The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-11-30
MUSICAL PRosPEcTs-AN ITALIAN OPERA
rnnsf havs an nrara-n0 has ard anera With halt

w
ing verse. and maDgled music, but the real thing
"Don Giovanni" in all it's moving tenderness;
in oil it's brilliancy; 'Norna,"
with genuine psiestess; "Lucia," with veritable
Edgar; Roberto" with terrible Bsr:ram; q re-
spectable s'Figaro,'' and q sparkling "R,siua."
Managers may think themselves fortunate If We let
them off visAsut the "Huguenots," or the "Pfo
pbete;" and yrima donnas must put the best facs
they can upon the mstter. There is an old siage
about the folly of resisting the popular will We
recommend it TO the attention Of Madame Sontag
and her friends.
We SEQ a number of respectable people raising
their hands to heaven, and inquirng how an Italian
opera can be got up for fifty cent spectators. We
really do not know. Managers understand these
matters better than editors. All thu. we can say
is, that the public want On OPERA and il they can
not have it for fifty cents they must give more for
it In America as else where, the laborer is worthy
of his hire and it s perhaps right that the master
pieces of "Mozar.'' and s'Rossini'' should be .
more expensive treat than drama at the Broadway,
or a rchash of the last French vaudeville This is
the case all over tho world. In London, stal at
the opera costs about rs much as small es
tate in Ireland; and though the people of Italy
have never suffered the prices at San Carlo or
La Scala to be raised above the mech anc's purse,
the comedy theatre prices have ragged even low
or Neither the aristocratic exclusveness of the
one, the musical furore Of the other, to be
found in New York ; but here, rs in England, the
taste which can appreciate the highest flights of
operate music, and the means of paying sufficient
price to remunerate the first artstes generally
found combined in the same person. Wealth, what.
ever some of friends mny say to the contrary, is
pretty fairly distributed among US. The golden
shower from California and many yeara of prosper
GUS trade, have placed the citizens of New York in
position to deny themselves of those luxuries
which enjoyed by the inhabitants of European
capitals. Our merchants afford to spend, and
do in fact spend, much, if not more, than the
higher classes in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, or London.
The bills of our fashion able ladies at Stewards are,
in all probability fully equal to those Of the leaders
of tom who astonish pedestrians in Ksnsington Gar
dens and LoDgchamps Private residences in New
York no. whit inferior, either in point of com
fort or elegance, to those in Paris or London, /.
there be any difference, the excess Of luxury pro
badly on our side
We can see no reason why people who are SO ready
to spend money their other pleasures, should
wish to economist at the opera. We have always
comedy and drama, because we believe it to be
more oonsonant with the framework Of our society
and our republican habits than any other But as
it is obvious that there is only Sontag and one
Albopi in the world, while dozens Of pretty spark
ling actresses be had for the asking, it is per
fectly natural that the former should decline to
throw their treasures at the feet Of the public on
the same terms as the latter. Let us then agree to
pay what these diyinities require. No ono will
grudge dollar to hear g Norma" or the "Pari-
t8ni''
There never was time, probably, when We
had the r,2tfrid Of good operate troupe so close
at hand. We may roam the world over for q
soprano Of such exquisite sweetness and so ri,hy
cultivated as Madame Sontag's. We need not
recall the scenes of phrenzed applause which used
to await her appearance at the Paris, Berlin, or
London opera nor need We remind those who
heard her Roae's Variations, last month, that her
voice has lost nothing of its former charm. What
ought We to sly Of Alboni2 The Ah non creIsa
is yet ringing in our ears and often as that sweet
air has figured in the programmes, its fame is not
exhausted but t. at it would still draw a crowd to
Metropolitan Hall. These two stars cannot, We are
told, be set in the same armament. An infinite
variety Of excellent reas ?ns-smilar, probably, to
those Of the Irish lady who borrowed the teakette-
will deprive Of the delight Of hearing Sontag and
Alboni on the same stage. To the volley of con-
elusive arguments launched at our head on the
subject, we, outsiders, only say, with deep
regret, amen. But if we cannot kave both, we
would still be happy with either
We are sure we are expressing the sentiments Of
nine.tenths of our readers, whom we say that the
news of Salvi's appearance in opera would be
hailed with delight. Mario or a Duprez are rare
windfals. We shall have the former some day
meanw lille, the ladies of New York have not for
gotten Salvis sweet tones, the grace Of his nc.
ing. Nor has any one so short a memory as to be
unable to recall the rich manly sounds of Badia's
baritone The last time we heard him, his Largoai
Factotum was vosiferousy applauded We pass over
a host of highly respectable performers, who could
fill the second roles with credit to themselves, and
pleasure to the audience With their aid, Sontag
or Alboni, SaIvi, ard Badiali, might get up
tropge unsurpassed in any Of the European CAPT
tails. We ought, perhaps, to add word, in closing,
TO those who deny that the musical taste Of New
Workers is sufficiently elevated to support an opera.
No opinion at the present day. is too absurd to find
adherents, and many q man trusts to the strange.
and utter absurdity Of his views for share Of
notice which he could not otherwise expect to gain.
IT the OVERLOOKING houses which filed metropolitan
Hall, at Madame Albonis and Madame Sontag's
concerts the splendid receipts at Niblo's, and the
excellent attendance a. The innumerable private
certs and musical sources which are given nightly,
do not evipce as fair proportion of musical taste
a. any other city of the size of New York can boast
Of, we are at a loss TO imagine what constitutes
test Of musical taste. Add to this the fact, that
upwards Of S35 600 are spent every week in Nov
York ut places Of amusement, and you will proba-
bly, admit that the man who denies that good
opera troupe could secure q rcmunerating share Of
this sum, must belong to that interesting class OF
individuals whose only claim to noticc Is the Sc
riousners with which they defend the most nonsense
cal ps1adoxes.
AMERICAN AUTHORS IN ENGLAND John G.
Whittier has Just published in London new poem,
entitled " The Chapel Of the Hermits." DR.. Girls
wold's Poets and Poetry Of America" illustrated
with numernna enprayinrs. is adYertisad In the