The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-01

join two outlines of it. The fl St a reada-
BILE and laudAtOry review Of the opera, is
written by 'Spiridion," the accomplished
Partisan correspondent of the Boston
Gazette. Thesecond, a burleaque '9ibretto
of the grand new old opsrA" is from the
London Rmeh.
sPIRID1oE ON L~'AFRICAINE.
Patience has as is ever the case, been
crowned st last. We who have held on TO
life with feline or old DIpin's ~tenacity,
have heard MiAfricsine." It has been
the horizon line to many a generation Of
weak arms or feeble wills who obeyed the
6rst summons: GYou're wanted st Pere
la Chaise. How many men have 1 known
to change from raven TO gray waiting for
HRAfricaine." How many young fellows
as straight as arrows have become as crook
ed as bows under the pressure of Accumu-
lated years while waiting for it. Many is
the man who hobbies to the Grand Opera,
who would have run his sword through
you had you once limited ne could not go
tathe first performance of 81 Afric aine, ("
Oh q light blithesome toe. Meyerbeer
himself heard not bis great work.
Scribe Was buried before twas played.
The Grand Opera contains, at the very
utmost, only 1900 seats. There were
nearly 10, 900 applications for tickets. The
manager abdieated his throne and trans
ferred all his power 10 the Grand Cham
berlain of the Court. The manager hiss
not at his command the means of defense
against ~inlrudiDg vjsite1s which the Grand
Chamberlain has. An army is required to
keep off visitors when a seat at the first
performance Of Meyerbeer's last work is
the prize of perseverance,. There are men
who will take no refusal, whe have pa
thence exceeding that of Job. They wait
all day and all night if necessary TO seize
the manager when he obeys natures call
for food or fresh air. The Grand Cham
berlain lives at the Tuilleries, and the
palace is well guarded. If intruders per-
severe too pertinaciously there they are
marched off 10 Jail. The subscribers who
re-e boxes and stalls by the year, however,
could ct be dispossessed, and as 8 good
many STAN arc rented by the year, gold
had no need t0eaurt the Grand Chamber
lAin.s favor. N~eYe-theless, he received
carloads Of letters asking for place. Il
was q matter of some surprlsetbat the
~lorettes and the Grand Chamberlain uas
somewhat blamed. How could the Grand
Chamberlain refuse 10 give a box 10 this
ambassador, or 10 the Duke de - or The
Prince de - He could not because
people of this rank have traditional privi-
leges. Besides this, money can buy almost
anything in Paris, and a man disposed to
throw away $1,000 to crafty a pair of
pretty eyes might have had any box in
the opera house, tho Emperor's box ex-
cepted. Thronged IS the theatre wss, it
did not present so brilliant an appearance
Is might have been expected Tho
court was in deep mourning. Every
lady, therefore, was dressed in black.
This gave a sombre appearance to
the house, which the splendOr of the lor-
cites rather enhanced by the very violence
of the contrast. The Emperor and EN-
press came at the close Of the first act and
retired before the end of the fourth act.
Il was then midnight, and he left for AL
| geria at eight o'clock next day. Theopera
did not reach q conclusion until 2:20 A. NJ.
Great surprise was felt TO see Nine. Mey-
| erheer AID her daughter rslegAted TO q
wretched box on the fourth tier. It was,
perhaps, less inexcussble when one consid-
ers the confusion which inevitably attends
the first performance of such q work.
Nine. Scribe had secured an excellent box,
and general regret was felt that she had
not the good sense 10 invite Nine. Meyer
beer TO share it. Mons. Auber was pres
ent but he was on the stage in the slips.
Desth-like stiffness reigned after the leader
of the orchestra raped attention." TO
his band.
"EAfricaine" has no overture ; but be-
fore the curtain rises there is a brief intro
duction, written in a singulArly elaborate
manner, which presents the more exquisite
morsels of the coming opera. When the
curtain rises, we see a council chamber Of
magnificent architecture in the kings pal
ace at Lisbon. There is Inez in such
agitation IS you may conceive a maiden
who has heard nothing of him (VascO de
Gams) TO whom she plighted her faith on
the eve of his departure IN a voyage of
discovery now two years gone. The past
glides before her with its melancholy step;
she remembers her of the song he sang If
ter their last VOWS had been exchanged,
their last kisses given. She repeats it. The
last note had scarcely died away when her
father, Don Diego appears. he has been
| closeted with the king. The result of that
conference is (so he tells Inez) TO break
her engagement with Vssco de Cana and
10 Alliance her 10 Don Pedro, q wealthy
and powerful noblemaD, the very figure in
sged eyes to play the part of Gu
pid. Old Don Diego bAbbles the
arguments familiar TO mouths which
have for twenty years forgotten the
charms which lurk in kisses; VaSeo dc
Cana is of obscure birth; hehas no money,
he is drownedl-you know the fal lAl Ia
with which age glCzss amorous ditties.
Hez is scarcely able 10 master her grief.
Don Pedro is present, and with anger sees
that if her hand may be, ho- ko@rt win
neye, be. his. His burst OF rage is check
ed At the outset by the entrance OF the
council. II is 8 noble procession, IN which
the court, the church, the bench, and the
field are brilliantly represented in appro-
pirate costumes. We contemporary thea
tre,eoers require the eye TO be fisttered,
and could not be better pleased than BY
this psudy scene. Don Pedro is present,
When the places are filed the Grand In
~auisitor and the prelstes who are pres
emit chant a prAyer-a bass chorus-Whlch
is not only magnificent but delicstely
shaded, suited with the sombre religlono
these men who held tha sUAsS5I nAnu
and tho r5ggUT In the other. The prayer
is not the accents of piety, but Of fsnsti
cism. The mastery touch with WhlcI
this distinction is made commands grea'
applause. The council discussesin sdmira'
bic recitative the fate of Bernard Disz
The secular members urge that an e1Pedi-
ton of search be sent after him. INT
church shakes its head; it is aveIse iron
these lands of which no mention Is mad
in the Bible; who knows if the Evil ON
does not raise them by internal magic Il
: order to play some foul trick on children 0
the church, Are not all the inhsbitsnt
! of those regions black, and is not tbl
: color the DEVILS liVery2 Bernard Dla
E and his companions are dead. Instead Q
> spending money in searching for then
the best course is to spend money in found
ing masses for their souls. At this me
. ment q w~esther-beRLen, travelsOiled mar
ner Graves admission, as the last survive
of Diaz's expedition. He is ushered II
: IT'S Vssco dc Cana. He tells the story {
the shipwreck and ends in 8 confident ton,
GGiye me but the requisite vessels and L
0 discover a new country which shall POI
wealth into Portugal" He supports b
assertions by two slaves he purchased
Africa. They came from the col
tinent he would reach. The slav'
q are closely and eagerly questioned, b.
refuse to answer. The council bids Vds'