The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-10-05

MUSICAL CRISIS IN THE METR0PoIIs.-New
York never can get on without crisis Some
times it is POLITICAL sometimes it is literary, some
times it is theatrical but there always must be q
crisis Of some kind or other. New York lives on
excitements, and cannot do without them. Just
now the crisis is operate. Just now there is an
operatic war carried on between the indomitable
Maretzek, he imperturbable Phalen, the diplo-
matte Chevalier Wikoff with all the young ladies
and old ladies in the Fifth avenue and elsewhere
all the fashionable young men-all the 6Iass
old beaux-all the aristocratic humbugs, old and
young, animated spectators Of the fight. The
furoy awakened by Maretzek's coup detH at the
Academy has proved almost a counter excite
ment to the tremendous political contest now go
ing on, and it may affect the result Of the Presi-
Dental election, though in what way we do not
see just at present We shall give that branch Of
the delicate subject our most profound considera-
ton hereafter.
The tremendous struggles to establish the
italian Opera in New York during the past eight
years form aninteresng epoch in the history of the
city. 1t would seem that it is as difficult to in
troduce the Opera in New York as it is to force
negro slavery upon Kansas We have no border
rufIians to be sure, but there have been refrac-
tory tenOrs, rebellious prime donne and share
holders, who, in the opinion of the director,
wanted altogether too much for their investment.
A fearfully large amount of money has also been
lost. By reference to the entertaining volume
published by Max Maretzek last year, we find
that he has sunk, at various times, about fifty
thousand dollars and that the entire losses Of the
Opera here for the past seven years have amount
ed to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The
number of estimable people not engaged in artis-
tic pursuits, but who turn their attention to the
exact sciences, such as getting up boots, hats,
clothes, 5Jomerie and King Charles spaniels for
the artists, who have suffered by the spasmodic
opening and shuttingyof the opera houses must
be very large. For it follows, as a natural con-
sequence, that IL the artists have nothing to do
they will have no money, and if they
have no money they cannot pay. Now
your artist of the Opera is q superior
being. He must be dressed much better than
Solomon in all his glory: he must have his dinner
Of four courses with his Chateau Margaux or
Clos Vougeot, and his petit p1re. That dispense
ton of Divine Providence which shuts up the
Opera is distressing to him In mental point of
view-it severely wounds his tender SUSCEPTIBLE
ties, and IL makes him despair for art and his
salary; but the pecuniary misfortune falls upon
bis bother, his cosumier his resaurater or his hair
dresser who arranges his raven curls, and then
stands in the corner of the parquette to applaud
his chef d'Gacre. Those ladies and gentlemen
must have suffered to the extent Of fifty thousand
dollars at least, while the unpaid salaries Of ar
fists, chorus singers musicians, and so forth, can
not fall short Of another hundred thousand. The
wealthy gentlemen also, who are continually Of
fering up their portemonnaies on the shrine Of
Saint Cecilia, out Of pure love Of high art, are
also entitled to our sympathy. For it does not
follow that because one has got great deal Of
money one should throw IL away. That doctrine
may find advocates in Icaria or the Faubourg
Saint Antoine, but It is not received
in Wall street or the Fifth avenue. The patri-
otto gentlemen who pay one thousand dollars per
share for stock, which depreciates in three years
ninety per cent, certainly suffer. For example !
Mr.. Phalen says that twenty-four thousand dol
lars per annum barely pays the insurance, into
rest, taxes, &C., DC, on the Academy. Conse-
quently, as the house has been unoccupied for ct
least half the time that has elapsed, the owners
must have lost forty thousand dollars So the bill
would stand thus -
Inn crr os Nsw Yonx 70 nn irAuiAs orraA, IA.
164o To managerial losses $3.50 900