Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-28

Win which tnlS opera was expected III
all quarters, aud the success which it has
f achieved, will justify us in a somewhat
lengthy disquisition upon its merits aud
demerits.
1t is but natural that the composer OF
the " Liebes Duet" in "Faust, should
have been strongly tempted by Shake
speares tragedy of Romeo and
Juliette,' which was written by love
itself" Gounod does not need to plead
for the musical adaptability of his
drama. The history of music does that
for him, for we find half a dozen
Romeo" operas mentioned in it. The
first of these, Benda's opera Of Romeo
and Juliette," in three acts, was fav-
orite with the Germans nearly century
ago, and was ranked by Forkel high
above Gluck's operas. Then there is
another Romeo" composed by Zin
garelli, in 1896, another by Vaccai, in
1926, and fourth by Bellini, in 1880.
The existence of these operas rests
entirely upon two OF three sweet
melodies and their success, upon the
skill of the most famous Italian singers
Shakespeare's tragedy was simply
framework, upon which these composers
hung their arias, trills, and difficult
passages and in thinking of them we
must bear in mind that Zingarelli, Vaccai
and Bellini wrote the role of Romeo for
a soprano voice. No one will deny that
Gounod's conception is far higher aud
more profoundly earnest. Naturally
enough, he is accused in Germany OF a
poetical crimen kgsB majestatis, and of
proclamation of Shakespeare works, as
before of Goethes. In all ages the
dramas of great poets, however, have
been universally recognized as fit
material for composers, and we can only
with justice use the term PROCLAMATION,
when we see classical tragedies as
thoughtlessly and frivolously treated as
Schiller's have been by Verdi 1t is
trivial music only which prOfanes. Nor
do l know of a single instance in which
either good or bad opera has disgusted
readers with its classical original, or
driven it from the stage. 1t is certainly
to be desired that 1ibrettOists should be
possessed of finer poetic fancy and some
creative power; but in this regard we
must, it appears, content ourselves with
some literary skill and certain amount
of facility. Of all GOunods operas, the
two which have been founded upon clas-
steal models have had the greatest sue
cess. The others, for which original
librettos have been composed, have fallen
into oblivion, in a great degree on ac-
count of the poor quality of the libret-
tos. We must at least praise MN. Bar
bier and Carre for skill and considerable
literary ability in the arrangement of
Romeo" They follow the original as
closely as possible. The only excep-
tions worthy of note are in the case of
the Page and the celebration of Juliette'
wedding with Paris in the fourth act.
The finale, too, is different GounOd's
Juliette finds Romeo still living when
she awakes, while in the original, as is
we'll known, he lies dead beside her bier
The poet secures by this ending deep
and tender impression, but in the opera
this could not be. Without a final duet
between Romeo and Juliette no opera of
this kind can exist. What Well-spring
of musical suggestiveness exists in the
Shakespearian drama can scarcely be
estimated Shakespeare Romeo and
Juliette is, in itself a mighty duet. In
the opera, which necessarily develops the
lyrical element still more, all the light
falls upon the two lovers, and leaves the
other personages in deep shadow.
Romeo" had a long run in Vienna,
and is still played with great success,
although it is evident that the public is
by no means so powerfully moved by this
musicas by Gounod's Faust" Had
Romeo" as effective contrasts to the
tender scenes as many powerful and
passionate ones, the arrangement of the
opera would be beyond question. The
single scene of this kind, where both
anger and the widest passion use the
entire power of both chorus and Orches-
ira, is the duet scene in the third act.
The tempest, however, lasts too short
time to succeed in cooling the heavy
atmosphere The ball in the first, aud
the wedding in the fourth act, are not
made of sufficient Importance but
everything is exhausted upon these two
scenes, which, in Gounod' score, called
for greater display of richness and
energy of material. Finally, there are
so many and so frequently recurring
slow movements in the opera, a vigorous
handling of the orchestra is so rare,
that the voice of the auditor must
necessarily declare itself against the
lengthy conclusion Of the opera.
Romeo" succeeds rather through
few isolated and beautiful movements
than through the effect of the whole.
Delicate and original thoughts and fine
traits of character are to be met with in
abundance, but, as a whole Romeo and
Juliette" is wearisome.
The next opera which we are to ex-
pect from GounOd, and upon which he
is already at work, is Francesca di
Rimini," the libretto of which has been
arranged by j. Barber, aud NJ. Care,
from Dante's Diyina Comedia." This
opera will be given in the course of the
next two years, in the grand opera at Paris.
The first foreign representation will be
given in the Royal Opera House in
Vienna, and Fraulein Ehnn has been
assigned the role of Francesca.