The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-02-07


will be determined very important question.
and that is. whether the fashionable and musical
society Of New York has any taste, or edsesiion,
or knowledge in Italian music. according 20 the
Partisan standard Of thar brsnch Of the 6ae arts
and fashion, TO say nothing Of mOustaehss. nsfs-
raj and dyed in the wool
Let US explain little. On the fret appearance
OF Biscaccianti in I" somnambuls, :" few weeks
ago, she was received with a certain degree Of
decorum by certain set Of disitnguished musi-
cal critics in this city. who claim ell the taste
and talent in that line Of Literature, ia ecnse-
quence Of their peculiar qualifications and ,ds-
cation in the metropolis of France--,e say no
thing Of moustaches, natural And dyed IA the
wool We allude 10 the musical critics and
criiiquss Of the Courier dss Efafs Usis. and
some OF those in the Courser 4 Eaqu,rsr.
whose wriiers seem 10 follow in the wake
Of that peculiar class e ooSnosesnf, Amer
three successive nights, Madame Biscaccisnii
was pronounced by all those critics ar failure
without taste or talent, with ruined voice,
sc. sc. Biscsccianti went 10 Boston. and there
she was received with the most extraordl-
nary applause. Ia the meantime, Madame Patu
was brought forward, and heralded as being one
Of the most finished artists (snd finished she now
ls,) that have appeared IN New York since
the time OF the celebrated Mslibrsn. Caior-
tunately, however, Madame Patti. after singing
two nights, was most unequivocally condemned
by the public, by abandoning her on the SECOND
night of her appearance; and on tins result our
distinguished contemporary Of the Courier DIES
Etats Unis issued the following bulleiins--
From the Courrier as Etsts typisl
TIE ITALIANS The Directors q the Astor Place
Theatre alarmed poor recspts taken last Mosday
night, aud yielding to the wishes Of several unusnta
persons, have stopped the opera of Cspuisfu Nsn-
tecchi" after its second representation
any and knowledge Of the dstin talent ei
Sgnora Patti In acting thus the directors have
mitted great fault and exhibited much vsskness
They ought to have shown little
they had had any respect for the greatest artist that
has appeared in New York for long period Of time
fact IT, the people Of New York judges devoid Of 81
experience whose musical education is far from being
flashed Mo-. il their most triniss fances oesysa
their FIRST Impressions altogether erroneous they
srs) yielded to- their musical taste viii n that
never be formed tits good, nay, nstimss indis
but especially It necessary when their Ignorant
antpa.hy extenis far attack such au artist ~
to be misprint In the French; by
mi take Of the compositor put instead Of 10 asoh
, raas ten. Ds sns ousn, 70
Tor repugusnce or objection is applied to such artst
as Madame Patti and to such composer Bellini "
The New York public IL laborins under two sorts Of
mania, which 1t msy not be without Its advantage to
point ost since they dangerous they rdcu
artists who hav. found out how to Get
I'd by them and to applaud these blindly and the
other hand to imagine that every thing bad in those
artists against whom they have taken prejudice what
ever merit they may display.
The second species Of mania they labor under H. that
ris but according to . certain preudos in their favor
or favortism which s founded upon their reputation,
their age or their external appearance. Thus, for
ample lady Of whom ignorant epitefu critic
may happen to say that she past her prime ruined
Tor done for) in America This very expression Gas
blasted me success Of Me- Damoreau and partly
injured Me. Bishop Only let Grisi come to the Unit
ted States and she would be destroyed BY this fatal
preston Judgment would be passed upon her. not With
any respect to her voice. her singing her perform
but solely on account Of her szs figure and reg
American ditettante DON'T you think Patti sung ad-
mirably? Oh, yes" said he she did very well; but,
ySu sne ,h c Int M S or %
ettante, In this good city Of New York.
The chief purpose Of the Italian Theatre ought to BE-
to correct all these ridiculous things and to educste
these judges Who the more ignorant they
much the ready and positive in their judgment In
one Is guilty Of complassncs which is Injurious 10
body, and art Is turned into trade without
homer or profit.
According to this admirable article, which
contains great deal of truth and more exagge-
ration, the American fashionable public are con-
demned as ignorant and incompetent in music,
opera, taste, and every thing, connected with
the fine arts-to say nothing of moustaches, ma
tural and dyed in the wool. This conAemna-
ton is about to be reviewed and determined
a second time tonight, on the appearance
and performance of Madame Biscaccianti
That artist was pronounced by the same au-
thoritIes as incompetent, and unfit in every
way to sing the role of Amina and she is
now coupled in the same category of incom-
petence, with the fashionable and musical
community of New York. This condemnation
as we have said, was concurred in by the dis
tinguished musical critics OF the Courier and
Enquirer, as well as those of the Express and
some other journals
Blscaccianti, however, with courage that
resembles that which fought the battles of Buena
Vista, or Cerro Gordo, is determined to have
rehearing, and to ascertain again, whether either
the fashionable community OF New York have
no judgment, or whether she has no talent, or
style, or taste, in opera and music. She Is of an
Italian family, but Isl native ofBoston; that Bos-
ton being, we believe, according to the best geo.
graphical authority city of the United States,
anu kuoWH LII Tue HistoIy Vi tuis country al
least and, therefore, We expect the courage of
Biscaccianti must have grown and fed on the
same native air which animated the heroes OF
Buena Vista and Cerro Gordo for certainly it
is no ordinary courage that would make her,
after what has been said against her by the mu-
steal critics of New York, ask a rehearing-to
say nothing of moustaches, natural and dyed in
the wool.
With these views of the matter, we should not
be at all surprised to one of the most fashion
able crowds ut the opera tonight, that ever
graced the Astor Place theat In Boston the
tickets for Biscacciantis benefit were usually
sold at auction, at hi gh premium prices If such
a thing were attempted here to-day, we have no
doubt they would be sold at double the regular
price. he importance of the question to be de-
termine s almost equal to that of peace with