New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-05
ACADEMY or MUSIC.
Verbs NEW OPERA OF LA TRAvIATA.

yFRDIS NEW OPERA OF LA TRAFIATA.
Anew opera is sure to Draw q crowd the e st night
,fa. nsrfamance 10 New-York. La Traviata did 80
vsdue d.y night; TO, too, did Nm. Tel, The Hugue-
,ot. The Prophet, The Star Of the Nor;h, when fret
produced here. But how long did these operas draw
crowds Where are they now, with their thousands
If pages Of music, their many characteristic dresses
apo ts and ~ what end has been the great labor
Of committing many notes aud 80 many words to
memory, when perceived that the emuivorous and
vet dissatisfied public axis yet another opera 10 shse
the same fate : The CO npaDy in fact, is going to
Havana fer the llth Of thu month, to mend their
fortunes; thus La Iraviats must, so far as We here
are concerned be sheved inoondnentIy.
1t Ia rather presumptuoas to offer an opinion
On an opera after a single he ,ring OF it; but 80 far
az We can do So should think this work not des-
tined TO measure lengths with some others BY the
same haAd. It has fine passages and some exceed
ingly weuwokec up progressions; but on the other
hand there 10 curious contrast Of hssty detail with
the elaborate miniature painting Of Meyerbeers Star.
But the composer may well ak himself, why dwell on
nul,ifurm orchestral detas when invan SHY It 10 the
smplefaoed ADD not the polyphooo musical idea which
carries the day with the public Given certain
number of memorable melodies capable OF being DISCO
slated from the bamony-capable Of standing alone In
their Dorc eimplci'yand the best part OF the CON-
poser's work 10 done. Bot, on the other hsnd, no
amount of sympboDicke elaboration, without sach
captivating ly o. will avail TO please the public; and
an opera which does please the public Is practically
good for nothing. II has merit silent, and on paper
1t is made for Use.
The plot Of La Trapiasa we have already given TO
our readers II is simply Camille. The first scene
affords us sone WALKING music, appropriate In Its
place on which (mnsical) dialogue takes place. The
waltz is not specially guod, nor is there any mastery
outwokng at detail fair drinking -song is Afforded
which pleased but was not encored. pretty duet,
by Mad. de La Grange and Signor Br gnoli, may be
noticed also this act; and the final air by Mad de
La Grange Al fors' hn che faxinss contained
brilliant ford close which brought down the house,
ard the curtain had to be re-rased to admit of a
REPETITION.
Act IT, admits of more Intensified music than Act l.
brief air by Alfred BrgDol followed by an air by
Germont (Amodio) and by a duet, Voletts Tia
dsrange) ana Gernont. The duet is well worked up
and Is rousirg passionate music. Vercis mastery OF
dramatic sccent-of the modern scbool OF defamation
is here evident. Some dramatic ~ork, the Orchestra
leading Acknowledging an air by Germont ID Pro-
9fnsa ii mar. This s 2-i travestie OF the waltz
kn,wn as WeJer's Last Val. (which, however,
Weber never wrote; and lie too uniform in the leugh
of it's notes TO have dramatic breadth or eloquence.
good bit is the sudden exit Of Alfred thereupoa, not
stopping to make au andiamo duet as is oen DONE
II is dramatic.
Tho next Introduces us to masquerade, where
are chmases of quasi G'psies matt dores and picca-
sorcs-suciebty characteristic. The scene after the
eard-plsying which is fine in the play, is Inefficient
in music
Act ILL., ia the book Thought was made Act ~. on
Rbis occasion by subdivding the second) reveals the
ack-room Of La Tropiata. sweet a'r-minor and
spsjor by turns, with bautboy wains-paints the
sufferers sorrows. duet between the lovers Par1g9
. cara is especially original 10 its perorati'n. Tns
closing trio has the due cuminatio of anguish though
we would have preferred quiet ending to hectic
shrek and doubly loud force in the orchestra.
Goldsmith rule in the Vicar for criticizng paint
y ing was always say that "the picture would have
sheen better If the painter had taken more psins
Perhaps the same might be said of La Tracista; bat
whether it would have pleased the public more is
another question. Some of the airs certainly would
bear substitution by Others in the authors happier
vein. The opera was we'll received. Three times the
singers were called before the cnrtan.
The piece was well put on the stage. Mad. La
Grange never looked so well. Her toilet was charm
ing