The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-02
Italian opera and Its Prosperity In
America.

An effort to elevate Italian opera to the
same level in stage representation as that of
dramatic works at some Of our leading thea
tres and to remove the obloquy SO long at
tached to operate performances in this city
should be hailed with pleasure by every patron
oflyric art. For many years past operas have
been placed on the metropolitan stage in a
manner disgraceful to even an east side theatre,
and few venerable scenes have been made
to do service in the most homogeneous manner.
Every habituf of the opera will remember the
large, faded Alpine scene which served as q
background to Richmond FAIR, the Palace Of
Selika in India, the banks of the Seine, the
environs of Seville and other localities. The
production of Aida" with new and magnif-
cent mise en- scene, was the first serious attempt
to lift the lyric drama out of the Slough of
Despond in which it had lain SO long,
and to give a proper setting to the
beautiful tone pictures of the singer and
composer The Inauguration of such reform
is On encouraging sign, and will 60 far
towards placing Italian opera on a sounder
and more permanent basis than it has
ever had before. The promise of the
present management to bring out this sea-
son Wagners grand opera ''Lohengrin' on
the same scale of scenic excellence as "AYda"
shows that the reform in question is
not to be merely transitory. Such
managerial policy cannot fail to be fnanci ally
successful. The New York public is
quick at approaching and encouraging
iberality and enterprise on the stage
as may be seen in the prosperous
career of our standard comedy theatres
The cause Of the repeated failures in operate
management here has been the narrow-min ded
policy which contented itself with single
star and company of incapable singers
The present Strakosch troupe is an eminently
artistic organization, and complete in every
detail necessary to give a well balanced,
harmonious representation of an opera. This
will account for the general success which has
attended it in every American city in which
performances have been given. Although the
financial returns have not been in proportion
to the artistic merits Of the season, owing to
the disastrous consequences Of the late panic,
yet they have been sufficiently large to show
the popularity of the new reform in opera d.
Any other company would have been obliged
to succumb to the terrible pressure of the
times. But liberal management, even under
the most adverse circumstances, has won
sympathy and substantial support. It is a
lesson that operate managers should not
forget.
New York is attached to opera and liber-
ally patronizes it when it possesses attractive
elements. glance at the lyric entertain
ments promised for this week will show that in
this city all the operate features in America
are naturally drawn together Three distinct
companies will appear at different theatres.
The Strakosch troupe will produce "Mignon,'
"Aida' and ell Trovatore' at the Academy of
Music; Nine. Pauline Lucca will appear in
don juan" "Die Huguenotten" and ''Fra
Diavolo," at the Stadt Theatre, with German
company, and Mile. lima di Murska will make
her rentree at the Lyceum Theatre in ':La
Sonnambula" and Lucia Next week Mile.
Aimee commences an opera boelGe engagement,
and we shall, likely, have another visit OF the
Kellogg English Opera Company. This Is
variety enough to satisfy the most exacting
lover of music, and proves incontestaoiy the
right of New York to be called an operauc
centre.