The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-11-26


Last evening" lecture on the 0pera-especislly
Mosarts Don Gisvani''-wss delivered BY j. 9
Dwight EGG, of Boston, at the Tabernacle The leo.
turs Of very great length and being read with re-
pidity, we DO not attempt more than an outline OF
the proceedings He commenced by saying that he
had chosen this subject for his lecture a. IL was one
of the purest and nobest Of social influences. The
lecture, however, would appear fagmsntary and in
complete for the reason that IL but one Of series
Of six lectures The old music, through the middle
ages purely eccesastc and consisted Of chorsls
from the Greek originally and was afterwards wrought
up into scientific forms by the monks In whose care
the science Of music was kept exclusively. By the
time thought had got force, the science spread
through the human mind, popular melodies sprung
up, and they not uncommon in the streets OF
Naples. Towards the opening Of the seventeenth
century, these melodies attracted the attention Of
composers Music Is an universal dialect ;
the opera the first leap Of the genius Of mu.
tic, which sought its own In the natural spon-
refined seniiblity to love of beauty In the opera
there very few words, and very slight skeleton
Of story; Il Is character, and not history, that We
excitement; 1t feeds the appetite with recreation
that good also for the soul Transport is part Of
survive the season of its recurrence. Mozart has
wrought us the spiritual music Of the senses; Handel
ife. and hsrmouisss the senses with the sou Tba
first opera produced in Rome In the sixteenth GEN.
tury and entitled The Representation of the Soul
and the Bodyn the first secular profsne opera
composed about the time. In the seventeenth
century and before the time Of Handel airs first
come attractive instrument in the hands of its
nrst great master, Corrili We find In Mozart type
OF the genius OF dramatic art who lends such Titan
Ike vouptaous touching to all his music IL all fond
sensibility and harmony Of soul. Rossni and other
modern composers, are more for effect; but Mozarts
music comes more to the heart. The lecturer then
ed n raphic dtacriptiOn ha nd in
cidepts In the opera of "Don Giovanni comm snting
on each he went along In those str aims We
find more than the tenderness of Rossn-full pre-.
sentiment dark freezing moduatons; low, Mysterious
tremulous staItiDgs into the acconp animen Mt, aud
vague forms of demons, make shudder while We
listen Don Giovannii is the story Of one love under
many phases The gay gallant is not intended for the
vulgar street rake which charscterzes the representa-
tiope Of IL that may have seen. He Is noble In
mind, and is . nne, generous creature; but he has
engend.red insatste appetite until the very pas
sion becomes Q fend in his bresst, which triumphs
homes and hearts he trsmples on. He rosms the
ssrth fallen angel and virtue after virtue falls
q prey to his passion, until hell devours him up
The lecturer continued dste upon the story Of the
pisce, which he said old middle age catholic
story, and had been many times drsmatized That
Mozart had any metaphysical idea when composing
IL IL is unpesary to suppose Love, II IL the rul
ing sentiment OF his nature was sto his chief danger
The overture OF the opera OF Don Giovanni COM
posed In single night, while Mozart's wife kept him
awake with punch and anecdotes. aud IL was only
completed In time for the nrst OF the
opera, without rehearsal There 4. an ardent, pas
soDste feeling In the melodies Of Elvino the rustic
chorus is one OF inimitabe beauty 10 there Is
strsiniug after effect; and he (Nr doubted IL any
opera could show tuch wealth OF ideas In the same
spsce-one act Of IL with more mu
sicsl ideas than twenty OF modern operas. The
music OF the finale Is enough to freeze ones blood but
he could not mpatbize with the opinion which had
been exTressd that Mozart should not have married
such divine muiic with thi. plot Altogether. he he
lectursr pronounced "Don Giovanni the beet type
of dramatic opera known to him. Mr.. wight then
compared Mozarts compositions with modern italian
operas The productions OF RossinL Bellini. Besth-
oven. Handel Hayden. and Donizett he alluded TO
in contrast with the works of Mozart At the head Of
the new Italian school, stands Rossini though never
very deep, going tothe heart does Beuini The
Barber OF Seville suggested by Mozsfts Marriage
ef Figaro s the most beautiful specimen rshned
opera have The auih or Of tns song Largo al Fac
totum.n has contributed his share ~ modsrn lius5.
One leaves Beethoven under feeling except the
BILE OF being entertained his music which
delights. and gees boldly and pleasantly TO every
heart but does not mystify the Senses his music IL
p, lite witty Bellini's music IL the very embod-
ment OF love- without the wealth. Of thoughs which
find In Roesini; but IL Is musis from the heart, and
20 sincere that he must be more less inhunAn ~ho
has not been moved by IL Verdi's Ernanir marks
the boldpess Of his genius every passage of the
cheftra music Ia crowded with harmony, yet
harder repetton 1t exotes than IL In pires
After lecture Of nearly hours rather elabor ate
ct dicursve Mr. wight spologised for Ia length
well ~ ITS fragmentary character. and the meeting
which not numerous one separated. The price
NJ dmis two shilfnga