The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-11-25

Ano" " 'no i"nnihg OF the flame which was
being carried on almost in sight of their upper
windows for week after the flicker of the
light. Almost as bad as the days of Bada;os
Talavera and Waterloo.
The Italian Opcra-Its Critics ana
Defenders.
In yesterdays HERALD we published threa
letters from correspondents signing themselves
'.Free Lance" ssMusicus" and sViator," on
the state of Italian opera in this CITY, together
with an interview accorded by Mr. Maretzek
to one OF the HERALD writer's. Between
all Of those thus enlightening The
public on musical matters we find.
as among doctors generally, considerable
disagreement. Mr.. Maretzek speaking under
his namc, gives an opinion which may fairly
be expected under the circumstances, since it
quietly accepts the judgment of the public az
represented by the relative filling Of the house
at certain performances Managers may think
and aspire inwardly about art; but their reci-
tative for the public will usually have bank
note rustic obigQto. In an appeal, however.
against the critics who have spoken un.
favorably Of his company in bulk, he
opens bag for the escape of managerial
feline that has long and justly been complained
Of Defending his theory that artists grow
favorab1y upon the public by familiarity, he
gives quite new turn to the idea, which roIs
it of all strangeness, since he admits that it
is from the actual improvement of the artists
themselves. In his own words it is s'the more
tha rti ocip tbor tIo haiti
becomes. l think that q new company,
strange to each other and strange to
the public, should not be judged at
first as on ensemble, for new opera company
can no more be really effective in drill and
discipline than newly formed army" While
all this is very plausible it is plain admis-
sion that he has brought company before
the public without decent attention to wear
ing down their crude incompatibilities, for
among the best artists such would exist at the
start. 1t is serious acknowledgment of the
business Of attacks made upon what is pecu-
liarly the duty of the management.
When referring to the individual artists
of his company he naturally deals
tenderly with them, as dealer would with any
therefore, turn on this point to our three cor
respondents. We have found in them fire.
quently reference to porti pris-that is to
say each accuses the other of deliberate
effort to defend some particular artist or ar
fists on private grounds, and grounds un-
worthy on that account, of place in critical
essay.
.>oAo 1yS1 81 al ,,1s III
matter, and for this all-suficient reason leave
platonic or interested likes and dislikes be-
tween them. ssViator" and s.Musicus' are
both intense admirers Of Nine. Lucca, while
sFree Lance declares her to be false god
dess in some of the points wherein her adorers
most chant her praise. That both these
writer's should have compared him to the
youth who set fire to Diana's temple did not
escape our notice a week ago, and Stree
Lance" in yesterdays HERALD, chuckles tri-
umphantly thereanent in calling sViator' the
alter ego of ''Musicus." Here again we leave
the matter Of the parti pris out of our
consideration and come to the point
at issue. Is Lucca all her champions
declare her? The only serious attempt to
of her conception of Cherubino in the "Mar-
riage of Figaro" was s'Viator's'' quotation
from Beaumarchais. This '.Free lance
satisfactorily, we imagine-meets, leaving
him thus far in the saddle and his
critics on their mother earth. We do
not at all hold that it is 'brutal" to
find fault with defect, and are not willing to
admit that Nine. Lucca is by any means above
criticism. s'Free Lance" however, has
enough chivalry to admit that this lady in the
fourth act Of the "Huguenots' displays
qualities in her acting deserving high praise,
but does not withdraw one whit what
he has said of her singing Whatever luxury
there is in prolonged high @ he fairly
pines for it in the third act of the last.
named opera; and as it appears in
the music why should he be denied it
under false pretences? Such he fairly claims
to be the apology of "Musicus" about
the compression of the prima donnas voice
into two octaves. sMusicus' thinks the
upper notes to be judicious omission. Stree
Lance AYERS that it is judicious because the
little lady has worn them out and cannot sing
them This fiery correspondent, it should not
be forgotten, has shivered lance for native
talent in the person Of Miss Kellogg, praising
her singing, but almost agreeing with the
others on the want of inspiration in her
acting.
Where information is thus put forward.
although requiring some trouble to sift it out
of differing opinions, we have not felt at
liberty to exclude these communications.
From all sides in the controversy we learn
that opera is not anything like perfection az
given here this season. This has been all
along so apparent that the public may
shrug its shoulders and add ca "a