236 ON THE PRESENT STATE OF THE OPERA IN LONDON. 



of talent, cultivation, and experience is requisite to ensure success. 

 We possess, perhaps, a greater number of good concert-room singers 

 than any other country ; yet, with one brilliant exception, we have 

 no first-rate dramatic singers. It is true, that neither favourable 

 circumstances nor encouragement, however judicious, can create 

 talent ; and it is equally true, that genius of the highest order may 

 be not only concealed from the world, but utterly destroyed, if jea- 

 lous mediocrity be permitted to levy the heavy duties on talent, 

 which it may deem requisite to its own protection. That these du- 

 ties are not only absurd in themselves, but that they will prove 

 insurmountable obstacles to all who are either destitute of the 

 means of complying with their exactions, or whose spirit may be too 

 lofty to permit them to become a party to so palpable a conspiracy 

 for defrauding the public, is admirably demonstrated by that elo- 

 quent advocate of genius, the Exposition of the False Medium*' 

 The present dearth of dramatic excellence amongst us is the result, 

 not of any inherent deficiency of the elements of which it is com- 

 posed, but of the system pursued at the English theatres, a system 

 which throws obstacles innumerable in the path of those unknown 

 to fame, excludes them from the opportunity of improvement, and 

 withholds from them the chance of obtaining through the verdict of 

 the public, the reputation and the emolument which their talents, 

 if allowed free scope, might reasonably hope to command. Most of 

 the artists who are now enjoying the fruits of a well-earned cele- 

 brity, have been indebted for the successful exhibition and acknow- 

 ledgement of their powers to some fortunate accident ; while others 

 of equal ability, born under a less propitious star, have been doomed 

 to oblivion and starvation by the ignorance and short sighted selfish- 

 ness of the mental douaniers who would seem to exist for the sole 

 purpose of crushing genius. 



Although the Royal Academy has not fulfilled, at least in the 

 vocal department, the expectations which were formed on its esta- 

 blishment, yet it may be said that the pupils have encountered un- 

 merited neglect from theatrical managers. Without entering into 

 a minute investigation as to whether the directors and patrons of 

 the Academy have constantly exerted their influence to obtain from 

 the public a fair hearing for those whom they had allured into the 

 musical profession, it is evident that, had the system of vocal in- 



• Page 105. This work, in addition to much valuable matter on other 

 subjects, contains many statements respecting the state of Music in this 

 country that are painfully true. 



