The New York herald., 1872-11-24

year a German, last year swede, the exception.
Sanz, are French, American or spanisn-not
one Italian. That Is TO say, neither music
nor pcformers nor audience are Italian in the
Italian opera. Why not take the bull by the
horns and let number OF the rich patrons
OF art in New York contribute the necessary funds
and found great institution like the C0nservatoire
de Musique IN Paris which is pouring forth every
year excellent singers, ladies and gentlemen, and
q sufficient number OF well trained INSTRUMENTAL
lists to furnish the capital and the provinces with
all the elements necessary for good orchestra
Give New York, In one word, the foundation OF all
that IL necessary for Italian opcra-the cOnserva-
tory where to plant the trees, with all the branches
necessary for the construction OF great national
theatre res o. any nr hene free ~.
scope to do as he pleases and II ne does not sue
coed would have only himself to blame, and II ne
did succeed would elevate the artistic element anu
the public taste TO degree which would deserve
the gratitude OF the country and would con-
fer on It lasting beneficial results rree
that ls, from the necessity or paying qulte
enormous prices; and instead OF sendine vast
sums with these enriched singers out Ol the
country as soon as earned, have American
artists enriched by their own talent by the
pasronage, , Of their public 10 mode, ama ao e% xn'ces
enoagh, there are clever girls enough, there y ma
terial sufficient; why not use 1t? or course, al
would depend on the right organization OF such an
institution; but able men would not be wanting
who would come forward and lend their useful CO.
operation and advice to SO worthy an endeayor
In the meantime. as much as NAV be used from the
best known OF these establishments the Conser-
vat0ire dc Musiquc de France might serve as a
basis, because the continued results have been
proof oi its nndonbted excellence.
TO form good singers the first thing required Is
to find COOL voices. But the voice is not more than
the marble block out OF which the inspired artist
creates the statue. Durrcz who, after having been
one OF the greatest singers OF his tlme has become
one Of the greatest teachers says 1.-THE voice IL
only one oil twenty requirements necessary TO iorm
good singer" 1t would, therefore, be necessary
to engage no matter at what cost. the best possl-
bile teachers. The whV Italian OOpra has
established itself SO emneDtly beyond any other
Is simply because Italian professors in the golden
times OF their professions, taught their pupils TO
sing "Dal PettO" to study and train their voices
carefully, to be complete singers and musicians be-
is to this laborious, stndions, serious proceeding
that the nucleus OF great artists, combined under
BatbaJO during Rossini's youth, during the irst
quarter OF this century is due, when DOnizctti Da-
vid, Rubini, FOdOr, Pasta, Tamburini and Lablache
sang together where their voices were so schoo!ed
and trained as to last forever. Rubini sang up to
sixty three years Lablache literally sang up TO his
deathbed, and exclaiming, as he died one morning,
What wonderful power was Rubinl's, not with
his ut de pot'f,ae, which seems now to be the only
attraction In opera houses. but with his head,
voice and chest notes 80 combined as only the
greatest and most patient study can reach This
most celebrated performance, Pacnis Cavaliers"
r tltOt .fSpQitenH pHlpiH, where he not only took
the G. but made a long shake on it, which never
failed to bring the house down, was never an H de
pOttrfx'e. but the most wonderful head voice. which
shows what method, and not voice alone con do
But Rubini sang seven years sOlfcggl and scales,
and steady. before he attempted to sing an air.
So did Labache. But when, afterward, ROssini
gave them pieces to sing with passages which
seemed to be written for the clarOnet they reaped
the reward Of their long study, and sang nearly
everything at sight, How often, In his later years,
did ROssini say, Leave my operas alone there Is
no one who can sing them now," because such well
the question, What is the reason that there are
no more tcnOrs, no more Italian celebrities, when
at one time there were such a number togetherY
The reason Is very simple. The great artistic
ambition to reach the highest aim In music has
been replaced by only one desire, that Is to make
as much, ana as quick as possible, money. Hi,c
hence no foundation regularly to train the voice
SO as to make 1t resist ana preserve long time
ascertain in what limits 1t ought to be kept, and
hence Verdi's Instrumentation, calculated to have
should not suffice. A master takes youth up with
good voice. Instead Of allowing him time for
well ascertaining his purpose, preparing him care
regular, solid musical education, contract is signed
between master and pup-the former to provide
board lessons, music, &C.. the latter to pay for all
ne received out Of the first engagement ne would
get The hurry in which the master, and some
times even the pupil, is to be ready for such en-
gagement precludes all elementary studies for
posing and setting and training the voice; but the
pupil begins at once to learn part Of some favorite
known the pupil, who has not learned how to sing,
generally speaking, but who has only Just learned
how to sing these parts makes his debut; friends
and the manager puff the debutant up. Seeing
that aSnumber OF people howl and applaud when
he takes a very high note, he begins to screaming
on the top OF his voice with o view OF
setting the gallery screaming just Ike cana
ries, who scream all the more when they
hear big noise, and the frequent nearly un-
avoidable consequence is that sometimes very
fine voice Is broken for ever and then another fine
voice comes in the same place with the same re.
suit, when by and by the voices begin to fail, and
there Is lack OF singers just at the moment when
q greater number than before is wanted. In
Milan, where In olden times the best advice
was given to singers, there is now always In con-
sequence OF that same money system, professor
breaking voices as wonderful as Mile. Scotta's,
Nine. Blume's and one OF the most splendid tenor
voices ever heard, which beat Wachtel and any
other entirely and which, through straning OF the
medium and other injudcious and precipltate pro-
ceedings led to the disastrous breaking OF an
organ which could have created the greatest sen
satiOn and y vast fortune for its pOssessor, who
now the prime Of life, finds himself in this very
New York city far from earning the golden laurels
which, with careful training and study, would have
been his.
The great object therefore is, how to teach in
this institution how to obtain the masters, how tt
hold the pupils to q sufficiently long and earnest
study, how to reach finally the great purpose o
| providing out Of national means the sOloists
| chorus and orchestra necessary for grand oper;
| troupe. MUSlCUS