an un-
usual amount of genius and professional talent
So perfect an union Of the camtatrice and the
actress as is presented in the person OF Signora
Borghese, has probably not been seen since Mali
bran; while the rich mssso soprano of Pico, and
the various excellences OF the other members Of
the troupe are OF such character as to have en-.
sured brilliant career to the Opera, had they met
with the proper encouragement from those who
call themselves the wealthy and fashionable class,
and who ostentatously stepped forward to take the
Italian Opera under their especial protection.
The grossness and RIGHTEOUSNESS OF the acting
stage, which have reached point quite as low as
in the times Of Dryden and Charles H., while il
is utterly destitute of the wit and genius which
then half redeemed its grossness-required as an
offset to their pernicous influence, some species Of
public amusement Of high tone Of morals, and
with an intellectual and eevating influence upon
public taste, such, in short, as the Italian
Opera alone is. But, the attempt to perma-
nently establish such an institution has failed,
from the want Of discrimination and liberal
ity in the eltstyled fashionable and wealthy
classes, and who set themselves up as a
separate and distinct body, and by no means to be
confounded with the ''common vulgar herd" The
pretensions of this class of persons are, indeed lu
dicrous in the highest degree; and when reflect
upon them, we have no cause to wonder at the
failure of any thing refined and elegant which was
made to depend on them for its patronage and sup
port. The leading characteristics OF the great
middle class of Americans are good taste and COM
mon sense; and we hope confidently that the
Italian Opera will one day be established here un-
der more promising auspices, and will receive the
nurture and encouragement which it deserves. AT
present it has been killed by the insufferable
gance, pretension, ignorance and parsimony, Of
our s'aristocracy" Heaven save the mark !! and
its organs.
We heard of an incident, a short time since,
which stlikingy illustrates the character and in
telligence of this class One of the leaders of the
supper ten thousand" called upon German musi-
clan to attend party at his house and play some
music on the piano forte. The German replied
that he played nothing but German, Italian, and
French music. "Very WE'LL" said the nabob
"that is just what l want. You can give us as
much French, Italian, and German music as you
like, only play 1t in English :"
Look, too, for a specimen of the generosity Of
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a lyric poet. Here was an American poet, and a
worthy man, for whom his fellow-citizens proposed
to get up benefit. How did they do it Did they
employ and pay the best talent in the country to
give tcldt to the beneft2 By no means. They
begged the services of these poor artists. who
knew nothing of Gen. Morris, and were quite an
poor as hmsef-so that, in fact, it was the artists
who gave the benefit to the poet, while the fussy
and windy committee of the aristocracy" swal-
lowed all the gas, and got all the credit. Cheap
generosity, this!
One other instance of aristocratc meanness and
we have done for the present A certain very as.
suming leader of the Goldfish aristocracy" under
took, some time ago, to give soirts, in far-of m-
itation, we suppose, of what he, or some OF his
travelled" friends, had seen through the win
dows in London or Paris. Well, the Italian ar
fists were all invited, and SO far as they were con,
cerned, the affair was as respectable as anything Of
the kind in Europe. They went to great deal OF
trouble and expense to cotfewrs, dress makers, &C.,
&C., for the party-sang and played throughout the
evening in their most brilliant and fascinating man.
ner and were rewarded by their aristocratic hosts
not, as in Europe, by cadea1, or liberal and
complimentary present, but by ungenerous criti-
csms upon their performances, and by nothing
else
Can it be wondered at, we repeat, that class
like this, composed in nearly equal parts Of mean
ness, ignorance and afectation, should suffer the
Opera to lose its foothold and become extinct in
this city, from the want Of proper and rcmunera-
ting support?
RAPKrTl's BKNEFIT.-The Opera House was well
filled last night, to hear, probably for the last time,
the magnificent Stmiramide, and to testify the
public's appreciation of the arduous and skilfull
part performed by Signor Rapetti, in the presen-
tation OF the Italian Opera in this city. Rapett is
not only Of the best musicians in the country,
but most admirable and judicious leader-a thing
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