The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-11-12

The Coming Opera Season.
DON SEBASTIAN AND FRA DIAvOL0.
Max Maretzek resumes his opera season on Monday
.vonng, with the great lyric OF the day-Doni
zctts Poluto On Tuesday night OF the most charm
ing and latest operas Of the gifted OF Bergamo.
Linda di Chamounix will be revived. and for the first
genuine novelty Of the operatio campaign Don Sebastian,
another great work OF the versatile genius will be
introduced American audience long after 1t has
ceived the approving verdict OF Italian and German
critics. In fact the coming will almost take
the shape Of ovation to Donzett that
delightful composer, who has given to tho world
the melodous strains contained in Lucia Lucreza Borga
Favorta Pasquale Child OF the Regiment, Elixir OF
Love many other operas less familiar this side OF
the water yet all stamped, though in different degrees,
with the great ability and elegant style Of this remark
able and prolific "nnder Of melodiss" tho In.
scrption his monument in the cathedral at Bergamo
happily expresses IT,
Donze wrote bis Sebastian IN two months in tho
yoar 1874, and It his last work, excepting
Catsrina Cornaro. which was produced at Naples
The former opera written for and frst PLAYED
at Paris, the composer in this case having
enjoyed the Invaluable advantage or the SER
vices OF the emnen. French playwright Scribe, than
whom one knew better tho arts OF the accomplished
librettist Scribe who wrote the words OF all Meyer
bsers grandest operas, understood thoroughly the re-
quirements o! tho Grand Opera and who HIS libreios
admirable in purely literary point Of view, they
yet arranged TO bring into play all the scenic
aud mechanical accessories 0. tho stuge. Hence scrbes
brc,os only maintained the attention Of the auditor,
but unrrequent,y inspired the composer himself to
more vigorous efforts.
The plot Of the opera In question is founded the TO-
mantle career OF Don Sebastian king OF Portugal who
assembled tho throne in 1867 He undertook various
Quxotic crueades against tho Moors OF ssrbary and
killed In disastrous battle 10 157S-a defeat which
broke the military power OF Portugal. Tho common
people, however, believed he had not fallen but liv
ing IN mysterious scclusioa, and would in time reap
pear lead his armies to Victories. Various pre-
tenders the msantmo claimn to be tho true
Don Sebastian and thus there enacted In the little
KINGDOM OF Portugal those romantic Incidents which the
reader Of history will recognize having also
occurred under almost identical crcums larger
empires.
The opera OF Don Sebastian originally c,mprised hge
involving the usual operate variety OF human
tion and unusual opportunities for scenic display The
curtain the port Of Lisbon, with the ee,, which
about to bear Sebastian, ready to SAIL Soldiers,
sailors and populace generally MI the foreground. The
Kior having delegated his authority prepares to depart,
when a soldier approaches and seeks al interview.
1t Is the Portuguese poet, Camocns, who. after an
explanatory aria. Omia Lasiads. Is recognized by
the King rs whose genius Is to honor his people
aGde women, who at that moment ia brought on tho
stage by officers having been condemned TO be burned at
the stake in punishment for poisoning AFFAIR 10 which
she was eng.gcd. The King, with thu. exalted moral
oue which Ia peculiar TO royal pocntatcs, declares
that such beauty must not PERISH and c'mnutes the
sentence to banishment TO Africa Camoens makes
prediction to the fate in store for the expedition aud
the King and his followers depart for Africa aud tho
Moors We are assured tina, this departure win be one
OF tho most brilliant effects prodlcot at our
Academy OF Aasic.
In the second act We In Africa An Arab warrior
seeks 10 gain Zid-, who is IN the honse
o, her father Ben sen. A hattie occurring bstvcon
the Christians and Mo re-, Scbssln 4 defeated, bat ~
preserved death by the grateful Ztda, s set NJ
iib,rty and ends the act with exquisite roanza,
Icserto in terra whicn wren for the gres. eoor.
Duprez far lighter than most Of the tenor music
OF modern operas.
The third act opens In the royal palace OF Lisbon with
a duet between Zrda and her Arab lover, who arc
thcrc AZ ambassadors from the Moors Z, the Court OF
Portugal In scene before the cathedral Of Lis
bon Camoeus and the King, both returning and
known from Africa, meot and recognize each other.
funeral procession. 10 honor OF the King supposed dead
approaches and sebastian announces. HIMSELF but s de-
nounced as imposor and In the last act il ricd In
court as SUCH and Zda sentenced to torture and
death.
will be from this briel outline OF the plot that
Scribe adopts theory more romantic, probably, than
uo) that Sebastian not killed on the field OF battle,
and he srouses our sympathy for the Portuguese Pork
warbeck. His Hbreto Abouuds In lne dramatic stua.
tions, though the climax is not very remarkable.
when this opera nrst produced in Paris the cast
included Madame stox and Messeurs D1prcz Barollct,
Masso and the great Lexasscur The audience received
the earlier acts only partial favor but the last three
created decided for and for three consecutive sea-
sons Don Sebastian the favorte opera 10 Paris and
vienns.
Mareszek expects to produce this opera either next
Friday nigh, or on Monday, The 2isI Tho cast win be
follows
Sebastian (the Kng .Maesinani
CamoenA tthe P0et fehn
Giovanni Grand lnqusisor) susin
AbaGalos 1.-THE Arab Lover) Lorini
FRA pIAvoLo.
o. the other attraction Of the coming season-Aubsfs
Fra piavcowe shall SPEAK At length at later date.
The version which Marstzck viii produce prepared
BY veteran composer several years ago for Ccvent
Garden OPERA London Italian recltativss and i've
airs added.