The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-05

Tns ITALIAN OrHRA-Cairfcs~BLAc Mail
We have heard great deal of black mail but
we have never seen such a curious, amusing, and
palpabe instance of it, as one which has just
taken place, in connection with the artists Of
the Italian Opera in this city, and the amiable
persons who critcses those artists. Yesterday
we received the following funny note; =
Ykw YoRx, 81 Jan, ls4s.
Please insert In your paper this moroing the following
article. Yours, respectfully.
We assure Benedetti that he need not make himself
uneasy Of the criticism Of 7 who Ia
posed to bs the noble Ls Baron de tor his
SUCCESS in the Arst representation OF Paritani
Thou not suitable to his voice a. Lucia, ks WAS
The Astor House public have more musical taste and
more competent judges than Gaiaydsts critic al.
lows them to be- The better portion OF them have ira
yelled In Europe, and heard the fest singers on
hmsef, and they prefer Bsnedetti's i'm pre.svs and
powerful voice to the dry notes and tresome trs OF
in stranng, rather than enchanting, the ears of their
regret that Benedict paid any respect the
criticism Of r who is not in this case, the organ of
the subscribers he natters himself to be That We
HAYS verified with the scrupuous attention. Be-
nedett requires rather than study The
three hours he daily the latter
the eye Of the first masters Ia the city have
eeedsd in giving him good musical hnowledgs the
of his organ and not his want Of stud
tina. sometimes deprives him OF al his powers.
I. boasts Of impsrtiaity. His silence with regard
to Mile &r (uusumously declared detsstable) IL In
cnuseQaeocs OF his Wishing to bs lsdies
How generous! Is IL not. perhaps to please NJ Gal
liardet?
We join with him in declaring the orchestra to be de-
testsble aud Mr. Rspettilszy
For the welfare Of the Opera We wish to Bsn.detti
courage AMI perseverance, and to r t enough judg.
not to abuse the meriting most praise, and
enough sense to keep silent
Enclosed in this note was vertabe bank bill
on the Bank of Commerce, Of New York, Geo.
Curtis, cashier; john A Greenleaf, president
The note is secured by the public stocks of the
State of New York, is dated October 18th, 1874,
has beautiful vignette, showing several ships
in the back ground, two beautiful female figures,
with bare necks, who are more like members of
the ballet corps than artists, and the aggregate
value of this note is one hundred dollars-gold
and siiuer. This black mail no doubt has been
sent for the publication of the above article, and
to induce US, perhaps, TO defend Benedict against
the French per published here by Monsieur
G'llardet and his critic.
We have been also promised number of other
articles in defence of the artists, probably un-
known to them, Gas it is probable that Benedict
knew nothing OF this) against the critics of the
other journals-namely: those of the Courier &
Enquirer, of the Express, of the Tribune, and
Mr.. Nobody, of the Ne,c York Herald.
We beg leave to say to all those who are so
friendly to the artists md certainly man must
be most friendly who would send us $l0o-that
we shall send this hundred dollars to the Lying
n-Hospital in Marion street, and the rest, if
any be sent, we shall appropriate to other chart
table institutions of the city.
AS respects the criticks and the artists, we
must say, black mail, or no black mail, our feel.
ngs are more for the artists tha the critics, more
for the poor singers than the pompous managers.
We have watch d with attention the critics in
ten with f-rocity, Ignorance and illlberality,
and with spirit any other than that of liJe-
raj or enlightened one: Hardly any one of
the artists has escaped the lashes of some
of these critics; and If all Is true that
s said, and which we hear, the probability
is, that they could have had praises of the
latest kind heaped upon them if they had
only appropriated about five hundred dollars, In
portable sums, distributed in certain quarters, in
proper way. Instead of which, their friends,
probably led astray by the old clamors, thought
it would be best to pay us black mail, beginning
with hundred dollars. We think tn y are right.
because we mean TO speak out what Is right and
proper, and what those who are competent judges
will agree with us is SO; but in relation 10 all
that IS connected with the Italian Opera, we
mean to say every thing, tree, gratis and for
nothing. 1t they send us more money, we
have no objection to take it, and we shall duly
distribute 1t among the charitable institutions
of the city-even to the extentIof S52,736 37a.
tunity of doing some good 10 this world.