New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-12-23
m'rocton OF rnle snd beautiful or transccndonta
object be gained well and good; but hero the effect i


tho musical pieces. Faust very old and dccreptran,
Is in bis laboratory and the rcctatve he delivers is
exceptionally good. chorus ia triple time, of pea
SAINTS heard outside ia very poogcompare 1t for
nent with the peasant music In Don 0iocormi or la
SonnGnbalc and the difference between genius and the
want Of II Is evident. Some well accompanied bars Of
odosfe sdesoo by Faust Of TIE best vocal
in the opera but wanting the suavty Of uninterrupted
oratorical flow. owing tho French versAcstion. In
the Of this the scena FOR the tenor hear
thor chorus, outside which IN also uninspiring Fol
lowing this chorus is recitatve by Faust ending with
a sudden bolt from the key Of f. ono fiat. TO Il, i've
tharpsSaid bolt caused 10y the appearance OF the devil
We do not think his presence warranted such q
change otkoy, unless he ugly as to scare Faust
10 death, oud finish the opera with this chord.
Experience, aud Rossini especially, have estab
hshed the possible surprise transitions Of key In
the scale. which como under tho head Of High
Art. and this is no. ore Of them. and utterly lach
justification In the grand Greek group Of the Lao
COON there is something LEFT TO the imagination in the
sculptured agones OF the man and his cons The ar
list is not hiieous In his representing oontortions Art
the be- utul stN he's some claims. So, too IN music
Svmetyes and logical seQuences must be observed even
though the dovil a creditor 10 suddenly introduced
The cony crsstion q Mephistophes and Faust IN the
recitatvc, which opens No. q ia wen written and leads
US 10 q meod y.ulogrO-by Faust and here again NJ
Gounod is simply common place without being beanf
! full nor does the devil help ham in his difficulty. Now
comes some supernatural music: and what relates TO
ends is ground 30 grandy Travelled over by the great
German Won Weber, that very little space 10 len TO
glen nnything--as NJ MeyeTbeer proved m Robert u
Disb'e. The supernatural oYrariton Of Marguerite at
this point Of tic drama opportunity for movement
in the orchestra such IL afterwards heard N lovers
duet Following this is the repetition Of the allegro air
by Fau,t this time hterHdxed with counterpomts IN
the odd bars where the commas come symericauy ut
tered by Mepsistopheles:-by courtesy called Duet,
and rneanly ending the act
Composers. If sane Try TO end their acts efficiently By
.he music II the action permit Here was splendid
chance foF Duet for Tenor and Base--the tend OF
course being deep.voiced:such duct is so rare IN
music that but some four Eve occur 10 man Of
genius like Rossa in tie patitudes of the Nbrctto Of
William Tell created master piece Of duet: Aubcr
not addicted TO tie subest musical perceptions rises
above lis ordinary style. inspired by the situation DO
/ tween Masanello and the fellow cozspirator, and
ihrows out hymn Of liberty worthy to be surg by the
heroes Of Marathon Gettysburg the field OF battle
Tie poyeres OF this duct therefore both positive
ard relative. Bat moreover there Is grave blunder
such az man Of talent might bu. a. man OF genius
could not make In giving music without any scstaey
q style o. pitch to Faust aged 2 oyer Fanst aie'
g. But yet more: the most vigorous music 10 pitch
ind emphasis is In his mouth supposed 10 be without
teeth end his lungs without breath ond his heart with
love And ell that Faust Jr gets is the cold meats
Of ne ex.old express The unc1alpled feeling
Of person With 50 years knockedoir hs head q. clip
II the poet, ard tie oostuilsr who makes up" the
actors to eny age from IS TO 1900 tie years OF tie
Wandering jew had executed their parts with no
greater Gde.y 20 mature than the musician Falst would
have been Young man first and the devil would have
changed hin into ole ore.
ACT. III. opens VIA chorus No. 2 81 mixed chsrsc'
.ers anordirg chance Tor some beautiful melody such
/ "a Weber or Eossini. Auber. giye their crowds
This. however ia no, beautiful though correctly
Ri, thsmed. A novelty is s,rophe by Old nen-uSeh
sppauaed becaure they sing witt voices sotoo
there is ooppng and stamping Tor the In
30 TTorsiors and would DO for scene o! broadway
where the IL yng down o! railroad Es' set 10 musc
such applause however Ia neither genuine nor sub
lre The lerorhtion Of This chorus OF Faust Is wei
worked up nd counter pointed. IN which kind OF sabo
ratc production II. Gouuod ~ n masier.
VEL written fec Tive follows leading to No. 4.
bacchaualan song by Mephisiophees. This vigorous
aud .-tis,lcslly tinted and balanced but waiting IA
melod,o fash necessary 70 popular bibbng dtty No
Is the where the fend show, hf power 10 The
chorus and they Keep him Oh with the crosses ON their
sw ord hs which ipecifc 70 that end IN The md
| te.agcs This is brief concerted musio thoroughly
well told no Is a waltz and chorus. This Is well.
RI ythcred and ntodc and the Coda ia finely worked
up but the melody Is moi arstclsss. In The course OF
this pocs is episode IN the waltz measure but noder-
sed In qucknes, where Narsoret crosses tie stage,
and Faust addresses ler FOR the frat time The phrase
he uses unsteady deficient In grace though tho note oil
Interrogation 10 rightly indicated by rise Of the voice.
Margaret responds but on the same chord with which
Faus; opened the conversation with her moment be-
soIo Her reply is not inteITogaSe. but positive and
therefore the chord should no. bega on the dominant Of
col IA FaUss question bat On the tonic; the words arc
Non oon,ear. (no sr) demanding the colon as pune
tuation Then these words follow; J ne sue dersosss
q, BEN. Ef5sa. pa besoia q. or dome Ia vain q
am not young l.dy. nor beautiful and have no need
Of your handor your courtesy) The proper way ofde
cls ming there wordss not that adopted By NJ GounOd
because lie repeats der1o'sHe nj 6e. withou. meaning
or necessity Hs very correctly conceived 50 far ss 1.
Is unsteady In tbs opera tho as in tho drama that
Is to say no musical attitude struck undue parade
OF ,.ys made.
Act Ill opens with sons good orchestral music No.
:. 1oyowod By pretty nt.lo air Of the Boy Lover,
S,e5s 4. lies well under Ito voice. Welconstr1cied
hsstra details and vocal fcctatve follow. coming to
No 81 oave;ina BY Faust The 1st four bars Of this
are beau.iiu but would be better II second limo were
act Under the third md fourth bars instead OF repcti
ton OF tho hTst Bal is good and logically follows
the other-and logical sequence coInprhenda much Of
tie success in melody But baTs 6 7. in view OF tho
banner IN which the receptive faculties Of the hearer
aye nodded by tho previous cara ere hoObHng. The
succeeding eight bars good bat intricate, because
Of to condensed transitions Of key. Then comes u
,efe. Of rnoduasions and transitions where tho bes,