The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-05

MUSICAL TASTE IN AlERIoA.-The career Of
Julien since he came to this country presents
another illustration Of the error committed by
musical and theatrical stars of the other hemi-
sphere, in supposing that European reputa-
ton will ensure certain success at this side of
the Atlantic. The period has gone by when
the American public accepted implicitly the
standard of artistical judgment established by
European critics. We are sufficiently advanced
in these matters to form Independent opinions
of our own, and we have been so frequently
duped and carried away by the preliminary
puffs and excitements resorted to by theatrical
Spectators to herald the advent Of each sue
ceeding novelty, that we may well be excused
for carrying our caution to the verge Of incre-
dulity. We admit that this scepticism is occa-
sionally productive of serious injury to talent
ed and meritorious artists; but its general ef-
feet may be looked upon as salutary, and con-
ducive to the formation of q correct and indie
pendent taste, and beneficial, in the end, to the
interests of the class more Immediately affected
by it. Although artists of unquestionable
merit, such as Madame Alboni, Catherine
Hayes, Madame Sontag, and M. Julien, may
have experienced disappointment in the exag-
gerated hopes founded on the antecedent success
es ofJenny Lind and other European celebrities,
who owed their triumphs as much to Fictitious
causes as to their own great talents, the lesson
will be useful one to those who succeed them
The tricks and manGuvres of showmen and
Spectators will, for the future, be estimated
at their proper value, and we shall find artists
trusting more to the consciousness of their own
talents, and the good taste and judgment of the
American public, than to the services of venal
agents and hungry penny-a-liners
NJ. Julien has, we fear, been q considerable
sufferer from the reaction caused by the circum-
stances to which we allude His visit to this
country has not, we have reason to believe,
been attended with the results upon which he
had calculated, and upon which, considering
the great attraction and novelty of his enter
tainments, he had right to count. Amongst
people whose passion for music is fast out
stripping the taste for every other species of
amusement, he might have fairly presumed
upon such an amount of success as would have
compensated him for the abandonment of his
London engagements. We are afraid that
when he comes to sum up the products of his
American tour, he will find that as regards
present pecuniary advantages, he had much
better have remained at home.
The truth is that the merit of his entertain
ments was not at first appreciated as it deserved.
He came prepared to take the American public
by storm, like most Of the other musical lions
that had preceded him; but he came heralded
by SO much puff, and smoke, and noise, that it
was some time before people would believe in
him. His peculiarities of manner, and of cos
tune, helped to swell the prejudice against him,
and it was not until he struck upon national
chord. by the introduction of his American
quadrilles, that he got fairly afoat The hum
bug and charlatanism which had contributed to
his success both in London and Paris, were, in
fact, near being the death of him here
We refer to these circumstances, not for the
purpose of giving undue prominence to the
merits or dement's of particular artist, but in
order to mark what we consider a healthy in
dication in the public taste. 1t shows that we
are no longer to be led blindly by the iudg-
ment and criticisms of others, and that we are
resolved to form opinions of our own on artist
cal as well as on all other matters. This is
the first step to the creation of schools of art
which will develope native talent and render
us, in degree at least, independent of foreign
stars