The New York herald., 1864-11-26
Ths Opera ss Don sebsssSssns.


brilliant an appearance In p0iat Of uwnbors elegance
costume aud fashion. Which the metropolis ooiy display
on great ohs q u DE- iast utgbt. The nouso mso
% 'o"s'sed 10 ssiIns,.y composed y" ,... rbe.
color - osas'y are b..cdsa tr sss hand or art. I,
~, NJ. o Protection OF i:sins grand opsu
-..--o. which ma. ss..a IL prspar....'os sos SON
s'mes end upon which MIR. Msfstsek nss 6mpNcs ~
i"se amount OF labor and iibera, expenditure 0
money ror scenic and dramatic eject this opera eScsI
anything ever befors presented At the New yori
| Academy.
We have told The story OF the opera before ID oul
coumns' sba u @ mob aeoesssry 20 repeat a. Tho
poser mas chosen the romantic and somewhat my tbIca
history OF Don seosst,no King or Portugal the grandson
OF cnsrss the Fifth, for bis theme His fanstioa exps
dion sgsnst the Moors undertaken ia order 20 pressrvs
she VIE winch b. had Polnpousy assumed Of the m ss
obedeEs krg" IN emulation or tina. Of the kings OF
France and spain AZ thai te Who we're aamed respect
lively "tne saost Chrstsd kng' aud the most Casbo-
lie S'ng forms the subject Of tho opera Tne mystery
o. MS death on the battle 0eld which "a not satisfactorily
accounted or and the appearance OF several claimants to
hss iaehtiy Afford tho author opportunity for sysst
Ds the plot with tue high or which, that
aS6 and even sti 10 Portugal, surrounds tho life and
story Doc Sebastiano Tho Introduction OF the soldier
poet Casoens, who was 70 the royal house Portugal
what vrgi 10 tho line Of she .sars the laureate
Of their divine origin, the rival OF Tasso pstrarch
although bs sscg in adsens tongue, IL mos charming
adjunct 30 the opera. There interest which nasu.
rally concentrates about the OF who Vas the
historian OF vasco do ssmas great expedition TO the
Indies from which the glory Of his country, and
has cft immortal reputation behInd him. The Brst
act embraces the departure of tho king oa tho port Of
Lisbon. lhe nee Is moving ont OF the bay, Tho rocks
al the earsc. OF tho harbor rise up tho riehs Of the
scepe while the sea, studded with vessels stretches on
Into the distance picturesque grouping Of soldiers
sailors nobes and citizens il the foreground surround
Ing the kiug Cam0o0a, sha poethstorian u Portugs
the author OF the Lnsiad, su .hsn assIectod BY his
country rpon ths scene craving the privilege Of
accompanying cosssuo TO Africa, aud seeking tho add
tiouai favor OF The psd9a OF zda su African maiden
captured in Tuus VINO condemned to tbs stake
.nddes Botn Of which favorn granted The cpeuing
aria 30 MIA Lu2fsde, Ia which Camocns apostrophiscs
his great classic poem, aud the prophcsy wherein
le delineses tho incdonl. which see 70 occur
in the eSpedstiog--,he kings do!sat and rsi
:ho battle hald--wers mpressivey givea here
2aida (l.ccLp msness the arst emotion Or iovc Zoe
Sebasano In the delicious aria "sigcor clseuts po"
where she expresses her srsttuds or her liberation
The dramstE saec. al the 4 slug Of tas superb.
TLs vessels ia tho diaa;s out or the hAr bor the
King and his Immediate s.an satsr the royal galley,
efficient ons hiatt ths undertaking and impore toe
ot Heaven upco IT, ssiue |. Cred from tie PROV
and stern os the vessel the dy up TO tho masthead
and rigging Tue bsnd on board strike no martial air,
and the ship departs amid the shouts Of the popuiace
The second act s laid In Africa the prominent
scene OF which s the battle held og Aicsyar Kebr,
whore sebsstisno 10 defeated py the Moors, under
Abaialac tho bstrotned husband Or ZsidS. Cayo has
given very ans picture in this scene representing,
with ths debris or battle field, including the dsid and
wounded perhaps too particularly dets ed. However,
the ehec, capital. Ia this zucchi ass oppOr.
tasy tho dsplay Of her adnirahe dramatic powers,
which she fully avss herself Of m the psssonats de-
cts,son " her love for the king wnea ahs nIds him
wounded and deserted on the ned. The duett sTa
mo re-" ~ this point woke the cnthuissm OF the audi
snce, who. 80 this Time seemed more TO be studying
than apptsads1E the beauties OF The composer Massi
milsai's rendering Of the delightful rcmsasA At tho
conclusion OF ,as act, pessrto 10 terra" produced
marked effect, ant was very Justly erplsudcd.
the third act Is essentially the spectacular sna senss
,osa Hca 3s6Axs!sno and the POS, Camcens nave
Yssarn.a frieraess and poor from A!r:ss. They nset
accidentally III the great square o. Lstop, and upon
coguiZns each cthesesch sup csng the oshcr 70 havs
been killed she FATAL deid OF Alcsysr-tnsie joy IL
lyricay demonstrated III she duo rs1sti al gics
sprs,na r. which ags o. the most charming pieces ID
grand .nquisor. Gicvaou di silva. represcuts 20 the
people ~ asyIrg been stain Ia A:raa then sBers. r
moonlight. the oors.es conprises three hundred
persons hearIcg torches aod agnbcsux, soldiers,
knights, sos q the court priests uuas ocsre OK tue
uqastica AL In t1s correctly historic costumes of the
day. the cn spleuedly decorated, toowed by the
horse Of hs KING ard hts iavorits greyhound, od ~
ps.1s, rth The foyN banners draued ia mousHiDx. AL!
tits sGef psgcsut passes before Sue cyes Of ro living
king Ard e curtain ss upon the mcstt gorgeous
spectscis~ presented uol TITS stage, ard rarely
surpassed 10 the grest operas IA l.aropc.
Ia the or,th act NC have the scene of the Hsi 9rioo
nai-s noble ssbese, both pic.oriay soa IL grouping.
The cpessog chosua Of gsrs marsed character, its
moycinelg peag fully ccmbined aud tizng VI tnea
10 srsodsac oi eject e~ eass Jons, however
will grssty Improve 10 srses6i- The pssesgFs that
follow between 2s,ts sccusses or Don stsnc
are smnug the most drsmsttc Ia the OPERA aud lose
no,hing q their force Va the rendering % Zncchi s0d
sssslntsr Zoe classic rspiTs,ioDs rciaindlrg .,
tees arehol, which cbararterize the scslop of The
former. wers psver NOR, sirrsippy etsesysb,c than
Ia tho ssens In which gLs ccafrcpls nor nugtaDd
aud itgc. OF he, lover. Gy,o sroso.t Luorezs
IL wsicn sbo such suogsss, she does display
p4spiorsls intensity. Especially tUIs remark
tie besutitu passage icsyts ordSg9iG which
delivered ssiEg and dct,cacy that touched every
The great ~ssure q the act. indeed Of the whole
opera is hcwever She Seae. 10 dramatic FORCE naeo
doss r5Sosralons and balancing the parta, we
90 no, T,ns@oor aoythips In The way sf coocsrted
rnGso tbI surpsssss II. IL csciiod the audience 70
eptnuslstsa. aud It's repetition enforced matter
Il course At the close II .hs the utss called
before tbs oactslo.
Ths a;a opsns With sDsrtnsns Ia tts iores X
fsS9n AID oetweea Dcc Giov.asi apd Zslds, 10
which fcrtssr urges gss Dc0 sabass1o TO sligo
psysr resounoiag hs risbts 20 the shrous. duss tc
iows bsssear Za!6s and fha Ene, "a which ne srpisns
d. her she q the coalitions which his is
ncrsrsto hn. Zsids adsasElty oounsas BIN 20 rsscs
atsm 10 ths esgssg-e W vhoh tbs expressed there
.oUs s>suuol wsiny, ,us cccsludng part OF the duct
s-ls 81 t1asi inps.s1asd chkrnctsr--Msdans zocca
.s c.ss throwing Der .ho.s soul into u. u would 30
.saesh.Q % deliver with more dramatic ssrpssscess
0us ~ ~ pse,ll~s and uost original shiass In tho