The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-12

'NAMA pI RcAARn At NnIo's.-This opera WAS assin
announced for last evening. Why Mde. Sontag should
prefer unntsresting piece to "Lucia, or 'Iinda
which would sn draw full houses or to "IA Prophete"
or .Roberto,n or "Otello," or "Lucrezia," or ia
Juve or any other opera possessing either the charm
Of novelty or intrinsic merit at loss to imagine.
Musical critics may say very learned and very udcous
things about the superior decentralization, the
balance OF sound the pulsate and the grave texture
of the music Of maria di Rohan-the public don't un-
derstand these hard words They g to hear pleasing
music witness . spirited performance. neither Is
afforded them 1t is poor consolation to be told In the
papers day. that Roncon achieved distinction in the
piece that Berloz thought well Of the coda OF the
overture In music, in every thing else we hold that
the popui is right in the MAN, and have hesta
tion in appealing TO nine enths Of the audience to
firm judgment Of Maria di Rohan.o We shall not
inquire what share in the favorable opinions which
raj of contemporaries have expressed must be ascrbed
to policy and their kindly feeling towards the manager
and what to conscientious aste perfectly content
to differ from them, so long the Of opera goers
coincide with US.
Having sad this much beg to draw the attention Of
those who curious in such matters to as amusing
blunder as we have noticed for time in a musical
any other sort of notice. It stated in Thursdays
HERAID-for we beg to say that were the cuprt-
that opera contrasts painfully Ethan Maria d
Roban ] with II Barbiere Tancredi' and he other
masterpieces Of his Donizetis] youthful genius" In
9th er words ascribed " II Barbiere and Tancred
whch-as everybody knows, are among Rossins best
works-to Donizett, who did not write bar Of either
So gross bunder not likely to pass unnoticed The
Courier and Enquirer very properly remarks -.
We think that correction Of criticism, in which " II
Barbere'' and Tancredi set down rs the master
pieces Of Donizetis youthful genius, is labor quite
thrown away What influence can such combinations Of
ignorance and imbecilty have, save with those whose
knowledge whose capacity even inferior in degree to
whom the gods have not made musical will fully appre
cate the value of such crit csm when they know that it
is as in notice Of performance OF The School for
trasted painfully with Hamlet and the Tempest"
and other masterpieces Of sherdans youthful genius
And go say We Perhaps. Mrs. Cocklebottom's naif
inquiry in the play whether Sheridan Knowles hadn't
written Shakespeare, Mr.. Puddyfats confidential re-
mark to his friend that Bulwers "song of the Shirt"
was not to be compared to Dickens Black eyed Susan
is nearer the mark parallel. How to follow
such ustrous examples, are utterly nonplussed to
imagine. We do honestly believe that ''Una veca,"
'Iargo al factotum" and "Di tamil papii have been
familiar to for many year, and that had we been
suddenly reused from beds with inquiry to their
author Rossins would have risen to
lips. But have right to ask people to believe it,
to ascrbe stupid mistake to temporary confusion
of IDEAS What have written I'VE have written let it
pass.
1t is related of Dr. Johnson by of his contemporary
biographers, that at the time he living with Cave
near Temple BAR and eking out poor subsistence by
writing for the ephemera magazines Of the day. he
inadvertently attributed Jonsons ESry man in his
Humor to Beaumont and Fletcher The fatal paragraph
appeared and the wits of Grub street in high glee
at the blunder In agony the publisher rushed to John
son. and mpored him to suffer the blame to be laid
the printer. Sir" said the sententious DOCTOR in his
most imperious tones, ''you fool. Error, like
everything else has Its in the economy of the world
Had not committed the mistake to which you REFER the
crew Of noisy babbers who making merry at your
expense and mine would have been occupied in raducg
some honest mans character Be thankful sir that you
have been afforded opportunity Of divertng their at
tention and thus neutralizng their prope
stiles, which might be fatal to Others but neither
injure nor annoy man of well regulated mnd.'