The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-10-01
Troubles Of the italian Op- IN London
LErom the London Times. Sept


Troubles Of the italian Opera IN London.
From the London Times Sept
The case Of Mr. Desf-d, under al udics alton In
usBankruptcy Court lets into the secrets of Opera
management IL II seldom that men not about
town. have enjoyed tair opportunity Of oungng
BEHIND the scenes and becoming acquainted with the
We are accustomed to consider such ustrous person
beings Of another sphere suhjectad tho
ordinary conditions and struggles OF humanity Nor
ma with her oak wreath, and Mr. Commissioner Fame
In his horse hair wig; Lucille Grain with her b)u
oues and enf,sehafs snd MIR Lawrence with his frau
dulept preference's and undue expenditure" sound
strangely in conjunction Such however H. the state
OF the musical world Just now that he who would fol-
low the operstic corps must engage stail at Baiug
hastrce We copfess that we do not hear of such an
exhibition without regret for the sake 81 of the
parties concerned II We have but slender sympat ny
with the principal claimants Who present th-mse yes
a. creditors before the Court. the other hand the
condition Of the poorer members Of the late Coven
garden company II very pitisble indeed The chorus
singers the dancing battalion whose van cheeks aud
care ~orD expression OF couDtenapce have fire..
qusnty watched With pain whilst they giving
preston TO the mechanical 10y and unfet rapture Of
their nightly tasks the persons most entitled to
Hnpatby and. II it might he to assistance Under
meath the tawdry and pse Of these poor peopls
their histories rightly known there would doubt be
many found noble struggle for the sake Of others and
much Of honest and str forward industry that
should in fairness entite them to
than we naturally feel for . successful rouiade,
supernatural pirouette.
few words will suffice, He comes before the and
the pubic without any prestige In his favor We look
and speculation "Delaaed kruptcyn IT, in point
Of fact dry matter of business The speculation Of
second Opera House in London was doubt, in idea
perfectly legitimate ono The taste for had become
widely difused among 1t the pubicit fair enough
prrori to suppose that London In the would
furnish opera enough to fill the Covent Garden
we'll az the Hsymsrket house II clear enough that
the population had increased clear enough that the
railroads conveyed the provnces batch by batch to
LONDON; Gle ar enough that from another
the public would not attend at dramatic
ard as clear az the su. at MONDAY that the enormous
hoatipg population OF London must In some way be
amused There besides in Covent Garden stood great
useless theatre empty barn before harv time
From all these data wiser man than Mr. Desdsld
might with perfect propety have inferred the probs
Bile success Of second italian operate entertainment
There were besides two other favorable conditions The
management Of the other great establishment ssvored
too much Of the easy indifference of undsputed
nopcy. Finally, the secessiop from the Of
orchestral conductor probably without rival in
Europe appeared to give another and very temptin
chance Of success We again that under all these
usurer would have thought the Covent Garden enter
prise worthy Of attentive consideration The spscua
ton has failed but 1t is doubtful in other hands than
look at results
The to the Opera House in ls4s amount
ed to Ell 1858 in ls49 to fl3lg5 The whole receipts
were. in ls4S f2os07; in ls4e, fl4T9l. There we're
other receipts from the closk-room take figures
from our yesterday made the aggregate
sum received In lS48 f44Q08; in l84s. f29 4U7 The
whole expenditure was in 1848 f7S765; in l849 Goa
s69 thus showing loss in the former year Of f34 1856
and in the latter Of f2s455 In order to clear the
question Of irrelevant items will leave out of the
question the balance Of the debts Of Mr. f. Bsale
the former lesses for the payment Of which he held
MI Delsteld . indemnify nor will we make
ton Of tbis g.ntlemap's private expenses madiy
traysgsnt they appear to have been Let the
Garden Opera, under Mr. Delaheld's management
became involved to extent of 100000 The
receipts we're upwards of f7s,eoo, aud yet at
the end Of the two years the concern was
barrsssed TO the extent We have stated Under this
state Of fsct 1t would be much to cay that the bsuk
rupt condition OF the rable to any dsd
cheney Of patronage Setting aside the and pro-
digsi expenditure that Of necessity
In other respects under ssch management that of
Mr. Delsheld the immense salaries paid to tho chief
performers appear to be the main Of embAr
rassnent in which the covsnt Garden enterprise 10
claims upon the estate, scarcely feel justidsd In in
feriiDg that the persons whose extsvsgsnt uds
havs been the main cause of the ruin have re-
manned Themselves amongst the principal sufferers.
We ind then In the balance sseet. the following
Ssuc.,s 81 aurns ~ tvo .no SINGERS ane
All the pay ments appear sxtravsgsnt eyes
aecptomsd as We are merely to consder the scale
which admirals judges and generals remunersted,
after the sxertionr Of long lsborou- that We
can scarcely exercise any principle Of selection Here
however, 10 the lst IS We lind 1t In our bankruptcy
report
Artistes' salaries, 1913 aud ls49 ;--Mdlls Alboni,
ls4s "a 900; Mdlie Apgri 1s4e lf2 500: Madame Cas-
teilsn Is4S. IL sZS; hdie Jofbari lS4s E432; lSs0
$3.50; Dorus Gras, 1870 Gi6OU Catherine Hayes
ls49 Al $50 DE Merle, lS49, $500 Urisi in Isls
SAG $500 Ronconi in 1915 4so in 1919 $50 stsraoli
1S4s ittO; Nisrdot In lsls "a 900 a. lssg for two
moDtfs il2l3; Sienor Csrrad had In lS4s ESQ; Ma.
rae IN the zane year. l2z35 and In 1919, G272O.
Roger. In lssS G2ll0. BAuconi. In 1siS. CLEO Ia
1S4g Il l2O sal'i in ls4s. fi.52o In ls<9. fl $50
TsnbuIins. in ls4s IL ZOO; In lSs9 the same sum.
he Whole amount expended Ia the vocal department
In ls4s ia3.3ss; In 1ss9 GZ5 ga lin the balet
accounts the two Bretin received in ls4s fg0T Lucille
Grain, in ls4S. Al 40 In 1Sss, flOO0 The two q.
tsti In 1915 and ls49, more than f1CO0 Marmet, in
lsss ItS0 srvsni in the same year, $3.50 The
whole expenditure in the ballet department amounted
In lS4s 10 ib1Ob In 1tlg To AZ bg6 The orchestra
ocIaIim.pi shows nm expenditure u El00IS In Isls
and 81 1893 In Isis.'
Now, 10 tbould BE- remembered that the above sums
ms.iy fspIe,eDt the gains II these singing and dan
cling s.Diry for portion Of the year There IL, at
lssst there was, the Psrissn well as the London
s.Hsan Then n far tbe singers concerned
there H. the harvest In the provinces, veil
suns they receive fer attendance ct private parties
tb. metropolis sking all these items In to cunt
there 10 not much rasbDets In sUpposing that
c,ssiui 'p.fs sng.r ballet dancer H. far better Oh
than Secretary If State n Fuisne Judge rhe
Chancellor The Archblsheps and few Of Right
I.veeid Bench, aud tho Chief OF the Three Courts
sre probably nearly as we'll paid n prirua
trstists tenor A. for the army navy Theses pro-
fessons are " comparison With sn opera
b. and Starvation u A. ssid that t L. fntsn-
tub - The italian Fingers Who have s.cedsd the
Hay market tu continue the Covebt Garden
y.ar on their oSn secuuut, aud certainty that
woulo BE- . nor. ~btesomc system Let them earn
What they can by rendering their exhibitions excel
lent possible psy the ssaries OF the sub rdiuAts
,nploye and disioe prOnt- We shall be much mi-ta-
hen II their dvidsnss reach the their gains
under Mr.. Delaheld's management.