Year: 1871

Revival or italian Opera


We understand that there is prospect Of
short season Of Italian opera at the Academy
after Lent by a company from Havana, and
that negotiations are pending by which Mile.
Nilsson will be enabled to appear in opera at
the same establishment in the fall. Whatever
the merits Of the Havana company's enter
prise may be 10 an artistic point of view we
cannot judge before hearing them, but the
intense desire to see Nilsson in her own
favorite sphere is &. .sufacient guarantee on the
part Of the public Of the entire success of her
season on the lyric stage. But here again,
for the hundredth time, arises the one great
obstacle to italian opera, Of which
we have spoken so often-the per-
sistence Of the stockholders Of the Academy
Of Music In claiming privileges that no
manager can concede without Ynavolaable
ruin 70 himself and his enterprise. These
privileges Consist Of two hundred "deadhead"
seats, the renting out of various sources OF
INCOME connected with opera, such as llbretti,,
flowers, restaurant, &C., to outside parties, and
immunity from all responsibility in the success
of season, except the pleasing one of drains
ing the managers treasury by dozen ingc-
nious devices No manager or artist, not even
Nilsson herself, can make Italian opera sue
cessful at the Academy In the face of such
opposition, and it would be absurd to look for
anything but disastrous failure until the
stockholders are willing to acoede to
reasonable terms. The idea of q number
Of wealthy gentlemen in the metropolis
Of neutrality-suspicious. who represent the first
circles of fashion, to whom Italian opera par
ticularly directs itself-claiming the privilege
of enjoying this luxury without paying for it,
is un-Amercan and illiberal These gentlemen
say that they have invested great deal Of
capital in the Academy and that the returns
have been SO small that the least they should
have for their disinterested efforts in the
cause of art is the privilege of their seats.
Surely these gentlemen do not wish more than
the legal rate of interest on the money they
have invested, and reliable manager can be
found who will pay them the required seven
per cent. They will never realize anything
by keeping their pet establishment closed all
the year round or depending on a few desul-
tory concerts and balls. Again, they effectually
kill Italian opera at any other house, as the
Academy is recognized as it's legitimate home,
and it can only lead spasmodic existence
elsewhere. The stockholders should not look
back to the repeated failures in Italian opera
at their house for years past on account
of incompetent management, third class
;eka "a kc;o ~
natural consequence of such state of affairs
was pecuniary loss to the stockholders and
artists alone, as the management generally
had nothing to lose. Let them place their
building entirely in the hands of RESPONSE
BILE impresarto and the returns will be larger
than they dream of or than they have ever expe-
rienced before. But if they persist in their
narrow-minded policy not even Nilsson can
save season of Italian opera at the Academy.
and no manager will accept the responsibility
without the express intention OF deceiving
them and the public.


Now that Paris is no longer an operatic
headquarters, and that there are many emf
nent artists in Europe open to an
American engagement and even anxious
for Cae, there could not be more
propitious time for the revival of Italian
opera in this city The public want it and
are willing to pay for it, as they always appre-
ciate true art. This has been evidenced this
season by the great success of the Nilsson
concerts even at a high rate of admission.
Every artist who visits this country is Gu
chanted with the American public, and
Nilsson 80 much so that she has refused an
enticing London engagement in order to stay
among US. Why, then, should tho stock
holders of the Academy be the only obstacle
in the path? We trust that they will now
yield to the dictates of reason and common
sense.