The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-11-26

not find well educated, reputable and trust
worthy men to take the Officer Ii they move
at oil in the matter, they must do SO quickly.
FAsmoNABIE AMusEMENTs--A LITTLE PATTI
LEAyENs THE WHOLE OPERArlc LUMr.-The
man3e.rs of the Academy of Music have NOT
heen heretofore such expert marksmen as the
Tyrolese patriot, who according to accounts
which ore more or less reliable, saved his coun-
try by shooting an apple from his sons head
| at the first trial. The impresarii of Irving
place have been more like some Of our target
companies who never hit the white even by
accident The prime donne they have imported
from Europe this year-and, with the solitary
| exception Of Piccolomini, for the last three or
four years-bave either failed altogether on
! their first appearance, or have taken their
| places in the ranks of the fair to middling
fair" artists, singers whom we could hear with
| ont any danger ot being shocked, or electrified,
| or thrilled, or excited in any awful degree.
! They never hit the white in the public target.
Some could not sing at MI, some sang too much,
-oms were too ugly, many too old, all had
some disability at which the dainty public
could turn up It's delicate nose. And
it did turn up its nose, and, by con-
sequence, the Opera was going to the
dogs. Everything was tried. The company
was strengthened. New operas we're produced.
The managers put forth the most plaintive APP
peaIs; but the public hardened its heart, and
travelled in the error of its ways to the Dray-
IONS, the ordinary theatres and the negro min
streis.
There was ON awful state Of things. Art was
below par. The Opera was languishing. The
literally disposed stockholders were looking in
vain after the immense sums Of money which
they had advanced. NaNa bona was endorsed
on the opera programmes; ne ereat was written
over the scores of the new operas UlIman
lost that genial and sunny smile, that calm sun
shine Of the soul for which, he is so eminen.ly
distinguished, and the amiable Strakosch was
enveloped in q pale green melancholy, orna-
mehted round the edges with sky blue. The
artists irembled for their salaries, and the Sun
day papers became ravenous for their little
accounts. In point Of fact, Irving place was
in a bad way, and there seemed to be no means
Of getting out of it, except by falling back
upon the provinces, and making Boston and
Philadelphia pay the expenses of the metro
Poli'an campaign. Tha. was dangerous, and
therefore last resort The operate audiences
in all the principal cities, no matter what the
provincial press may say to the contrary, are
always en- rapport with each other; and what
will not answer for Madison avenue will not do
for Beacon or Broad street
The Opera managers were in as perplexing
predcament as that of two colored brethren
who found themselves drifting out to sea in an
open boat, in high wind and heavy SEQ,
which threatened to swamp the chattels.
''Sam,' said one to the other, 'can You
pray?' Il don't know" was the reply,
"but III try" "Well, you'd BETTER"
rejoined the other, for something's
got to be done mighty quick" So with the
Opera: something had to be done, and, as
last resort Strakosch produced his sister in
law, known as "Little Patti" to distinguish her
from the other PATHS, whose name is legion.
Strakosch had been considerably snubbed for
his memorable Italian campaign, and now there
we're serious doubts as to whether anything
good could come out of Nazareth or Ninth
avenue Sn there was very little said about
Patti SSbe was sent afoat on an off night,
and, with small biscuit or two tossed into her
boat by kindly amateurs who remembered her
child triumphs, launched boldly out into a
sea which contains many worse rocks than
Scylla or Chary bdis How she succeeded, how
she hit the white and rang the bell many
times in succession, how she astonished every
body, how she stirred up the most blasd
men about town, is already the talk of the city.
| Malibran, who came here at the age
| Of eighteen, all unknown, and sang
herself at once into the Temple of Fame =
in fact, occupied that mythical edifce al
together for while. Miss Patti, considering
| all the circumstances, has made q more pro-
found impression than Jenny Lind or Piccolo.
mini at their first appearances here, and the
most brilliant career is open to the new Ameri
can prima donna. Strakosch, as he had all the
obloquy Of the failures Of the season, deserves
| great credit for this full and genuine success
of his protegf. Of course there is q great deal
Of surprise at the discovery of this little girl
who can sing 80 much better than the best
artists that we have been able to get from
Europe; and there are people who say that il
is managerial dodge Of Christopher Columbus
Strakosch and Napoleon Bonaparte Ullman to
bring out some cheap and poor singers from
Europe, in order to give little Patti better
chance, and show our people-what they ought
to know by this time that VIC have no real oc-
casion to 60 abroad for our singing birds
But whatever may have been the motive
whether the managers intended to do clever
thing, or whether they seized upon it in des-
peration-the result is the same. 1t is very
gratifying, a very novel and very curious re.
| sult Everybody has been irving to save the one.