New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-31
THE OPERA.

Notwithstanding the rain OF yesterday, the Opera
was attended by the largest and most brilliant audi
ence of the season, to listen to Semirdmide given
for the first time during the engagement Of the COM
paDy now at the ACADEMY OF Music. The curiosity
TO hear comparatively unhackneyed work, is an ev-
idence of the necessity of having novelties; and II
an old opera which has not been done to death, so
draws, what might not have been promised for
tiIey new one, e9teris pariJaS
The composition of this work presents many Of the
MI st beautiful things in the whole range Of music and
far sumptuousness Of sound is concerned, per-
baps surpasses every other opera. The fuency Of all
the musical thoughts is complete that it seems tn
have been written passionate work Of art which
admitted of no delays in its construction. OF vast
sonorousness in its Instrumentation it has in that
gard anticipated later works is vocahzahon is per-
feet, and its orchestral coloring mine Of variety
from the horn quartet in the overture to the oboe
syllables in the final trio. Then there is some mag
nfeent dramatic music; and in the arrangement of its
verbal symmetries to the rigdly declamatory music,
there is nothing left for improvement But with all this,
there is much that is simply arabesque vocalzation
graceful it is true the clouds that curtain an Ital-
ian sky but STILL the seventies of the subject con-
sidered meretyicious and contradictory. The ford
style herein Is pushed to extreme, and four notes
to syllable are often the average of phrasng dra-
matte defamation on such terms ia impossible. The
structure of the pieces is generally for singers, not
actors; each gives in turn q ford, snowy phrase
of some twenty bars or more, as though it were
contest for applause and not lyrical representation
Of an idea. Rossni, in composing his Guilloume Tel
for the French Opera, threw aside these show-of
pieces Of which he the exuberant and splendid
inventor, and took up purely dramatic style. II is
not because he cannot compose dramatically, but he
received as an heirloom the horidtes Of the Italian
school and imprinted on them bis individuality-re-
tanning much, but adding much more. There are ideas
enough in Senir0mide for two operas not mentioning
the perfect or imperfect adaptation of the to the
sentiment.
1t may be consoling to those who have not crosse
the ocean, but did cross the threshold Of the opera
house last night, TO learn that Sen1iramide
so well put on the stage in Paris-'hough the parts
have been generally better filed there. The dresses
were picturesque and the presy graDdeurs and eegac
soemntes of the chief scenes highly favorable
to the sober dramatic element The stage crowded
with very large chorus, and attendants in Asatic
costumes of ancen. times such as the Nineveh
marbles tell US were genuine Assyrian. The whole
sale musical splendors were much increased by the
Seventh Regiment, who played according to their
reputation.
If there was a woman who could I'LL The eye IN ''s
longings for the ideal Of the stately and immors'
Semiramis, il is Madame Grisi. Throwing aside
music, and viewing her simply as grand his'oricai
picture, the evening artisticany Incompetence
But her singing, too triumphed, and she was tunui'
tuously called twice before the curtain. MAs Dono
van, with her beautiful mezzo soprano manager ue-
ter in the contralto part than could be expected Her
voice is especiay admirable in ia lower register aud
abe sang with much more spirit than ordinary. su'
sn porderOus bass was all at home in his ecclesia',
tic recative The other parts respectfully filed
by signors Bernardo, Fabrica'Ore and Nora
The opera met with much applause-the concerted
pieces with the chorus sharing in the hOnOrs. The
entire spectacle of stage and auditorium was strkngy
splendid, and murmuls OF admiration escaped from
those rho xit9essed !, for the frat tune,