The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-05-08
ts resppear and now their appeals to revolt are us


tened to and n revolt breaks out
In the second act at the inn of Jean, who Is
waiting for his mother and his bride. The three
baptiss at table and remark with surprise the
semblance between the innkeeper and King David,
portrait Of whom is held in great veneration in the
country and is supposed to operate many miracles If
Jean could be induced to join them great advantage
would result from this likeness in spite of the exal
taton of his character and his mystic views rests
their entreates wishing to live happy and tranquil with
his mother and his bride. confused noise of horses
in rapid motion is heard and Bertha rushes into
the house and in few words her escape from
the escort of the Count but she is pursued and must
be concealed Scarcely has she entered her hiding
place, when the guards arrive "You conceal our pr-
soner' but have the means of making you deliver
her. your mother is in power and if you do de-
liver Bertha we will kill her before your Fides is
brought before Jean; the Is raised her head
her eyes supplicatc her Fal love gains the VIC
tory; he delivers bursting with rage her he loves and
remains alone with his mother. One only idea now
takes possession of Jean vengeance The anabaptists
still there and he abandons himself to their
guidance The promised death of the yrant is enough
to cause him to renounce all and follow them, One
condition being that he shall renounce every earthly
Affection he gives his mother the last parting kiss.
At the third act we at the gates of Munster The
anabaptsts have invaded all the country; all the
castles are piaged, and their inhabitants are MUIR
dered; but, always happens, when the great ty-
rants got rid of the turn Of the lesser arrives,
and the despotsm of the rulers Is insufTerabe.
Jean has only been the instrument of those who
thrust him forward. In his have been commit
ted all the crueltes and it is accordingly exccrated by
the people, who groan under the yoke imposed them
Count Oberthal falls into the hands Of the anabaptist
and is condemned to death; but is saved by JEAN who
learns from him that Bertha had drowned herself to
herself from dishonor. The anabaptst troops
have however, been beaten, In rencontre in which
they engaged contrary to the orders of the pro-
pbet, for it is thus that Jean is now designated He
teammates his troops, and putting himself at their
head attempts decisive assault against the ramparts
OF Munster
In the fourth act, we are at Munster The city has
been taken, aud Jean is about to be crowned King
poor woman demands aims to pay for for her
son. This is Fides the mother of Jean, who believes
him to be dead, and who accuses the prophet of his
death for to him attributed all the crimes and ills
Of the country. A pilgrim presents herself to her
drowning. Her joy at discovering Fid6s is but
escent when she learns from her that Jean is dead
A change Of scene exhibits the cathedral of Mum
ster where the coronation prophet king taking
place FidGs kneeling hears the chaunts, and Mt the
she is mentally consigning him ali the ills
in heaven and earth she raises her eyes and recog
But Jean who has aSured ali earthly Affections s in
duced by those about him to repudiate his mother
TO the death' is the cry raised against her. Jean
this woman is insane and only be restored to
son by miracle, and your prophet will attempt t.'
Then approaching his mother, and regarding her in
tently, he says, Look on me- woman; am the of
God; one of us two is deceived. Regard the people
boz wSo arr
excaims his mother lit Is ] who am deceived, for
have son' This admirable scene, rendered with
extraordinary talent by Roger and Madame viardot
finishes the fourth act.
At the fifth act Fdes is in prison. Jean to her
and throws himself at her feet She first inexora
bic but touched by his remorsc she pardons him. when
Bertha appears The daughter Of former guardian of
the palace-she knows that a mine is prepared and
that fired. it would destroy the edifcc In her hate
against the prophet whom she believes to have caused
the death of her lover she vows his death Her JOY
beyond bound when she beholds Jean in the arms of
his mother She knows secret egress, and all three
to warn him that some conspirators have sold
him to his enemies and that they intend to surprise
him in the midst of fote Bertha on learning that
Jean is the prophet loses all her love for him in horror
Of the crimes and crueties alleged against him her
last hope is lost and she kills herself JEAN who has
nothing to attach him to life, wishes at least to
sacrifice his enemies with himself In the midst of the
fee at which he presides he orders the doors to be
closed, when an immense explosion is heard and the
palace falls in ruins In this opera there only two
principal parts properly caed-that Of the prophet
and his mother; but they are admirable, and afford
most dramatic situations.
This new work of Meyerbeer offers a succession of
beauties, the appreciation of which is impossible
first hearing Those who hear the prophet (has said
of most able musical ctitcs) have only to Sc
lect for themselves such parts most please them
amidst such n galaxy OF cxcellencics.
What particularly distinguishes the music of Mey-
erbcer is character of grandeur and elevation which
fit it for representing the most passionate and vche
ment sentiments Thus the audience partic uarly
excited by the explosion Of the general chorus the
end of the first act repeating the chaun of the three
anabaptsts. The power they had obtained the
people finely imagined and portrayed by this before
monotonous chaunt repeated with savage energy by
the revolted peasants In the second act besides the
final quatuo', the air in which Fides blesses her a
delicious cavatiEa and the dream of the pro-
phet introduced by ravishing effect from the orces-
ira, in which the flutes lower tones introduced
In an extraordinary manner. particularly worthy
Of note. In the third act besides the airs de dance
which remarkable for novelty in harmony and eff
feet would particularly notice the trio bufo by Le-
vasseur Fremont and Gueymand. The first movement
is charming melody, and the andante has most sin.
gular imitation of striking a light with n flint and
steel In the fourth act the first part Of coupets
of FdGs and her duet with Bertha are admirable Int
from the Of the church, during the remainder Of
the act 1t is impossible to partcularize From the
first note to the last all is beautiful admirable filed
with color and effect and breathing that of gran
deur of religious majesty and dramatic power of which
the iustrous composer has already given proof The
fifth act contains the air Of Madame Viardot the ac
gro of which is one of the most splendid of modern
competitions mag itcent duet between her and
Roger and trio by these two artists and Castelar,
The two last acts are the best and they magnif
cent
The decorations are splendid, and the mise en- scene
OF unprecedented richness. The effect Of sunrise Is
one of the finest exhibited at theatre which was
arranged in such by the aid OF the light
as to have almost the appearance of real sunrise The
interior of the Cathedral of Munster and the concud
ing scene, must be viewed to be appreciated
After the opera, usual, showers of bouquets dc.
scended ON the stage and completed the triumph the
composer.
But this is not the only dramatic exhibition have
to notice. The Assembly converted into n very
theatre comique on occasion of the application of NJ
Victor Considerant for grant to test his theory The
audience appeared to vie with each other in saving
mots throwing ridcule the speaker and his Utopa
and the gbc the jest the laugh the only obser-
vatons they condesconded to bestow on the cucida-
ten Of the intellectual abors Of twenty four years for
such the time the honorable reprcsentati declar-
cd 1t had cost him TO mature plans which had for their
end. could he so convince his auditory, universal hap
pincss and complete emancipation from ILL., Provided
with at discretion, and unfolding large
pamphlet, the apostle Of socialism made n crcumnavi-
CATION OF all the territory of Fourier and wound UP his
lengthy Grafton by simply demanding 1900 hectares of
the forest Of st Gcrmain that the State should construct
all necessary buildings, and open for him credit of
one and half millions-no, in error he left the
amount of his modest demand In blank. The conces-
sion endure for two years; and IT, ut the expra
ton of that term. the funds dissipatcd If the
Icaria Of NJ Consdcrant should turn that Of NJ
CADET, NJ. Victor Considerant would engage, you will
naturally suppose. TO reimburse them: such thing,
but what then, why TO pass the remainder Of his days
at Charcuton You may imagine that am not serious