, 1880-12-11
IFfI4@{
SECOND pAitT
Helen Of ftrroy....................,.

1}oftO, MI Italian COMPOSER, wns heard for
thu first time in Chicago last evening Mt
1fnverly's Theatre, as t'erinrrlcd by the
Strakusch-1less opera troupe. As iiDI,e VI
tho works Ut this composer lave ever lccn
henrtl here before, I. slight skctcl, Of Ills tifo
will l,s Of interest. JIG was s.orM at Patlua
IN 1842, and III his eleventh year cMictgtl The
Conservatory ut Milan, remaining there nine
years. lie first BECAME known to the public
rs critic, and WIS not really known US n
composer until 1SGs, though lie Ind written
B0N,e ml,sor works, wlefi he produced his
"AtciistofeIo" at La ScnIa. Tho prnlog
WINS warmly received, but tho opera made a
failure, ai,d WAS only lrrloriHcd three
times, owing. first, to the lnetliclency Of
tho artists. and, second, 10 the new style
steps nf Wagner, did not strike tie ItalEnns
fayUrably. It was revived. however. ut IA,.
l0gnc In tS7a., with stronE cast, atttl llHt
With success, n1ld afterwards wus frequently
esrd III lta;y Int sl', gin ,,Iae itroMs' ,r taa
dncetl 1t III London Will! EreHt success. and
now It tias hcen brought out IN this county
untlcr tho above auspices aliti In Engltsl. by
Tic Strakos!I-1Icss troupe with n continua-
'ihc lateness Of tho hour at which the per-
forulanco concluded deharS ~ ut present
from giving complete sketch o. the llGretti
iSs a1 fnistes dsis o5 df s pePfoa'ee @PS5a a'!a
ssrse saftt'A TIL u another ats hearing ot thy
work, as It will be rspeatetl nsxt week. a,ta
giving our ruAders m Ittea Of tho story Miid
Its seitinr In rs iew words ny possible. Tie
opera Il divided Into a .prolos, four acts,
alid an ep!loK after brief ORCHESTRAL @ !,re,
lude. rather than mn overture; Ing Si1rtaan
vii, Goetho's .Proiog IL Heaven, Behind
background uf clouds tic heavenly choir Is
heard. Mcphtstopl!cics appeurs and under
the danatlo9 n & 9ho fp ss, @ esstyc " 12
dotsbe t;,ali'' chorus Of clerl4l,n, niyels
a1.d penitcuts, closing n tuals 4 nf nlaE;nIil'
cent power: Tho lrst act ts t,e Easter Sai,; l.;
and Nagnc7, to us, tho tor,ner followed BY Il
gray frlir, Mc1,ltstophelcs IN disguise. 'f1le
gay scene, filled with pleasure sqekefs'
changes y E;.ust'S sigdy wlsre ne e;n rt'S
ntatlc, as In tho first act ct Gonnod's work.
| The second net opens In tho gurdgn, and tho
ctnraetcr4 are. alaranerita, Martl'a, Faust,
md 1fcphistophelcs. The music y of a pns-
t's1'!EE and tEEo sarcastic plssion ofa Mophis.
t0n|.clcs for ller ,,llotler. Tlle scene
Hat t1e s slsnseff f,.st % and INC enta5@tas MapniEss
Wild &lissn,lnnt music uf tic wltcllcs' SAT-
batll, reminding one Of the lncattatiDn aceI'e
tn" Ter Freiscltnetz," ~ yisl9n % nt IiarNAe-
| ghcrltt'a Dtatl,, opens in the dungeon where
sliu awaits tho PENALTY for her crime of nlur-
derlng her mother And bnbe. Tic scGno IS
similar 10 Gounsd's setting in hof np'eadis Il.
1ss Wits is Si, III y ] ss' IN
which rcsountls through tllo orchestra rs
sho dies a,,d Faust leayes viii! his Gtnpter. e
seeond paart Ct Goethe's ~, work, H., ,.i Is y
sa1ea satbath" The ii h scsne cl,anecs 10 Greees,
end Faust stu With tl'e aid St erh1!si3n
who Is accompanied BY I'ttsltulfs. the music
| OF this SCENE being OF tho most sensunus
character an l stronE sontTast WITH tIt %hat
opiloE In whlch, Fttttst, satlate.l With tlse
t!ui, still sceks to divert HIN troul Ills
thoughts ct eternity. The t nA 81 striie be
Tho motives Of tho. proloE reappear. tho
songs Ut tho angels and ,cllerublnl, and tile
trumpet peals. nnti' at last tHnst, III ~
ecstasy, falls upon his KNEES ara dies, while
the tlwar!ea Meghtstgp!'s,.es slmks o. oqt ,S Of
Tho audience was worry larga one. At
this writing We oMly record tho popular tut-
preston created BY the work. 1t wills r.
ceiyed as a whole rathor. coldly, and Mt no
tirne created what might tN called an ent'u-
stn,l. though ut the end 9f t!!a garden scenG
and tlo tleatll scene Mnrlu llGzH WAs called
out, and Mr.. Con!y received al encara for
his sonE In Fn,tst's st!auy. and cncores were
nlsu given to tic quartet tl t!e Earlcil aud
Uclcil mud Tatttls. Thu finest number III
tho work, however, tho duet and chorus clos
il1g tic elnssie Sabbath scene, which arc
beautifully written ~ the pure ltalin'' style' M
uaSsel utiu0st without recognition. Ttls
Afternoon "Carnlenn will tW given. md TIL.
evening tho Bohemian Girl, in which Mis-
CarrlnGton vii! unko her utbut.