The New York herald., 1872-11-10

begin with. Then Ioiioweo series Oh miSior tunes.
" .sh snosns a1Sf ana sndes heavily in % SeSt
a teen Years, during the most brilliant period Of
Italian opera-when the very greatest singers the
or nearly all OF them In his theatre-Lum,ey, the
most popular manager certainly OF his time lost
about quarter OF million Of pounds sterling and
At Covent Garden or the Royal Italian opera,
az 1t is termed, Mlle Persiani, the famous singer
and Galetu were rendered penniess, and Mr..
Frederick Beale, the music publisher lost $4,000
during the first season.
field, belonging to the celebrated irm OF Combe
Deaneld (brewers) This gentleman's loss
amounted In one season and half to q sum OF
After this the principal artists took the theatre
upon the sharing system, with Mr.. F. Gye as their
paying all expenses that the scheme was aban-
doned Then, In 1851 (the great Exhibition year,,
Mr. eye esGame lessss backed Oa By certain
Knox, Sir William De Berthe, and, subsequently,
Mr. Thistlewaite who died at the battle OF the
hard work appears In this, that when he recently
desired to form limited liability company it was
to about eight hundred thousand dollars. And vet
Mr. F. Gye has had some highly successful seasons,
and, most assuredly placed spectacular operas on
the stage in o most magnificent way Mr.. Maple
son, the manager OF Her Majesty's Opera, makes no
secret that his London seasons are generally car
ried on with loss though he gains upon his provin-
have spoken Of the principal theatres in Europe
and shown the amount Of support gscunary and
ments, and may now add with respect to London,
(the British government, except paltry donation
Academy OF Music, has done nothing for musical
art), that operatic managers are very largely as
BY s 9n s sd e m
boxes and stalls to considerable extent at the
commencement OF each season, and thus become
commercially interested In the managers success.
PRICES IN LONDON.
The price OF reserved seat at either OF the great
cost OF private box in the grand tier, to hold not
more than four PERSONS six guineas-about $3l,
than M farsy Y 70
quenty exceeds, and Mr. Aapleson's is seldom far
The British operatic managers have got another
realize every season about $50, 900, gold. Add to
amount to less than half what New York manager
must submit to- though ne cannot venture to
| charge more than 81 for his reserved seats, and
| $25, currency, for his private boxes.
| DEARTH OF GOOD SINGERS.
Now as to performers. With no less than hum
dred European managers competing for the best
artists, and some Offering extravagant terms, the
extreme diffculty Of procuring fine company,
should Certainly be taken into consideration. The
| scarcity Is more among male than female vocal
Christine Chr Nilsson, Titens, TreSel Bettini, Adena
Patti, with some few others, have. world wide
reputation; but where are the gentlemen There
1
| admitted first class excellence upon the stage.
With baritones the case much the same, M. Faure
Europe sS .A Neither is there one basso VINO can Be
placed on level with any Of the female artists
TIE cRAMMNG SYSTEM.
The modern system OF "cramming' for certain
| parts and not studying art meth0dically has
thrown . mass OF uneducated singers upon the
operatic stage, who If gifted with good voices and
| q certain amount Of musical instinct, may perform
two or three parts very weil and utterly fail in
| nfho hnf1d fha mn hQ QF1Y1vy ho 10
obliged to take the portrayal Of one Of the parts
they have "crammed' for as . test ftheir general
come for the first time before the public especially
| the New York public IN some character for which
has not been 50 e ia a th must
thing they can do, after ALL Is TO take singers upon
Now, in looking over the list of European
artists find that all the principal members OF the
| company performing at the Academy have achieved
renown In the principal cities Of the Old World and
| time they were engaged by the Academy manage
ment which can scarcely be held responsible for a
system that produces inequality and uncertainty in
| vocalstS.
Perfect ensemble may he expected in opera
houses where the same performers have been con-
stantly playing or singing together for many years.
and where one opera is re6earsed and performed
for several successive months nnder the direction
| Of one person. But in New York 1t is hardly fair
to look for 1t. Every season brings many changes,
| too are employed and large number of operas
must be given In the course OF short season. Under
such conditions perfect ensemble is next to mpos-
Italian opera might become kind OF "ladies and
gentlemen's club' on very large scale, but fear,
sir, that IL that "conSummation devOutly to be
wished" came not until some daring adventurer
brings over the entire concert garden troupe,
the Of the
demand for 1t on the other side of the Atlantic, and
consequently high pretensions OF singers, cannot
help thinking that the Academy management has on
the whole done well-the best that could have been
done under the circumstances without incurring
disastrous results. VIATOR.
NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 1872.
Shall Italian Opera BE a Fact or Rema in
a Fictfons
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
At the Academy Of Music there is what, out OF
compliment to the management, is called an Italian
opera troupe 1t consists Of two prime donne, one
great ex-artst, conscientious but asse singer,
several incompetents, an Indifferent chorus and
o by no means satisfactory orchestra. The prime
dome are Madame Lucca and Miss Kellogg the
conscientious singer is Madame Levieli; the great
artist, who at times recalls the brilliant light of
other days, is RoncOni; the tncompetcnts
are tenor. baritone, base and everybody else.
For the luxury OF hearing this troupe good-na-
tured and not over-critcal public Is asked pay
81 ticket, and occasionally pays 1t. Sub
scrtbers protest against the miserable support
given to the efficient singers but apparently with
little effect, for the management, like the Bourbons
Of DID, neither learns nor forgets anything.
Now ask whether New York, the metropolis of
America, is not mighty enough to overawe musl-
cal ring which, in It's way, is quite as unworthy
as that which has disgraced us politically ?
Shall we continue to pay first class prices for
third rate performances Must amateurs and mu-
sicans make journey of three thousand miles in
order to hear complete opera completely rem
dered guinea stall in London means what ?
A fine mise en- scene, magnificent orchestra, led
by a maestro; an admirable chorus, Patti, Lucca,
Miolan Carvaiho. Albani Faure, Nccolini, Nau-
dill, Cotagni and many other excellent artists in
the same company. The audience get the
worth OF their money. Is not something similar
possible in this countryY Must art be as ragged
and frowsy as backwoods settlement or course