The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-27


Republicans Of the House of Assembly, the
eyes and hopes Of free people are upon you.
What answer have you to give thems
THE OPERA IN New YoRx-PosrrIoN OF THE
SrocKHoIDERs.-We perceive that several of
the city journals have taken up the question a.
to how far the public is affected by action of
the stockholders of the Academy Of Music in
their dealings with the managers and artists.
One of the stockholders, feeling aggrieved
by the statements of . contemporary, has put
forth reply, from which it appears that the
rent received from the Opera has barely suf-
feed to pay the taxes on the building; that the
stockholders have never received cent of
dividend, and that their music has cost them lin
interest) nearly one hundred dollars . year.
The stakeholder overlooks the real difficulty in
the matter-the fact that, the house having cost
a great deal more money than was expected, q
heavy debt was created. Then the theatre was
made very unpopular by the secured seat privi-
lege, which managers of lectures, concerts, &C.,
refused to recognise, and which has since been
virtually waived for everything except tho
Opera. The Philharmonic Society resolutely
kept out of the Academy until the stockholders
gave up their places, which was not done until
they had lost several thousand dollars of rent.
Now, if the theatre had cost only two hundred
thousand dollars, as was intended, it would
have earned as much as it does now-say
twenty thousand dollars year-and paid to
the stockholders money dividend Of six per
cent.
So it is not the fault of the artists or the
public if the Academy does not pay. The
stockholders, it is understood, have cancelled
Ullman's lease, and have resolved not to let
the building for year or heightened period
to any person. They will lease for an Opera
season by the night, at the rate of two hundred
dollars for each performance, they paying
about one hundred for lights, fire, attendance,
&C. Whether or not the associated italian
artists will undertake the management upon
these terms remains to be seen. In Philadel-
phia the journals call loudly upon the public
to support the Opera. 1t seems that the assoc
ciated artists gave . three weeks season at
the Philadelphia Academy, and that the gross
receipts of the twelve performances amounted
leaving $37 so to be divided between prima
donna, whose figure is $4,000 per month;
tenor, who rates himself at $500; primo
basso and baritone, at $500 EACH and con-
ductor at $500. Seven dsllars and half
apiece for Colson, Brignol, Susini, Ferri and
Mudo-two dollars and . half per weekl Not
enough to pay for their gloves. The COM
10 lad hat
is, they left in Philadelphia 1858 more than they
received there. Had the artists received their
usual salaries, the manager would have lost
over $4,000 by this successful Philadelphia
season.
1t Is urged that as the Opera assists
certain branches of trade materially, the per-
sons 80 benefited should subscribe for season
tickets, thus giving the artists permanent
basis. 1t is quite as true of New York a. Of
Philadelphia that the real cause of the failure
Of operate enterprises is the apathy Of the
general public. When the Germans tried the
Opera the first time at the Academy they made
it pay handsomely. The last time the public
deserted them altogether, and the receipts
were not sufficient to pay the rent, orchestra
and chorus. 1t is said now that whatever the
stockholders might do, the public would still
hold back, and that between the political
troubles and the festivities incidental TO the
season, people have as much as they can at
tend to without going to the Opera. Still the
experiment of subscription, emanating from
the right quarter, and pushed by the stock
holders, might be tried. 1t would certainly
do no harm. With low rent, no exorbitant
salaries, and moderate subscription, short
season might be made to pay. If half the
people who express . wish to hear the Opera
would pay for their tickets, there would be
no difficulty about the matter. But the Aca-
DENY being the only theatre where it is con-
Dead Head brigade, everybody wishes to 60
in free.
As for the stockholders, they are not
to blame for adhering to their pri-
vilege the mistake was made in the
first place by giving 1t TO them. II
they had foreseen ell the difaculty that 1t has
caused they would undoubtedly have taken the
course adopted by the Brooklyn directors, who
have bought wisdom at our expense. The
question, then, a. to whether we shall have
Opera or not, is one to be decided by the pub
lic New Orleans and San Francisco support
French and English Opera handsomely, while
in the great metropolis the artists might starve
for all that the public would do to prevent it
Have We really no taste for any higher do
velopement Of the divine art than negro min
strelsy or the slang Of the concert hAllsi
THrRLow WEEDS FEDERAL SIArE.-It il
stated, upon what appears to be reliable autho-
rity that Thurlow Weeds late visit to Spring.
field was made with view Of ruling the III
bune clique entirely out Of the field, 80 far -