The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-21 00:00:00

A RECOGNITION.

- -
On the 23d of January, 1796, Madlle, Guimard re-ap-
peared at a performance given for the benefit of aged and
retired artists. A number of veteran connoisseurs came
forward on this occasion to see how the once charming- Ma-
deline looked at the age of 59. After the ballet an old habitue
of Louis the Fifteenth's time called for a coach, drove to
his lodging, and on getting out proceeded naturally to pay
the driver the amount of his fare.
"You are joking, my dear Count," said the coachman.
"Whoever heard of Lauragaia paying the Chevalier de
Ferriere for taking him home in his carriage ?" " What 1 is it you P" said the Count de Laumgm.
s.
" Myself!" replied the Chevalier.
The two friends embraced, and the Chevalier de Fer-
riere then explained that, when all the Royalists were
concealing themselves or emigrating, he had determined to
do both. He had assumed the great coat of his coachman,
painted a number over the arms on his carriage, and emi-
egurasttoedmearssfaarnad passedstoßouunleinv
uninjured
dwanhedreunhseusfpouectplentyugohf .
the Reign of Terror.
Another operatic revival witnessed Et curious sight.
On the reproduction of " Thetis et Pelee," in 1750,
Fontenelle, the author of the libretto, entered a box
and sat down just where he had taken his place
sixty years before, on its, first night. " The public
delighted, no doubt, to see that men could live so
long, and get so, much enjoyment out of life, ap-
plauded with enthusiasm." The changes of public
opinion are curiously evidenced in the treatment of
Mozart and Rossini. To this day, according to our
author, the Italians do not appreciate the divine
melodies of "Don Giovanni." Owing to the strong
prejudice existing against Mozart, and the; envy of
cliques, this splendid work of genius failed on. its
first appearance at Vienna, as was also the fate of
"Le Nozze di Figaro," Of Mozart, the first of
melodists, :our author expresses unbounded admi-
ration. Of his chef d'ctuvre, he speaks as follows :

DON. GIOVANNI.
Thero is absolutely no excuse for managers mutilating
"Don Giovanni;" not even the excuse that in its original
form this inexhaustible opera does not draw. It has al-
ready lived, and with full, unfailing life, for three-quarters
of a century. It has survived all sorts of revolutions in taste,
and especially in musical taste. There are now no Em-
perors in Germany.. Prague has become a third-rate city.
That German opera, which Mozart originated with his
" Entfuhrung aus dem Serail," has attained a grand deve-
lopment, and among its composers has numbered Beetho-
ven, Weber, and the latter's follower, and occasional imita-
tor, Meyerbeer. Rossini bas appeared with his seductive
melody, and his brilliant; sonorous orchestra. But justice
is still—more than -ever-,-done to Mozart. The verdict of
Prague is maintained; and this year, as ten, twenty, forty
years ago, if the manager' of the Italian Opera of London,
Paris, or St. Petersburgh, has had for some time past a
series of empty houses, he takes an opera seventy-four
years of age, and which:according to all ordinary musical
calculations, ought long since to have had, at least, one act
in the grave, dresses it badly, puts it badly on the stage, and
with such scenery as weuld be thought unworthy of Verdi,
and hazardous for Meyerbeer, announces "Don Giovanni,"
and every place in the theatre is taken I
Another proof of the occasional injustice and ab-
surdity of popular decisions was the cold reception
given to Rossini's ever-fresh and delightful "Barber
of Seville." The 'ex'pressions of disapprobation
were so loud and numerous as to create quite a dis-
turbance. It was at Rome where the audience, one
would think, might have been better judges, Ros-
sini took the affair very coolly, and went home
quite calmly. He was certain of its ultimate
success, and did not care forithe temporary failure.
As Mr. Edwards observes--" Rossini's ' Barber'
has now been before the world for nearly half a
century, and we all know whether it is old-
fashioned; whether it, is tedious; whether the
power of the concerted pieces and of the grand
finale leaves anything to be desired; whether the
instrumentation is poor; whether, indeed, anylc b
ofe
w the criticisms and complaints of that day 0u
tolerated in this. The reforms
which
Rossinianticipated
eiegipeaattelyd
in-
troducedr
assisted
its intothe
development." management
Mozart
fa.retpa had haa nv
the resources adapted by semi, but to Rossini
belongs the merit of having 'brought the lyric drama
oozer
to perfection on the Italian stage." We commend
these light and pleasant volumes to all lovers of
musical and dramatic art, asauring them they will
find ample entertainment in their animated pages.

It is said that insurances are being effected daily
on ships and cargoes about to run the blockade of the
Southern ports. The highest premium paid is 15 guineas,
the ship being entitled to select any pert. In some instances
the risk to a single port of easy access has been as low as
10 guineas. Nearly all the vessels so insured are steamers
of about 1,600 tons burthen.

assailed
The fate of the contractors in the Federal States
who have been envied for their sudden acquirement of im-
kwePafttobuut they are alsoo 11.
mense fortunes seems at present not
ittho
their
re
moneywithout some
plea alloy.
most unqualified d •
denunciations.
in every quarter by the
Evening Journal, after recapitulating some of
The Albany
developed before the Investigation Committees
the frauds
that Not
they e only
can
ton, remarks—" If the cause of the Union fails,
at Washing ,yanaraeffotrhdeyto
—which God forbid I—the shame and the guilt must rest,
not so much with the army of Jefferson Davis at the South,
as with the army of plunderers at the North."
Among the items of taxation contemplated by
turthe American Congress fortheir to provide
war expendi-
e 160 millions sterling per annum is a duty equal
to three halfpence sterling on every telegraphic mes-
sage. A return of the annual number of such messages
has accordingly been prepared, and the total is found to be
2,805,000. The amount to be derived from this new source
of revenue would, therefore, be £17,531. The best mode of
taxing newspapers and other periodicals likewise continues
to be actively discussed, and the _New York Commercial.
Advet tiser frankly admits that in the present urgent neces-
sity " there is no reason why so large an interest as the
literary publications of the country should be entirely
exempt." It condemns, however, the idea of imposing
rates on packages sent by rail, and also that of imposing a
stamp on each publication. A tax upon the manufacture
of paper is accordingly suggested as the simplest mode of
effecting the object. By this method, it is observed, " the
impost would be levied at the fountain head, and all the
streams would be made tributary. Not only would news-
papers thus pay tribute, but all books, costly or othefecrwal..o
periodicals, pamphlets, circulars, handbills, and mercantile
and .
and domestic correspondence," Indeed, the
as it were
proportion as it comes to be examined, seem:
• finance, and
regarded in. America almost as a discoveryiit. almost make
the words employed with regard to itenmtlyg
refused to defer
the British public regret that theyt
recently
so beneficent an
to the wish of the House of Lords 0
continues tb •
,e journa.
engine. "When it is remembered,"comprehensive would be such a tax in question, "how
istributed, how simplein -
how
and equally and uniformly
distributed,
how large au,
expensive its collection, and . revenue to be
think it must appear to any candid and
derived from it, we
reflecting
•g man be the wisest and mostjtist way of attan.,
w
ing the desire(' ea."