New-York tribune., 1877-08-18
LIE MTSICAL NEASON.

Theatrical enterprises in the large cities are
sometimes prosperous enough IN hard times
but music in seasons of depression almost
always suffers. Men who are veXed by
business cares turn to farce, comedy and
drama for relief but when trade is dull and
debts are pressing they find concerts too Sc
rious a tax upon the mind, and opera too heavy
a tax upon the purse. Hence, while the dra-
matte season opens, as we said few days
ago, with great briskness and at least fair
promise of prosperity, the outlook for musical
ventures during the coming year is un-
usually gloomy. Generally, before the mid
die of August, the town is placarded
with announcements, and agents are busy
distributing biographies and portraits of
coming celebrities, from the precocous child
pianist to to the high-priced prima donna
But this year not preliminary note has been
sounded. If you ask the musical puryeyors
who may now be found lounging at Stenway's
or standing solemn and silent in the lobbies Of
theatres, what they have in reserve for the
Winter, they sadly turn an empty pocket in
side out and answer, "My dear friend, see
"therem Neither Chickering Hall nor Stenway
Hall has been engaged for a single important
York Oatoric Society and Theodore Thomas's
usual series of symphonies.
II is true that there are rumOrs now and
then of the coming OF Adeina Patti, but we
have heard them too often. There are reports,
also that Yereer's Havana Company, with
Volpin and perhaps Marie Sass, may take
New-York on their way to the West Indies
and troll few ditties here in the intervals of
more serious business. But nobody appears to
contemplate risking genuine Italian opera
season, unless it be one sOf the SrakOschs
who are always ready to risk anything. One
Strakosch however, is in Paris, cOmmuning
solely with Patti and his own thoughts, and
the other, having made partnership with Miss
Kellogg is now persuaded that the Hope of
Art Is English opera, with merely little ltal-
ian on occasion, as n concession to fashionable
preiadices Hence the probabilities are that if
we have Italian opera at all we shall only drop
into it now and then in friendly way. OF
the English variety of lyric composition. which
is cheap and popular, there will be a plenty
The Strakosch company, which includes Miss
Cary as we'll as Miss kellogg, is to sing
here early in the season, and again
late in the Winter; but it will do the principal
part of its work in California Hess has or
ganized IA new company, of which the princi-
pal members are Miss Emily Melville, Mrs.
Zelda Segnin, and Mr.. Castle, his sps cial aim
Lemg apparently to give English versions of
some Of the best specimens Of the French
oylra coniqae. The time and place of the
apDearancc of this company have not been
made known.
A second venture in the WagneriGn opera
hy Mr.. j. G.. Fryer seems to promise some re-
spectable results. He h11 reelGlged Mm".
Pappenhem. and sccr""'l Mr. Charles Adams,
the American tenor wio ms bon 50 sl"ce's
ful in Germany, anl ~ ms made contracts
with several Other singers, VINO are not known
in Scw-Yorl. Fortunately, he mems to let
alone the Walkiirc' and contine himself to
the masters older operas it is s1id that he ia
preparing Ricnzi." We are not snrc of tho
justice of Interpreting Wagner at nil wi such