The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-17

he left the Church of Rome, bis alarm at the
power Of the Pope, future plans for the purih-
cation of the Church and other important
points which have entered into controversy
between the Catholic Church and the party
known, or DESTROYS Of being known, as the
''old Catholic" party. The interview is very
interesting, and proves that the D5llinger
movement has supporters and advocates on
French as well as German soil.
The Wonderful Success Of Italian Opera
In This City.
Crowded houses in the middle of Lent with
such hackneyed operas as ''Trovatore,"
'Martha," "Traviata," "Faust" and "Lucia,"
show the eagerness of the New York public
for Italian opera, and the field of triumph
open here for really great artist like Nilsson.
As the engagement Of the Swedish Nightin-
gale draws to close and the date of her final
farewell to her myriad admirers in this city
draws near, the enthusiasm Of the public
seems to be on the increase, and every one
rushes to the Academy to enjoy for the last
time the grandest representations of we'll
known roles ever presented 10 an operate
audience. One would think that the enthu-
slasm Of the public would close, or at least
cool down, after the final exit of this
peerless prima donna; but the subscrip-
ton books for the Easter season of
opera, in which Madame Parepa-R Rosa,
Miss Adelaide Phillips, Wachtel, Santley
and Herrmanns appear, tell different story.
The subscription for that season already
reaches the high figure of twenty-seven hun
dred dollars for each performance, and every
day increases the amount. The people have
now become thoroughly awakened to the impor-
tance of Italian Opera as the highest and most
enjoyable form of musical entertainment, and
1t will be only the fault of future managers II
this feeling be allowed to die out. The Easter
season will be one of unexampled brilliancy,
not only on account Of the immense strength
of the company, but also in relation to the
works to be produced. ssThe Huguenots,"
civilian Tel" and s'Don Giovanni" represent
the chefs d9uvre of Meyerbeer, Rossini and
Mozart, and certainly none of Verdi's other
operas can campare with his ''Rigoletto." 1t
will be change for the better from the worn
out repertoire Of the present season, and in
respect to the representation and mounting of
these operas the enterprise and business
talent of the manager, Mr.. Carl Rosa, will be
a sufficient guarantee that every detail will be
attended to, and that chorus, orchestra and
mise en- scene will be eminently satisfactory.
The prospects for the fall season are also
md TLo Al.
engagement of Mile. Pauline Lucca, Baroness
Van Rhaden, has created quite stir in ope-
ratio circles. It is to be hoped that the d.
rectors of the Academy will do all in their
power to support and encourage the manage
ment, and that no petty obstacles will be per-
mitted to interfere with the plans for the
season. The genius of Nilsson has proved
potent talisman to awaken the dormant ope-
ratio public and dispel the Rip Van Wrinkle
torpor that prevailed so long In the opera house
Of the metropolis. The stock Of the Academy
has advanced over fifty per cent in value
since the Swedish Nightingale first commenced
to sing there, and the most eager and enthusi-
astic spirit is evinced by the public to uphold
and make permanent the good work she
began-namely, the establishment of italian
opera on firm basis. At the matinee yester-
day, as an instance, there was such crowded
house as has very rarely been known before,
and 'Mignon" was received with more than
usual enthusiasm. Seats were sold in many
cases at the high figure of eight dollars, and
hundreds were unable to obtain even favorable
standing room. But to keep up this popular
recognition of the Importance of Italian opera
the stockholders of the Academy must, first of
all, select manager in whom they can
have confidence and then assist him by
every means in their power. An i'm
presario should be given complete con-
troll in an opera house, and should be
permitted to exercise his own judgment in re-
spect to engagements, arrangements and other
details of management. The public alone are
the rightful judges of operate talent, and no
individual efforts can force them to endorse
aught but first class talent. With Lucca it is
not unlikely that the no less celebrated prima
donna, lima Di Murska, may be engaged, so
that we shall have at the Academy two Of the
greatest artists in the world in the same
troupe. Mr.. Jarrett, into whose hands the
business management of the season has been
entrusted, has already made arrangements in
London by which he can secure the principal 1
members Of Her Majesty's Opera Company, In
order to make the ensemble as complete and
as strong as possible. 1t may come to pass
and at no distant date, that the queens Of the
operate stage will divide their time between
New York, London and st. Petersburg. Ger
tainly the public here are willing to patronize
to the fullest extent even the most costly ope-