The New York Herald Newspaper, November 11, 1855, Page 6

6 ‘WHE OPERA IN NEW YORK AND THE UNITED STATES. SAK HARETZER ON MUSIC. WOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. AND QUAVERS ; On, REVELATIONS OF an Opps MANAGER IN Aerica. By Max Ma- retaek. 8S. French, Nassau street. The epoch in which we live is one of startling phenomena and surprises. Its events baffle all con- eeption and calculation; its celebrities astonish us "py the suddenness of their elevation and the poverty of their antecedents; its lessons are fast uj g all our old convictions and fondly cherished fs; and its progress is drifting us on an ocean of scepticism and vague speculation, From the commencement of the Busso-Turkish difficulty down to the recent astounding victories of the Know Nothings in our own State, the nerves of trembling humanity have been subjected to a succession of the most awfal galvanic shocks. In fact, we want but a few earth quakes to give consistency to the Millorite belief that the world is near its ead. The two most surprising men of this most sar prising epoch are unquestionably Louis Napoleon and Max Maretzek. The ‘ormer dissipated his time in frivolous pursuits until he had attained an age when the destiny of most men is accomplished, and upto that period had consequently acquired only the reputation of being a senseless, brainless, and very ordinary sort of person. How he hassince suc- eeeded in reversing this estimate of his character we leave it to history and the Czar to say. We have to do only with the fact that he is now universally regarded as one of the ablest and most sagacious rulers that France has ever had. In an almost equally unprofitable way did our Napoleon of the Opera fiddle away some of the most precions years of his existence. In the hope of gaining an erapire like the prisoner of Ham, he invaded our shores with even less means of conquest than the live eagie and dozen of champagne of that successfal adventurer, for we believe that he could not boast of even a solitary symbolical effigy of that respecta- ble bird when he landed here. After a career of strange vicissitudes, and of an equivocal sort of fame acquired as much by its failures as its successes, it is only now when he is descending into the vale of years, when his Hyperion curls are losing their bright auburn tints, and his Adonis like face and figure are assuming the obesity of middle age, that he bursts upon us in a new and more intellectual light, dazzles us by the corruscations of a genius which was erroneously supposed to have limited its horizon to the foot lights, and takes at a bounda position which it costs other men years of patient toil and study to attain. Who would have believed that in the incessant occupation of his harrassing professional avocations, in the multitude of his pecuniary anxieties and cares, in the social demands made upon his spare time by his convivial popularity and devotion to the shrine of beauty, hecould have found leisure to woo the muses and cultivate a literary taste and style of no ordinary pretension. And yet we have the evidence of the fact before us in a book—the wit, causticity and epigrammatic terseness and even elegance of which would do credit to the pens of some of our most es- teemed modern satirists. It will be ill-naturedly said by Maretzek’s enemies that he owes much of its literary smartness and merit to the gentleman who was called in to assist him in its preparation. This may be in a degree true as to its form; but as regards its main elements, its pungent spirit, and its rattling off-hand liveliness efatyle, any one acquainted with the author's con- versational powers will not hesitate to identify him with them. It is written very much as he talks, ba- ting certain Teutonic peculiarities of expression which his amanuensis has very successfully toned down. Itis a great mistake to suppose that the handsome chef d’orchestre is. entirely without the qualifications essential to literary success. He was originally destined for one of the learned professions, and like bat too many other German students, ‘had his vocation spoiled by bis enthusiasm for music. As but little is known of the earlier portion of his history here, we will give in his own words, in a let- ter to Professor Fischof, of Vienna, the history of this revolution in his tastes or rather in the plans formed for him by his tamily:— Through your interference in my behalf, I was allowed 4 embrace'a musical career. To your kindness do I owe it, that my parents permitted me to become an artist. Possibly, my dear Professor, it was a rash longing upon wy part, and an unwise benevolence upon your own, which enabled me to do so. But not being one of those discontented individuals who are never happy save when quarreling with their destiny, I chide neither at you, hor censure my own determination. SuMcient is it for me toknow that I bave embraced the most arduous of professions, and that 1 am now pecforce obliged to pur- sue the career of an artist. ‘Then, no more than a beardless voy of some seventeen allowed the Greek and Roman y harm to the digestive faculties of my brain. Asa proofof this, it may be mentioned most completely forgotten by me. If my memory tells me that there was such a historian as ‘Thucydides, such # romanticiat as Hesiod, and such poeta ax Catullus, Juvenal, or Terence, believe me that it is all it can do.’ The lectures on philosophy, metaphysics, geometry, logic, and the common law, were attended by me. These have served me but little, although they were by my father to direct me in my course of life, bad siready Lapioed it out for me. e truth is, f to be either a ir medicine, or, should I chance to prefer it, ® doctor juris. the meantime, I had imbibed » gicong alstike to out the quarrels of other people in a black gown, contracted an invincible repugnance to scalpels i F the Inst two years of my collegiate ex- works of Mozart, Weber, Rossini, and masters, had more charms for me thaa the P first worked out by Pythagoras, the vulgar, the pons asinorum, My mu- ; venerated Mendelssohn and Meyer- beer, far more than my studious nature respected the wetapbysical dogmas of the Romanist priest who was one efeur professors. Indeed, often when our admirable in atructors endeavored to make us comprehend their tables , or logically argued the necessity for an of the world, trying to prove the existence of a bea ye ich a jon of an andant+ grazioso, or in Ras some A hace Tal aqueere myself thro Mechanic meta "gt be Meterrained that I hould be a surgeon. Conse it wae shot as \. Thad to enter the dissection room. my life, my nervous fealings at the weans soothed ane ction 10° the iocality, hal. on uction to tl ty, hal- lneed, ee my professor had told me, by the first blash of eciemoe. tering the well ventilated hall, the beadle of the Ualversity ‘had just pat up toauction the mortal remains of some who had hung himself, thereby phgins is body within the legal reach of a dissecting Mt was the frst deed body I had ever seen. Such frightful impression did it make — q me, that for weeks afterwards were my waking ta and sleepii reams haunted by that blue and It face with its Tee'old wtvden , who, during the suction, had been eating their breakfast, of cold sausages and and were fortunate to besome its cheese, enviable tors. When knocked down to ‘them, Farlahed their meal and rushed up to their rs, ‘They turned it over and hand.ed it, playing with tan bables play with itheir dolls, while my flesh was erceping over my bones with a painfully unmitigated dis- gust. Then, they sold out portions of it ina carefally modelled imitation of the auctioneering capacity of the beadle, At last, they removed it to the dissecting table. 1 thea, my good professor, the indescribable loathing and horror which seized upon me, when I «aw one of the identical knives which had operated in divid- ing the sausages, and cutting up the bread and cheese, trust into the yl man’s ly” Had it been thrust ‘o oy own flesh, the emotion conld not have one whi » -shorrible, I felt thatknife passing through my very sping up, L rushed from the hall. What passed t my parents, I havo no distinet remem: it was decided that Max Maretzek should ‘6 to the Surgical Col Uhin Tt was determined that T should devote my. . vuaie. The life of an artist, at that time, seemed to ly reasonable and bonorable existence for any entl, ch, Laat down to complete an opera which had ‘ ady commenced, What young composer does « ‘an opera’ In the innocence of my youthful be- i aid opera was to carry me straight along the r .me gaa fortane. ‘The more my work advanced, te » evidently did it become, in my opinion, s ch It was bound, (so at least did I believe.) to " profound sensation, and carn for me an eqnality © greatest composers, Dreaming, even in my hours, of those honors which perforce awaited jv. ee ite production, and seeming to compose even as j ered, at length I completed that *tupendous work, ily, my deat Fischof, you may not re dows ame » of, bat instead of frequenting lecture rooms perial Opera, Nay, in my fancy, L had listened to you mortality, celebrated professor of msthetics, and with leas modest; than that which lind been displayed towards you, lat the score before him. My request was, and sooth to He} it was made, if my mem determined manper, tha‘ roposing my opera for Upcras “After a low quosticns which'he adAreased be mn all probability ascertained that I could not be easily dismissed, with him’snd to return in a fow days. eagerly counted by me. They seemed to be so many cen turies. On the appointed day Laceordingly presented my a Tread it to aud began reading :—The opern which you have went me has, after its perusal, actually made me feel forty years younger,’ wild with delight, as the Doctor, looking at me with an ironical smile on his intellectual feutures, asked me whether I would listen to any more ? me. I sunk back into my chair, like an automaton, whose wheels and watch-springs have done their ap- pointed labor teles. and then, resuming the letter, he thus continued: = Howaver, pee tiful 1 04, a plentiful, supply of melody, that it may be p-r- mitted me to belier sf "gene were to begin his theoretical studies anew, he might, in some two years, become an accomplished mazstro, and as nation bad painted, were at once dissolved. All the cas- tlea which I had reured in the morning-skies of my fancy, had melted into the unsubstantial heavens. different light. fried, seemed to him flattering enough. echo. ry an answer. wretch not adding positive inault to-injury t honorable of conclusion of his letter, and to obtain my parents to terminate my musical studie, under his care. with the resolution to abandon the profession of my choice, and rush into bone-setti anything else to which it might me. Old as T was, Wi fancy had dubbed me a man, fact stil! ranked me as a child, and dressed myseif, all things had changed to my per- ception, had not dreamed, yet my first waking reflections were first production, is known io you and most of my coun- trymen who understand and relish music. man is there that does not do so? and although I again tell you how thankful J was and am for your kindness, the through my mind whether it would not have been. better for me to become either a doctor or a lawyer ? imaginat universal medicament, ‘good for all kinds of diseases, and very wholesome to healthy persons,” like Dr. Dal: camara's in the “ Elixir d’Amore.”” have been a millionaire like Prolessor Holloway, of Lon- don, or have emulated the glories of Dr. Townsehd’s pala- tial mansion in our own Fitth avenue, in this country when he first came here, in 1848, the author gives a very depreciatory but amusing ac- count. We have been so mixed up with the efforts made to reform the discreditable state of things which he describes that we may be excused for qaoting at some length the testimony of so compe. tent an authority on the subject:— be found in New York, consisted of a philuarmonie so- ciety and an Italian o vera of the first of ed to the enjoyment of the creature comforts than they NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER ll, 1855. member this sublime exhibition of my youthful indieputably aubject to it, Rossini, had he listened to | run away from it with his paternal progenitor en | ‘‘ Apologize to Fry.”* This, will at rn A a . once confe ius. Far as we are apart. I feel that you have been of my epinion. After the first | bis back. Had he not run away ‘so anes be "ay be 6-3 | Apotogi captivating oder of titnase to vee was bed toto ouat ' Ld end in answer. Yet it was to you eighty bare of the allegro movement, you would, bad you | could, thus bu: the son of Anettises would “Never mind Lal 1 Apologize to the public. Personal experience in management as myselt. pO meech | ig tic Beore. It wasto you that!) been » upon shutting your eyes, have undoubtedly | never have dresmed’ of establiscing hintself in a “The public doesn’t want gn apology.’ However, 1 naturally required some little timeto weigh began to play it over. Your observations I well | believed that you were surrounded by a series of saw- | foreign land, to which he had no title, as 8 colomist; and, “Give us a song.’ it in my own mind, before coming to any determination, ee ee ‘on pn Ate isang Te Bho ee in perrese coerelian, Under such ciroumstances, consequantly, bis descendants could not possibly have pa Zest ‘Henkes Doodle! shouted « portion of oot ee giving hha a response at the moment. qi leader cor course be soon | founded Rome, pebiic. uckily, 1 was induced to make some inquirios ona to Parsovers in my tion to become » mu- | came out of time, (how could they etn bn flew Without the existence of the seven-hilled city, it is “We don’t want ‘Yankee Doodle.’ ‘Carry him back | the Chevalier, and Jearnt frum the weep beat roar i that eer; Low could you be so cruel? You told | sion ensued. Kverybody felt himself individually called | more than probuble that we abould have had no univer: $o, ae vingtney. (this was, 96 I presume there will be no harm ie my me that melody and imagination were abundantly mani- | upon to restore order. A squeak from the would | sai empire. “Order (Order? ‘ men! the naiae, Dr, Conneaa, who was or had been fested inthe score, and these you considered sufficient | be heard, followed by a loud squall from ali the wind in- But for the existence of that universs! empire, what For some time Benedetti stood all this very quietly. arantees for the future development of my musical struments, trying to indicate a place for re-union. Then } chance would the past have presented for the establish- the scourge in different directions. It will be needless to | Lave been bornt some few completely distanced, and Signor Lietti by no means first in, they terminated the overture. The au- dience bestowe{ upon them a round of aj ee and the leader demonstrated by three low bows ti intense satis- faction both with himaclf and the public Atter having heard Almaviva, Rosina and Basilio, it, became unmistakably evident to me that none of them woald ever a revolution in the musical world. They will therefore, in all proba- bility, hate me henceforward for neglecting to ,tell you’ their names. Such, do I grieva to say, is too Hequently musical gratituae, It was but shortly afte:- wards that I reti 5 jenckgeraniae feeling, rather toon knowing, tbat there were several good musicians in the orchestra, who only wanted purgation and a thoroughly earnest and intelligent conductor to be rendered really available and valuable ua its members, 1¢ wus my intention on the following morning to look Aunerica ¢ Yermit me to call your attention, my “ear Berlioz, to the progressive influeace which Helen’s most immoral ea- capade has had over all our affairs—religious, social, or political—upon thia side of the globe. Now, precisely and exactly in the same manner as that in which Helen's faux pas had operated to cause auch an uggregative amount of trouble, had the developement of his musical teste, in the brain of W. H. Fry, seattered the seed of what bas turned out a very pleasant and agree able musical quarrel, to those bystanders who have «ither nothing, or have had nothing at all to do with it, The following is a curious portrait of the editor of the HeraLp:— THE NEW YORK “DIOGENES.” Bot I presume that you would like to know somethi about James Gordon Bennett. You mutter to yourself, Resolved, however, not to abandon my chance of im- Thurried off to Doctor Ignaz Jeitteles, the serves me, in a remarkably he would use his influence in performance at the Imperia\ me, He therefore requested me to leave my scor t The minutes and seconds of those few days wer in, “41 have sent,” anid the worthy Doctor, “your opera to Now, whether this “ Yes! yes!” applied to singing or our Maestro, the Chevalier Seyfried, who, as you know, | after the choral department, and, on inquiry, 1 disco- | :*What a devil ot a fellow hemuat be!" You are about | withdrawing, or the vocalization of ‘ Yankee Doule,” it At the Jeast, it may be supposed £0, from the cire is the greatest musical theorist of our days.” vered that the rehearsals of this portion of the troop | to question me respecting bis mental, moral and physi- | would be impowible to say, and Benedetti stood for a | stance of his soon afterwards retiring from his previ “Weill !” was my answer, ‘and the resul: 2” “He gave his opinion in writing upon its merits. Shall uu P?? took place in @ store-house situated on the East river, in which the carpenters, tailors aud painters all worked. ‘This having been arranged by the manager, in order to keep them all under the vigilant superintendence of his homme de confiance, who iejoiced in the grandiloquent title of ‘General-Intendant of KE. P. Fry's Opera.” let me assure you that his Intendance was a very general one, "He being at one and the sawe ume, seoxetary, #tage mausger, head carpenter, hus- band to the first tailoress, and, i was about to say, head cock and bottle washer to the establishment. ’ This, however, would be gving too fir, and I apologize for the involuntary injury to his reputation my pen had almost cal nature, ‘Allow me to tell you, my dear Berlioz, that such que tions would be very difficult for 80 unintellectual an in vidual as myself fo anawer. Some imagine him to be a moral ogre, who digests reputations, artistic or political, as « Lona fide one would make his meal of a ragou! d’en- fans, ov 8 potage des jeunes Anglais. There are others, however, who assert him to be a totally misunderstood and infamously underrated Christian philosophar. One would tay that he enjoys little so keenly as the pulling to pieces public character, while a second praixes the coursge with which he has applied the knife to a moral uleer upon the body politic. Here, be is possibly accused ‘Most cer! ly 7” “Then listen |? Here he took out a letter, unfolded it, ® Here. I jumped up ina perfect ecstasy, and completely “Yes! yes! continue by all means, my dearest Doc- tor ?” Lstammered out. _ | done him. of the wenton destruction of private happiness; and, “Because, forty years since, I was unfortunately in What was my amazewent, when, on visiting thia store, Luxedfhe is warmly hailed as the undaynted advocate of | sk the habit ot writing just such nonsense as this opera is!”’ | 1 found that it contained no more than one large room ! por lar liberty. This man wil? accu of hay vio- Ablow with a feather would at this momenthave felled | ‘The cazpenters were busily hammering im it, the tailors | luted thesecret sanctity of the domestic hearth, while the accompanied their labors with nigger songs, while, at the same time, such of the chorus as were inclined fur work, were studying snd rehearsing thelr parts. As for the chorus master, he seemed to be an early riser—a very early riser to one who had been necustomed to London and Parisian life, for although i: was then barely ten o'clock, he had’ very evidently been al- ready “laboring in the vineyard.’ Some of the male members of the chorus, on my arrival, were occsupied ina game of cards with the © General Intendant ” of Mr. Fry's Opera, It may consequently be presumed by you, my dear Berlioz, that he was evidently a man of de- cided gevius, and had already got through his multitari- ous and most curiounly coupled duties for the day. In the meantime, a few of the ladies employed in the chorus wore dividing their attention with an impartiality of the other will congratulate him upon having uncapped a hidden moral baseness. Some have named him the Satan’’ of the New York press, while others have styled him ita ‘ Napo- leon.” ‘These assert that he takes “black mail’ from everybody who fears his pen. Those, it is woll known, have been turned out of Lis office for having simply ut? tempted to brine him. Should you still wish to have my opinion of this man, I am ready at present to give it to you. You say that youdo. I therefore prepare to jot it down. I’ is this: James Gordon Benwett is neither more nor less than the New York “Diogenes.” You laagh, but let me sesure you that there is no jeat in this opinion respectiog him upon my part, | Beniett ia, in thix comparatively new American repablic, and almost as modern New York, precisely that which the phi- “Will you hear the remainder?” asked the professor. 0!” This is more than enough.” to Never mind what he has said—” continued Dr. Jeit- T hid my face in my hands. ‘Take courage, and be attentive to what follows ;” there are in portions such keen modulations dis. of it, together with such his eve, if the unknown you ‘gentleinan La Mute with disappointment, all my hopes had vanished sidely Su pearaee; were engaged inan earnest conversa, | rences of time, place, progress apd e¢ircumstances. from me. tion with two of the tailor boys, of which I heard enough) | Had the first named preceded the Inst, in it of | wi All the pictures of fame and honors (not yet had Ibe- | to form on idea that it tonahed upon the stipulations for | time, and besn born in Athons, he would heve taken up gan to think of money, my old friend) which my imazi- his lodgings in the clasaice!cask now hallowed by the a private treaty of commerce, in which the purloined silks and calicoes of Mr. Fry were most certainly destined to play a very prominent part. The account of Maretzeb’s first interview with the ostensible ruler of these chaotic and discordant ele- ments is exceedingly rich. Here are his first im- pressions of MR. MANAGER FRY. To apply the: bedom of the reformer to the abuses which existed, demanded the hand as well as the will of the manager, This manager [ had not yet seen. To me he was at this period a myth, and I deiermized accordingly upon reduetng him, as soon as possible, to a reality. Making my egrets therefore from the atelvr of the tai- lors, and the studio of the chorus singers of the Astor Place Opera House, I bent my way to the ad¢ress given me as that of its lessee, This was Mr. E, P. Fry. When I arrived at the house in question. I sent in’ my card, and was speedily admitted. was in his private apart- ment, anc was arranging his wig when | entered it. As he turned towards me, an uncomfortable foreboding of his failure im his present undertaking came over me, which was probably produced by his personal appear- ance. It would, very certainly, never ave induced me to suppose him an operatic manager. He had the gene- ral appearance of a gebtleman, combined with some de- gree of edeity; and apparently, none of that peculiar Jinesse which invarinbly axeociates itself with our ideas ‘of an unprofessional operatic director. A finesse, by-the by, which had always stricken me as the most’ evident characteristic of the head of Mr. Lumiey, the last Eu- ropean manager with whom I had been connected. Appenances, however, are very often deceitful in the extieme, and I' refrained ‘from at once permitting myself to form a judgment of nis capacity. His reception of me was gracious enough, and we soon entered into conversation, which naturally turned upon the prospects of the approaching season. He was very evidently a well-intentioned man, my dear Berlioz, and} what is finfinitely rarer, a well-meaning manager. Unfortunately, he knew nothing whatever of the business he had entered upon, and had but small ex- perience in active life. The principles of operatic man- agement which he ingenuously avowed, were indeed 80 naive. that they absolutely commanded from me a large amount of sympathy. He exhibited in his plang no symptoms of real and manly ene siderable amount of obstinacy # occasionally visible, But let me jot down to you the leading portions of onr conversation. It may prove to you, that however details may differ’ the same main features characterize operatic mapagement in every portion of the world. What these are, you know to the full as well as i do, and consequent- ly, it would here be useless to specify them. Wr. Fry informed me that he bad engaged for his ap- proaching season, Signor Trufii, Signor Benedetti and Sig- nor Rossi, three’ popular singers, and all of them great favorites with the New York public. He, however, not liking them, had sent his brother, W. H. Fry, to Europe, tor the purpose of engaging others. I gently hinted to him, that ony favorite artists with the public, whether good, bad or indifferent, sre in a managerial point of view, a source of fortune, and should on no account be superseded until the public are wearied with them, or their ows demands upon the management become ‘too enormous to admit of a reasonable prospect of profit from their further engagement. “That may be all very well,” was his reply, “as far as regards their merit, But these artista refused to sing under the former management of Sanquirico and Patti, in an opera written by my brother.” In consequence of this, I was left to imagine that the afore-aid brother was now sent out to engage auch artists as miftht be able as well as willing to perform his compo- sitions, ‘At the same time, I learned that my manager had only abandoned his former vocation as bookkooper in a large commercial house, for the purpose of establishing opera through the compositions of his brother—he being then an¢ now fully and completely convinced that his brother is absolutely destined not only to become the generator of melody, and the harbinger of the golden era in music on this side of the earth, but also the dictator of its pre- sent progress throughout the world. memory of Diogenes. He would have excluded himself yy that yery act trom fashionable society, for how could tashion tolerate the man who lived ina tuby Witha Jamp in his had, in broad daylight, he would have wan- dered thro the streets of Atiens in search ofan honest mon, always @ eomewhat difficult article to find. In a word, Bennett would have been the genuine and'identical Diogenes, But the last named, if he had come to New York some twenty years ago, would have done nothing of ell this. No, Berlioz, I feel positively convinced that he would simply have started a newspaper. He would most indubitably have-selected a corner house in Nassau or William street for his business domicile. Con- sequently the fashionable world would exclude him from their society. ‘Upper tendom”’ would know him not, nor would he have eared two straws for knowing.‘ upper terdom.” Lifting hia rod over their backs, he would have castigated their sins, Taking his paper‘in his hand, he would have gone forth in search of rsoney. Believe me, when I say that he weuld have done right. Money at the present day outvalues a dozen honest men. Therefore isit that 1 tell you the Diogenes of the New World ix most undoubtedly the identical and genuine James Gor- don Kennett. Nature has undoubtedly. refused him an advantageous personal appearance, such as she bestowed on the Ad- mirable Crichton, D’Orsay or Beau Brummell; but in_re- turn for her penuriousness in this respect, she has gifted him with a rare talent Sor observation. Quick aad pene- (rating in his judgment, he has of course discovered in the human race amongst whom birth and the will of God had chanced to cast him, much more to censure and to ridicule than to praise and to admire, Have you and 7 not made the same discovery, my friend, long since ’ On starting the New York’ Héraud Heravy, he under- took singly and unsided to sweep away the whole of that filth ard mud which had, for so many years, gradually ‘arts, commerce and fashion, in |. Sourcely, however, #0 fortunate as the somot the Thunderer, who maanged to cleanse the Augean stables, he, on: the ‘contrary, bears some resem- vlance to the daughters of Danans. The more that he sweeps from the one side, the larger amount of moral filth rushes into, and, perforce, fills the other, Sometimes it may also have happened chat im his toil, after a day’s bard sweeping, a remnant of dyrt and some » although a con- |»: cdor might remain about him. Such aecidents, my red itself to become } rir Berlioz, will happen to every reformer. This feature of divect antagonism to every abuse, as well as his constant and most successful labor to acquire the eazliest news ere steamer and telegragh hed placed it within the reach of all, have, by degrees, ensured his paper a prodigious circulation. His enemics buy and read it to see whether they have been attackec. His triends do the saine, that they may get for two cents a shilling’s worth of fan; while the great balk of the po- pulation, invariably the most acute judges of that which is really good, secure an early copy for the sake of learn- ing all the current as well as acquiring the earliest news. . Now, this was theman whom my mamager had, with a sublimely heroic pugascity, selected as his enemy. It would almost seem as though destiny bad called me across the water to New York to view their encounter. The intrigues, the rivalries, the disappointments and the final catastrophe of this unfortunate compa- ny are so familiar to our readers, that as graphic as wre the descriptions given of them in this book, we donot think it worth while to recapitulate them. One scene, however, is so vividly accurate and ‘ings back so many ludicrous reminiscences, that we must give it place:— A SCENE BEFORE THE FOOTLIGHTS. Upon the Friday evening in question, three distinct parties were to be found in the Astor place Opera House. These were the personal friends of the mavager, those who supported the refractory tenor, and the public. The first of these came simply and \ porely for the purpose «t hissing Benedetti and sustaining Mr. Fry in his attempt 'o control him, This was, it must be confessed, my good siend, a very praiseworthy example of private fi ip. the second ¢f the three. parties wera the friends of the Old Dr, Jeitteles, however, viewed the aflair in a widely He aseured me that this reply from Sey- “flattering enough !”” I groaned with an involuntary re at For his part, he had not expected half as complimenta- ‘Half as complimentary !”? Was the kind-hearted old He, cousequently, advised me to take advantage of the ler which the Chevalier had implied at. the permission from Louving the doctor, I went homeward, however, in or process-serving. or eae my parents to call 1 do not fre) ashamed to say, that, on right, my feelings sobbed themselves to silence upon Jeterinnation. It was evident that, us yet, although ev te Bat with the fellowing dawn, Fischof, when I arose : th What it was, 1 know not. Certain is it that J widely diflerent from those under whose in@uence slum- ber had eome upon me. Cool thought treated my childish presumption, now, at its right value, Returning again to you, I begged your interference with my parents, and turvagh your intercession was it, with them, that their consent was given to my boyish ignorance of music, being placed under the tuition of the Chevaller, With what ardor und perseverance I worked under his guidance, and how, some time aftorwards, an opera was actually produced by me, with more than the mere success generally awarded by public courtesy to a dai th he wo of wi What Ger- Sixteen years have parsed over me since that period, ought hax occasionally passed Had my father's will mage me the tit, perchance my ve faculty might have developed itself in some th del By this time I might Of the condition and prospects of musical science ug del pa a hy th thi The musical institutions which were at this period to ra; and the majority of the mem- to ese Were considerably more addict- were to the cultivation of harmony. Their object was rather to make a few dollars by the annual subscription for four concerts, than to elevate the popular taste. As for the propagation ot a liking for classical music, this was never even thought of. Indeed, their répertoire consisted always of the same few symphonies, works of the old composers in our divine science, which everybody has heard, although but few have comprebended, since childhood. The compositions of modern maestri had never aven been put in rehearsal. Consequently they could not be produced. But I beg pardon, one overture of yours there oll re Fry then knew, and even now, suspects not that it is 50. Ad brother a learn on ded Speaking at some length upon the public and the press, my panna farther Gotlaces haad persona) and im: placable enemy of James Gordon Bennett, the editor of the New York Hrrarp. In saying this, he also seized the oj ‘tunity to inform me, that he not only intended eforeband by either of the two first partie. Benedetti, who would be exposed to the primary out. reak of the popular indignation, artfully fumented by he friends of the mat ent, was prepared with a engtby speech. In it. he would touch upon every possi- ie point of accusation against him. He would explain, modify, denouace entreat, bully, and apol I ” ny ‘nad Eindliness the sins, He in a thorough musician, but alto- gether far too modest an well aa too great a lover of peace yen will say that this is sii Hf unlike a musician,) lor the position ‘which he holds. He has the talent. and capacity, but completely lacks the energy to make of the Philharmonic Society that which a philharmonic society ‘ought to be, or at the least to attempt being. mel Occasionally he would open bis mouth with the attempt tute enemy 5; the gallery. from the gallery— moment comp! therefore repeated the question ; and, up in a graceful and expressive position, was prepari to proceed with the rest of iis previously prepur speech, when the acuteness of one of Madame Laborde's triends frustrated his intention. Nourrit, an old stager and old stage-manager. who, see ing the turn matters were about to take, and gave the signal for dropping the curtain, once came, between the internally irate and externally most pacific tenor. cutiing short any further colloquy between himself and the public. upon the bridge of bis nose, and rush lights, flattering reception indicated in his programme, was no been some. upaccountable error committed by those He gazed wildly arou and 0 were would pot even have endured it as long as Benedett! bad done, but for the suggestions of some of the membors of wnmistakable nervousness, encouraged him not to leave the battle ground, At he was permitted to stummer out his speech, hissed by the friends of the tenor, applauded by bis own, and merriment elicited from its hearers by any farce, than scarcely an American was present who did not under- stand Italian. The shghtest bearing upon the private affairs of the vocalists, into which the words of theopera, or the acting wight be tortured, was immediately taken up by the audience. clamations were beard from the caught up by those who were in the parquet and boxes. But when, in the last scene, Polio implored Norma to pardon him, and the exclamation— the merriment of the’ public could no longer be repressed, and the opera concluded amidst a general outburst of laughter from the public. the chorus, and the orchestra, were, almost against their will, obliged to j but it brought the Opera House into himself incurred a large amount of personal ‘discredit, crated a certain amount of space in his columns, daily, dear friend, that this was the only thing which induced and myself have seen, Berlioz, even in Europe. han our manager answered and attempted to refute the tertuined, and but that ‘Thus, with an amount of nerve and a di mity for which you ought to award him a large degree of moral credit, he suffered hiniself to be daily abused and ridiculed. While doing #0, he nevertheless jotted down each trusulent jest or aspersion in the noté-book of bis memory. him as'so much cash, fying the,balance sheets of speculation which had un- deniably turned out il, An ina dollars turaed the scale of operatic chances greatly in his favor. THETAVERN BILL OF A QUARTETTE OF CELEBRITIES. cert tour. accorded to these artists in » fore determined to make the names of the compovere, whose pieces were selected for the evening of the. con- vames ofthe last places in them, and rejoiced in the most sizeable letters that the pain office of the little town was enabied to The trick, if trick that could be called which was in- tended to impose upon no one, and. ver posed upon none of the female’ half of Two-thirds of the audience were ladies, but the other hird of it, which would decidedly not have come-to hear anything that anybody could sing, provided that any- body was unknown to them by reputation, consisted of gentlemen. what was my agent's intepse astonishment on the fol- ‘owing morning, which was thanded to him by the very gentlemanly of- ‘iefa) standing behind the desk of the prnoipal hotel in Amongst them, he says, there was one real lover of ort iteelt, Lave been found in New Yor! Lave been an established fact in this city. the private pkysici.n to the Prince-l’resident weedinn ged cecupation of the Chevaliee nt”) ‘Be tut alent, This, my dear Fischof, was the bitterest cut bat | came s broadside fcom the trombones and horns, to re. | ment ot a Koman Untholle and Apostolic church’ Had | to sing. It was perfectly hopeless, and hia lips would His advice was clear in the extreme—‘‘that it zon, gonad pene sare administered to the overweening | strain the already too far advanced violins, {1 was in | that Roman Catholic and Apostolic church never been | close again almost as quickly as they had separated. _ At | best for me to have nothing to do with the = imma Tanity of a mere boy. ol vain. The screech from the first trumpet was of no use, | begotten in the womb of time, the world would neither | lenr'!i he advonced a ew stops, and performed a curious | Was it not natural fur mo to believe, theretore, that f it me confess to you Bat, ir ihe Benet, disap- | Even the kettle-drum pies, who began to boat the | have bad popes, nor the Inquisition auto da fés, cardi- | & en O! pant nim”, supposed to be expressive of iis | the marriage preliminaries on which the Chevalier waa intmeht overmastered me. I wae indeed sadly hurt. Fight time fortissimo on his instrument, was totally una- | nals, archbishops, nor Jesuits. Without Jesuits and te: Asya und myselfknow, the publicisatall | then engaged, were those of some princess of the Treiziéme ly expectation bad been pin would have me to stay the confusion. Each one went his arohtiehens, what, you must permit mo to ask, would | timer a curvur avuual. Its curiosity at present, there | Arrcndissement with the valet de place of omeof hia inti- Cha Renlus. J had supposed that you would have been | own way, and made his own speed. ‘'Rowsini’s | have possibly become of the Itiah But for the existence | fore, restored order. But this order menaced Mr. Fey’s | mates, and that the peevniary negotiations ta which be wunderstruck to discover what enormous talent had | delicate overture was KA ax history tells us | of the Inish us a nation, we might never even have heard | programme of proceedings with the destruction of its | was interested, might in all probability lie between hi. suddenly come to Tt In my day-dreams I had seen | that some unfortunate criminals were treated in the mid- | of the name of Archbishop Hughes. In his absence, is it | utility, He and those of his triends who were with bia | gclf and the difector of w Momt de while it was by you, with my score under your arm ine huge brown P& | Mle ages. These were tied by arm and leg to the hind- | not clear that Know Nothi would speedily have | behind the scenes, trembled lest by these means their | no meana improbable that his scquaintance with tbe per parcel, hurrying off to the administration of the Im- | quarters of four wild harses, which were driven by | died a natural death, that is, if we pre-suppose it éver to | own tactical arrangements might be turned by their a# | Prince President might resemble that of the English inst. themeelves, pearant with his Grace the grea’ Duke of Marlbocought tazaiable Fiorentino, while urging ita iminediste performance, hint to a man ol your erudition what followed upon this | | Who, therefore, can tell what in the next four thou- | “Ladies and gentlemva!”” said Benedetti, “I came hore | — This individual, w wasstanding at it “n ato say, that Lleft n>: my opera for a mo- | proceeding. sand yours may be the united juenees of popes, | to sing=—’ the gate of bis lordi-bip's house, anxiousty waicing to see beek your hands, after your opinion bad been ex- At last, straggling and worn out, one after the other, | Irish, “archbishops, Jeauite, Know ‘Nothings and Young “So you did!”” the senowed General leave it, and entor his carriage. “Why the deuce don’t you, theo?’ His curiosity somewhat interfered with his poll “Give us ‘Yankee Doodle!’ roured out a voice from That all ee oj pollteness, for you know that all Fnolishmen are by nature most ex cruciatingly polite, Nay! he actually impeded his Grae Bi Meat bose the Duke spoke to bim, ia words were theae: “ Can't tout you d—d jackepapest”” vs Ton get gehge, te wars Bene‘ etti gazed on the audience with an air of un- Vasbe majesty, ashe mildly tdquire¢— “Shall T ring or withdraw?” ” “Bing! Gverwbelmed with joy by thia gracious specimen of «Withdraw !” Cucal condescention, the peasant was accustemd all his “Yes! ‘itetime to brag of thia distunetion. And in the long “Nol” winter evenings, he would nariate to his children and “Yes! Yes!” i tandchildren, a8 they #at around the brick fireplace, and the log of freshly cut wood smouldered and crackled before them into Game, how, in his younger days, he had the honor of being spoken to by the great Duke “of Marl porough. It may be considered as no improbability that ia nome way or other the Chevalier learnt monéy’ was not at all 60 plentiful with me as be had at first eupposed. “No! no!” were the cries and sereams that broke om every part of the theatre, while im the same roac “Give us * Yankee Boodle!’ “No! Nol’? © Yeu! Yea! Yea!’ was sgain beard. tely nonplussed. i To correct his misappreciation of their desires, he drawing himself application to me, ond starting upon that Gamble-ing speculation whieh secured bim such ® pressitg invite tion from the officials of the Castle of St. Andres, in Ge- non. Indeed, this invitation was so ineperative that it admitted no possibility ot declining it by any exertion af his diplomatic skill and auitiety. It was fully six years later that he obtained the situa- tion of acting manager at the Academy of Music, under Messrs. Phalen and Coit, which | had s0 carefully avold- ed giving bim at the Axtor V’lacé Opers House. But tet me, my dear Fiorentino, to my shame, confess that had I then been fully aware of lis managerial capacity and npselt, known as much of ‘management a { have since learnt, it would have, beyond « doub! far better to have taken when he offered to me. So admirably did he manage for these Gea. tlemen, that in three short months crowded houses lost them more money than { bad myself done in six yeara. It would have been infinitely better for me, and more lucky for Mr. Wikoff and the public, had I beem then as wise as now, and associated him in my enterprise. With his aid, my manegerial career would bave ended after three months instead of ps Ht hued of struggles, and in that case Tshoula have saved more than five years of my valuable time. Mr. Wikoff would have avoided the troubles attendantgupon “ his Fapstpet ” and the pub- lic have escaped the annoyances of reading “ ita comse- quences.’ With such varied fortunes and so many ups amd downs as our author has had in his manegerial capa- city, it was not likely that the example of so success ful an experimenter upon public credulity as. Bar- This was Monsieur ulled the wire Down itat With a brief compliment to Nourrtt for his strategic all, Mr, Fry settled his new pair of spectacles securely out to the foot- But what was his astonishment to find thet the means accorded him! There must have ments had been entrus ed. the house, but hisses, cat-culls, urgations couched in the most derogatory terms, that could be afforded him. In his horror, he whom bis arra is orchestra. These, with a keen relish for his most length, ‘agitated and trembiing, ughed at by the public, after which the performance such, would promise well for the tuture. In such # case. | most praiseworthy character betweewan operation com- | losopher of the cynic school was in the oldGreek com- | was allowed to go on. I should not be altogether disinclined to take charge of | m & called penaio their stockings and Fhe study of manwealih: of ancews Athens: - Tw diffe- Never, vossily, had Benedetti or Laborde sung adel num should be entirely lost upon him. The advent his musical ecucation myself.”” their parts; while others of a somewhet more staid and |] rences whieh mark the two men, are the diffe- | and very certainly, never was there a greater amount of of Jenny Lind threatened his opera season of 1860 with ruin. He parried the blow by an ingenious artifice, and converted his prospects of failure inte triumphant success. HOW PARODI BECAME DUCHESS OF DRVONSHIRE e WITHOUT BEING AWARE OF IT. Figure to yourself the position of » luekleas impressarie « then called forth by the lyrical tragedy of “Norma.” y! It would have seemed that on this evening Witty commentaries were sed trom one to the other upon it, and received with un- | with a cor) of ia and Beneventanos upon his bounded merriment. In the scent in which Pollio speaks | hands, and the lease of the Astor Place Opera House upom abont Norma, in the finale to the first act, when Norma his shoulders, with Jenny Lind and Burnum,real geniusand undoubted “humbug,” in a strange copartnership, staring cminiously in his face. Of how quickly and decidedly the Swede had eclipsed Grisi, Viardot-Garcia, Persiant and Alboni, in London, I had been a witness. What could I expect to do with my second-rate artista? Bat that my hands were tied by wy arrapgements, and that I had m as I must honestly own, the means to do anything else, will confess that I should have been glad enough to give up the whole concern, However, there was one decided consolation. This was, that I had nothing to lose except my theatrical properties. It was, however, necessary to do something. My old artista were impossible cards for me to attempt playing in Barnum’s manner. They were, alas! too well knowa. At the same time, it appeared almost impossible to im- duce a first class reputation to come to America, at the same period as Jenny Lind. Necessity, however, urged ine to try, and, if successful, to enter upon the contest with the ‘ Prince of Humbugs,”’ using his own weapons. My choice fell upon the Signora Teresa Parodi, She was an artist of sufficient talent to realize the ex~ peetations which I might raise upon her behalf. I had heard ber at Her Majesty’s Theatre, in London, as Norma, Lwrevia Borgia tana Donna Anna. 1 knew her to have been Pasta’s favorite pupil, and had heard you, my dear Lablache, express a favorable opinion of her un- coubted merits. As soon, therefore, as my choice was xec J wrote to my old friend employer, Lumley, nd to the energetic and busy Madame Puzzy, in london. told them my situation frankly, and asked material aid rom the former, in the person of Teresa Parodi. By return of mai} I received the intelligence that upom receipt of « bonus of 20,000 francs, Mr. Lumley would ve cody to transfer his engagement with into my ands, prouches Péllio, and in the duo when she tells him that length he ‘‘is in her hands,” the most ludicrous ex- gallery, and immediately “Al! troppo tardi, ti_ho conosciuto,”” bursts from him, which, even Fry’s and Benedetti’s personal friends The former gentleman made money upon this evening, 1 repute, while he en amongst his cwn friecds. Bennett, also, conse- the abuse of the Opera. It may xately be atfirmed, my e public to visit the establishment. Such things, you Iadeod, ily charges brought against him by the Heraup, | en- still entertain, not the slightest® doubt ‘he eould have turned the excitement caused by ese articles greatly to his own advantage. Howeve., preferred to keep his wrath smouldering, and was pnt to eay, in answer to my hints upon the advisability entering upon a more retaliatory course :— ‘Never mind. Mr. Bennett shall pay the piper, and I i dance. J shall sue him for heavy damages.” ree of equani ‘The money was raised by my transferring the first re- cipts of the Opera House until full payment, and sent ver the water to him. ‘Then, tor the first time—and I am proud to say the only time—I went to work in the same manner | had seen practised by Barnum. Foreign letters, puffs, portraits, Bitter words and savage sneers were rated by It was an agreeable mode of recti- inary twenty thousand Niographies, were manulactured under my supervision 7 . . and distributed by means of the journals and musie We are not quite: sure, Mr: Matetheks. but We | ce aecheougudut Naw York: iallwes othe wse Publis ink that we have met with the following story attention was absorbed by Jeuny Lind. Whatever I did fore :-— was against the pyramidal puffing of Barnum. It was no yore than the murmuring of a garden streamlet as com- pared with the roar and thunder of Niagara. In my dis- tress I bad, however, remarked that the great showman’s gigantic system of eulogy had, by no means, any par- ticular rapport with Jenny’s gralitien as an artist. He exaggerated her virtues ¢ la Munchausen; he proclaimed her a ventriloquist, romanced about Victoria’s adoration of ver excellencies, and fabricated charities by the bushel- full, Now, as’one of our German proverbs saya:— ‘ When among wolves, it is very necessary to yell as they do.” It ix true, no one had vouched to me for its having saved him from their jaws, yet, in this instance | determined upon ebeying its injunctions to the letter. One morzing, therefore, I dispatched a conficential ‘riend to the office of one of the morning news und the following dialogue took place between him. one of the editors, with whom he was acquainted. “Poor Maretzek!”’ suid my friend, with « woful shake of the head. « Why! What is the matter?” “Well ! | suppose I ought not to tell you,” he answered, looking as Ingubrious as 8 man who is hired to weep at a tuneral ; “ but he is ruined,’” “Eh! What?’ ‘This season will finish him.” ‘How is that possible? Everybody says Parodi is very reat,’ “Yee. Parodi would carry everything before her.’ ‘What is the matter, then?” “She need not be afraid even of Jenny Lind.’” <-xplain yourself. “What is it that his happened, my sear sir.” “1 1 do, you must promise me the most Implicit few years'since I sent two prima donnas of repu- , a clever pianist, and a celebrated basso, on a con- On arriving in a city in New England, the ent who preceded them, found that the estimetion ‘ew York, Boston and Phila- ia, had not yet travelled there. They were com Atter some reflection, he there- Ips ratively unknown. rt, @ larger feature in the programmes and posters an those of the artists themselves. Consequently, the entioned appeared in small type at ¢ head of the bills, white those of Handel, Bellini. Bee- joven and Morart, occupied the most conspicuous furnis! certainly im- ¢ inbabitants, ceeeaed. But imagine, my good friend Fiorentino, when, on wishing to settle the hotel 1 for the artiste, be found these strange items on that “Les jayes,” if ember rightly, which Alas! my dear Berlioz, you ht tell him how z the place : secresy.’? oR sas poecael be sieicasnace Myuat ccticling hand and “impossible a witk thie i, after art bes | culprite ‘Theve appeared om this night with the purpose | sfr-Mosnrt, rocm, meals, wines, a&e., 80. $576 Dre assuredly, 1 do.” placed in rehearsel, but afters few repetitions withdrawm | nce taken its first impetus in its trae direc- | ‘1 doing precisely the contrary. This, you must grant, | Mr. Handel, do. do. do. sees 7 50 “Poor Max would scarcely outilve it, if it were known.” And condemned. This enlightened society declared that | tion—how much genius and how large an amount | vas at the least, to the full as praiseworthy. But the } Mrs. Bellini, room, meals, bat 900 ‘Well, 1 never will mention ft,” Sewer Snonwase.’? Ootaike foured?, toy dear Becton, Tove you have lavished upen a somewhat simi- | publie also chose to be present en masse. A part of them | Mrs. Beethoven, room and mei +: 400 | WUnder your pledge of the most sacred. secreny "’— try snother—study downward and write in the same r object! You have begun to make the downward | »ndoubtedly came with the simple viewof enjoying the In giving expression to the just indignation which “Certainly 1? manner. With time and yrance you. may devcent in life, and, haply, when you are over-ripening | “aw which was expected by alh a virtuous ploasure dele ena “1 think f may tell you.”” in lowering your musical genius to the level of the | on the far aide of nixty, ty publis imay begin to feel that “hich bs ing pawl Beonly appreciated by them. ime re- | he felt at the ostentatious generosity, but real mean. “Pray, coetine, sion of i ie a great master is slowly passing away from them. Such | ‘vain , however, paid their money solely ve | i ‘i treated by man: “The truth is, that the old Duke of Devonshire: Ur New York? Perhape I ought to tell you that the Pre. | ve the earthly chances ofa reformer: and much you have, J ‘te satisinction of piving a lesson to vach of the bellige. | 2e88 with which he was RE MSY OF OOH DEO ce os love wee ees® ae long sident of this body is a Mr. Timms, who can scarcely be certain Re been—such are the worldly p ‘essing lovers of art, the author excepts from this “The deuce he has’? considered actively responsible for all of their harmonie | «f an inventor, for such in music you undoubtedly are. # for the evening's campaiga had been arranged } charge “and when he heard that she was to visit New York, feot, and offered her MR. HENRY A, €01T. he made up his mind, pes to her his fortune and coron “You don’t si yl “But the worst of it sthat such a chance for the en- ablishment of a vocalist does not occur every day—thet into say, her establiahmenttn Ife ns married woman of high Tank.” lody, not_for the sake of fashion, but for the sake of This was Mr. Henry A. Coit, a virtuoro of the ht stamp. Indeed, could twenty-four more like him k, the opera would long since i to exclude him and any of the staff of his journal fi vg to I-known generosity and “T should think not, indeed, The Dushers of Devon- New csabelngey debiaee yegusony canines tie the one Farol, they ‘pall ‘at the ee but pi ipeng Mont Bebe _ janpiuneea his Seseogs ood will, and we aaron (Bd Beng | cape p ‘w the veer piieere 34 ! ie hers war, ; N noun ‘ ion of never advertising inany | ‘s#erted his nt the least as thorough good fai aid, 03 aaa “Therefore she has consented to marry him.’’ Italian opera. My a with masic in the New paper wii WAich James Gordon Beanett mee = ed he magogement. In fact, 4 was 0 ‘common: plaee, id, although they would not it as a condition fn ‘ana thie ta true?” World commenced this—an establishment whose “failure” bad fiourlshed for the last five aud twonty ears. An involuntary smile curls wt lip. Yon inquire how a“ failure’'can “flourish ?”* My dear Berlioz, you were born and have been edu- ented in the Old World. This accounts t me for your smile. You have yet much to learn ere you will be able to comprehend the new one. “Bursting up’ is here an old established rule of the Italian Opera—a rule which ad- mits of no exceptions, Remember, I speak trom a long and pergonal experience. Yet, although continually “bursting up,” Italiaa opera flourished in the United States, and what is more, still continues to fourish. But the object of my present letter is not to record a history of all these failures. It is, on the contrary, pure- ly al. Let me, therefore, tell you that are anxious to learn something of the extablishment with which | was to be connected, my first evening in New York was pass: ed at the Astor Place Opera House, where, per interim, an irregular company was then ‘performing Rossini’ biere.”” “Bart . The orchestra consisted of about thirty-+ix rea on their individual instruments They had a leader, Signor Lietti, who did not apparently consider it neces- sary to indicate the movement by beating the time. On the contrary, he was occupied in playing the first violin part, fully unconscious of the other instruments in the ver} very-day sort of threatical speech, with which he had primed himsalf-a sort of oration whieh the public, friend of mine, ought long since to have known by heart, but ib it is still content to be deceived on almost every manner be connected. Now, at this period, the Henauy was to New York al- most that which the Times is to London. It was, in point of fact, @ necessity. t “Oh! mixerable man,” I thought to myself, as he wen- | « tioned this: “what ‘ou thinking of? Do you wish to undermine the very axtists that you tell me are favorites with the public, by not annoancing their performances ima paper which you admit has a larger circulation than wny other whieh ix published in this city, or indeed which may be published in the Union 1”? Whatever the intrinsic merits or demerits of the jour. pal in question might be, this seemed so extraordinary that even while restrained by courtesy from expressing my disapproval of such a courre, { could not svoid asking lim what might be the reason for his entertaining such o decided enmity as he then evinced. Upon my patting. this question, he told me thet some ime wince Mr. Bennett had written, or caused to be itten, some severe critical notices of his brother's ope- of Leonora,” which had been produced in Phila- delphia. You know, my dear Berlioz, that halfadrop of Croton cil will for a time completely disorganize the digestive ‘aculties. In like manner the meanest triffes will at times produee the most violent effects; and causes which spyear to be harmless, may not untrequen'ly a ‘bus read the programme issued from the camp of the uneger. Benedetti was by all means te be hissed off the og Then, «ben the confusion had reached its highest point, Mr. i ry was to appear before the audience. ver a flattering eception, he was to address theaudience, and request, asa personal favor, their pardon for Benedet#, Was it not at cnee obvious, that all who were present would say, “What « noble-hearted, fine and generous fellow we now have for a manager !’? After this, he would give utterance to a cw wodest remarks, composed ape A for this oeca sion, and then retire, followed by a seduloasly prolonged and deafening cheering. Now, let us see what really chanced upon this evening, The house was crammed trom the top to the bottom. Fvery seat was taken. The avenues in the parquet were thronged by these who had been attracted by the scan. ‘al. "ve another proof, my dear Berlioz, that art is by no means the principal thing to be cultivated by a gement that would rejoice in attractiog large andiences When the introduction was over, Benedetti appeared wh pai thi gen nt "4 ‘ ; order to guide thom, | bring about the most terrible results. He was immediately greeted by a storm of hisses, which | n+ sien ae Wee eet " slag are Some four thousand years, more or leas, since, a | «ere as quickly broken in by thanderous acclamition. | a! joully aed vigorously upon his fiddle then any of his | tsbionable lady dwelt in reece, who was e great heauty, | {his at length stilled, and he began to sing. That man, subordinates, He trampled on the floor as thongh he | Her onme was Helen. Now this H took it into her | however, who be have heard a note after had teen determined to work @ path through the deal | head, being already married woman, to get up a | he bad touched the Ars bar, mast have bad | he planking, and made a series of the most gro-esque faces | private flirtation with » d —~ young Trojan seamp | good ears. Screams, aA intles, clapping of hands, | to with his nose, mouth and eyes. If you have ever seen a | named Varia, This common, although immoral pro- | | Pena! ym Mall pd Broaring. menacing out Nuremberg nut-sracker in ‘full operation, you will enter | ceeding upon Mer part, bas resulted in one con- | ori and gestien — Cas kind, filled the theatre into my feelings as my eyes were riveted on what ap. | tinuous chain of events, calamities and catas- | You might have imagined that the inmates of some haif « hundred mad houses had broken loose, and crow led it upon this oeeasion, To catch a note from the orchoat:a, was as impossible as to listen to the singing. Atter « trophes up to the present day, which catastrophes. events and calamities will iu all probability continae for four thousand gears to come, should this round world peared to me the extraordinary mechanism of this inoj vidual. Inthe meantime, the other fiddlers not being willing to allow Signor Lietti's violin a iter prepon derance of sount, exerted themscives with @ purely mu he hee The lesse, and Beaded a subscription lst, for my suppo with bis own pame for several staple was followed. Bu ba on before last at the Academy, and the author of this volume, are two well known not to have pre such @ pretty one that we cannot forbear transfer ring to our columns the following spicy tirade :— chosen 0 to do. ‘This Individual, or acquisition, was no other and no Henry Wikoff. The opportunity of securing his co-operation in mana. Neve not that I should violate it, my dear Florentino nad eoged in oe preliminaries, of a marriage for one of che prineipal well as in settling the monetary affairs high standing in the political world wt His ex- at Mr. Colt may Probably vandred dollars. “It is certain, The lettet came by the last ateamer ‘ut for Heaven's ~~ do not sey a word about it. ve considered ax n gift, they regarded ana loan, which | ‘*member poor Max Maretzek with the Astor Place and je payable from the first receipts of the Opera | ™ !trge company on hand. | He is decidedly ruined.” “ Keally, It is provoking !”” The rivalry which existed between the gentleman Moet ‘emdoubtedly ” ho managed both the opera and the press the sea- erg You bave promised me to be strictly sileat.’ © Ae the grave.’ Having received this promise, Lablache, my friend, th en quitted the office of ‘the daily journal’ ta cuestion’ impressed with the serenest of ible convic: that be luckless editor had swall his bait, hook and all. And so he had. Anxious to have the first of this peca- larly piqnant piece of int oe, he sutfered hia promise of the most implicit’ secresy to slip en- tiely frem bis memory. Next ‘morning, the whole story appeared, ith additional embroidery, in his journal, Upon the following day it was re- peated by every daily paper in New York. In some- Hing less than three weeks it had found ite way into al moet ee newspaper from Maine to Texas, and imo «ripight more complet ite travels by one hi stride from New York to Sen neiseo. * caer bicgraphies, portraits, and anecdotes about her, which had dropped still-born from the press, were now repub- |, admired and listened to. me ot the country editore even went so far as to adopt Harnum's plan, and described the very trou rae with which the Puke of Devonshire had presented her, in « foreign correspondence of decidedly home mana- facture, A few of them even published verbatim copies of the assemed contract of marriage. Nam berless applications were received by me from ma “cal agents, who offered to arrange any difficulties with the Duke upon amicable terms. Letters from law. yers came into my hands which stated thete writers’ reaciness to start for Burope and commence a process ageinst the new Duchess. These asked’ only for a red us for a tilt at the former. The quarrel is '§ ESTIMATE OF THE CHEVALIER WIKOFF was another acquisition of immensely more portance which | could at this time have made, had og lees than that man of many talents, th bevalier went was offered meat the Hotel de Bide, where hw roduced himeelf with surpassing suavity and eave o ener, preposing that I should either secure his se partner in the concern, general diplamatis rs, or more specially as the manager of the New York Under the seal of the most profound secresy (be. not himeelf removed the veil for all who would liven him) he confided to me that be was, at the time, en- members of the Buonaparte family, as & personige of At the vame time, graciously gave me to understand, that having formerly ninixed up with musical matters through the toes ot j i ie" laxt #0 long. brief time, chaos having roared itself hoarse, becan to | Fanny Eleler, heshould feel a very decided preference for | sbare of those damages which they felt certain of ob weal ferocity, which you have never seen equalled. | Tveem to feel your laugh. ft encow ages me to con- | shape itelf into some intelligible form, and a few cries of | the operatic line of the business. Indeed, he hinted tut | taining. ve piesa us have, (although, it toust be owned, not ofien,) upon | tinue my paralie! ‘Order! order’ oth toon occasionally beard ibrough his then influence with the Prinee-President (now My part was very clearly marked out for me, my rene. his side of the Atlantic. [1 was necessary, however. Without thi flirtation there woult very certainly have “What order’ retorted the friends of the manager. | the kmperor Louis Napoleon) he might, could, and would | rable friend, and it is needless to say that I stnek to t that Lietti should be heard by the wind instrament been no abduction, Abductions at all times have had | “Off she stage with the rasest in time, obtain the privilege of managing the Grand Ope: ‘This was to answer not a single letter, and to correct to He therefore began to serape his fiddle. Fora moment! | évil consequence No! no! Go on, and give uaa tune." roared the pub- wt Paris for Wim and myself. Consequently show newspaper. So 1 quietly opened my eudveription actually imagined thet be bad ded. Bat until Had the « tion never taker the Greeks | lie feel not the slighest hesitation in abandouing the mar and shorily after commenced the reason, with then f bad not been aware thet ‘diaboliewl poasecsion’’ | toight never have besiege! Troy hail Troy never iho hh hen tinge which he had then on the tapis, and suffering the | nome of one of the artiste who formed iy company hi had survived the time of the Apoeties thas, my dear | been besieged it would very ¢ nly not he SOM the stage with vim! He wouldn't sing when we | mcnetary matters to arrange t selves for tho well ing been previons!: Perlior, and the play « stringe! insteyments are toven. Untabe: Fors wou! ever hi wanted him, He ¢! t sing ew hovwn personage in question, ‘Ae may be ren el by you, my Ap.