, 1865-01-13
THE OPERA.
Hern1nnnss mcph1stophelcs.

jet TO the call Of the President
THE OPERA.
Hermnnns' mcphfstophelcs.
Probably one Of the most potent rcasons for the
great popularity which the opera Of Faust enjoys,
may be found in the character ofthe famous legend
upon which Il is based-a legend moro fascinating
than any other, unless It be that of the Wandering
Jew. Deriving it's existence from the fifteenth
century, when alchemy and the black arts were
themes Q! constant study. and having for its hero
the pztnter} Of Wurtenberg It has ever since been
ndsDe is real % deveop%sat @ ID deehes inss i3no1is
foE knowledge, tbe growth Of the passion Of love.
the attempt Of man 10 rise to enperhuman mental
End phyeical power even BY Satanic agencies, and
that in spitc oi The installations Of Mephistophe-
les, Feuste familiar spirit, and In spite Of the
fact that man,s insaiiahle thirst for knnwl:
Of erroTs, on il il cannot destroy his better ns-
turc, and that love Is superior to all other agen-
eies-all these passienal elements q: our being.
md firm hold upon The heart 70 this fact We r.
peat, We attribute much OF the success Of Faust
Fer it will hardly be asserten that Gounod rises
B s0s @asase genius 81 and p1oouna in.St
to ndnpt 1nusic to Faust and, Mephistopheles, be-
eausc 1n the poem they rise above the Terrestrial
Gounode genius Is cmincutly lyrical and it is only
when pc i called upon to wi,te tender Or pstheie
melodies that be really Ia at home lie has there
fore colored Gretchen IN . mssterly manner. Her
sehube1ta r ~ aaa IN III heT scenes &C. Viii r4ast even
to ;he spotheosie; the muEic ia always touching
and In Weeping with the subject. Thus far he ia
long, tedious opening aria OF Faust, the comtcal
old folks chorCe, the trivial, connon'p PLACE SOL
dlers' march and the score OF Mephistopheles arc
a. diverse In style end coloring as the prisnatie
tones. 1t Is more the poem than the scoFs which
4;thsugn Gretchen is the real center of action
nnch 20 that the Gcr1uans fechristeued the opera
jEorgarefhe. etlll al represented by this troupe
Mcl hi:torheles is the dominant chasacter and the
key note ofthe whole work. To such degree Of
genius Goes Hefmanns advance this character that
1t becomes mattcr worthy Of special attention,
ard while we may casually intimate that the opera
aud was received with enthusiastic favor, We pnr-
pose TO confne our notice more especially to Her
manns' representation.
spriirs tdMtliart Is invoked By Faust 10 grant him
aid he cannot obtain from earthly sources, and
sent By sstan for that PURPOSE T. + Is the pe tyPe
shapes, inpeiling Faust eyea to .sensuallty
Gretchen in Iii Tolls. Not content with poison.
essry e % one h with whem be comes in contact He is
cold, mocldng, sardonic, full Of de5noniac scorn
and internal satire. This is Gocthe's conception
tban Kl'ngemann's idea II fepressnting Mephis
ennd iaee. The s7il principle il more often enl.
bodied and more potent In sneeEing and sa.aon!c n
and rosy-faced men are more apt To be good men
| than yo1r cold enecrers and ca1pe1s, and We sup
pose the eane principle obisins with deods
| reveals to Faust the beautiful vision q Margaret
| and encers. He restores youth to Faust and
Enecrs, ue tlngs the. praises Of gold to the
/ beer 10 wine and the wine to hre and laughs al
| their fears with his grim satdonic laugh. The
lowers that Siebel plucks for MaIssaret arc with,
hoy{rss 81 sess hronh @
| Even the simple old woman Martha IL overcome
by it. You hear his derislye uockesy at the ruin
only o. III shc sign % Of the c1oss and ihc crJ sword q
The archansel that arc proof against it;
y ,1d of 1s r' h.
groundwork Of hi. conception. There Is nothing
throughout Ills rendition 70 provoke anile, or il
conflict with the ldea. 1t is especially noticeable
acs and II he Go sons In he or1 hs Is a
The rear Of the stage In IN incl,ning altitude hi
body partially concealed, and the faco brought
Ipsbes ~ and e.
fscc lights up win grim mockery, and hls Dc
Titiye Laugh Is that Of Tie. yery hcnl himself II
aes H. II RRs ss e
tude and action seem copied from the etching Of
dcath dance by Rethel, where Death, his hes6
ing the fwora Of tuetico to the people, Eno~tn
tbst 1t will be turned against them.
ue1u1uns. In another plaee. .makes magntdce!
out in strong Hight. It Il immediately after III
gold song. Nep6istopheles strikes Tie eask 4: {
beer which serEes as eign fof the inn; Win
aoEs from It. t. students snd peasa1 a1eSoss So
character, and draw theif swords; n. draws
magic circle around himse within whise nn
Ing tlc hits toward him in the for
e. sanee. fffi Hermann ns croaeaes aae nd g;ovs
,s fss [ s ana hsa st
to dwnrf itself ana contract as ifhe were endeavo
d1ag Pess ID - of the
I He ayerts his face and trIes 70 sneer, but - b.
turns his head he catches sight Of the sgn and III
becomes DINNER and dimmer, his face shows ta
conflict that is going @. Al one instant The Icy
at sn.,her the EnecI. A i disappears iF9m II
that fendish laugh; The picture + perfect; y
eliaee aeross the stage and ehuekles to Faust
ns
That La tbs fashion, painted to the Life, in whicl
e,ll works.
II there be, mt prominent fault in n:rm.nna
| pcrForatfon, Il is that he Is too much the Zen,
| phyticatly, although this point depends upon III
conception Of Mephislopheles - .Goethe has De
picted him: The dress Is In admirable taste, no
Responding with the nature Of the character. Tn
gait !. curious limp, iu which but one foot full.
touches the ground. Il gives peculiarly ligh
snd gliding effect, which is very truthful. Th
face is surprisingly made up; One WHO has zee,
He1nanns ln ROCCO, one Of bis best roits, would
and hzows are startling. The former fairly glis
ten Ike snakes. and impart 10 tte whole ds
embodiment as we understand Il, noi essential,
Of Satan, but the principle Of eyi. clad in ear,hl!
shape, and patt5kng very much Of tic gentle
man. It IS in this respect that be gi7es to th'
etih the addition Of those eyes would repE!se rath
er than seduce and te11ity rather than csp1yate
Hawthorne In the Marble Faun uses this idea viii
Donatello murder the mysterious Model bu
Airians eyes could not captiyato the pure Hilda
/ neither would Mephfstopheles' eyes az dept:tet
| by Helmanns have had any other effect than t,
With this exception the personatton Ia master
| piece. HeFma1ns has made This own.
Tonight Tannhauaer. the great work OF Wagner
viii be brought ont The argument Of the Open
Krtutzer's beautiful little Opera "a Night il
Grenada" will be gfven. The favorable adsantag
IN tine nnd price will undoubtedly crowd th
theatcr with ladies.
| Overland Malls.
| The following te1egraphic dispatch Was receive,
| yesterday By Postmaster ScEipps:
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1a-2 p. m.
J. I ScHpps, P. A., Chicago:
Orcrland mail interrupted by rndiane. Sen,
mail for California and Pacific Coast, Nevada
Uah and Colorado, hy New Fork and Panama.
". DEkIsoN, r. n. General.
Cnul further instructed, malls for the point
~