, 1873-12-13

E'llue1ntaeu aH llxnNtNt. DlllllGr ~ oVut LILO
plain boartla nro clcaro> TIM ,aonks retro to
toir sosta, wo to the buryh,l!-sro1ad 10 seo thu
inevitable n;,en f,rnyc, thnn 10 tao retGrmntory
for l,nys-ol1co cot,dMctra. but ilns!'cochKftlly.
By tho monl,s-entl than bac:: 10 church ugait
for None. We did not sluy ont tue t'':ao s!ara
uuu was enough! Iet there wnro oil Iacn nGlnag
the community, a.,tt tlIa though their a.cai mr.,
ve;onhle--nU cgga ullo@a;l-and their i.ir,lly
contains lothiu. but theological anl accalloal
worlaI. De g"Mibns aoH Hi&.?:;'N,:''aM.
I GOUNeD'S NEW ACHIEVEMENT.
Jc1ast.au d:!trc.
Writing from palis, ,,!idel ''nle Of Nov. II, tl'
corl os.Jul!dnlt al tho Lo:,tl3,l Unity ipfe3t1h
RlyN THO gru:l.ost tault1ca gticco>i uf tho tlar
IL uutluz sti1nubIy Joanna lro i,teetI ut,
tho d4sts. it ~ lar :uoyo th2 avcls,c II l!ie
placea fur Which this Theatre ~ ce.cIs:s c III
fa:s il beIonss to tho highest Glars ol tsn,naic
art. It IL u ve-aot trngcdy III yu'se. un,l IL
onriclod with llllBin wrtton axprot,'ly hY the
greaiost composer 0f tho agn' But while clni1n-
iDg lofty plncs III literature al in'lale, Jeanne
uAyo presents MI tho ndveuttios'B nttrns .uns
tGcatto in Paris. Tile sceuely il Admiralty
painted, tho costumes nfo 10th lipilt3son,e nnl
picturesque; tl!cra NO Procta aita a,'tl APP III
tiolls TO fonst tho oyn. mud thora Is elatlning
wiiu caii appreciate Ito poet1y but tho poetry Of
ilolion. Tholo Is omotha5 Ut everything III
tho pioce. lluye heard :" Jeanno dare +" cAIiol
1scric 'elis7tcuse anti hero III s'n1o trutl, NJ veil
III much lll-uaturo IN tho humorous ffc;iullion.
A Indy told nle that wien sllo came into Tho the
afro Il, tho midst or tho ilua'c to tho Aoc0nu act,
Alle thought tho upera waA transferred to tic
"sqnare dcs Arts Ut Motiors," while Il peii. c'cue
coutdctl to inc bill co,'fosaull tint what lie ta-
liked was tho verso, hccassHo it reminded him of
the Thoatio Fsancaa--lho poor Jo!an,e.a having
no idea Of tho bitterness OF his own Par
casln agafnst hi1nuelt. l,ave not tho
@ sgtoat~ ~ intcn'on ,;, s ri, q o. ' in'tu'E . upon upon
beon wri.ton upon POI Il tue M subject bic u Joan u Arc.
1lleir number IL Legion, and tho scrcs hegnn BY
mirac!e play brought ont ut Orleans itsell II
vory low yeara after tho marlyrlom Of tho uM-
happy l,croine. schillern plny is familiar to all
bio that MANY people nany locolcct Mile. patti'a
appearance In null nrntor as the ONLY noticeable
foature Of Vordi's " Giovanni dArco.' when
this rrotentious opera was produced Mt tho
Thcntro VentRIour Honae five or Eis years ago.
Ylero may alBo be some few Elglisllmon who re-
member that tragedy by Alexander soamet
would not be galvanized into life even by tho stu
pendouH geninsof tho groat Rachel, whose young
est sister HOW sustains tue character In the new
play ut the Gaite. Nor neod I attempt to
lotcll the story, the main features oi which havo
bcon strictly adhered to in II. Burbiors story.
nero mention Of tho locality In which eaci. act
tanes place will suffice to mark the progrosa Of
tho tale. The first act passes IN Jea'l,,es cottage
at Dolnremy, mud it In chiefly tilled by tho luvo-
making Of young swaln who only niakea ono
neetiug Appearance u tho lattor pnrt Of tho play.
,Jea,.ne, Of course, turns deaf ear to hin suit,
an!l her budding purpose of joining the armies
81. Margaret aud 81. Catherine. Who clothed i'll
long roles, approached ler from above, mud
breathe words Of encouragement i'll ller
year. The apparltlon il managed after
tho fashion Of tho apotheosa Of Grctche,.
in the Govent aarden yo!Bion Of "Faust,"
and tho two aaints sing q duct to tho accom-
paniment Of organ aud invisible chorus Tho
musical part OF this scene is written i'll style
which II. Gounod las 1nnde his own and it
would be still more effective it MI tho singing
were cnrried on behind the scenes. 10 my think
,ng the extreme reAlism Of the Gprnritioli Home-
what dotracted from its improsslvenoss; hut tl.B
objection would be considered hyporcritieal by
the great mnss of spectators. III the second act
we arc al Chinon ; aud We ace tho Ind spectacle
OF Charles rlL forgetting i'll the arms oI Agnes
.Sorel the mutilation Of his country and tho suf-
ferings Of lis subjects '7eanno appears, aud
succeeds first in gaining the Kings MISTRESS oil
mouprch himself. There IL something TINT
ta,B againBt the listeners ideal OF his heroine,
no less than against history, in this juxtaposi-
tiou Of lilo puro Maid of OrleasH and tho courle-
defamation to both. Thu act opet.s With rrct-
ty La!la0 aud choral refrain. sung BY page, mud
closes with magnificent martial choruH = Dieu
10 yout," which excited genuine enthusiasm.
Still more masterly, and vnstly more orginul,
is tho da1lce-1nusic which opens tho third acs,
Qualifications looming III the background. Tho
soldiers sing Chorus with q capital rofrai,s.
while tlleir ribaudes dance highly character-
istsc ballet festivities being occasionally illter-
rupted by the doRcont Of I'LL arrow shot from the
English camp and tho discharge, of 4
| eulvoru ut the aggressors. All this
sctue Ia admirably mallaged, a mock
! eral-procession celebrating tho death of. u
i. .I,.x
chilly clover. The act il takeu up by u series or
| discussions between Jeanne and tho various
| Trench chiefs whom Rhc eventually Bubluea to
her inspired will. ll1o sceno Is brought to a
powerful conclusion lya choral prayer to tho
| God of Battles. In t!lu fourth act wo aro at
Rheims, whele tho Hing is about to 10 crowned.
Jea,me, oppressed with tho sonso Of her coming
fato, meets her parents, aud B anxious to return
with thcn 10 her village home. Dnt the King
reminds her Of her oath not o rest till tho enemy
cnteriug the cathedral on Ills left laud, On MI
equal footing with AiH Queen. Thu sceoistl
| tableau, representing the grand facule Of
tho cathedral, ia que Of the finest I lavo
| with tho knights and warriors. tho pagos und
conrtiora. wlv havo marched IN procession to the
portal where they ire met hy the pricBtH and
iucense-boarcra, wt!lo orchestra &nld chorus join
in triumphal CORONATION march, is extnordaa-
riiy impressive. The last uct, also. in tho two
tableaux passca at Rouen. It opcns IN u pligon,
whore tho English sollliur6 aro indulging in il
spirited drinking, chorus with q capital Ieflain.
''CeHt largent do France qui payora," while
Jeanne, bound with chains, is aBlcel, The saintc1
Indies ngain appear to her III bodily form, ciunt-
ing LYNN, which II. Gounod Inns cloycrly
worked IN combination with tho soug ot tho
rovelors. Then follows tho historical effort
to make the muiden recant hor tlefesies,
| royolting attempt upon her yirtuo by lParaUtch+
LnBtly, wo have tho actual funornl pyfe on tho