The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-06-24

HATMARKsT rHAATRss
M Hsnry 6msrts o ere, . Bsrsas or The G ocue
Of The Hsrtsbsrg" which has bsen thics aoro slcsd
ard twice ortpansS. has been got cut CT tast. Il
wss per on med on Ss urda5 nige, no,wi.S ssaooicg
q psl abe dissavanege Of bosysensss on tns part
II hr. Sims REEVES sn other dra wbsckA
OF ttis opera sonetlibg hst alsea1y bsen ktcvn
by tie extracts shich hsve crspt trsa tne coacezt
room. L has rot beer recently written By the
syer composer whose narae liz bears, but Xix,
ether works wnfch have emansted from native pens,
ns. sE.S the opaunsy rSs Enas, bssr
Mr.. Henry Smart is vriter Of 10 ordinary csQa-
city. His tastes and scholarship are Of very diff
ferea. order 20 what we have usually witnessed
when I" Er glish opeIs" has been advartured Ia
public Hisimsgnasiou Ia fertile as it Is original
being as free from comoon place In ts products II
10 pleasing and picturesque whsh drarauca Ally sp-
Piled. But htee are facts not to the ooenois
seurs Of the metropolis His music hiss bsea heard at
tbs PI ibasmonic and ether pleoss whore 1t would
Lot bs likely 20 be Intro duced exoe Jtrg upon ths
best grounds; while this occasional, soogs which
have issued NJ der his hard have had fen superors
in these features which give sorth to suoh things
namely, In grace melody, fesiing. AID that pscd.
liar rics1ess q treatment which is both betrayal
Of music eDship aud Of dvi5uaity. Tae sDrs OF
"Berfa" n fu1 of proof of his endowmen.s and Of the
probsble success be would reach in toe realms of
opers, ba6 We but little nationality In sucb MAJ.
tiers, end stle more disposition TO parry BY exam
pie the contempt which foreigners are bat toe ready
TO best0w upon uS.
Bot WY, with such high prstersions az these
which inherently belong to this gsriecssa as an To-
vent0r end classic has ne allied his music 70 suoh
q worthless libretto ~ inst which We perused and
listened TO on Saturday right2 In the most foolish
days of ErgUsh opera books VIC never had anything
thinner, poorer, a0d sillier than thus, which Is
made up Of undesirable "nonsease versss,n and
that empty and insipld dialogue vhish passed
hoped tad Der n sidis usd TOO efEsctusliy ever to
hAVs revived agair-much less In connection Wit
music 90 beautiful ard descriptive a. that walsh we
be. Unfair to n:mss Fin tsis respect, ana Sow a.
hes managed TO derive the Inspiration he has from
such lyrics as here set forth /; would be hard Co
deter mine. 70 risk, too, the performance Of music
With the resources which II obviously demands, vas
also point worth re con ideiings Tho score Is no
lightly conceived tbir 6. II is ample and abundant
on all sides, and the caoristess arc 20 less critically
taxed than the instrun entalisas singers acd play
eTs OF the first class are persmpt0siy asked for 10
both of these depaitnenis else the resus cannot
but be imperfect and dissatist2ing We bslieve that
every assistance that could be rendered in the pro-
msnt; but moro could not DO done than tae
materials permitted. and hence music essen.
italy rscerdite, though far nom beicg dryly
en- o, to
curate. 1t Is mo- fault Of Mr.. Blackstone
that the execution ef B-rta ives in mMy places
ragged srd undecided. The HaymAlket Ia not
pioessealy operate theatre the singers there being
Reeves, who were q geged a. special cards, ir g
specslve OF any higher and mors comprehensive
cbecte. But IL snevsrtbeless oredtabls to him sdat
he Was willing to grant, Eogiish art tie service Of
hea Jog. Much cost mus. have been incurred in
the undertaking and We trust il will be repaid him.
In fact, there little dUubs of that for tns opera,
notwithstanding It's great lsrgsa, was extremely
one and al sncoFed.
The story Of the lib1etso needs but word or
" to indicate its purpOft, seeing ttst we have
as eaty hilted ct lis Literary qualiy. The Gaome is
NO superra tuIh pe.s0rage, but simply Ge msa ba-
ron who, On rewriting 20 his ancestral inheritsn,e
In thu Hartzcelg takes scvaLts3e OF popular 81.
pe7stitiOn connected With his family TO assume q
tiers Ct village beauty, who dscs-ds faithful lover
be- suse he is iowiy boFn, and Sc has coquettisd
bores in some higher qua ter. The baron, Wide
vending his Wy to tae castle. ovefhears what is
lection. and csuses BIN 20 be received ~ ths
heir Of the Hsrtzbuyg oomsin, and subsequently
impliLosed On ciruanstantial charge OF rob-
berry, which two events, taken ia sucoassicn,
molshed of the real state Of Ter heazt and Of the
!aacy Of aspiring byond her station is but too hap
py, when the reimbursement arrives, TO throw her
self into TIE arms Of tie sentimental Michael, and
b'ese the frie1cly cor ectOns Of tae baron. Toe
music consists chiefly OF serted pieces asd it is
in these that the genius Of tie composer the most
distinctly shines The f's. act I rspss vita gsiesy
rio ~ and meIcdous fusrcy MI. Smart very happily
emaates TIE duet between Alcha ell Berts, which
occurs reary at the beginning Of the opera Aubtr
AL over; ncr u tie sceIs CT the mtunsan and the
ltng finale which takes place in wins house, in
vovpg numerous elements for the display Of gay aud
fsncifu ccntraat, lees declsxat0Yy of certain pre-
affection for the melodlc figures, and delicate,
pointed instume ntation Of the French school. II
Is all thoroughly free and genial Ths sec ,Id act
the sentiment Of Which is of Q more tragic hue, is
broader in its shapes and manifestations The ca.
vaiira Tor the soprano, In which the maiden COM
mupes rerrcachfuly with herself is the most srlk-
Ing vocal piece In ths opera, and is as finely con-
csived as It is dramatically expressed. Tnere is
also some charmirgiy tender tenor music In this
opera, besides. ~ impoirg duet between the
confidence is brilliantly delineated. But there ore
many other passages that arrest the attention on tue
score OF fecitous idea constructive TACT and pic
tuIesqueL ess OF coloring As writer for t1e ches
s,rumertaton Of "BertA' 10 bright and piquant, and
full OF graceful and tempting effects. The larac-
tels, il adherence TO practice that 1t seems muet
whether or rot, prevail in An Erglish opera,
ore), for tie delectatitn OF the gods, and Inc com
mercial interest Of the publisher. These we should
have been glad to hsve seen emitted. Taey a-e
excellent specimens OF their o.der 1t is true but
They crop in when they are least wanted, AID the
sweeping and irresistible encore Of the unsophiati-
Gated people sloft multiples the objection and The
| IL corvenierce twcfold.
labored under severe cold. His energy, howe YER
YVES ursperirg, srd when bis voice Was nc. pressed
be sang beautifully. Bot the music belonging to
the part Of Nchael IL of "a exceedingly ouerous
| character, aid suffering Mr.. Reeves was from
. but too palpable hoarsensss, 1t was wonderful
how Wen he managed, and how effective he was in
these Situations 10 which ed irt was indispensable
| Mrs. SIMS Reeves was tie Bessa; and here
| too, there srs some heavy responsibilities
the cavatiEa fer instance ia the second act, and
tbe duet which ftlows-ths former Of which, 1t maj
be mentioned this expert vocalist introduced veal
or two ago into ore OF the new PkiiSar moric con
celt's progremues at Exeter Hall. Mr. Weiss was
tie baron, end the voice Of this gentleman
was eminently useful in the concerted pieces. Mssl
Harriet Gordon perscrated the village canton O
the heroine, ard sang ballad or two slth which
she 70 provided, with zeatrese and sp5ls we'll de
serving OF compi nent; and besides this lasy, there
qusarsen, the vessels chosen b. the Graat fer th.