The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-16
Opening Of the Anusemsut seasoa-Pros.
poets for the Winter.

poets for the Winter.
The opening of the present dramatic season
has been without any of the fclat which ordi-
narily attends an annual event of so much sig
nifcance. The temples of the legitimate
drama are given over to burlesque and SOU
brette comedy, while the chosen seats Of the
velvet-voiced and bare-legged debMantes
have been kept sedulously closed. Lolita was
compelled to go to Booths for the crowds who
delight in the child-like and faithful Little
Nell and the dirty-fngered Marchioness,
and Lydia Thompson must Of needs exhibit
the many wives of the much-married and MUIR
derous ''Blue Beard" at Wallack's There has
been much holy horror expressed and many
idle tears have been shed at this change in the
conditions Of the drama in New York; but as
we have never joined the noble army of dra-
matte Jeremiahs, who lament the decay of the
drama 'in our midst" we fail to see any
danger in either of these engagements. Art
is art, and it is never degraded so long as it
pretends not TO be what 1t is not. Neither
Miss Thompson nor Miss Lolita can do any
| injury to the noble theatres whose boards are
for the present given over to the school of act
ing which they respectively represent, and
those who enjoy the grand representations Of
Charlotte Cushman or the delightful render
ings of old English comedy, which Mr.. Wal
lack has SO long furnished, will not enjoy the
one or the other any the less because slow
comedy" was for brief period presented
where ''high art" generally reigns supreme.
1t is noticeable that in all the plans for our
| winters amusements French opera of the
school of Ofenbach and Herve is dropped en-
tirely. Last year the same thing was true Of
Italian opera As the music which combines
melody and bufoonery declines the higher
and nobler forms of musical art spring into
renewed life. Miss Nilsson and the
strong company which has been formed
to assist her will give us "Mignon"
and Hamlet" never yet sung in
| New York, and Madame Rosa is ready to
delight us with the old favorites of the ope-
ratio stage, not rendered into English only,
but sung by the roundest and purest and
sweetest of English voices And then the
ladies who are loudest in proclaiming woman's
htiCoo AOi oil minus VI WOTh NAY SuOW IuclT
faith by their acts in pushing the prospects of
the Vienna Ladies' Orchestra. Taking our
promised musical season as whole, it is the
most brilliant that has ever been arranged for
this city, and we can only trust that it will
prove as glorious in performance as it is in
promise.
It is mere waste of breath to declare that
the New York public will not support first
class musical entertainments. The fact is that
everything which has gone before has been
first class only in name. People do not care
to be defrauded more than once by the same
trick, and the history of op6ra 6oufe shows
that however vitiated may be the tastes of
many Of our playgoers, poor perform ance is
in the end certain to ruin its protector. When
''La Grande Duchesse" was first introduced
here Tostee, if not great singer, had at least
the power to please, and accordingly Mr.. Bate
man prospered. Montaland not only could not
sing, but she failed to captivate, and so Mr..
Fisk had empty houses. Miss Nilsson will
draw full houses, not because she Is Miss Nils
son, but primarily for the reason that she is
great artist, and, in the second place, because
she always shows sincere desire to please.
Madame Rosa has always been en- rapport
with her audiences, and this is the secret of
all her successes. An artist who has not the
personal magnetism which only an honest heart
and an earnest purpose can give may as we'll
stay away from this metropolis. for the OBJ
stacles in the way of success will prove insur-
mountable. We are often satisfied with little,
but we do not want a crust and growl at tn Q
same time.
1t is a mistake into which many persons
have fallen to believe that scenic effects and
stage machinery will do away with the neces-
| sity for artistic perfections. ''Les Brigands"
| was splendidly mounted last year at the Grand
| Opera House, but it failed because the piece
which the scene painters brush and the stage
carpenters handicraft exhibited. Bandmann,
at the same theatre, will not fail this winter if
the artists projections are at all seconded by
the mechanicians skill. But Booth himself,
even in his own theatre, might recede in popu-
lar favor if he should forego his we'll known
care in matters of detail. A slovenly per-
Torrance at the Academy of Music, with Miss
Nilsson in the leading part, is not an assured
success. What we want are both artistic and
scenic projections, and only the manager who
| can combine these will be rewarded with
popular applause and popular support. In all
of our musical endeavors heretofore there has
been some glazing and inexcusable fault. The
scenery or the chorus or the orchestra or the
support of the leading artist was bad-in some
part Of the performance there was something
have succeeded had the same policy been pur-
sued at his theatre. Mr.. Booths Hamlet
would be a poor performance if there was
nothing but ''Hamlet" in the play Miss
Nilsson alone cannot I'll the Academy or make
/ ul,a.aa.s, c..I G..