New-York tribune., 1878-04-13
AN ACADEWY THAT DOES NOT TEACH.

IN ACADEM1 maj DUES NOl IEACH.
Mr.. Charles Jerome Hopkins has honored us
with request TO give the benefit of our Cir
culation to an address to the stockholders Of
the Academy of Music. Mr.. Hopkins has
composed an opera, entitled dumb Love-"
which he is about to place upon the
boards of that theatre; and since even
dumb opera cannot be presented with
out money, he desires that each stock
holder will send him from $l5 to $25. We
feel that the slightest intimaton of Mr. Hop
kins's wish In this matter is all that the stock
holders will need; yet they may contribute
with more alacrlty when they are reminded
that "a poor performance" resulting from
lack of funds, "must discredit the Academy"
and depreciate the reputation of an establish
ment (which claims to be the cradle OF High
cart"
There is force in this suggestiOn but the
unfortunate proprietors of the Academy of
Music. who get no return for the money they
have invested in that fine opera house, except
one seat for each share of stock, and an in
definite amount of abuse in the newspapers,
have perhaps become callous to " "discredit.n
queer notion seems to hold possession OF
the minds of all adventures of opera that
they are engaged somehow in an enterprise
for the advancement of High Art which de-
mands the most delicate and respectful treat
ment from the public, and lavish subsidies
from the stockholders If their venture fail
as it usually dOes-they feel that they have
inundated themselves upon the altar OF as-
thetics; they complain that the Academy box
owners are an incubus; and they regard their
landlords with some such feeling as the Hon.
Mr. Bland probably entertains for bOndhold-
ers. The neighborhOOd of East FOurteenth-st
is haunted by the manned and melancholy
victims of a generation Of Operatic campaigns,
who have talked so long about their sacrifices
for the good of the public that they have al
most come to believe in them, and who spend
their afternoons railing at an ungrateful and
unapprecatiye community, and race OF heart
less and murderOus critics
But in truth, giving opera in New-YOrk is
generally not an art enterprise at all. 1t Is
a purely commercial speculation which, in the
long run, wins about as much prosperity as 1t
deserves. and there is no reason why the
owners of the Opera House should be expected
to give it pecuniary aid, or the critics to treat
it with tenderness. We do not refer to the
dumb Love" of Mr.. Jerome Hopkins, for as
vet we are not acquainted with that work,
and we might mention several undertake
ings of a musical sort IN the manage
ment of which it has been easy to trace
the influence of a higher ambition than
that of money making; but as an ordinary
rule the impresalio who brings troupe Of
singers to the cradle of High Art In Irving
place is governed by the same impulses which
direct all active and enterprising shOwmen,
from Mr.. Barnum down to the proprietor OF
the double-headed pig. Nothing is further
from their thoughts than the advancement OF
art or the elevation of the popular taste. And,
as a matter of fact, neither OF these results is
generally promoted by their operations.
Hence it is that the Academy of Music be-
lies its name. 1t teaches nothing; even when
an opera company contains good material 1t
generally fails to give a good performance,
because managers have come to believe that
conscientious work does not pay, while money
can be made 10y poor work. We do not know
that they are to be blamed, except in so far as
they pretend to merit for which they are not
even striving; the fault is more with the peo-
ple and the critics; but while such is the char
aeter of American Operatic ventures, it Is ridic-
ulous to demand for them the largcsses of rich
"patrons of art" Let them pass for just what
they are worth, without foolish favor.
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