New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-28

purpose the charges moderate the Audience
large and well dressed the officers and attend
ants up to their business and every thing orderly
and quiet The play was Scribe's .L'Enfant
Prologue CThe Prodigal Son. which IN Eng
land they soften into Azael the Proiigal.' but
here no such euphcmsm is requisite, and indeed
doubt that half who witness II suspect that the
idea is taken from the Scriptures The idea,
however, Is all that is 50 borrowed There were
no great singers included IN the cast for this
evening, not even Alboni. who remains here
while most of her compeers are IN London.
am poor nudge, but | should say the Music Is
not remarkable.
This Is a drama OF Action and OF Spectacle,
however. TO which the Music IS subordinate
Such a medley of drinking and praying, dancing
and Devotion idol.worship and Deilah.can. |
had not before encountered Az eaS, three
hundred performers were at once on the stage.
The dancing-grls engaged were not less than
one hundred IN number. apparently all between
fourteen and eighteen years OF age, generally
good.looking. and with that aspect OF innocence
and freshness 10 which the Stage Is 50 fatal.
The most agile AMI eminent among them was a
Miss Plunkett, SAID to be ar American, with 4
face of considerable beauty AID winning. Joy
Gus manner should say tn half the action OF
the piece, nearly half the time and more than half
the attention OF the audience, were engroSSed by
these dancing demoisellos.
France Is the cradle and home of the Ballet.
In other lands il is an exotic here natural out
growth and expression Of the National mind. OF
the spirit which conceived it, here is the abode
and the Opera Francois the temple; and here
II has eNcrted its natural and unobstructed in
fuences on the manners and morals Of People.
II You would comprehend the EngliShman, fol
low him to his hresldet If Frenchman. JOIN
him at the Opera and contemplate him during
the performance OF the Ballet.
am, though no practitioner, lover of the
Dance Restricted to proper hours and tt assoc
GATES wish 1t were far more general than It Is.
Health. grace. muscular energy, even beauty,
might be promoted by It. Why the dancing OF
the Theater should be rendered disgusting can
not yet comprehend. The poetry of notion
of harmonious evouuons and the graceful move
ment of 'twnklmg feet think | appreciate.
All these are natural expressions of innocent
gaiety and youthful elasticity OF spirits. whereof
this world sees far too little | wish there were
more of them.
But what grace, what sense, what wltchey,
there can be, for instance, IN a young girls
standing on one great toe and raising the
other foot to the altitude of her head,
cannot imagine As an exhibition Of mus
cular power, 1t is disagrecable TO me, because
| know that the. capacity for 1t was acquired
by severe and protracted efforts and at the cost
of much suffering Why is it kept on the stage
Admit that 1t /, not lasciylous who will pretend
that it is essentially graceful was glad to see
that the most extrayagant distortions were not
specially popular with the audence-that nearly
all the applause bestowed on those ballet-tcats
which seem devised only to favor liberal dis
play of the person came from the little knot OF
hired caquers' in the center of the pit If there
were many who loved to witness, there were few
$ shameless to applaud.
If the Opera Is ever to become an element of
Social life and enjoyment in Ncw-YoTk, DO
trust that it may be such a one as thoughtful
men may take their daughters to witness with
out apprehension or remorse ] do not know
whether the Opera we now have is or Is not
such a one; know this Is not. Its entire pal
pable, urgent tendency is earthly, sensual, dev
lsh' In none was the instinct of Purity ever
strengthened by beholdng 1t ; IN many, It must,
IN the nature OF things, be weakened with each
repetition of the spectacle. 1t Is no marvel that
the French are reputed exceedingly reckless of
the sanctions and obligations of Marriage, If this
Is part of their State-supported educatlon
i came away at the close OF the third act,
leaving two more to be performed. The play Is
transcendent in spectacle, and has had a very
great success here. H.G.