The New York herald., 1870-11-22
How TO Revive and Naturaiize Opera in
New York.

New York.
At the recent Steiuway Hall concerts Chris.
tine Nilsson exhibited wonderful power In the
scene from Hamlet" and the scene from
Faust" For the nonce all the drawbacks
and deficiencies of concert room were for
gotten. The audience caught glimpse OF the
real scope Of her genius. The emotional and
intellectual expression Of her face was
intense, and her acting was no less superb
tnan tne management Of her pure, sweet
toned voice was faultless. Each scene was a
fine dramatic illusion. strong desire was at
once awakened to see and hear this censum-
mate artist in opera, the sphere in which her
greatest European triumphs were won.
Again, therefore, the public mind is inte-
rested in the old problem-how to revive and
naturalize opera in New York.
The very first step towards this double
object might be taken by the stockholders Of
the Academy of Music. They would amply
Justify their claim to be patrons of art if they
were temporarily to make generous conces-
sion of their exclusive privileges. Unques-
tionably these privileges form fatal obstacle,
to any attempt to revive opera in New York.
All managers agree that to accomplish this Is
impossible SO long as they are compelled to
sacrifice the nightly product of two hundred
and more of the most eligible seats At five
dollars seat the sacrifice Of two hundred
seats is equivalent to nightly loss of one
thousand dollars. Add to this loss the pay
ment of two hundred and fifty dollars an even
ing for rent, and the huge aggregate of ex-
penses for administration, fer the salaries of
artists and other employees, for costumes,
scenery, properties and advertising, and you
begin to have an idea of how much it costs to
run opera. An experienced treasurer of a.,
opera house affirms that, even with strict econ
omy, opera given as it should be cannot cost
less than two thousand dollars night. The
nightly expense of opera is fifteen thousand
francs, or three thousand dollars, in Paris,
and seven hundred and twenty pounds or three
cost would be less here by importing orchestra
and choruses, and by the diminished expenses
of administration. A manager in New York
can do himself and with few assistants
what in Europe requires whole retinue OF
paid and circumlocutory office holders.
A five dollar greenback for an opera ticket
cannot be considered an excessive price if it is
compared with the prices in London, Paris.
Berlin and st. Petersburg. The prices in
Italy are no standard, inasmuch as the condi-
tions of opera are there altogether exceptional.
Thus at La Scala in Milan many an eminent
artist eagerly seizes the opportunity of acquir-
ing stamp of success that shall be recognized
from st. Petersburg to Constantinople, and
from New York to- Melbourne, demanding
little or no other compensation. More
over, opera in Italy has all the advantages
of being indigenous, whereas in almost
every other country, and particularly in Eng
land and America, it is still an unnaturalized
exotic. One hundred and sixty years have
elapsed since its first introduction into London,
and now, as in the days of Buononcini aud
Handel, it iourishes during the London season
only under the stimulus of high prices and
lofty patronage. In London the price of an
orchestra ticket is five dollars in gold in Paris
Cen locati0n) three dollars and fifty cents
Even in Berlin, where universal cheapness is
the rule, it is two dollars, and in st. Peters
burg it is five roubles, or four dollars.
Four or five dollars in greenbacks is not too
much to pay in New York for an opera ticket,
in view of the prices readily paid for other
luxuries, and especially in view of the neces-
sarily great cost Of an entertainment which at
present and for long time to come must
m rnlv fOr faI
of patrons, belonging to the most highly culti-
waited and the wealthiest classes in our COM
munity. second step towards the revival
of opera in New York must be a willingness
on the part of the public to pay liberal prices
for the enjoyment of opera--that marvellous
''work" which splendidly illustrates the cor
relation of the arts. Rousseau said and
Wagner has repeated that opera does not
mean so much musical work as musical,
poetical and spectacular work all at once
Sutherland Edwards, in his clever History
of OPERA" cites these authorities and adds
that "opera, in fact, is the ''work' par e1-
cel,ence to the production of which all the
arts are necessary.
1t is idle to assert that opera must forever
be an exotic in our republic No such politi-
cal intolerance exists here as that which COM
PEELED, during the first French republic such
absurd changes in the Hdretti as the substitution
of la koi for he roi, &C., and finally closed the
doors Of the opera house after having driven
several artists to the gullotine or to suicide.
The ultimate naturalization Of opera in
America, as in England, can, indeed, come
only from higher and more general develop
ment Of musical taste and talent than has yet
been attained in either country. But the time
must arrive, sooner or later, when, en-
tirely emancipatcd from European prece-