Year: 1870

points.


Music In the Metropolis.


There Is much to admire and much to CEN
sure in the condition of music in New York.
Notwithstanding the large musical element ex-
isting among US, and the decided, although fire.
quently misguided, taste of the public for the
divine art, there Is little but chaos to be found
in the management Of musical entertainments
in this city. From Italian Opera down to the
smallest concert ruin has been the inevitable
result of every enterprise attempted Of late
years in this city. In other cities-Boston for
instance-there is always permanent organi-
zation Of some kind or other to give regular


opera, concert or oratorio seasons, and there


is also fair sprinkling Of patrons to make
these entertainments sufficiently lucrative to
sustain managerial life. Here, with the sole


exception of the Philharmonic Society--and
even that had hard time Of it until the last
two or three years-all efforts in the musical
line are spasmodic. The causes OF this may
be traced to various sources. Many Of our
managers treat music In the light of paying
speculation only, and sacrifice true art to i'm


mediate gain. Their neglect Of the claims of
true art influences the artists themselves


to a lamentable extent, and the inevitable


consequence is that the latter become
disgusted and no longer exert them
selves to make progress in their profess
sion. They are regarded only in the light OF
marketable commodities, and all the poetry
and ennobling influence of their beautiful art


are lost in the vortex of managerial greed


The public, too, are not favorable towards a


steady patronage of music. The cosmopolitan
elements of which they are composed and the
unhagging race in business which seems to
occupy every mans mind in this city are fatal
to an unwavering allegiance to true art Our
public demand constant change on the stage.
At one time opera 6ou6e is the rage; again
Italian, German or English opera are in
demand. A singer or instrumentalist creates
furor, and the entire musical public seem
to be crazy in their recognition Of his or her
great talents. But they soon tire of their fancy
and break to pieces the idol they have set up.
A third cause of the non-success of music in
the metropolis is that bugbear of managers
and orchestral leaders, the Musical Protective
Union. Founded on the laudable principle of
protecting the interests of poor musicians who


depend for their living solely on their profess
sion, it has become a monopoly controlled by
few ambitious and, we might also say,
unscrupulous, spirits, who are the drones of
the profession. Engagements and contracts are
of no value in their eyes, and the close, tyran-
nicalterm of the association oblige every mem
unjust and dishonorable they may be. Lastly,
we have the music publishers lending their aid
] to crush music as an art to the earth by pan
| dering to the lowest tastes of the concert


saloon ha6itues and completely ignoring native
or foreign talent. We have fought their dis
| reputable course long and persstently in our
Musical Review, and succeeded in wringing
from them some little consideration for the
claims of art. They still cling to the idea that
American composers are not entitled to any
compensation for their works beyond the mere
| fact of accepting and publishing them, and


thus they place an effectual bar to the progress
of music in this city. For long time, too,


they limited the field Of music by their extrava-


giant and exorbitant terms for musical pnblica-


tions, but the dime and half dime series OF


works completely defeated them on this point.
1t is no wonder, then, in view of such ter


rible obstacles, that manager after manager has


gone down in the attempt to establish first


class entertainments in this city, and that the


proposed jubilee Of the Philharmonic Society,


to be given in this city next summer, has fallen
| to the ground. There is only one remedy for
this. New men and new principles must enter
the field and all the old fogies must be thrown
overheard. Managers, artists, publishers and


composers must unite in the good work instead


of this constant Kilkenny cat warfare they in


dulge in. The public are tractable and their


tastes can be easily corrected. The main
| fault lies with the caterers Of music. When
they reform the divine art will soon attain


the position it should have reached years ago


in this city.