New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-06-28
T II + o p + r 4
Don Giovanni.


60 years ago. The libretto was written by the Able
da Ponte by birth Venetian, originally Jew, who
turned Christian and then became a dramatic writer
He was well known at the Court of Vienna. the En-
peror Joseph's. and had before adapted Beaumarc-
hais's drama to Mozart's music. of the Noz-e d
Figaro.
As a story for operate treatment II IS unsurpassed.
II deals with the passion which makes the universal
interest of romance and opera. and with variety
that allows the utmost scope 20 the subtle lntell
gence of the composer The love Of O:tario and
Donna Anna presents itself always as the purest
type that Of Donna Elcrd-ss every singer ought to
feel from the magnificent breadth and sweep Of the
musical prelude upon her first entrance-is the entire
devotion of passion. In Masetto and Zerltga 1t IS
the arch, childke, Apr;l-humorod sentiment; which
the darling OF pastoral poetry and IN Don Gi0rannI
It is the exhliraon Of natural organization, IN which
sensualty refined into righteousness. Leporsiio
the humorous solvent Of all these varieties and,
arstically, is the background of coarse and knay-
ish superstition upon which IS displayed the epcu-
rean elegance Of Don Gioranni
So FAR, however the story has only ordinary human
interest and except is scope would be slightly dis
eliminated from other operas But delicate sense
Of lyrical propriey in pushing the story beyond his
torcal or possible fact by the prodgious contrast Of
supernatural power affecting this gay game Of life
and love has fulfilled all the conditions OF opera, and
has appeased the moral severity which might COM
plain of the fascinating preSentmen Of graceful vice
For Don GiotQnn subject to supernatural influences,
repels the criticism that would justly condemn the
historical rake He Is a being of a realm beyond our
experience tale told in music thus rises into deli
cate and airy and universal proportions, If 1t is only
deprived Of the clog of fact For 1t then shares IN
It's sentiment and scope the nhereat yagueness Of
the music If, As among the Italians, passages
of history and personal facts set 10 music, the
result Is ludcrous to the intellect and perplexng to
the imagination Lucia and Lucrezla, conSderedaS
entire works, IN which the meaning and the music
and the proportions OF each are happily harmonizod
are very sorry business, because foregone
conclusions OF the stories and the characters are
much superior to the operate presentment. It IS IN
this manner that the Italian school has esSened the
dignity Of the Opera by practically asserting that the
music was ALL and that the material was, of course
absurd. Unhappily for this argument no department
of Art allows any absurdy NJ course. And It is pre-
cisely the abSurdity of the Italian story which gives
the air OF rocco and ranstOry character to It's opera
We do not wish, as gay friend suggests, that only
noble and perfect poems should be unsteady treated
Not at all. The material OF the opera IS the lay
figure, which the composer Is to drape with music
The points and progress of the story and the differ
ence and play of character are TO be limited only IN
the libretto The music Is to fulfil the matter and
perfect the impression.
This the Able da Ponte did for Mozart. And upon
the sketch Of a life and character utterly devoid OF
moral sense and therefore never dspoasns the spec
iator by the conviction or consciousness OF badness
charact ter consistent throughout, ana because II was
not essentially bad, never succumbng to repentance
but only overwhelmed by natural terror at the SUI
pematura Mozart has breathed as with fire upon IN
visible writing, and the whole significance OF the
story starts into life, with infinite embroidery OF
the most natural and exquisite play of passion and
emotion.
From The first firm nervous chords IN the overture
until the last note OF the opera 1t Is clear that there
is work n hand The prelude conducts naturally to
the commencement of the action, and we bcgnm
the midst of the life to which the overture has at
tuned us. The power Of the composer and ms re-
sources are so infinite that, with magnificent bold
ness ne dismiSses IN the first scene the variety Of
the situation, which most composers extend through
the whole opera, and love- despair and death are all
before US, in profound and pathetic eptome, before
we are fairly engaged in attention. This treatment
has all the breadth and variety OF life. II emancl
Of a scene We have panorama. Instead of fore
gone conclusion, We have development. And mark
as a type OF the profound genius which penneates
with music the depth of feeling and the dra-
matte situation, as the sun inluse. light into the
sea, the orchestral accompaniment during the com
bat of Dan Gio,anni and the Co,a,aendatore It is
mingled strain Of sternness, Of tragIcal fate, Of
Wild wailing, if all the voices of all the nfu-
81. h.r a
that oil tins is IN the beginning Of opera, which
proceeds throughout with an increasing development,
but which could not surpass anywhere, the musical
interest and comprehension Of this scene There IS
never "a lull IN the music throughout the opera
Those dreary deserts Of recitation between the
GASES Of melody unknown here. This Is genu
me opera. This Is music triumphant, asking no
.isance self-suicient and suggestive beyond words
Observe the further evidence Of this in the dra-
matte discrimination Of the music itself The vari-
Gus characters are as dehcatey drawn By the music
as they could be by words. All the music Of Donna
Annals part, eliminating IN the tezetto, only indi
cate TO musical sense the lofty sorrow It intends
Contrast with this the lmpetuous feryor Of Eirra's
and the pastoral purity OF Zeiaas roles, unsteady
considered. The music Of the latter would Of itself
make the most characteristic Of pastoral symphonies
And so with the part Of the hero 1t a swlf spark
ling stream, tendery pleading in that unapproacha-
bic inierce>sion La ri darsn "A mano, bursting like
Bacchus into pean IN Fmche dai rmO-( would
Faun naturally sing Il SesTsto or Fche p alternately
coaxng and caoiing IA the interviews with Leyorsio,
but always elegant and graceful and gay, always the
music OF d nooleman and not Of "a snob, or Of a ban
1T playing the gentleman and struggling ike
strong man with Demons IN the awful finale
Leaving the range Of human feeling, the same
power, greater with the grandeur Of the occasion
accompanies US INTO the supernatural world. The
graveyard scene In Dan CocdaAt IS in many respects
unsurpassed Ia music. The sudden burst ofthe solemn
pealing chords that III the air, and proceed from no
point, yet have feeling Of distance Of the passion