, 1873-11-29
THE NEW OPERA.
u Akdn.33

A4tu u Uocoinnor, 4bfls lAo Aneulfal VINO 2a-
pires to tho glory Of patron Of tho arts, Inns
l"vishcd enormous Gums OF money in sustaining
an opora-housc which foreigners in Egypt aro
too fow to flll and Ills native hubjccts arc ncapa-
blo Of relishing and there tho fortunate tray--
e oler msy listen to aomo Of tho best artsts Of
before rows Of empty boxes. His Hlghuesa can
AFFORD The annaemont md why should 10
not indulge it3 Nevor Inns . modern
composer been more maEnIhcently outroat-
% than was Verai whom tho Egyptian
ruler 'I commissioned him to write an H., opera tor
this most remarkable Of theatres. Tho maestro
Waa to choose his own singers and TO pronaiao
them their onn price. Tho subject Mas to DO
tnrntghed by competent, playwrightH and bor-
rowod from Egyptian history. Everything vas
work; md Sig; Verdi recclyed large sum of
money for producing 1t IN Cairo before It should
bo heard tn my other part Of tho world. Tic
promises OF tho khediyo ~ 10 tho mannor OF its
representation p we're fully kept, and It ia said
that scenory. dreHsos, decorations, and the mis-.
ecollaneous etago appointments cost not
lese than 9l00, ,ooo, IN addition OF course
to tho salaries paid the arsiat8 From Cairo
~ ;" Aida" went to Milan. L has never boon heard
IN rnT1a or In London and Mr. strakoseh brings
musical world at largo, and oven unknown in
most OF the cultivated cities Of Europe. Tho
drama WaB originally written In French .proao By
tho celebrated Egyptiologias. III. AlaTiotto. It
*aa tnrhed INTO French worse by Another hand,
and from that version Sig. Gbislanzoni con-
Btfnctcu tho ltRiian l!ptetto. Tho action takes
place "at Mcmrhis md Tllebca during
tho time OF tho Pharaohs "a period Which
may DO supposed to embrace. m indefinite
anu fomoto stretch OF centuries, and there
t, tose ollera tao a, dranatist almost unlimited
King oi Ethiopia. iaa slave IN the. palace Of
Pharaoh, at Memphis. She thore wins the 1ovo
Of 1adanes, young Egyptian General. who,
at tho opening Of tho OPERA is chosen to load tho
h Aings army ny against an invading force Of Etht-
op'ans. Ao roeurnH in triumph. bringing. Anso--
~: 1asro prisoner, md tho first uso ho makes Of
his favor at court il to bog the liyos of tho cap
tlvee. Ine king oftcrB him il, reward for bis
services tue hand OF his daughter An'ne'is. WHO
has long Loved himt but t!adanes, faith
ful to aida, declines tho .proefered
honor: A'nonasro now. porsuadeH aida
to OBTAIN from 1sdddn'es tho secret of pass
which the Egyptian troops hayo left unguarded.
anu tnG lovers M are ABOUT TO ny to2other by that
road when tho vengofui A"1ne'is and the high
nounco Rada,,es ss q traitor. Ilo is condemned
life by renonnciug Aida and accepting tho hand
OF the Priucess, who foyos and hates him BY
Turns, ho is immured IN THO vaults under tho
ful place lie finds tho faithful Aida awaiting
him: She has concealed horaelf there in order
to share lis into, and thoy die IN each othcrs
arinb.
y wlA readily 20 conceived ttat the Rtory Of
telling situations, strong dramatic contrasts and
foppoftunities 5or theatrical display, and they
have all been improved to the utmost. Mr..
Strakosch procured most OF hth properties,
dresaos nnd scenery IN Italy, copying from tho
anti antiques We Sa assared sDS fis thst t;sy I
laltnlully fepresent tug Egypt Of 3,uoo or ooo
years age, ana Wo dare say they aro much
nearer I, to historical corroctness than such
thlrgs generally are on the stage. However
! that may bc' tue maGniticcnco With whiol,
th,s opora, 1a .s',.,, has been @ produced struck
everybody with amazement. For onco the most
rssise that noslns appreachag Dtia tlo
splendoTs OF lsst nights representation has dyor
been Witnessed gu at tue Academy Of Music would
remember ANYTHING so flne on any New York
stage, except perhaps one or two Of MI. Edwin
BOOTHS shakspenrean pageants. Certainly
there is not now spectacle 90 grand to be on
1oyed in this city, Everything about 1t, from
plo and the aubterranean vanlt down
to the tunto Of the super who clears the stage, is
admirable Of its kind. Ihoro arc seson scenes,
all OF them entirely new, al! Of thona spreading
generous expailse Of architectural glorieaa or
landscape hoarty, all OF them marvellous
ach'esemonts OF pictorial taste and aklil. Tho
bandsmen, soldiers. slaves, is almost bewildcr-
ing, and tle rlehncsB OF their garmonss IL really
superb. We ncvor saw IN opera before i'll
which neatnesa aud tberaltty markod cyory dc.
tail down TO tho very loest. The eoistoroue
applause which broke out frequently during tho
evening, aad the cordial recognition of sig.
hluzio and hlr. Strakosch wheu, after
much difficulty, they woro induced
to come bofore the curtain with
the principal singers was. 10 doubt, stimulated
quite as much by THO unexpected excellence Of
tue OF the opera ~ BY the character
Of the music. The success Of " Aida ia Of tho
most emphatic and denonstratyo kind. How
far 1t a succoas for pig. Verdi it is too soos yet
to Judge. Tho work is lacking. in Hon'o 0f those
distinguishing aualltics which mado tho popu~
larty Of tho "Troyatore nnd "!rraviat a." 1t
~ destitute OF c!ap-trap etfectH It contninsyory
fow melodies which can bo whiRtled IN the seroets
mud ground upon barrol-organH. Yot 1t sco1na
to us composition Of very high merit and con-
no!ssouIa will regard 1t aB tho most interesting
il not absolutely tho best that Verdi oyor wrote.
That h!a atylo has lately boon undergoing groat
change everybody knows. The ripenng Of Ills
scholarahi! was apparent rs fur baek as 1850,
whom Wo had an opportunity to compare his
"Dallo In Maschera" with Ills "Troyatoro"
written sir yoars earlier: It has since thon been
very 1narhod, aud IL "Aida" must imprcss the1o