The New York herald., 1868-02-02
ItaIinu Opern.

| Since the opening of Pixies Opera House on
more returned TO the city and resumed the
throne 1t had SO early abdicated The es-
tablishment Of this second house will, il
is to be hoped, beget rivalry in the lyric
branch OF our entertainments, the want Of
which has for some time been severely felt
We can quite understand the difficulties under
which the management of the Academy of
Music have labored since the building of the
present house but we are none the less bound
to look at the matter solely as the public are
affected, and, unfortunately, the facts revealed
by retrospection place the New York public
and the Academy Of Music at direct issue. We
are not yet half through the season, and
already the Academy has closed its DOORS after
several intermittent efforts to attract with Ital-
ian opera, and this, too, almost before the rival
establishment had naugurated its first season.
Who is to blame for this? Are we Indifferent
to the beauties and fascination Of Italian
operaf Have the performances provided for
us been below the standard of our taste
Or, if neither of these propositions can be con-
sidered as explanatory, what is the reason that
for many weeks during that time of the year
when New York is most crowded we have
been without an Italian opera? We will dis
miss al once the idea that our appreciation of
good music is so limited that an opera com.
pany cannot obtain remuneration from il, and
inquire little into the managerial catering of
the present season. We have had "Romeo
and Juliet I" as the grand effort of the year,
and Ronconi was engaged and cast In several
OF his best comic parts. These were to be the
two attractions OF the season, and both failed
to excite any extraordinary degree of interest
We have before done homage to the beauty OF
Gounod's latest work, as well as to the talent
and versatility Of Ronconi, and think these
were excellent spars in an otherwise ill-found
ship but it requires only slight acquaint-
ance with the mysteries OF manage cement to
know that, however beautiful an opera may
be, It's success depends to the full as much in
the manner of its representation as on the
excellence OF its music, and that no baritone in
the world has ever yet succeeded in keeping
open an operate establishment by the force of
his own attractive powers. We are not now
critcisiug the ability of individuals,
and should not be misunderstood when
we say that the performance of "Romeo
and juliet" fell considerably short of
the same thing in Paris and London.
The consequence was that while crowds
hockcd to see as well as hear 1t in those two
cities, here we wen! in struggling groups. The
performance of the "Barbiere," produced Tor
Ronconi, was in every way excellent, and
but the production Of new work and the en-
gagcment Of popular baritone are no adequate
result Of operate catering. New York, like
every other capital, should draw its artists
from out Of the front rank, and cannot be con-
tent with those Of minor reputation or ability.
1t may be impossible at the present prices OBJ
tainable for seats, and particularly with the
best boxes In the house reserved, to engage
the great sopran and tenori Of Europe, while at
the same time 1t may be an easy matter to
make the building paying speculation by
renting 1t to English opera" companies or
dramatic stars; and if this is the secret OF in
different singing, we have nothing further to
say beyond expressing our thanks for the es-
tablishment OF Pixies, and our hopes for It's
prosperity. 1t is clear that IL the proprietors
Of theatre reserve all the best boxes for
themselves they cannot be surprised at the
public objecting to pay high prices for the
less desirable places, or affording patronage
and support to rival establishment, where
the line between Dives and his neighbors Is
less strictly drawn and his momentary pre-
dominance less objectonably protruded.
1t is said by some, with certain amount
Of superficial logic, that as one opea house
could hardly maintain its existence in New
York the establishment Of second is not cal.
culasad 10 improve our chances Of pcrma-