The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-07-17

doubtedly will be performed during this season, for
The proverb says-Tres faci,nt coilegiun', and pro-
| verbs and ladies never are mistaken We do not
intend drawing parallel between Meyerbeer and
| Haevy, as little as between Robert and La Julve
| which the Courier DIES Etats Unis calls work
sun pen moins admirable" but which we think, with
all due Difference, to be "beauconp MONS admirable
| and in this assertion we sustained by the innu-
merabs hostlof European critics. IN spite OF alFhe
| puff criticisms of the Gazette Musicale OF faris,
whose editor, Maurice Schlesnger, has the honor
but at the same time the misfortune Of being like
wise the editor of all the unsaleable operas OF Hale
Wy. La Juive undoubtedly is most remarkable
work. and with regard to the sensation il produced
| in Paris, il Immediately ranks after Robert and the
| Huguenots, not because better one could not have
| been written, but because better has not
| been written and we doubt very much whether it
ever would have attained so great a success, with
out the dazzling and unequalled splendor of the
mise en- scene VIII oh in some measure is borne out
by the warm but not very enthusiastic reception it
found in Germany, and great number of provin-
cia cities in France.
Halevy is agreat man, a very clever contrapuntista
famous professor of harmony a very scientific and
careful writer; noisy instrumentalist (this is a
great merit par ie tens q con,t), and frequently, if
not always, composes like genius. But he is not
popular; but this cannot be the fault Of the public,
who ever lack enthusiasm for the great works of
| Mozart, Weber, Guck, and Meyerbeer The fault,
therefore, must rest with the composer, as ii really
does. His melodies are too studled more the up
| shot Of research than OF inspiration. Take away
La Juive and L'Ecair where do find IN all his
| fifteen great and comic operas, one air with
the exception of the romance in Guido ct Ginevra,
and perhaps the political chsrus OF LAngtais 1amais
III ErUnr from Chnrla WITH
would nave made lasting impression on the ear of
the public. From the manner in which he deveopes
them, one is really induced to believe that they
are merely intended as aordng an opportunity for
the dis play of very scientific ochestration-a small
and common picture in large and costly frame.
More calculated to be studied by the yro than be
listened to by the public, who finds them ennyeur in
the beginning, and continues to find them so always,
His admirers, who the more ardent the less
numerous they PROVE stick very much to his origl-
naiy. This he certainly possesses, but not in an
absolute way, for we doubt whether Halevy would
ever have written Julve, it Robert had not pre-
viously existed. We do not directly charge him
with having initiated Meyerbeer, but we find in all
his works strong inclination to produce similar, if
the same attempt Of blending the classic with the
romanc-but with the difference, that Meyerbeer
succeeded in giving i compact unity, where, on
the contrary with Halevy the line Of demarcation
monotonous without being romantic-and the ro-
mantle are eccentric, without being classical The
reproach of eccentrlclty has likewise been made
against Meyerbeer but he always finds sufficient
excuse in the incidents Of the piot-as for instance
in Robert lie Diabe but Halevys eccentricity sud-
denly springs up where least expected, and least
in its place.
These remarks which we believe to be conscien-
tous, apply more to the writer, in general than to
La Juive, contradiction confess, that other
proverb, qnod conrenet gener conUenet speciei" La
Juive forms quite exceponto the rest of Halevy's
works. Amongst not little that is ponderous, we
find much that is anything but eanVeur. From the
care bestowed upon it, one sees that it is PETITE
first born OF the composer. The freshness OF many
melodies clearly shows that the composer was
younger, although already ripe-that he relied more
on Inspiration than on science, SO preponderant in
his latter operas We have only to point to the pro-
found feeling of the beautiful stanza in the finale OF
the first act,
Oh, ma file cherie
Ne quite point bras
to the pahos of the prayer, " o Dieu de nos peres'
10 the gentiHcsse of the terzett :" oh dams mon
ame' to the passion of the maledicton, a." ChrEtien
Sacyilege" in the second act to the noceau den
sembie in the third the whole of the fourth act,
| in which the air :" Rachel quand du Seigneur'' de-
particular mention, and to the funeral march
of the execution in the fifth act to convince the pub
| lie that it is work Of uncommon merit, which
is entitled to more than one hearing
OF the plot we have only to say, that II is full of
Grammatical, perhaps, little too meodramatic Incl
dents, and that II affords as much opportunity for
display to the composer, as Scrhe's librettos gene
rally do. We copy. ar. Reveil's able introduce
tory remarks which materially contribute 10 tn.
better understanding Of the whole:
One of the celebrated trials pleaded before the
Council of Constance in i4l4 was that one of the secta
ny John Hus confessor to the Queen Sophia of Bavaria
That hereto, pupil ofthe Esglishman John Wicklif
fused to believe in the Virgin the Holy and the Popes
power. Excommunicated by Alexander the Fifth John
Illus undertook take his trial before the Council which
condemned him to the faggots Tho chief ofthe Coun
ell of Constance the Cardinal Brogni, distinguish
| ed man, who having more ambition could have seen
elected by the Concave, in that moment when the Pope
ter Of Luna) had divided ali christendom Brog
nj, whose rame was John Alarmet, belonged to
he was shepherd in l375 when two monks met him,
and being struck by his progressing appearance
to him i'm to follow them h to Geneva to be
much profit by his good adventure, that he be-
came wonderful man. When the king OF Naples La
dsas, took possession Of Rome and exercised many
crueltcs Brogni not yet priest he had wife and
daughter who both disappeared during that fatal
With the preceding facts Mr. Scribe has built his opera
OF the Jewess, which is Of the interesting lyric
works written by him. The princess Eudoxia and
the Emperor sgismond belong also to the history The
latter Is celebrated by the furious war he declared
against the Husstes and by the title of Light Of the
People" which was given to him by his subjects
Prince Leopold (Cnuriot,) the husband of the
Princess Eudoxa, (Casini,) niece Of the Emperor
Siglsmund, falls in love with Rachel, (Calve) sup
posed daughter OF Eleazar, (Arnaud,) Jewish Jew
| elcr, by whom his love is returned Disguised
Jew, he is easily admitted into Eleazar's house.
where he passes such till he is detected by Rachel
from his throwing tn consccrated Passover bread
under the table. In secret Interview with Rachel,
where he tries to persuade her TO fly with him. he is
detected by Eeazar, but who, on learning their
love, consents to the marriage. This the Prince
refuses, and acknowledges himself TO be christian;
| but Eleazar, wishing to render his daughter happy,
after burst of passion, still offers give her to him
notwithstanding her great hatred OF Christians, and
The eternal vengeance he has sworn to them. Leo
pold, who is already married, cannot, OF course ac
cept; and he leaves the house of the Jew followed
by EleaZar's In the third act, the Jew and
his daughter appear at court during great dinner
given in honor of the defeat Of the Hussitse for the
sake of delivering magnificent chain, which the
! Princess Eudoxa intended giving to her husband
Rachel recognizes in HIM her false lover, and in
fit of vengeance denounces him, d nvoir en- com
aerce dUcc mandate, crime tor which both gull
" parties are TO be condemned to death. But WELD
iag to the prayers Of Eudoxla, Rachel avows her