The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-06


The ITALIAN OPERA IN AMERICA. The his
tory of the Italian opera in America is a record
Of attempts, Of failures of reverses, of bank
ruptcies, of heartburnings, Of embarrassments.
Of partial successes. perhaps, but not Of victo-
ries. The eagle may have coquetted with Ma
retzek, (who is the best and most successful o.
the directors,) but he has never finally settled
upon the head of the handsome impresario"
The assertion Of a celebrated Irish patriot that
success is the criterion Of merit" will not
hold good with regard to the Italian opera,
however veracious it may be in other respects
New York. the metropolis of the Western world,
refuses to support an opera as it deserves, while
the theatres are crowded while Julien gets
three thousand people to hear new polka, and
while negro singers ride in their own carriages.
The present company at Niblo's Garden is only
fairly supported, while if it received its de-
serts we should have every night q packed
house; and on extraordinary occasions like the
production Of new opera, there would be as
great rush for places as upon the advent Of
some newly discovered Swedish nightingale"
Why is this 1t is simply because the aristo-
cracy of New York is an aristocracy OF dress,
and no more. Miss Brown goes to the opera to
show her last suit Of sables; Mrs. Smythe has
induced her husband, (who commenced life as
John Smith !" but is now millionaire and
calls himself -. Augustus Smythe,') to send
to Paris for new set Of diamonds, such
loves" and she displays them in the dress cir
Gle of Niblo's to the intense disgust of all her
set who do not for several reasons, indulge
in such vanities The orchestra may be mag
nifcently balanced-the crisp recitative, the
brilliant aria, the melodious cavatina, may
be given with the melody of Chaucer's
lark, whose notes "fell liquid honey on
the listening ear" but while Mrs Smythe
has such delightful parure," their
combined excellence passes for nought, and is
unnoticed by the people who ought really to
pay the money for the support of the
opera--who falsely boast that they do pay it
Let us examine the condition of the opera in
other cities Philadelphia will pay for about
six operas year, so that the fashionables may
display their new clothes. In Boston, where
they make great pretensions to musical taste
they will pay for twelve operas, because it is
the fashion, and because they desire . series
OF reunions that they may out-dress their
neighbors. In New Orleans there is French
theatre where operas are given, but they are
relieved by vaudevilles and light dramas. The
season is always short In Havana operas
are given occasionally at the Tacon but there
the love of display is not sufficient to support
musical entertainments alone; the witcheries
of the ballet and the ennobling sport Of bull
fighting is introduced to relieve the "mono.
tony" Of Bellini Verdi, Rossini and Donizetti
The masses will not patronise the opera, be-
cause they have no taste for it. The parpenu
aristocrats, who cause the opera houses to be
built, tighten their purse strings and refuse to
support the opera after the novelty and the
excitement has passed away. They have no
taste for it-they pretend to great deal
With all these facts, drawn from the expert
ence Of the last ten years, is it not singular
hat we find capitalists investing their funds in
opera houses to ''seat comfortably any num-
Der Of persons, or at least much greater
lumber than can be found to pay for the seats
The opera house in Fourteenth street is nearly
completed. 1t is begging for lessee
The smbitious youth that fred he Ephesan doms
Oalives IN fame the pious fool that reared It.
And the rash individual who shall undertake
he management of this house, so commodious,
70 carefully planned, SO secure against fire,
md provided with stock scenery for the pro-
luction Of four standard operas,' will ''de-
serve well of his country" though he may not
be able to pay his debts. No, the affair is a
allure before it has been tried. This may seem
DC judged by any fixed rules. Who knows
,nything about the new opera house Who
ares any thing about it Where are all the
'entcrprising managers ?" Where is Maretzek?
Where is Hackett? Where is Marshall |
Where is Barnum? All we fear that the
Academy Of Music" will have hard work to
ind lessee. A similar spectacle is presented
n Boston and in Philadelphia. In Boston they
nave an incorporated body called the Boston
Theatre Company" with o capital of three
hundred thousand dollars. They have build
ng similar to that in Fourteenth street, and
As near to completion. 1t is first class opera
house and theatre-an cdifice constructed with
especial attention to the laws of acous-
tics and optics. To be sure, all the three
hundred stockholders are entitled to ad
mission on every performance; but that
Is only trihing drawback, because
las it is said) they are the "solid men of Bos-
ton," and distinguished for liberality. Well,
there is no lessee for this temple consecrated
to ST. Cecilia, Melpomone, and Thalia. Have
the shrines no worshippers? Are there no am
bilious brewers, like Delafeld, who will spend
a million or SO from pure love of music and de-
votion to the foot lights Or have the mana
gers learned wisdom from the experience Of
other people, and knowing that the aristocratic
patrons of the opera will be very likely to
retreat and leave them without money, without