New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-04-10

b. m IN ltsly, though going very young TO France.
BE wrote TO please tire King, and was lord para
n cunt in bis department. His music nov would no.
be Listened TO- except here and there Bit but still hs
vn great man for bis time and the resources at his
o'mnaId At that period, there was so little artist,
| c. M unicscn between France and Italy, tbs; tbs
former country remained gnor4n, Of the advances Of
u later in nuscsl art, and While France bluu-
d'rrg away under a combination Of snufis snd
screaming called the lyric drama Italy rapidly
precirg the voice and the violin. prior to ping
Improvements in opera writing OF the gres, Itsliscs
OF little later period, the beet known is Pic:in
HIS dramatic works would interest any t,,.efa audi
eIce 10 tbi' day, and hey were about the frs. emf
ntnt italian PRODUCTIONS which were given with
success in Paris, and contributed 10 break down the
old Fftrch screaming defamation aad clun.y
rhythm
II is worthy Of remark thai he man who mainly
produced the French Revolution, Rousseau, like rise
revolutioDized the mu<ic of France Hi nself
serous, end, to some extent learned musician, aud
the author ola Dictionary Of Music and operas,
gifted with that s.istics spiritual sense which made
bin the teacher OF legislators, and with that dark
lyrical sadness Of feeling which makes the prophet Of
ns,iors he saw equally the faults ia the harmonies
Of society and ihose of the drama. TIE nervous
orgat zstion hoh caused him to lash into oblivion
peai|ig coleLess an pomposi.y in the French op.rs
made hin aso divine their contemplate character
OF the stage; and hence the Contra Social without
which the French Revolution would not have been
precpitsttd, RobespieIe had his tex book on tbs
defoimities Of The then exi,trg society.
While the opera Of Derin dl Village, by Rousseau
or as some say, not by him. but .tolea-was enjoying
its popularity in 1852, company of Italian singers
came to Paris and obtained permission to perform at
the Academy, Operas OF Pergoese, Leo Rinaldo, and
others, alternately with the French Opera Ro Issssu
Grimm, and others OF the Encyclopedias took part
with the Italians and against the French, aud in op.
position to the objections aganst his opinions, he
launched forth his celebrated Lettrs Sur Ia MHsique
F,dncaise. The quarrel grew so high that the Court
took part in it. and Madame de Pompsdcur was for
the French side. While the French music v drama
was so exercised Italy not idle with her reforus
Some innoystos appeared on the ab uses OF the dis
play Of song ct the expense Of sentiment but it
reserved for Gluck who had been some twenty year.
in Italy, writing operas in the old fashion to aim
At revolution. Supported by tie illustrioas Padre
Martini, Of Bologna, the greatest con'rapun.st in
Europe he introduced his celebrated musical drama,
10 opps si,iont the musical opera lie went for " the
"t!ue" and not (" the beautiful when the latter was
to act forth the airs aud graces Of The singers in op
position TO the text. Eventually he came to Paris,
ard then and there ragged musical war, in intensity
and ferociy presaging the political revolution which
followed. In this City Of New-York, occupied with
foreign CON me- CO. inland trade, the back woods and
all creation we cannot divine the concentrat d in
tensity Of the war OF the muses. round about the uTu
rous Court OF Louis XVI and NJ sre An,oiuette,
wholly occupied with their pleasures, Of which the
opera formed principal one and hence all changes
and notifications Of II involved bitter parsanship.
Abte e. too, went into the fight and the poet Delas
Hsrpe also figured among the gladiators.
collection II the musical pampbl. teeriog of that
period ia exceedingly curisus. The question was
Pccini or Gluck-Gluck or Piccini-the Italian
sweetness passion, grace and even vocal display,
the rigid adherence to the refined defamation and
dramatic melody. Unfortunately for the Giuck
theory he did not carry it out fully himsolf for his
Orpheus has some passages Of merely vocal display.
Rousseau was Gluckist l took my son to hear
Gluck Opera ard be cried the whole tme-that 5
proo.-said Rousseau besides this he entered after
long silence upon musical matters, into fresh pam.
pblete eriDg campaign. Our limits will not permit
to cite from the Memories pour serrr Fhistoi,e de
"l0 Revolution oprte dams Ia musi1ue par Ia Otsva
Tier Giuek a very rare work, containing the
choicest discussions of the time-wth the mot.
iots: Que stunt dmpla a pulehrd dia plaeere pos
sunt: Qa0e p90 ct eOHcnna, eit6 sasetate o6fciurt
duriun sensum fasiOdiosissImum Cicero and II
pretsra lee muses. auz SneHes. Mozart came to Paris,
but did not get hearing for his works, the Checklists
the being in the ascendancy-and there being even
persons 10 this day who prefer Gucks operas to
Mozars. The effect Of the Checklists on the French
opera wa. seen in the works OF their composers,
lie Seuer, Mthul, and other celebrities. The coming
Of Rossini 10 Paris made a sort Of compromise he
accepted largely Of the Gluck theory, imprinting,
however much of his own vein Of melody. and his
own instr umt NATION The opera In hand Is evidence
of this statement.
We shsl not detain the reader by tracing the various
chep gee oftbe French Opera up to the time that Ro'sni
and Meytrbeer wrote for it, We shall proceed to give,
at orce rapid glarce q, the music Of the full score
Of William Tell, now before Us, remarking upon its
teautiss ard pecuarites, so far as we can, without
mutic types Preceding there remarks, We copy the
pot of the opera, which closely follows in its main
features the popular story Of Wm. TEL thus given In
the programme:
ACT /. The people Of the five cantons Of sFitzer-
lb1d are efosnirg uLder the oppression Of their Gov
e,nsr the tyrant 1it.ler. Ten, who has already De
teruired upon procuring their independence endes-
yors TO excite the young ATHofdo, who Is IN loye with
Dofld0 the sister OF Ges'ler, 70 embrace tue cau,e
which i,fames his own patriotism. At this moment.
IlEIoldo having slain soldier who was carrying oil
n. SsnoH.er sopesrs and mplores the fishermen to
hear him scrrts The lake. They all refuse, but TEL
suba,ks it'll him az the soldiers in pursuit Of hin
arrive. In their rage ct losing him. they bear avsy
tIe vererated pastor the sire Of ArRoifO prisoner.
Acre. T,H, who has srry rsed ArR0iiO while hsy.
inc an interview with Matilda ioforms HIN that hls
father be-. been murdered. In bis remoI:e the youcg
nan eetrmines upon joining him. The people OF
aife SHi [ r.,
lsns are laid sIdthe cry Il frat be ithei To a. rs.
f.-n IL 4 IL an. Garernlr IeilIsr