The New York herald., 1851-12-25

CLOSE CT THE OPERA SEAsoN.-The Italian Opera
season has just closed, after very brief but bril-
liant campaign. 1t has been well attended all
through-the house filed every night with fashion
able audience-the greatest enthusiasm evinced at
the display OF artistic talent by the operate corps
an evident appreciation Of the high merits of the
artists-and daily advancing taste and discrimi
nation IN musical matters. Never was an Opera
successful in every respect except in the
one thing needfal-a profitable return to the mana
ger for the invesmen. Of his capital and the labor,
turmoil, and anxiety consequent upon his relation
to the public, or one hand, and to his purse, and
quarresome, Disconnected grasping set of artists, on
the other.
Max Maretzek is the frs. imprcssario In this
country who has succeeded in producing represen.
sation ofItaian Opera for season, worthy of pub
lie patronage and Of the Empire City of the United
States. Before him, Sanquirco, and then Fry tried
their hand, and miseraby failed. They did not
deserve success. Msretzek not only deserved suc-
cese, bI. actually succeeded to the very highest
extent ofhis Wishes or Of the requirements of the
public taste; but he has not succeeded in putting
any money in his purse. On the contrary, he has
been rather oat Of pocket, as the reward of all his
meritorisus exertions. The result is that be must
abandon the enterprise, unless the conditions under
which he has been compelled to make engage
ments with artists shall completely change. The
winter season is not half over; and what are the
Opera going public 70 dol
Our readers may be anxious To know the cause of
the curious phenomenon Of q failure, in q financial
point Of view, under circumstances Of the most
splendid external success. The prime cause Of the
evil, as we have shown in former articles, is tho
want Of capacity in the Opera House to admit suf-
fcient numbers to make it pay at moderate prices.
The New York salt-fsh aristocracy never did, and
neye, viii, support any public smusements, to any
liberal extent They will not pay the prices for
an exclusive Opera, and they are not sufficiently
numerous TO remunerate manager at the prices
they are disposed TO give. The only alternative,
therefore, left, is the establishment of an Opera
House on grand scale, thrown open, by q reduc-
tion in the prices, TO the whole people. The pre-
sent Opera House canno. be made productive, with
TIE prices paid by the subscribers and the fashona
bic circles who freqren. It. And this leads US TO the
second cause Of As-etseks failure in money point
Of view
Haretseh might slcceed to certain extent, as q
manager, the artists dia not exact from him such
exorbitant terms for their services For instance,
he has paid Trufh and Benedict about three or
four times as much ss they could command in Italy;
and he pays others also, than any other opera
manager could afford to give them, or what they
could get in Europe. If, therefore, they will not
abs,e in their prices be mus. leave others TO specu
late in the management till larger house is built
q house capable Of accommodating feur or Eve
thousand persons
Tha. The artists viii not come down 10 their terms
is very probable. Grd j: is also likely that they will
&c. VI fcr thense and organize a management
=" On their o~n boOk." IL they do, 1t needs no
ghost &c tell .hG. lhere never was such failure
Having tfiea their hands awhile and lost money
they viii then probably be glad to come to more
reasonable terms With Maretzek, or any other com
pe.ont manager vho may require their services.
Meanwhile, no time ough. 10 be lost in raising
such sn opera hesSo FOR the people as we have in.
dicsted u 10 the only Of saving the Italian
opera from becoming extinct in New York, or de-
oining so sv thai only third or fourth rate artists
can DO engaged; and play St Broadway theatre
or NitloG wCald he far more valued than the
representation Ct Norma" OF "Robert the
Devil" OF tho AstoT Place Opera House. This
would be SAD fo.-ogrsde FOR one of the most de-
lightfrl cf the fine arts in New York, while every
other art 10 going ahead Isvi passp with the ia
crease Of our population, the I-ogress Of our com
Derce, ard tie Increasing enlightened spirit ofthe
age