New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-05
RrRTONS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

IL "DeIa" a Octave Peulet. The conditions for
,b suocess Of novel as to plot situation and dialogue
are 90 different from those of play that the change OF
,ha E,rner into the latter Ia always hazardous
,,srment. OF all SCOTS novels, stored they are
with oumulated incident and multiform character not
one bas been dramat Eed amer to satisfy the ju-
dc;ous critic as to the requirements Of good play.
Except Rob Roy" which with some allowance as a
DEMONSTRATION viii pass we cannot name single one
of the mighty lst which hiss borne transPaRtation t.
the stage. With .uch facts before us, we were not
sangune as TO 3 theatrical experiment on the clever
and exciting romance in question. II we should say
that the play was success, we should claim Tor II
more than belongs 10 any of it's class 80 lar az we
know but may add that there were some successful
,oints in L. and some scenes Of interest though cannot
bear roush handling in criticism The plo: is briefly
a, follows: Caspar Fabian, young poet and composer
IMr G. Fisher, is enamOred Of Madeline mss Sara
Sevessl the daughter Of Rosarius, an old musician
and professor (Moore). The father has warned his
dutifui daughter sgsust tue advances OF operate
people Of all sOrts, not to be counted upon
for fidelity; and under this head comes the young
composer who IN of bringing out his maiden
opera in public. Fabian has been cherished and
brought up by the ChevaheT Svio Topaz, patron Of
the AIts and ambassador TO Spain (Buroo), who dis
covered bis musical talents when he was shepherd
boy, an Apollo among his ,cks Topaz, hearing from
Fabian Of his love for Madeline and fearing that the
old man will relent on hearing the young composers
OPEN and suffer him 10 marry Medicine determines 10
dTs him of that cOuree, for the Tcason that mar
red poet composer ruined for his mistress Art that
in the dull Dlorales and freside postyisn of real
6fe he loses the glow of Inauguration and the ecstasy
Of genius Accordingly, Topaz indaceS Beatrice, the
Princess Romanelh mrs Barrow, to be very pro-
f~o,,o ~. hoy "
the compo,er bouquet, which she adds her hand
kerchief This action is stimulated by Topaz through
praises of Medicines beauty TO the Prnce's-the
scene representing en- opera box and Withdrawing
room. and The invisible opera troupe being heard from
within The young composer elevated with his sue
cess and transported at finding himself the possessor
Of the handkerchief OF princess determines 10 graf
ify his curiosity by calling to her after the per-
foance and witness with his eyes the life of rank
and lovelness by it's own 6reside. The Princess IS
further played upon by Topaz IN regard to Faoians
lofty indifference to Der and his love for Madeline, and
In dudgeon dsmsses him Fabian enters to see her.
The result u.s. Fabian subdued by her, forgets his first
love- and tax ca TO the beautiful Pncesss widow skilled
in loves arts At the end Of two years Topaz returns
10 find on playing eavesdrOpper that Fabian is in Ill
health cOnsumptve with his anxiety andremorse that
the Princess is tired of him, and about to have new
lover On O1eratc singer; and that the ruse played on
him for the sake Of art verging on tragedy The
Princess decsmps leaving note which Fabian hods
in her dressiDgroOm, whittier he goes for the last
time to soc her before returning to Madeline Of whose
deselation and decline he has learned from Topaz.
Upon this Fabian becomes frantic-insane-and
r.shes after the fugitves, supposing them 10 have
taken the road-when they had coursed IN boat
along the shore The last scene presents Madeline on
IA "a nd in est M
the po,ters being ruhans and deserving her and her
father for the reason that the journey too long and
they too tired Fabian enters, followed by Topaz, the
latter endeavoring to restrain him ia his desperate
madness. Fabian, crazed, mistakes Madeline for the
Princess and stabs her while Topaz is gone after
light The Princess and her lover pass in boat
the lovely deceiver singing one Of Fabans airs, as
be falls martyr to his emotions ON learning that ne
has killed Madeline.
The first two acts are wanting in action. The third i'm
proves and was a good de1 spplauded The fourth
and fifth are less succsssful than the third. Toe vein
the temper the hearts Of the hero Fabian, may
be well to remark are Greek to an American audience,
which does not live in country where operas are pro
duced-where art is worshiPped. The chara1ter
Topaz is a vitality to an Italian audience. Even
Metternich waited on ROssini at his rehearsals
Seu,,roy,de in Venice The career of a creative art
n HSA''HN'
and professional dramatsed, convey vital reie1
10 an audience there Nose or the vu ;aVites oil
FiAbavenuo fashionable father" the latest local
drama 90 to American hearers. In speaking so we are
not obyous of the fact that the relations of the artist
In Furope to society are but the OshoO Of chlvarc
barbarian and brutality and false from turret to
Eoundation-stOne; and that the Gun of civil cation Is
hardly risen there the heaviest military ruffian beng
cast in oooeeal bronze aud marble and placed on the
loftiest pillars and arches and Art in almost every
capacity when not playing pander to the priest acting
parasite to the epauletted robber or titled fool
The reason given by Topaz to Fabian not to marry,
with the practical citation Of calling in peasant ms
wife and children to exhibit them us disgusting evil
Jence of fecundity, too broad This part of the
argument if we reoolect Alright, was yelled in the
novel under the general head Of the artisfe requr-
ing all the devotion OF the spiritual lover In the
novel too Fabian does not stab Madeline, but finds
her dead body, she having expired on the road to
Germany her native oouutry, whittier her father was
taking her for change of air from Italy, the local.
ity Of the scene. The stabbing scene is surely not
Improvement
When we are told that opera is divine, and sup
postitously div nelly sung it does not do to have
first attempts in composition crudely executed behind
The soene. as evidences Of such superb facs. The
music composed for the imaginary opera is promising
hut promising music is not enough. Ii should be the
fruit of study in every department of the art. The
composer, whose name did not hear, hss good 10
tntons but needs experience in order TO set forth his
idess sufficiently well to satisfy criticism He deals too
much in medley and has not probed the secret OF IN
strumentst0n. Let him study.
As to the acting: Mr. Burton was quite out OF place