The New York herald., 1879-09-17
The Season OF Theatre and Opera.


equal diffusion of political power.
The Season OF Theat tire and Opera.
1t is a favorable omen for the playgoing
season of 1S79-S0 that the past summer has
been the most prosperous known at the
watering places for many years. Theatres
and seaside hotels are largely dependent
upon the patronage Of the same classes;
and the success of one is usually a reason
able guarantee of the prosperity of the
other. There are now ten of our city
theatres open, besides two or three public
gardens, an aquarium and negro minstrel
entertainment. There is no play of the
first rank yet on the boards at any of them,
however, either in comedy or tragedy, and
but little that merits the name of nov
city. ''Dundreary's Brother Sam," at
the Park Theatre, is an amusing variation
of the character which Mr.. Sothern has al
ready made familiar, and in 'Wolfert's
Roost," at Wallack's, Mr.. Raymond, by his
clever portrayal of Ichabod Crane, is sup
play and aiming to repeat the venture
which proved so fortunate to Mr.. Jefferson
in similar adaptation from the same
author. At Niblo's characteristic spec
tacle keeps up the traditions of the house.
Booths and one or two of the other theatres
are given to melodrama. The little Theatre
Comique is still working the bonanza which
its managers discovered in the "Mulligan
Guards" with their infinite variations and
vicissitudes. Generally speaking, the sea-
son is in transition state, or, to put it
gastronomically, the feast is in its first
courses, with the entrees and the pieces de
resistance still to come.
In opera the prospect is good, both for
quantity and quality We have already
taste of the lighter sort of music in "Paul
and Virginia" at the Grand Opera House
and "La File de Nine. Angot" at the Fifth
Avenue Theatre. The engagement of
Capoul, Paola-Marie and Angele at the lat
ter house was good piece of business, and
deserves to be successful. These artists
are favorites in Paris, and Capoul, formerly
one of the very best of European tenors,
still makes up by the excellence Of his act
ing anything that his voice may have
lost in quality. But besides Mr..
Grau there are two "only original
jacobs s"-Maretzek and Strakosch-in the
field, each with n special programme
for the season. Maretzek promises q nov
city in the shape of an original American
opera to be called "Sleepy Hollow" while
Strakosch pledges himself to the appear
ance of some stars of the first magnitude
with the usual repertoire of ancient operas,
ranging from 'sTrovatore" to ''Somnambula"
and "Puritani." The only novelty he prom
ises is Bioto's "Mefstofele," an imitation
of the Wagnerian school. 1t is pity that
when there are SO many newly written
operas of another kind to choose from it
should be thought necessary to import
Without the least intention to give
offence to the devotees of the German
master we think the general public fails to
agree with their enthusiastic estimate of his
work. It Is too ponderous and severe to
suit the popular taste, or in fact any taste
except that of the small circle of enthusiasts
who constitute the Wagnerian school. With
out entering into the question of its in
trinsc merits it is sufficient to say that it is
neither loved nor understood by the rest of
the world, nine playgoing men and women
out of every dozen preferring "Le Petit
Due" or even the 'Pinafore" to "Lohen-
grim"
Besides the three managers already named
we are probably going to have Mr.. Maple
son again, with Gerster and an excellent
company. Mr.. Mapleson had n successful
season last winter, and we have no doubt
he will be welcomed to New York in spite
of some little peccadilloes which marked
his first visit. He will doubtless prove
himself n man of good faith. as he has
already proved himself man of pluck
and enterprise, and we heartily wish
him success. He gave us last season
something moro in the nature of
genuine opera and less like operatic con-
cert than we had seen in q long time.
Italian opera in New York had degonerated
and feeble companies. With Gerster,
Hauk, Campanini and the others of Mr.
Mapleson's company, we came nearer to
having real opera, and it is to be hoped
that the New York public may this winter
be afforded the treat of an operatic company
of general excellence in contrast to the
weak ''star" entertainments Of recent years.
Mayor CoOper's Cognovit.
Our worthy Mayor has made a sur
prisingly prompt submission to the judicial