The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-04-23
TAe Opera MxeItsms.t On tAe Rise.


There are good many people hereabsuts,
especially among the better sex, whs have be-
come quite disguised with the ordinary topics OF
the day. They sincerely trust that the Bcaiois
Boy, now that he Is arrested, will stay 90; that
the very last Pickwickian duel has been fought
In Washington; that Mr.. Roger A. Pryor has
been cowed like whipped cur, and that the
Charleston Convention will have an exceed
iDgly nice time of it, With close quarters, plenty
Of mosquitoes, and the thermometer at ninety
degrees In the shade. Beyond this the very
large and respectable class of persons We refer
to have no especial interest in the matters
above named. They do not do anything but the
opera, and they do good deal of that. Just
now we have two Opera houses going, and OF
course there is double the amount of dis.
putation among the connoisseurs. A similar
rivalry has sprung up in London be-
tween Covent Garden and her Majesty's
theatre; but there the war Is between two
cliques of the aristecrscy-here it is a free
fight, in which the down town democracy as
we'll Is the Flora McFlimseys are interested.
And now that the spring has been fairly
opened, now that the violets peep out of the
ground and the birds begin their tune.
| full lays, now that the provinces begin
| to lend their quota of the floating popu
lation of the metropolis, now that the artists
| who have been scattered in the South and
West are turning their steps hitherward, the
| Opera bids fair to attract more attention than
ever. Indeed, we should not be at all sur
prised If, for the next month or six weeks, the
Opera almost monopolized the attention which
is paid here to public amusements. Both
managers have their special attractions and
their particular line of policy. The Academy
assumes the regular orthodox tone, and gives
the old repertoire with such capital artists as
Adelina Patti Brignoli, Susini, Ferri and Amo-
do. The directors have, however, some new
operas in preparation, and big gun in the
shape of Moses in Egypt" Pretty soon they
will be reinforced by Adelaide Phillips, Cor.
test, and the new tenor, Musiani. Then, too,
| they have the debut of Miss Louisa Kellogg, a
young lady of this city, who. has rare musical
talent. Miss Kellogg's first appearance will
not be the less interesting from the fact that
| she goes upon the stage as the means whereby,
should she succeed, she may the better dis
charge her flial duties in supporting an aged
mother.
The Winter Garden managers are not back
ward. Mr. Max Maretzek is not person who
permits any very large amount of grass to
grow under his feet. In less than two weeks
he has brought out two prime donne-Fabbri
and Frezzolini-both excellent In their special
ties, and both acceptable to the public. He has
also given "Sradella," to the intense delight of
the German habituks. The opposition has not in
jured either house. On the contrary, by stimu-
lating the public taste for the Opera, It has as
] sisted both. If the public continues to flock
| in such numbers to the Opera houses 1t will
| make both managers millionaires before they
| are aware of it. Ullmann and Strakosch will
be buying up Legislatures instead of paying off
prime dome, while Maretzek will probably
come out strong among the bulls and bears of
Wall street.
There is only one little difficulty in the way
of this delightful contamination to the labors
of the impressari and that is the terrible cpl
demic which prevails at this time among ar
fists. 1t is always liable to break out among
the prime donme, who are very often attacked by
the favorite female ailment, caprice In its
chronic forms But when there are two Operas
going on at the same time, and the artists have
a stronger hold than usual on the managers,
the singers get "indisposed in the most reck-
less way. For example, on last Friday, new
prima donna, Madame Bant, was to sing at
the Academy, but she did not appear. The
bills said that Madame Banti was ill. Madame
Bant printed card yesterday, in which
she states she is in condition Of robust
health, and ready to sing any quantity Of
operas at the shortest notice. Madame Banti,
however, demanded a competent tenor, and it
appears that as the opera in which she was to
sing is not in Mr.. Brignoli's repertoire, another
tenor was engaged, and he at once fell VIC
iently i'll. As at Balaclavs, somebody blunder
ed, and put the name of the invalid Banti in
stead of Maccaferri, which it should have been.
That the lady was little bit disguised is not
surprising. The public, when 1t hears the old
excuse, "indisposition," winks its eye violently,
and buttons up its pocket; and prime domne
have errors enough of this kind to answer for
without being held responsible for those Of
other people.
We hope and believe that both Operas will
60 on and make much fame and money; but
the indisposition business clearly will not
answer everything else fails we shall be
obliged TO bring it before the Academy of
Medicine, which august body has been very
quiet since the probang controversy. Suppose
we have the opinion of special committee
upon the artistic epidemic. Why not.
INCREASE OF STATE TAxEs.-One of the re-
suits Of Albany legislation for many years
past has been the steady increase of State
I taYpa which hafnro 4ho s.,.xx<,,.a4inu nf thu