The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-04-14

THE OPERA closed n brilliant season last
night, with by no means their best piece, and
a house of the poorest. Parodi's continued
in indisposition prevented her doing justice to
herself.
THE auditories on the three Giovonni Nights
have gone diminuendo, and with reversed in
CT crease-the Teutonio element prevailing
which last fact is but natural, and in many
respects praiseworthy.
Nationality is as strong in music as in many
other things, and the leading article of Ger
mans musical faith is the supremacy of German
music in general, and the supereminence of
Don Gioponni in particular. He promulgates
his creed, as of erst was the Koran, "Believe
or die''--musically, of course, nowadays.
Take, as a slight exponent, the announce
ment of Messrs. Strakosch and Grau, of No
zart's Immortal Don Gioranni, the Greatest
of all Operas. Now this rather strong state
ment, although essentially true sixty years
ago, has long ceased to be so.
The scientific and literary world has not
stood still, nor has the musical.
Don Giopunni at the period of its produc-
ton, was so immeasurably in advance of all
Germany was in blaze of enthusiasm, and,
fir ON that day to the present, no vestal fire has
ever been more devotedy fed. The fall Of
thrones, the crash of kingdoms, the thunder Of
AusterlitH and jena could not drown the ale
lrliah of the Giovanni-ites. 1900 repeated what
1890 had said, and 1859 still hymns the same
Ole. A Don Giovanni literature has been crea-
| tad by the aggregation Of panegyrics, criti-
cisms, calculations, and esthetio lucubrations
celebrating greatly the seen and heard, ant
still more the hidden and inaudible beautie
of it.
Dante in Italy, Goethe at home, had no NOR
devoted, nor more numerous commentators
This is all very well, and very patriotic. Th
snme was done elsewhere for Handel and hi
dreary platitudes, which are yet listened to a
fine music by bold and bluff Britons, who hav
ing no musician of their own, took one, as the
took their king, from Hanover. We repea
this is all very well, for national pride, unde
any circumstances, is 80 amiable weakness
that we confess to having many time smotf
cred our sense of the beautiful with spread
eagle blanket, in listening with apparent con
posure to that "dread anthem" Hail CoIumbi
which, 3yles declares, has been inflicted upo
us for our sins.
By dint of ceaseleSs repetition, Don GioUanl
is still believed in; witness the crowds who es
gerly rushed to its first representation her
and who lett, wondering what the pother WI
about.
Nevertheless, people have a way of thinkin
for themselV es, and Don Gioranni has onl
drawn large houses in this country, under IL
conditions of In innocent community, and a
extensive fourish of trumpets. Such delusion
il is true, are more practicable in some place
than in others. Thus in Boston, they of lat
in cold blood, drew down upon themselves th
plaques of lice, frogs, and other mastodor
musical, by perpetrating those frightful fugue
known to musical antiquaries as HandePs "Ii
rael in Egypt" Here is an admirable ftnel
of things though, for there Boston or Egypt
take your choice) prevails the opinion, that IL
highest style of music is the 0ratoriol Poet
| chl JubLiCOJ uoOiuouiJi W. Ao6i01 ehoe VIZ
and space fail us to say something more, ar
more seriously, on this subject. That ID
Giovanni possesses great beauties, itwere absu
TO deny; ,'e ouly object to the everlasting tt
ditionary chatter on the subject To be to
that an Opera is the greatest of all 0per'
which is disgusting in plot and detail from
! ginning to end, which has not a single chor
+ worthy of the name, whose melodies are I
0 melodies, but suggestions of melodies, a
, whose orchestration is, to q modern ear, tt
and ineffective; all this is not conducive to /
tiencel
Mozart can not be made justly amenable
the plot and the libretto, except as partic'
crinlinis. 1t is hardly necessary to say a
thing on that bead, except to advise our cou
, try cousins, who are in blissful Ignorance
the animal under the classic white meal, IL
r "the greatest of all operas" is absurd and illo
f ical-opening with the climax of disgust
|, murder, and running in broad current of su
revolving indecency that TraviatG, which so
of our squeamish friends will by no means t
: crate, is, in comparison, very evangel
J purity.
CHARADEs.-A charsde to the following