New-York tribune., 1880-02-15

he showed his lack Of sympathy with the original
not only by his deviatiOns from the poem but by his
selections from it. This. however. Is not grave
fault He did not try to follow Goethe; he pleads,
with perfect justice. that he was not obliged to- ana
| The Damnaton of Faust 4" ought to be judged b.
its intrinsic qualities, without reference to the
poets ideal. We must take it as a series of splendid
scenes, chosen for their picturesque effects ana
strong contrasts. rather than with any consstent
dramatic purpose They are joined together with
such extraordinary art that every number seems to
flow naturally and easily into the next and yet the
separate moyeInents.-the reveres and aspirations
of Faust the rustic song and dance, the gorgeous
march, the Easter Hymn, the bacchanaian reves,
| with the burlesque fngue, the wonderful suInber
song, the ballad and plant of Margaret, the fairy
music. the superb love duet, the ride 10 bell. the
chorus of angels, wholly independent. Indeed 20
far was the composer from aiming at the development
of clear poetic idea that be boldly carried IdHsi
! uto Hungary for the sake of introducing his ar
| rangencnt Of tho Hungarian RakOczy March be-
| cause it had proved very effective IN
/ the cOncerl-roOm and not content with using IL
] once he employed the same theme again. somewhat
disguised, in aD incarnation scene where 1t has no
dramatic reason. In this passage, where Aephis-
topieles calls up the will o the wisps to charm the
maid with banefu lights" Berloz caused the devil
| to sing in Hungarau-a direction which was not
| observed last night. Little rs the RakOczy theme
| has 20 DO with Faust" the effect. both of the
March and Of the internal Mnue'. is unquestionaby
good in tins glowing series of tOne-pictures. We
cannot say the of the Song of the Rat and the
Song of the Flea with their grotcsQuc limitations Try
the orchestra: for the horrors OF the final pan
demonium These numbers illustrate the bcsettlng
sin of Berlioz. which WAS bad taste Like certain
passages of the Fantastic Symphony" they recall
81. IL - a. Of
describes the burial Of the second wife. He was
miserable and unfalthful in both his marriages
and when he tells Of the removal Of the body Of the
/ first unhappy woman the side of the second, he
take us into the charnel-house with him, and tears
open the coffin aad compels us to look on while the
fair Ophelia is carried away in peces.-DOt forget
ting meanwhile to observe the agony of NJ. Berlioz,
! who is truly person of sensbility.
But whatever may be the faults of his method Of
| dramatic composition - the tempestuous passion
which left hirn only broken moments of repose the
| tendency to exaggeraton which hurried hm far
beyond the proper boundaries of romance-nobOdg
can deny to BerIoz an immense force and grandeur.
| of which The Damuation OF Faust" furnishes an
| impressive example. Heine compared Ber'ioz to '
colossal nightingale" His music reminded The poet
| OF gigantic forms OF extinct antedluvIan animals.
| fabulous empires filled with fabulous sins, the
| hanging gardens of Babylon. the stupendous tenn
pies OF Nineveh. Mystery, magnifcencc. and awful
magnitude are here; and we recognize all he char
| acteristcs which Beroz himself called the domi-
nant qualities of his mus;c-pasSonate expression,
| internal fire, rhythmic animation and unexpected
| changes. His melodies not fluent and sponta-
| neous. but they are full Of intense meaning; his
rhythns are startling and irresistible his skill in
the indication of fine shades of expression exqu
SHE HIS surprising and delc Ious combIna tiOns OF
| instruments of different qualities show keen sense
for he color of tones analogous 10 the delicate ear
which certain poets possess for fascinat-
ing rhymes and the musical cooca-
ton of words. This gift distinguishes
his treatment of the voice well Of the Orches-
ira and Of the happiest effects m the chornses
If Faust attributable far less TO the mecdic
design than TO the composers rare Knowledge of
what he calls "voca Instrumentation In the
technical management of the orchestra he surpasSes
an other composers except Wagner. His instinct in
selecting for each phrase the exact instrument that
best suits it is Infallibe. Witness the beautiful
picture of the waking morning In the introduction.
painted in delicate neutral tInts; witness the brutal
Amen fugue of the half-drunken students, where
the composer avoids every instrument that gives a
clear tone and uses the heavy utteranccs OF the
VIOLA, bassoon tuba, and double bass: witness
the dainty devices of the Dance of Syiphs.
diving away until the pianSsimo ends with
Gcious little touch which nobody else perhaps
would have thought Of. yet now nothing else seems
possible IN that place witness above all the won
derfnl Instrumentation of the whole of NaT6arofs
second song IN which the English horn takes the
leading part aud the orchestra seems TO be the echo
| of sorrowful voices BerliOz divides and groups
instruments in the most ingenious ways he multi
plies the parts which separate aud interlace IN har
| monies of ravishng beauty he combines different
| rhythms-haunonizes them. so TO speak-with
astonishing boldness. In word, hs melody.
! rhythm harmony. Instrumentation. all are rich.
| varied ingenious, poetical. Alas that musician
so mighty gifted should not have known how TO
| avoid excess, and in the pursuit OF imaginary
freedom and pcturesqueness should so often. as
| Wagner complained. have allowed the sense Of
beauty to escape.
With regard to tho performance last night-the
fulness and force of the chorus, the animal
| ton of the orchestra, and the merits of
| the four solo singers-we have only to
repeat the praise which We gave after
| the rehearsals Mr.. Jordan. who took the very
irving role OF Faust has just left slck-bed. and
his voice was not clear at the private rehearsal
| ON Wednesday but he deserves q warm
| acknowledgement for the intelligence and spirit of
| his Interpretation. He was especially good ia the
| duo and trio of Part Third; and here. too, Miss
Sherwins pure and sympathetic voice WAS hesru 70
particular advantage. The lady was also for
tunate in her best song My Heart Is
| Ueayy.n into which she threw q great
deal of true feeling. and her singing was
always in excellent taste. Dir. Remmertz was in
| the best of voice and spirits; aud Mr. Bourne gave
| his Rat Song and his short solo in the epilogue
10 the entire satisfaction of his listeners;
| The audience went away in state OF
OK altation with loud cheers for the conductor The
nublic. especially that large portion Of 1t which
red in VAIN to buy tickets last night, will be glad
to know that the work is to be repeated on Wcdnes