Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-12-05
Progress in Music

From New York Letter.
The winter Of 1872 in New York and
New Orleans was as musical as grove
Of nightingales. We had at NiblO's the
beautiful and accomplished Anna Thil-
lon, who produced the new opera (think
Of il as new of the CrO1Cn Diamonds,
written for her by Asher and Serbs;
also the Black Domino. There were
concerts under the management OF Sig
nora Borghese, in which Stehanone,
Forti, Vietti and wonderful child, one
Adelina Patti, sung! There was COM
pany of italian artists called "The
Union" Of which Nine. ROscO (she who
afterwsrd died great prima donna st
st. Petersburg). De Vries. Virginia
Whiting, Badiali, Bettini, LOrini, and
others were members. They followed
ThlllOn at NiblO's. AT the same time
the elegant OperahOuse in Astor place
was in full career, and made good sea-
son with PaIOdi, Salvi, Marlnl, Bene-
ventsnO, etc; the success Of the season
here was Robert Le DiG6Je. / should
have attended more regularly and re-
membered better but for the fact OF my
youth, and the ballet in which Solo,
LeOntine, POugaud, Lsvigne, Dronett
and the charming Rousset sisters
danced. The latter part OF the year.
one AlbOni, 8 short lady, no"
mostly forgotten, came to u.s. She
was the first lady upon the OperatlC
stage in Europe in that remote snd
savage one, and she had with her the
great baritone and butto singer, RO'
we're. the tenor, SangiOvanni and others
She was shortly followed by Sontag and
a full company. AS 1 contrast the pres
| oh T1nT1aiaal dow ear
| scarcely believe my own chronicle. A
| few concerts, q great deal of piano bang
ing. an occasional nauseOus dose of the
| worst possible English opera, furious
| row of German music on the east side
| and Paddy GiImore's brass band-that's
where we sre now. When have we had
a good opera in New York, except the
French 6oufeS and goodness knows it is
not the music that makes that draw
| At present we cannot sustain grand
opera as we did sustain 1T twenty yeaT'
ago, and yet no people in all the breath
ing world pay such taxes to music IS
we do; the sacrifice to Euterpe is con
slant and devoted. Teachers Of music
with US are IS common as ecclesisstics
in Mexico, or as grssshOppers in Kan
sas, Their function is to teach the ru
diments of pisno-plsying to raw girls
who are assiduOus to join the innumeTa
bic thrOng OF teachers themselves OF
failing in that ambition, after aimlea
humping they forget what they kne'
of music, if one may be said to forge
what was never really learned. In
benefit is only to the manufacturers
pianos, a branch of industry as useful
the general economy as was the faOr
cation Of shrines of Diana at Ephesus-
as productive to the common veal as
the casting of bronze idols to japan
Piano-playing is q sort Of American Il
itch, one of the gauges OF social pos
ton. On the continent of Europe ever
town of consideration has its Opers
house: connected with it is not only
, company of singers and actors capabl
of a fair representation OF the works
} the great composers, but also a chOrr
accustomed to sing together, and an OF
chestrs whose members have had liz
long practice. In this country there
not a living operahOuse. There a.
? buildings called by the name; several
+ them are very noble structures, but the
} lights are fed, their garlands dead.
they are opened for short seasons the
have neither dresses nor scenery: u
p; chorus is something hateful to both gOl
and men, and the orchestra Is chaos
fiddlers. Hence, instead Of the Worl
of BelIini and Donizstti, our ingeniOl
youth are familiariZed to the indecel
cies of the bOuffe, which, happily the
. do not understand, unless ray OF hgl
/; NAV beam upon them when they col
slider the-veritable Can Can.