New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-25
11IrsIC AND THE DRAMA.
TUE opERA-MLFisTOFELE.
rru.ually deep interest has been Re

ps:h was given for the hrst t'me
Academy of Music last night.
80 has great reputation in Italy, where VeTdi
"a other of the musicians hold his talent IN
~ esteem and where he Is regarded as
US .omnoser who is to sustain the honor
" 1talv In the lyric drama. and the work itself
" -.a,ed a good deal Of excitement aud pro-
80 much discussion London when 1t
". given there last SIMMER. The Academy
'. vusc was filled last evening WITH
s.;,,iant audience, which received the work very
.,A,a,lv There was an abundance of flowers an'
rrincinal singers were called out reIeltediy' SO
~ the opera had every appearance of having
made popular success.
I, Mefstufele." Boito. who wrote MS own
,,he,io has followed the line of GOethes poem verV
.,,.slv. using those parts which adapt themselves
~.,d,v 70 dramatic form, but not adherng slaV-
..hIv m the text. The opera opens with shor'
a,ohestral Introduction. and the curtain rises
- ,he Prologue. the scene OF which Is lald IN
Eaaven. where Mephist0pkcles undertakes. Tor
- the dannaton OF Faust. Here the dialogue
nss between .Acphistophees. who alone rs
',aO, the stage, and chorus of cheruhlm,
arge,s and penitents who are concealed
~ clouds and mist. The first scene OF act
g., Of the drama is laid before the city gate OF
r,,Lfort-on-t the Maine, on an Easter Sunday.
-. ara oroups of pleasure-seekers going III and
- s;po,uc. and then Faust and Gdgno appear The
.mar is perpexed and troubled oY We
n-asepce of mysterious gray iriar tEepa'sophe!eS
= A,sguisel who follows them back into the
-. The second scene is III FGGsts laboratory, where
Az gray friar appears and throws on lis dis9u's''
", the comnact between Faust and MepbisiOpketes
,arod into The first scene of the second act lsIn
uotka's garden, where takes place he love scenes
to,oaed Faust and Margaret and NepbistopheteS anu
,C,r,bo the scene closing with fmgoretS accept
If fine vial which contains the hQuld which
rrt her mother to sleep. The second scene is
- ,itcheS' Sabbath on the Brocken at which
'rt;s.,n5sles and Faust are present.
~ third act contains the prison
-. with Fausfs effort to save Margaret.
1 o,osas with her death and the declaration b.
Gu" -. Of angels Of her salvation. Here GOun0d's
.ra,s.r stops but BOtO, following Goethe. has
- smother act showing the classical Sabbath,
90 tho scene between Faust. Helen Of Troy.
~ eriocue. which is really fifth
49, contains the death of Faust. his
Sorciveness by Heaven, aud the final dis
6ture of Nepkis0pheIes, and closes with chorus
Of the triumphant angels In so far as these scenes
hiring out the story of GOethc's poem, the selec-
ron Is excellent and they ali eminently suscep-
tibe of musical treatment, but from dramatic
standpoint the choice seems not SO WISE me
seene on the Broken has no influence whatever
on the development OF the story, though
il is interesting enough III itself, and Bolto's
,eosops for retaining 1t are obvious, for 1t is ex-
celent situation unsteady. and 1t gives room Tor
mucb scenic display. The connection OF the fourth
AZ. that containing the episode OF HeeH with the
rest of the piece is not clearly shown, and it is made
still more obscure by having Margaret aud Helen
impersonated by the same artist. since to any one
not ACQUAINTED with the poem,-and we suspect
that the proportion of those IN an audience who
have read it Is decidedly small-the resurrection OF
tie prima donua in this act after she has been killed
in due form in the last, is altogether incOmpre-
beuslble.
This opera of Boito's is perhaps the best specimen
that we have had of that class Of works OF which
the later Italian composers have afforded Us several
exauples. in which the Old Italian style Ina;
been modified by the influence OF Wagner
In them there has been an effort I
impose his forms upon the old melodic spirit
and lie result has been hybrid wmchlt Is interest
49,, ,o study as the possible germ Of new operate
fnTno INT which gives the impression rather OF
striving after something, -Whai IL i Is NOT gum
clgar-than OF lis attainment 10 seems 'I lu
Zine as though Boito would Ike nothing better Ha
70 ha frankly meOdiC. after the Ola fashion, rli'
every Dc While there j. something In his score Wicl
gives promise of beng chGrMinSly slmplc ana con
Dlete when all Of a sudden ne appears 20 ne con
scIence-smtien for forgetting his sei-Imposed rules
and his work becomes warped ana distorted h'
an Influence which l. foreign 10 Ills nature Ids
j. nor ALWAYS the case. by any means. iO
there is much in ms opera which IS YER
beautiful aud shows marks Of great talent. but d
l. the impression Jeff by the greater part oil what NJ
doe For instance there . N the first act a sbOT
arr from Faust"'' Sc ia nj DOM which shows thu
strongest evidences Of the WAGNER lnHreIcg, WIZ
l. followed abruptly by passage IOr HfPa's'0P"etS
which has all the jingle OF verdi III ms most cai ac
teristc style Ii Is when B1lt0 YIELDS most to Ia.
own impulses. when be is most hlm'eIl
La
celestial chors IN the prologue is very beau
tifnl pure. dgnIfed and exalted IN spirit lGast'
AR IN the first act Dai camp" IS delightfully."-
suave and graceful, and the Sou 10 spirto cDt
mega sempre." sung by N4~Stopbe.cS IN tht
same scene, IS very strong ana one o.
the most original things IN the opera. Indeed; tl'
mn.Ic birh Bo.to has vi itten for Nphis0Dhetes al
through the work j. alLOge ther the most dsilbc'b
characteristic there is IN IT. ne music ~
il closes with "a quartet winch las night reused
the house 10 enthusiasm. Tie witches SaDOath Oh
the Broken is full OF s5rons e1eetS ana 'Dgle Is
good ballet. The thlrd act mas more oe,HlI
iul music than perhaps, any other, AdT
1Grefs opening air RAtra notte in fondoT Is capL
TAI the duet for Faust and HG'gdrd L0utauO
Loutano" Is very beautiful, and her closing ar
"Spunta PAurora Pada," IS M OF deep lee lli
and pathos. There IS graceful dueJ IoI Htt'
and Pgstqls ID the fourth act, and an ana paTlaut'
which. IN it, treatment, recalls the Grail song II
"LOhengI1n.
Mile Valera made charming Margaret actin
with grace and singing with great feeling and ex
preston In the fourth act, az Helen, she was no
less good Miss Cary had little to do, but dld i
capitally Campanini, as Faust, was admirable
He saug his music with passion aud spirit an'
bis acting was superb. NOyara, the htPhiS
topheles was uncertain III his intonatlon. On
he sang forciblv and brought out exceedingly wei
the hooking and somewhat wierd character whci
Boto has given to his music. The chorus and or
ehestra we're efficient, the scenery remarkably beal
tilul and the dresses new and bright.
DRAMATIC NOTES.
The 3O0th consecutive performance at the Madison
Snnare Theatre of Mr.. MackaYe's play OF " HaZe