The New York herald., 1871-02-05
The Present Musical Season in the Me-
trOp0Iis and the Country.

patrons. In this city its sphere has beer
financially above the reach of the greater
portion of the music-loving public, to the
Stadt theater, where q regular season ol
German opera has been given and the opera
limited, because the occasional concerts of
the Philharmonic, Church Music and Vocal
societies cannot be classed among regular
entertainments, as they are like angels visits,
few and far between. We mention the Nils
son concerts, brief though the season was, on
account of the impetus they gave to music,
which, however, no manager here could be
found capable or willing to take advantage Of.
1t Is melancholy fact that there exists
at present an inexcusable stagnation in
musical entertainments in this city, q
metropolis abounding in musical talent,
conservatories thronged with pupils, liberal
public and materials of the best description.
The fault is mainly In the absence of true
management in the divine art We have
dozens Of persons who afix the title impre-
sa,5o to their names, and who deal with music
pretty much the same as with stock that has
been placed on the index as shaky. Music is
an unworked mine in New York, and the lucky
individual who can succeed in unearthing its
treasures and working it properly will be re-
paid by as great rush Of eager patrons as
ever thronged to California or Ballarat when
the auriferous wealth of these regions was first
announced.
The Philharmonic Society, comprising pro-
badly the finest orchestra in the world, con-
tent themselves with six concerts only each
year, and the programmes are confined to one
school Of music-the German. The encourage
ment they have received for the last few years
should embolden them to try monthly concerts
and enlarge their repertoire. The Church
is very promising organization. Founded
by number of wealthy and liberal people, and
possessing chorus and orchestra of the most
select kind, the concerts Of this society are .
source of pleasure to the true musician. So
successful have the efforts Of the organization
proved so far that the concerts might now be
given more frequently and in less exclusive
manner. The name, ''Church Music Associa-
tion," might also be profitably changed to
more expressive title. The same remarks will
apply to the Vocal Society, another excellent
institution. When one considers what
wealth Of vocal talent we have in this city
the two societies mentioned above, the Berge
Choral Union, Harmonic, Mendelssohn Union,
Liederkranz, Arion and score of others, and
numerous amateurs in private life, whose
talents would grace either the concert, opera
or oratorio-it is distressing to know that all
this talent remains comparatively idle and
unknown to the public. Former mismanage-
ment Of concerts and oratorios has created an
aversion or at least indifference in the public
mind towards these entertainments, but opera
is an ever welcome guest in this city.
BY opera we do net mean those spasmodic
efforts in which a newly arrived artist is
brought out as mere catchpeany with old
fossils as support and choral and orchestral
accessories of the most contemplate nature.
We speak of Italian opera Qor the other
branches of the lyric drama are merely sub
sidiary), produced, as it should be, with all
attention to the miautest details and care
fully considered programme for season. Not
such horrible chorus as that which our tor
tured ears have been accustomed to hear for
and leader whose only idea of music is
noise; not antediluvian scenery and well-worn
dresses, but perfect ensemble in everything
such as they have in Europe. The usual
answer of our managers to this argument il
that there is not the same encouragement
shown to Italian opera in this city as there is
in London or Paris. Ne wonder, certainly,
when we contrast the performances. There is
as liberal spirit and appreciation of true art
in the public of New York as may be found
anywhere The concerts Of Nilsson. an enter
prise so costly that many of Strakosch's
friends were dubious as to the result !;
the apparently extravagant system of our
dramatic managers in sparing no expense in
the production of plays; the constant, unre-
mitting labor of our leading piano manufac-
turers to supply the increased demand for
their instruments, and even the lavish expen-
diture at the Academy balls, have all met with
success proportionate to the degree OF
liberality shown by their projectors. Why,
then, should not Italian opera be made sue
cess, no matter how costly it may be?
The musical season in the country has
nroved disastrous to all travelling comDanies.
with the sole exception Of Nilsson and Kel-
logg We know of one concert troupe that
left this city with four Italian artists a. man
ayers, and reached Chicago, after many peril
GUS, ludicrous and strange adventures, with
exactly twenty-five cents in the treasury. A
kind barber in the Lake City enabled the un-
lucky impresGrii to get back to New York.
This may be taken as sample Of musical
business outside the METROPOLIS this winter