The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-04-21

discover which has an lOta OF moral advan-
tage over the other. ''Yes, sir; / can
prove-and you are married man-your
deception of q certain gay and fascinating
widow. can 60 further. l can show how
spirited, the Lord only knows where, and
before the world You stand convicted Of
being q -"
And when Smith and Jones come to close
quarters the country is thunderstruck to find
what an amazing history of corruption
each one has of the other. In the nseN 9
yesterday this was partly illustrated; but
there were debates in the past where the
very thing we have instanced almost liter ally
occurred.
A season Of Italian Opera 1t tho Academy.
We have been spared the humiliation of hav-
ing an entire season pass by at the Academy
Of Music without Italian opera. Signor
Abilities steps in at the eleventh hour and
announces few nights of the longed-for en-
tertainment with a select company, mostly
from Havana, and two sterling favorites-Miss
Kellogg and Madame States. The season
begins on that memorable day of all days in
the year to bousekeepers, the first Of May,
and it will last about three weeks. Signor
Abilities, indeed, deserves the thanks of the
musical public for this timely relief; for a
feeling of despair had taken possession of all
that Italian opera was luxury unattainable
this season, and we took up our London
exchanges with sigh of envy that perfidious
Albion should have all the music and we
none. There are good materials in the COM
pauy. Of Miss Kellogg and Madame States
II is unnecessary to speak, as they are
well and favorably known to the metro
poltan public The tenor, VILLAIN, brings
with him very high reputation, and
the contralto, Laura Hmela, made her
mark long ago in Milan. There are besides
Signora Frederick (not Nine. Himmer, of the
German OPERA, Caroselli, Orlandin. Albert
Lawrence, Reyna and Susini. The initial opera
will be ''Poliuto," and will be followed by
''The Sicilian vespers," Martha" s'Faust,"
"Un Ballo en- Maschera," "Rigoletto," ''Don
Giovanni" ''Robert," ''Crispino" and 'Er-
nani." 1t will be seen from the above list
that the bill will be changed every night, as
the season is limited to ten performances. So
much for what we have actually before us.
Now few words on what we can have per-
manently, if the directors of the Academy
will only listen to reason. 1t appears that if
we are to have the rare treat of hearing
Nilsson in opera at the legitimate opera
or <bo 3D. IL
make up their minds to descend to the level
of true business men and relinquish some of
their lofty pretensions. II is by no means
creditable to number Of gentlemen occupy
ing the foremost places in metropolitan society
to lend themselves to system of
management by which they occupy the unen-
viable position OF ''deadheads," rent out to
various parties the privilege of selling librettos
flowers, cigars and bibulous stimulants, and
throw every obstacle in the path of an impre-
sd,1O instead of assisting him. Why, the
stockholders Of the Drury Lane theatre in
London, when Mapleson applied to them after
the burning Of Her Majesty's, were really
princely in their offers of assistance, and made
all reasonable concessions. The same may be
said Of other theatres in the same city. Our
stockholders should be content with realizing
= fair interest on their outlay Of capital; nay,
to help opera along, even if the finances of
the manager should not be adequate to the ex-
penses. The rapid and constant increase in
the value Of the Academy, in a real estate
point of view, should be sufficient COM
20 e. <lo
owe II as duty to the public, to art
and to themselves to make Italian opera an
institution in the very house built ex-
pressly for it. BY their obstinacy they kill
lyric art effectually in this city, for no
one is willing to build another opera house
or give Italian opera at one Of the dra-
matte establishments while the Academy
is in existence. As we have repeatedly
remarked, the matter rests with the stock.
holders. Let them give up their seats, or, ii
they will retain them, let them pay for them.
Then the small Chatham street business OF
renting out such privileges as we have men
toned should be abandoned. 1t appears that
the most difficult point with these gentlemen
Is the right to occupy their two hundred and
fifty seats. They will not, they say, surren.
der this right under any consideration. Well
then, why not pay for it? The manager
can have no objection to this right, SO long al
he receives full compensation for the boxe.
occupied by those gentlemen. The question
Is a plain one, and it rests with the stock
holders to settle It, We are sure that they
will not refuse the public next season chanc,
to hear one Of the greatest lyric artistes Of th,