The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-23

- - Few Campaign.
The spring season ct the Academy Of Music
was opened last evening with a very good per-
Torrance Of II Puritani.r This season will be
continued with the same vigor and perseverance
which have distinguished the previous opera
tions of Mr.. Ullman, the ''llttle Napoleon" as
he il termed. 1t seems highly probable that
Mr.. Ul,man is the man elected to direct the
Academy successfully. Many have been called
to the management of the Opera, but none but
he have been chosen. Ullman seems bound to
succeed whether or no. and this determination
is at least half the, battle in any enterprise
He has had tough times, but never faltered-
redoublipg his Efforts in prosperity, which he
bears as we'll as adversely. He leased the house
during one year as an experiment, and went
brayely through the crisis He triumphed over
the panic, revulsion and stagnation; kept all his
contracts with the public and the artists faith
fully, and now stands fairly to win the game he
has played 30 boldly and 30 we'll. More than
this he has succeeded in Philadelphia-th in
habtants of which interior town make it a rule
to sheer at everything that is successful in New
York. 1t is probable that Mr. Ullman will
shortly become the manager Of the Academy
there Likewise he has excited so great mu-
steal sensation in Baltimore that some of the
capitalists there are about organizing COM
pany to build a theatre and Opera house, after
tie fashion Of Niblo's pleasant establishment.
The Bostonians were anxious to get a taste of
our Opera company, but the expenses of travel to
that city and other charges are much greater than
those attendant upon operations in Philadelphia
and Baltimore, and the receipts are much less.
The musical professors name is legion
the camp followers of the theatres and hangers
on of the Boston newspapers, with Others who
have not Inc slightest claim upon the manager,
d. mand free tickets, and thus no one expects
to pay for his admission. There is in fact, in
Boston "noble army" of "dead heads" as nu-
merous aud as devastating as the locusts of
Egypt, 1t ia an old play house maxim that
''orders always grumble, and this is fully veri-
fed by the modern Athenians. After bullying
or coaxing free tickets from the manager they
are always more severe upon the artists than
the small minority that pay. We were
amused short time since, by paragraph in
one Of the Boston papers to the effect that at q
chamber performance Of an original opera
some of the friends of the composer had abso-
lutely paid for their tickets. If the statue Of
Doctor Franklin had walked from Court square
to Summer street, and stood upon its head in
front Of Mr.. Everett's door, the journals could
not have marvelled more than ut this circum-
stance. The number of free tickets in all the
theatres in Boston is three times greater than
in New York; and we are told that, including
the stockholders, nearly five hundred persons
are entitled to free admission to the Boston
Theatre on every evening; and so highly is
this privilege valued that when Rachel
played in Boston nearly all the journals
pronounced her humbug because her brother
would not give them as many free tickets as
Mr.. Ullman has concluded to leave the Athe-
mans to pipe to each other, and make New
York the base line Of his operations, with Phi
ladelphia and Baltimore as the outposts.
The chief novelties Of the present season will
be the production of Meyerbeer's "Huguenots,"
which has never been given here, and Fry's
'Leonora,' likewise new to this city. The an
houncement of this opera has already given
rise to much discussion in musical circles One
party declares that it is the finest opera ever
written, and another maintains that it is all
trash. II excites as much attention as me Kan
sas question or the rows in Washington.
Everybody will 20 to hear it at least once.
The excitement attendant upon the produc-
ton of the new operas, with running fire of
morning performances, cheap opera nights, and
go forth, will fill up the month Of March.
Early in April the famous Musard will arrive
with his grand orchestra, the most precise and
perfect ensemble we have ever heard, and then the
season will be wound up by two or three splendid
masquerade balls, after the fashionable balls Of
the Imperial Opera House OF Paris which every
body attends. 1t Is true that there is law
in this State against masquerades; but, as
Daniel Cornell said about an act of Parlia-
nent, you might drive coach and six through
IT, and eminent counsel" have found place
In this act to drive ii comfortably.
So altogether, we shall have gay time Of 1t
in April The city will be full Of strangers
The party and ball season will be quite finished
The grand entertainments Of the secretaries
and senators and representatives and the d.
plomatic corps at Washington will be over
The Kansas question will be settled; the investi-
eating committees will have closed up their
withdrawing business; the knock down. drag
out programme and the duelling calendar will
all be cleared off Washington will return to its
normal condition of intense dullness- So we
shall have all the diplomats and their families
suites and ottachts-to say nothing of live
Pasha, with no end Of tails and wives-all here
to attend the Academy balls. All the Washing
ton fashonables will come in their train, and
thus the balls masquNs will become the most bril-
liant entertainments ever seen here. They will
be splendidly gotten up, in the Paris style, and