New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-19
ACADEMY OF MUSIC.
DON GIOVANNI.

hear drew last night very large audience; aud as
tho electricity of a crowd is essential TO q GROWING
success the elements on and of the stage ought 10
have been there.
a Whatever differences Of taste may exist a. to
operas there s always extraordinary interest Attached
70 80 eaboraiely-wrten work as this, produced un-
der the conditions of past century when the laSte'
and above all the executive ability of artists, were III
nrert from what they are now The superior genius
of Mozsrt lent to lyrical representations breadthwhch
they had not enjoyed before his time, though the IN
ference between him and Guck and PicclD Will not IN
lure the latter in public estimation when their works
shall have been heard here, which they never have
beer-a proof that proverbs lie when they say good
things do not die; for such good things as these last
have been dead to every generation except IN certain
parts of Germany Cand there only as regards Gluckb
from the time they fomshed.
Curious enough the man who wrote the words OF
Don Goy ami for Mozart, Lorenzo da Ponte came 10
this country and lived in New-iOrk some time, when
he died He was the warm friend OF the second II not
the first opera troupe which visited US from Italy
containing some splendid voices, too a man OF many
yearshe died at about 9ebut of stalwart frame, anu
as tradition said capable Of paaking OF the tastes oil
Don Juan and writing his drama with zest. 1t
was something to and converse with su'h
man. who had been the companion OF MoIatt'
and certainly there ought to be among the people III
New-York who knew Da Ponte, those VINO cOuiu give
the results Of his conversations regarding Mozart,
adding thus chapters TO the composers biography.
We do not remember TO have met with anything
from Da Ponte in print on the subject. Da Ponte
was not poet worthy of Mozart. 1t was of incOm-
parable advantage, however to the composer to have
ibrettist writing in Italian, by which the flow and
Il. 70 him
giving him the best chance for rounding his melodies
and varying their pauses, and, above all, preventing
di.oined endings of the final feet of each line But IN
the skill of construction Da Ponte, ike every other
lbrettist of his time, was wanting We have murder
the first two minutes of the opera; after that there is
no climax to the first act On this murder there is an
other reason for want of interest arising from musical
causes. Bases were and penter in Germany
than tenors and the baritone voice at that time not
being advanced to its present operate dignity Though
honored with a special clef now disused), we have
trio BY Mozart for three basses 1t is beautifully writ
L n and admirably accompanied by the orchestra how
perfectly the chlomacs of the hautboys and bassOons
give the final suspratons of the dying man, and when
will audiences look up such quiet beauties !)-
but as all the voices bass, the parts
want an artistic infusion essential 10 success
namely cOn,raste1 coors. They all alike-same
temper and tint-Oue interferes with the other in pitch
aud quality, and the whole is found in want of in-
teres. Next comes duet by the soprano and tenor,
admirably written; and here called upon to
sympathze with the woes of daughter with whom
have previous acquaintance, for there has been
no development Of character and passion to lead the
Hence up TO the necessary point Of concdent feel
ing OF course the duet, I'm Ter the circumstances,
fails in interest. Besides, il is written from a stand
point which experience shows is unfavorable to the
dramatic calculation, especially Of the lighter voices
the soprano and tenor; that is to say the exceeding
prominence and detail Of the orchestra obscure the vo-
cal expression, and the composition seems like piece
OJgato for the orchestra, with the voices added. II
fails with all its beauties to produce for these reasons,
an etfect with the audience. The unfortunate wife of
the Don with her unfortunate ridng-habit, always
thought most unfortunate parsonage on the stage.
She has some bits to sng-ior example, the commence
nen OF the concerted piece where she confronts hsr
faithless husband-as beautiful ever written;
but the dramatic effect of such concerted pieces is but
moderate at the time of their composition the Sc
cret of writing them had not been completely probed
They too singing and too little Of the sustained de-
clematory, TO work up to climax Another fault in
the opera the fact that Don Giovanni and LeOporelo
are both BASES, and though found together from the
first 10 the last of the OPERA there is no contrast be-
tween their voices except what arises from the supe-
rOr quality Of one organ over another. The tenor,
too, throughout is stick, and seems TO get pretty
nearly what be deserves. His solo, however, in the
second act is wonderfully beautiful without being i'm
passiOned love, that quality coming with the later
developments of operate Characterization. This solo
Of the tenor besides is closer approximation to the
more modern construction OF operate airs than any
piece in the work.
The unqualified beauties Of Don Giovanni are the
airs Of Zerlna, which are perfection the long AMI
broad finale to the first act of which is unsurpassed,
and up its time unequaed in its kind and the
entire approaches to and the catastrophe ITSELF FORM
ing nearly all the second act. Mozart himself was
anxious as TO the precise length he should give 10 the
statues talk in the last scene. A modern composer
would have required the closing Of this scene to be
different The statue which is seldom intIusted TO a
remarkable voice, would have been limited in his
marks and the Don would have gone to perdition in
solo rousipg TO the auditory.
Ofthe performance of the opera at the Academy, it
is but just to say that ha. the opera given 20
much satisfaction here on this occasion. The
ager, Mr.. UIman, certainly exerted himself to award
TO it the stage illustration worthy OF the great genius
Of the composer. The chorus, the Liederkranz, was
very large and gave the splendid Liberia with
splendid effect. In the original scene the finale of Act
lie conided TO the principals, which must have been
tame; but, bya recognized innovation, the parts
sung also by the chorus aud Of course the ee :, COM
mensuratey heightened. 1t would be poor business
for the Don to be keeping crowd of peasants at bay
they quiet as lambs and he fierce a tiger.
The presence o: Mr.. FOrmes in the part Of LeopO-
relic was Of itself sufficient attraction. The quality
Of be voice Is so full and satisfy nc that Il is peea "