New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-03
SKETCHES OF LECTURES.
MIR. Fr,,s Lectures on Music.

aOdence was iull oncupying the vast la even 70 the
second gallery. Mr.. Fry, before commencing his ,sxt
said hst the change in the Opera night at Niblos to
Tuesday had prevented him from obtaining an orches-
ira and go he found at the last moment and
obliged to change the subject of the evening writing
against time snd of subject to the drawbacks Of
haste. But, added he. in order TO give everything
proisedin the Prospectus there will be in addition to
the lecture Of this evening eleventh given gratis
to the subscribers next Tuesday a, which illustrate
its matter properly will be full orchestra military
bands and chorus Of $50 performers The lecturer
then proceeded as follows:
The history of the Opera has is interests and cuio
ties AID may probably be established in this
country they may be noted There IL but way
TO make Opera flourish. aud that is to render it ma
tona through our own tongue. The French people
supposiug them to be represented by their Government
determined to have an Opera under Louis NV. An
Academy of Music, 30 called, being Grand Opera
House was founded, and thencetorward every
poser had TO write through the French language France
Of that time had very bad style OF music but the
cleverest composer was LULU Italian who laid the
foundation of the French Lyrical Drama Anerwari
came Gluck who had been writing tor twenty years for
the Italian Opera So Picciu and others Then IN this
century came Rossini and Meyerbeer 10 Paris Now let
il be borne ia mind these foreigners were all obliged &c
compose for the French people in their own language
True there was the Italian Opera which presented torthe
luxurious few three times aweek portion ottheyear but
the Grand Opera quot 70 mention the opera Comlque
which never close sconduced through the French Ian
gaee and has season of some eleven months eachysar
ihs Is what contend for IN this country. Persons who
who say the English language Il not ht for music only
show that they have not studied that language Andhe
Italian language is not ht tor music unless the hearers
understands. Ank may ask of those not foreigners
who 60 to the Italian opera IN this city how many speak
the language and understand the words Are there hity
all told | doubt IT, How then can they truly
understand the music the dramatic composer who
knows mis- chooses his notes with the greatest care to
represent the slightest shades OF meaning he oven
rha titan Ocg nnes
dentalism in his musical forms and contend that no
music written in foreign language can be understood
fully except by the natives OF that country The comic
opera of Italy finds its chief merit in rapty OF utter
snce gcTmene 10 the vehement rapidy OF talking there
compromising principle seems 70 me for the longer
words Of that language over our own The same ra
pidity Of utterance Is not necessary in English For OK
ample the vast catalogue OF Old Saxon words of one
syllable invariably represented IN Italian by two
.yables, generally with voeaic termination. Any one
who has tried to translate Italian poetry INFO Engish
must have observed the great difficulty or impossbly
of rendering Italian uss into English OF the same meter,
without coaXng parsphrasng or transforming the idea
This is owing to the greater Length OF Italian words
Now to dispose of 30 many syilables demands par
cuar kind OF mufc but Is foreign 30 20 hear
such whir Of rapid notes. The other night In the Bar
Der Of Seville the innate rapidly the composers work
which in the finale 90 the 6rt act demands frequently
twelve mortal sylsbes TO each bar OF music, was
faIther exhirated by increase OF time which made
the text unintell. ibe the blursong OF locust
When speak Of Opera therefore II u 10 ~ be any
thing beyond fashionable fungus it must be through
our own aneuage-and thar language lyrlcaly written
according a standard, the outline Of which deye
oped here the other evening.
The following is Translation Of the original arrange
rent OF the Royal Academy of Music in Paris IL
curious document showing the modest wages OF those
times which in SEINE respects were so luxurious
Statement of the number VI persons Of whom the
King Qouis NIy) wishes and understands that Royal
Academy OF Music should be always composed, without
being augmented diminished. Actors for the parts
Fnst Actor Bases l5O0 hyres second actor, 1900
iyres third actor 1000 yres Tenors first actor LOO
lvTes second actor 200 yres third actor lOOOlivres
Actresses for the parfrst actress 1900 hyres second
actress zoo with dccTeasir proportion TO the sixth
actress which Is 6sed a, 200 liyres
For the Choruses Twenty two men at 400 lyres, and
wv pages at 200 livrcs twelve NJ 400 hvres.
Dancers Two men dancers at 1000 iyres each ten
others Il 500 co. and 400 lyres two principal women
dancers 800 vres each eight others at 500 and 400
lyres. Orchestra: Time bsator, Chat Is eonductor)
LOCO lyres 46 performers in the Orchestra, with sela
ries from COO 10 400 liyres Two machinists at GOO
Iiyres
The number Of the persons engaged ia the Opero was
only l26 and the total cost OF their salaries year only
$4,000.
Ills Opera was Ia Paris, and therefore historical
and anything done TN times OF hundred times rs web
In this country Il not historical because We have his
torans but simple writer's OF political annals, while the
great work OF the country il done by men, who accord
Ing estimate Of what constitutes greatness,
deserving Of national record. great mana great
Caronian Virgmian Mchganer in this country, means
a politician who represents some material Interest
cotton cheese mackerel land annexation bank tariff
Buff he represent geology, chemistry political econo
N.Y. literature, arr he Is not hailed a. graf Greatness
Ia the polished unpublished dicon Of newspapers
and historians is exclusively the properly Of politician
Wehave statues 10 artists scientific men. but pol
itics revove in circle pretty much, until day
really great arise, Ike the auther OF the Maine
Temperance Law which shuts up where toperatel, the
prisons and slms house and makes AL society bloom
with hope each mother 10 feel that her curled
darling may not out cot or convict ana sheds and
showers industry art ami love where dleness. gno-
rance and brutality forrnerlyregned.
We have NON glanced al the origin Of tie Opera In
Italy and France Let Us look al 1t; institution in
England
The stage in England, ike IN this country mas never
ranked a. d profession with law, physic or theology,
though the qualities make good actor are less easy
found than these o! any other profession excepting
tia, Of singer where dramatic power must nc pre-
coded by The rafeet Of ali gfts that Of superby nne
voice Why the stage should be 20 desplsed In modern
times when among the people 20 whom we owe the |
most the ancient Greeks ned m the highest ven
Grafton and IS we have poots and military leaders
tOos part IN acting tragedies 4 question NtchI snail
not attempt solve Suce 70 say that the greatest
genius tie world has yagabond by act VI |
Parliament Under the Puritan dynasty IA England, !
the EngEsh stage wa suppressed From Ioi u loo
there were theatrical Representations S.r W .lsnl
g. AyenaLt however IL the latter year presented az 4
Rgtland House piece styled EsfriotansU o. Dees-
EaaOn and IfuSic atiT ne rldaaty 81 hs ihcsH In
this work which is pubbshed, we are Informed AFTER
flourish Of music the curtains are drawn and the pro-
lOgue enters This prologue spehk5 ID Engfsh verse
and calls ihe entertainment Opera He begs the s',
dieace regard TIE small IA later az Their passage and
their narrow way 70 our Elysan Field the opera BIZ
none OF II il set 10 music. Ater tais the curtains are
clesed and sTe informed a. fohows consot OF /
instrumental music afapted ~ the cullen dlsPoA1h %
Docencs being heard awhile the curtains are suddenly
opened md in TWO glded rOstras- appear Dogenes the
C,nis and Arstophanss the Poet who deeisim agshs.
and for public entertainments ~ Lnofa4rep ieralato
Doeeufs says: Poetry Il the mest subtle engine ~ |
vrbeh he wonderful body Of ths Opera must move !
WL Athena you were all poet lot ,asn = you .eos ~,
meet and with the pleasant vapors Of LesDsn VINE lai
-, o+.,rrd seeu and concur Ia long dream, you
woa,d every morning enamel your hoa.es nie thern
vi,h cold ana pave them with agyot, The defamation
~ he Cvpic beng finished. "a consor Of MUSIC beat
1iss.sn, d y1os!foa Ct Anstophanes beng heard,
4 snofr rrrUr