The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-28

What has become of Mr.. Strakosch and
our other correspondent, Fair Play ?"
Only short time ago they were discussing
the merits of various prina donnas and
operas to the great delight of the public,
which is always edited when managers
appear in print. This is especially the case
now when we have no opera. The managers
are expected to supply the music themselves,
and everybody hoped that Mr.. Strakosch
would continue his letter duets until he is
ready to bring out opera in the grand style
he proposes. But all Of sudden there is
silence in the orchestra. We have neither
Strakosch nor Fair Play" and we want
them both.
The direful spring of the unnumbered
woes of this operate war was the opinion of
Mr.. Strakosch, expressed in an interview
published in the HERALD, that Mile. Titiens
and Nine. Trebelli were not quite as good
singers now, and not quite as attrac-
tive in OPERA as when they were young We
hardly approved of his prudence in making
this public statement for, as Hamlet said,
although thing may be potently believed,
it is not always wisdom to have it set down
in print The ire of the admirers of
Trebeli and Titiens was, of course,
aroused and increased by the su-
periority which Mr.. Strakosch claimed
for Mile. Belocca over these ladies'
Fair Play appeared as their champion
In tones like those of q tenor robusto he de-
clared Mr.. Strakosch's opinions to be .sridicu-
lous," accused him of issuing bombastic
pronunciamentos, = said he had "thrown dust
in our eyes" and 'sinsulted our taste, and
concluded by advising him to get some one
else to write his mind for him. Practically,
Maurice Strakosch, who has been at the
head Of Italian opera for twenty-five years,
was requested to hold his tongue, and
it was natural he should be as much
shocked as Dom Pedro was when
Doorkeeper Fitzhugh slapped him on the
back and welcomed him to Washington
in the name of the American people. To
this fiery attack Mr.. Strakosch responded
with the indignation of an insulted basso
In his communication he affirmed that q
lady had been grossly insulted," and that
he had been treated ''impertinently !" he
defended himself from the charge of under
rating the merits of Titiens and Trebelli,
and accused s'Fair Play" of "untruthfulness
and sneering"
Since then the public has anxiously
awaited the end. What seems to make it the
more incumbent on Far Play" to reply is
the fact that he is reproached with being
afraid to give his name, and that Mr..
Strakosch actually went SO far as to say, chad
the writer given his name should have
been obliged to demand satisfaction Of him,
who, am sure, is no American, for Ameri-
cans never insult ladies'" We do not think
that this threat has had the effect Of keeping
"Fair Play" silent. But it is plausible de-
mand that he should give either his name or
good reasons for Withholding it. As it is,
the duet which began with pleasant alle-
gretto, then changed to an allegro furioso,
next became a marche funebre, stops Just
when fortissimo movement, with drums
and perhaps cannons, was expected So
the public is deprived of pleasing enter
tainment; it has neither operas nor discus
sions of operas although next to harmony
on the stage there is nothing it likes better
than discord off of it.