The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-07

season of gayety, fashion, folly and frivolity of
all sorts and among all classes may be con-
sidered as fairly set in. The watering places
have their special attractions for the summer;
but there, people without the charmed circle
called society have great deal of hard work
to do in the way Of killing time. The young
ladies take to novel reading and crochet work,
the young men to billiards and brandy and
water. But the winter season in the metropolis
has varied pleasures which, like patent medi-
cines, are within the reach Of all. For the
iounger by daylight there is the splendid piano.
rama of Broadway, from the Battery to Union
square, lined with the palaces of trade, and
crowded on these fine afternoons with motley
throng of promenaders- assemblage which
is always new, always varied, always interest
ing. Then there are the shops, with their
splendid stocks of goods selected from the best
manufactures of the world, the picture gal
ferries, the shows and sights Of all kinds, in
Guiding the militia and target companies-the
latter a thorough and most entertaining metro
,politan institution. These, with the morning
visits, the dejeuner q la fourcheHe, which we
have adopted, with other French fashions
occasional wedding in high life, for the ladies
the all important interviews with the naodiste
and the miliner, and the inevitable drive, fill
up the day. Then for the night. The ball and
party season is commencing, and there are no
less than eleven theatres-English, French
German and Italian-a variety which cannot
be found even in Paris, which is a sort of
artistic Garden of Eden. Of these the Opera is
the most fashionable, as matter of course. Its
hobitrks have become so entranced with sweet
sounds that they prefer nediocre opera to
good play, and when there is any special at
traction at the Academy the receipts are equal
to those of all the theatres put together. Our
Opera audience is becoming more and more
like those of the European theatres, and the
Academy is regarded as social centre, where
the elite Of the metropolis meet upon common
ground The audience is little fastidious,
and sometimes perhaps hypercrtical, but it is,
on the whole, just, and often generous with the
artists when they do not deserve indulgence.
The present Opera season had an untoward
beginning, and some Of the European engage
ments did not turn out prizes in the managerial
lottery But an Opera manager, as well as
another parsonage not to be named in polite
article, ought to have his due. And if it is
true that Mr.. Strakosch brought us two nomi-
nally prime ladies, who did not turn out to be
SO psime as had been expected, let it not be
forgotten that he succeeded in getting for us q
very fine baritone, and a tenor who has won a
success without having reached that inspired
point for which Napoleon Ullman prepared the
public.
This Opera season will end with the current
month, the Academy having been leased for
December. This month is to have several SEN
sations crowded into it. The principal operas
to be performed are the "Sicilian Vespers,' the
<'Magic Flute" and the "Huguenots." The
"Vespers'' and the "Magic Flute" have never
been sung here, and the ''Huguenots' was the
sensation Of last season The managerial bull
detins give some account of the "Vespers,"
which is to be brought out this evening. 1t
will be played only few times, in order
to give chance for the other operas. All
hands at the Academy have been working like
bees on the "Vespers'-the artists rehearsing
the music, Muzio conducting the orchestra and
generally experimenting the ensemble of his
department, the scene painters and costumers
getting up the strictly theatrical part of the
spectacle and the result of their combined
labors and most lavish expenditure of money
is to be submitted to the public's judgment
this evening.
The 'Sicilian Vespers" is the Ullman and
Strakosch Austerlitz or Waterloo, as it may
turn out They have, therefore, given their
best attention to its details, and the con-
noisseurs who have witnessed the rehearsals
Chere was one last night, in spite of the Sab
bath Committee) say there can be no two
different opinions about the merit of the per-
formance OF that, however, the great arbiter,
the public, will judge for itself. Everybody
who is not candidate for the Legislature will
be at the Academy tonight.