The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-13

The MYSTERY or TIE APPROACHING OPERA
SEAS ". There is good deal Of curiosity in
metrop. Titan circles about the new operate
campaign, which will be commenced at the
Academy next Monday evening with "La Ira
viata," in which the new prima donna-for
whom rare gifts arc claimed-will make her
debut She stands in the position of sample
OF the new article which Mr. Strakosch has i'm
ported fresh from the nurseries of fair Italia.
AS our readers have been informed by the
remarkable bulletin of Sgnor Ullman. nearly
all the new artists who will appear next week
have no regulations in tho great Europeaa
capitals, from which the American managers
have usually selected their singers. All the
details that we have about the latest importa-
tons is what we get from the managers who
are indebted for a good deal of their informa-
ton to the artists themselves. OF course there
are people in this world who will not believe
anything which they do not see or hear for them
selves, and there are others who are so unkinA
as to say that managers and artists always have
very good opinion of themselves, which may
or may not be endorsed by the public. 1t is not
too much to assume, when we say that the con-
frmed unbelievers and the doubters form very
large proportion of Opera goers. We presume
the three hungry Frenchmen are among the
| doubters just now. Then there is the curious
| public, which always runs after the latest no
| velty, whether it is prize fighter or prima
| donna, and the sympathetic public, who viii
| like the idea Of the artist who strikes out
for an American reputation before she has run
the gauntlet of London and Paris criticism and
received the worldwide notoriety which that
| ordeal gives. The managers, too, have made
bold venture, which will attract good share
of public attention. They have taken their
| eyes away from Covent Garden, resisted the
temptations of the Sale Ventadour, passed over
| st. Petersburg, Madrid, Berlin Vienna Milan
and Naples, and caught their birds in the hum
| BILE theatres of Brescia, Livorno and other
Italian villages-for they can hardly be called
anything more than that. The idea is quite new.
In only two instances that we can remember have
permanent artists commenced their career in
| the United States Those were Malibran and
Bosio, both splendid singers, who won
| their maiden laurels in America and sub
sequently achieved triumphs apon triumphs
| in the Old World. When Bosio came
| to New York she was as obscure as Spe-
rama is at this moment, and a good
many people never found out how good the
| former was until she had Paris and London at
her feet. Malbran was a musical wonder,
never fully appreciated anywhere. Like Bosio,
she died in the morning of splendid career
Putting all these things together, with the
reputation which Ullman enjoys as a clever
it is quite natural that the public should be on
the tiptoe of excitement, waiting for the event
full night when the operate mystery is to be
solved. After its own fashion, this coup of the
managers will be as attractive at first as if they
had brought out great star, and perhaps it
may prove more profitable in the end In any
event, the opening of the season will be ex-
ceedingly interesting All ranks and condi-
tons Of men and women will turn out in full
force for next Mondays Opera. In addition to
the regular habitues of the Opera there will be
the curious public, come to have look at the
| last new thing. We have no doubt that the
three hungry Frenchmen will be there, hum
| grier than ever. Likewise the heroes of Solfe-
rino and the Mincio, with full brigades of guer-
rillas and Bohemians, attaches of the weekly
and Sunday press. Then there are great
many artists and scribblers unattached with
a retinue of camp followers, hangers-on,
c1aquers and small fry di1atanti, who live in
mysterious way, and get admission to the Opera
mysteriously; and, Of course, as this last mys-
terry is in their line of business, they will not
fail to be on hand for the opening of Strakosch's
new oracles. These, with smart sprinkling Of
provincials, will make up an audience quite rs
| interesting as the performance, and, for all we
know to the contrary, more so. II will be
great Opera night.
| In the meantime, while waiting for this SEN
sation, the operate public may enjoy the pros
pect Of having an opportunity to pronounce an
unbiased opinion upon the merits of the new
artists. As no one except the manager really
knows anything about them, it cannot be said
that public opinion has been manufactured in
advance. In fact, the managerial tactics have
been founded entirely upon the obscurity
rather than the celebrity of the singers. 1t is
a new idea, and every one is curious to see how
| it will work.
RELIGIOUS NEWSPAPERS are in this
city upwards of thirty religious newspapers,
all thriving more or less on their piety. If we
were to say that their returns average in the
gross 100000 year, we should, we believe,
be undertaking the amount. For this large