The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-05
italian Opera.

italian Opera.
Our readers will find in the HERALD of
to-day some interesting points in the his
tory of Italian opera in all the great cities
of the world. and many good opinions well
delivered on the reasons for the success of
the beautiful musical drama in one city or
its failure in another. Perhaps not one
man in dozen would have judged at ram
dom that the success of opera in city of
some note had ever depended upon the
catch of fish and on the disposition of the
people to eat freely of that admirable article
of diet, or that in another and even greater
city the success of the opera was as intimately
associated with the game Of faro as in this
city it is with the somewhat allied pursuit
of speculation in tickets. Fish and faro as
the basis of operate success Not fashion,
not art, not the possession of great voices
and the genius of great composers, but
mere faro, more or less honest, and
fat fish, moro or less fresh. This
queer association arose, it seems in the MIS-
tory of subventions In Naples the gov
eminent was poor. but the people were
determined to have opera. Opera or revolu-
ton. Bellini or freedom, was perhaps the
popular platform AS the government
could not afford to give a subsidy and must
have an opera it gave to the manager, in lieu
of cash, the concession for the only
gambling establishment permitted. In
similar spirit Of compromise the govern
ment in Havana associated with the duty of
furnishing opera the noble privilege OF sup
plying the people with fish. Mackerel and
Casta Diva went together
In the interview with Max Maretzek the
reader will find this odd fact, with much
beside that is piquant and fresh, particu-
larry some views on the history of the
Covent Garden Opera House as self-sup-
porting establishment. There are also in
terviews with Mr.. Gye, Of the Covent Gar
den house; with Colonel Mapleson. now Of
the Haymarket; with Max Strakosch and
with Carl Rosa. These names repre-
sent great total of experience in the
direction of operatic enterprises here and
abroad, and what is not told of the condi-
tons of success in one or another of these
interviews may perhaps be fairly regarded
as part Of the unknowable. There are di-
vergences of views naturally. One gentle
man speaks of the opera as forced and I'M
healthy product in all countries but Italy,
where inferentially it is to be assumed he
regards it as thrifty but the facts are
against that view, and nearly all the others
have different explanations to give why the
opera is not flourishing institution in it's
native land. One refers to the many pratt
cal sort of interests that prey upon the
opera in that country; another to the fact
that the very great majority of first class
artists, particularly prime dome, are not
Italians. Perhaps the GROWING fact is that
what good artists are produced in Italy are
tempted away by the greater remuneration
offered to them in other countries.
Our public is likely to have in the near
future greater interest in Mr.. Mapleson's
opinions than in those of any other impre-
sario, and we believe they will be pleased
to find these views SO much in accordance
with the recognized experience of the con-
ditions of success for opera in this city. He
believes that opera will succeed here, with
fixed regular season, with performances
that are good in the general artistic sense,
and not merely good as to one or two con-
spicuous characters in each piece-good
artists, good subordinates, good scenery,
good costumes and moderate prices. We
fully agree with him in this judgment. In
deed, opera on that standard would succeed
in any civilized country where there was
plenty of money and the will to spend it,
and these conditions are to be found here.
Mr.. Strakosch believes that opera here must
compete with opera in the countries where
the theatre is heavily subsidized, and COM
pete at lower prices, and hence that the
salaries Of artists must ruin the enterprise.
But Carl Rosa adds to opinions somewhat
like those of Mapleson that the manage
ment may add to his lists the names Of the
most ambitious artists and yet get rich, and
he cites the one hundred thousand dollars
made by one singer in one season which
was also prosperous for the manager rs
we'll In fact, opera here has generally
been sacrificed to the conflict Strakoschs
opinion points to--a conflict whether it
should be the prima donna or the manager
who should get rich in single year.
Disraeii's Civic Reception.