Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-01-26

Crinc,s License Tested.

The precise rank of Christine Nillson, as a
musical artist, is to be determined In a court of
justice; and, at the same time, we shall learn to
what extent newspaper may, lawfully, eriticise
the speculative management of Mr.. Max Stra-
kosch as impressario. Strakosch, operating as
speculative manager of the concert singing of
Christine Nillson, announced that she would
sing in Rochester, n. Y, on the evening of Dec.
18th. His management, as displayed in the adj
vertisements of this concert, was very severely
criticised by the Rochester Union. Two points
were made against it; first, that the capacity of
Nilsson, as a musical artist, was extravagantly
overstated; and second, that the charge for
concert tickets, 81 each, being double the
highest charge usual for concerts of the frst
class, was a "swindle." The critic admitted
thar Miss Nillson is a superior vocalist, but de-
MED that she is equal to artists of the highest
rank, such as Jenny Lind, for instance. He
claimed that the public was humbugged by this
operation, and made free use of the words
"swindling" and "extortion."
Thereupon, Mr.. Strakosch became very an
CRY, and, desiring to punish the critic, sued the
propretors Of the paper for libel, bringing his
action in New York city court, where the case
is now on trial. The Rochester Union affirms
that the criticism was prompted by sense of
duty to the public. otrakosch claims that it
IVES attended TO blacken his reputation and in
jure his business. This issue will be tried by
the court, and one of the chief points to be set
tied, is the actual rank of Miss Nilson among
musical artists. The plaintiff has summoned
thirty-eight witnesses, most of whom will testify
on this point, while the defendant has already
summoned twenty-three, and will, probably,
summon more. Miss Nillson can not find much
pleasure in this controversy; but she is in no
way responsible for it, save that, with her own
consent, she has Max Strakosch as her man
ager. 1t is Strakosch who sees a libel in the crit
icism on bis own proceedings, and subjects her
reputation as a singer TO the chickering's, discus
sions, and Judgment of court, and, what is more,
a court in the city of New York. We state the
case as we find it presented, in a report of the
complaint and pleadings, printed in one of the
New York papers. Why the case is to be tried
in New York city, instead of Rochester, we do
not understand. 1t may he that Mr., Strakosch
could explain the matter.
1t is stated that the management of Strakosch,
in Miss Wilson's case, is a speculation; that he
pays her a specified sum for each performance,
and makes as much more for himself as posi-
BILE; and, therefore, that he has entire control
of her public movements, Of the advertising, and
of the charges for concert tickets. This may be
incorrect. We know nothing OF the terms of
his engagement with her, beyond what is re-
ported. But it happens too often that the
movements and performances of popular artists
are controlled by speculative management of
this character, which deals with the public only
10 get money, and subordinates everything else
to this aim. Such managers can not reasonably
claim exemption from criticism, nor have
they any right to claim that the newspapers
shall do nothing but aid their operations.
Whether the Rochester Unions criticism of Max
Strakosch was, in all respects, precisely what it
should have been, we shall not now undertake
to say. A full development of the case in
court will enable us to form a Judgment on
this point; but we can see that the force of its
criticisms would not have been lessened, if some
of the terms used to express its thought and
and feeling had been more carefully chosen.
As for Strakosch, he is capable of getting into
"hot water;" but he seems to have been rather
quiet, most of the time, since his famous fight
with Fisk, Jr.