The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-08-12
Castles i'm the Air.
Wei may dreams present Us iietions.
Since our waxing momeuts ieem
Win such iancifal conVrtions,
As make life itself n dream ~ (.ay,g,i,sl


performance Of that splendid musical tragedy,
Meyerbeer's masterpiece, The Prophet"
There is scene in this opera winch is always
aPpIauded, not only on account OF the beauty of
the music, but also on account of the novelty in
the dramatic effect mean the scene Of the
Skaters. Through the hazy waking of winIy
twllight-amid mountains OF snow, and over lakes
oil ice-the hardy skaters of Northern Germany
are seen skmming along, torch in hand and burthen
on back, to reach the camp OF the victorious Ana
oaPusts On the ordinary plank flooring of the
stage you see faithful representation OF skating
scene, exactly as the realily would appear were
you transported at once to the lar North in the
depth of winter. The actors-men and women
seem mounted real skates and, at pitch. sweep
from one extremity Of the stage to the other, per-
forming all the difficuit evoutions practiced
by the most experienced skaters when gambohne
upon the ice. They come and 90, by single and
double pairs, SLIDING through the may figures Of.
eotillon as if the hard and slippery surface OF a
frozen pond were beneath.
lhe only thing winch mars the illusion, is the
too apparent fact that this skating is done on the
usual flooring Of. the stage, which lies before you
ungarnished with any imitation OF ice. No extra
planning or polishing is resorted to, but the whole
scene is performed upon the everyday plank Of
'hs Sease "nch IN lact Is none OF the smoothest.
hau previously seen this enacted by the
haVeis Dut mad considered 1t as feat OF astonish
ing agilty ana strength, which few, out OF that ex
Iaordinary family, would ever attempt to initiate
Imagine then, my surprise, when / saw il all
beautifully repeated by the ordinary stock actors
actresses and supeTnumeraries of an Opera COM
pany. After weeks rehearsal. men and ySbynep
who were not more strong. or more ac,;va than
other people, skated-yes, skated over drv boards.
like flock of Laplanders during November nnon
the congelated face of Lszke Euors Tn he ,,.,
cases, however, the skates nsed tbo,ob an.
parently alike, are materially different The ,t.ge
skates are set with hidden rollers which xvbrl;n,
| under the feet of the wearers hear ,bem .Ion-
| with an effect similar to the gliding of the II,
i fashioned and better known instrument nj ,v;n,s
locomoton.
On the night "The Propbet1 WAS ne,forr,s,
for the first time in New Orleans. 7 went bor,.
from the Theatre with no otbe, comnan, ,b.r -,
agitated thoughts NV feelings and 6,cnltie, ,,,e,s
excited to the highest piteh-sucb ,dni,ah III
music had heard; now soft. now hold tbsn -.
thetic or severe-breathing sentiments Of religion.
1OVr
despair-all the passions had struck the chords Of
the harmonious orchestra, and breathsd into the
tunefuI lungs of the singers. Then there was ,hs
poem itself, worthy of furnishing the blot of an
English tragedy; and then there was the scenery
grand, impressive, and true to nature Il was
worthy of enframing the whole splendid comuosi.
ton.
As trotted home that evening over the rough
pavements Of our city, had vision. Metbougb,
| saw the scene of the Skaters acted over again
but the white mantle of winter had disappeared
from the hills and dales which ,,s,a aI.,I.I
with the bloom and verdure of sprinp. The ca,,le
browsed upon the green pastures--tbe husband.
man drove his plow across the fields-from the
shady woodlands broke forth the hundred songs Of
thousand birds of every voice and color while the
bubblng rivulets coursed in liquid streams of
crystal from meadow to rock, and from rock to
vale yet the Skaters svers there, whirlipg about
as if we still bound to take it for granted that
that same stage floor was the frozen plane of a
hyperborean lake.
smiled at the inconsistency, but my vision soon
took turn which reconcled the anachroism to nv
understanding.
Methought | walked among the Skaters, and
long plank-roaa, traversing the valley for miles
Behold, its whole length was alive with travellers,
all of whom were provided with rolzsr-skates, and
were moving along with railroad velocity They
rushed past at every instant, skim1ning over
the smooth surface of the way Every impulse
they gave to their feet drove them many wards
ahead, so that each traveller who went bv me. was
in few moments, away out of sight. Yet thew
all seemed perfectly at home. on their wheel.
mounted shoes, laughing and chatting as thew
went, and each apparently bent upon some distant
business.
l envied them, and wished for the power of
moving with equal rspidity when, no sooner was
the wish conceived, than fell myself mounted ON
rollers like unto theirs, and whirlng along as iast
as the fastest of the runners. In an hour. by the
mile posts along the road, knew | had progressed
thirty miles from the point Of departure, when |
entered the streets OF a large city.
The sidewalks and crossings of this citv were
constructed of eyen.edsed stop. 80 that The