New-York tribune., 1883-12-21
MUSIC.
TILE NEW ITALIAN OPERA.

THE NEW ITALIAN OPERA.
Dh;oll;,s "La GiocOnda" was brought out
=. ,o Mc,ronolan Opera House last night with gor
sousness of ST age appointments aud asength OF
Se that spoke volumes for the earnestnes oil INC enoI
hitch Mr. Abbey and his assistants are making 10 give
Grand opera in style worthy OF the metropolis Inc re-
ceptiou given the opera most encouraging anu
aeorded proof OF the eagerness OF our people for
change from the stale list which has so long
constituted their operate pabuium. Inc hou7o
was crowded from floor TO roof and the audience ha"s
rathered for the enjoyment of an unusual pleasure "eo
soon melowed into an exceedingly inpressonaOle state
which the striking pictures, excited action ana ingenious
music Of the opera intensified with every act Whatever
may thought OF the opera work OF art there no
denying that it achieved last night decided popular
success. The singers were frequently called peore ~
curtain and few Of the set melodles oi
the piece were permitted to pass WITHOUT "
tribute of applause The stage sets called TOT ny inc
opera are unusually heavy and this fact occaoheu long
delays between the acts, but on the whoe' tne opra
moved with greater soothness than was nave oeeh e
pcc,ed The libreto Of ia Goeonda is one Oh coarse
fbre and dubious morality An outline OF the story mas
already been printed in THE TRIBUNE The play lacks
even the poor paation, usually offered that In spite OF
moral grossness virtue trumphs and vice punished
Here vice Is rewarded and the little spark OF virtue tDa
appears as a motive perishes miserably
Victor Hugo Ia the prince Of those dramatlsts ana
noyess who utilize garng contrasts and unnatural con-
tradctions to give pquancy to their creations He de-
lights to compel sympathy for moral monster by uniting
monumental wickedness with the tenderest ana
most Iovable Of feelings In "Gioconda," as
fn "Rigoletto, "-also drawn from one OF
Hugos tragedies-our tenderness is asked for persons
who are in no sense entitled to it. The only personages
in opera who disaster are pair OF lovers
whose suerngs depicted and inferred can hardly be
said to have refined the guilt out OF their passion
We are permitted 70 infer that once their
attachment was pure and beautiful, but all that we see OF
It is dauntngy criminal and doubly wicked The happ
ness OF Emo. who TO eope with another mans wlfe
cruelty breaks faith with woman whose love ior hm
is so strong she gives her life for his is hardly con-
summation that ought to be set down as justying the
exposure of 30 many blotches and pimpes upon the
fair face OF human nature. LaHas eachery Is 10 u'o
conda well her husband, and has no redeeming
trait. In fact, La Cecn, the blind woman (essehuay
Boos creation aud Hugos), is the only character
that has moral health she brought into the play only
that her serngs slaughter may intensity the bloody
character OF Barndbd. Even Gocondd, character tat
has latent In many effective elements sacrificed by
the librettis TO the ansensaonal erect through
contrast and contradiction. Nowhere does she appear
in the character whc gives 10 the opera From the
moment Of her entrance till her death she is filed with
torturng passion and conflicting emotions. Against the
desire to sympsthize with her, is thrust the
revelation that her rival Is never saved from death
Mt her hands through any repugnance OF
hers to murder She would kill In an instant were not
gefuness is overcome by gratitude to the
benefsctress Of her mother SO comes that the strong
est feeling excited by the heroine who dies sacrifice TO
her fal affection and pasSionate love Is one OF py-a
feeling that absent from tender hearts omater
how deprayed the Of misfortune GOOnddS death
ts pltifu as that of the Keiser girl ptiful
The guiding principle Of the dramasts was also that OF
the musical composer. He has aimed at exciting CON
trasts stirring concerted pieces, VIVID orchestraton and
quick changes; and he has reached his aim Ia his
score there is evident less OF the influence OF
Wagner than we had been led to to suppose Ponchieh
leans strongly for support upon Verdi not upon
Wagner A score of times Verdis voice spoke In the
orchestra and of times Verds phrases were heard
In the melodies Ponchel makes use OF recurring
melody (the broad cantalena in La Oiecas "Voce di
donna"l but he does 1t less than
Verdi and In a manner that is older than Meyerbeer.
His melodies are purely Italian He need have no fear OF
being reproached German for either La Oecds air,
En.o's romance Cielo MARI, BdTna6a's barcarole'
"Ah PescatOr," LapraS romance, "Stella del Marnar'
Or in fact any of pieces whose comprehensive
and sensuOus beauty last night caused such
excited pleasure audience. There is, 1t Is true
striving for dramatic expression which is frequently
crowned with success but II is striving which does little
violence TO Italian convention The forms against whose
inelasticity many have thundered are followed more
slayishly this opera than In Gounods Faust written
a quarter OF a century ago. signor POncheln has not
been happy escaping drynness Of the old recita
tive; his inventiveness which Is nowhere really auent
opera unequal to the task OF connecting lho
set pieces with melodious doclamatory rectave ike
Instrumentation, and remarkable mastery over those
effects to which the musical public has fled for relief
from the humdrum monotony dramatic inaniy OF the
old style italian writing.
The opera was given IN a surprisingly brllhant
manner considering that the performance the fruit
Of nine days labor Sig Novara the only one OF the
principals who reach the plane where his abilities
usually move This owing to ali indsposiiOn which
made It questionable early IN tue day whether
he would be able 10 sing all OF Sig StagIos E.o We
can only say that 1t had little character hs bis npcr-
souatiols generally, and his singing throughout was
marked by tho vicious traits that have character,
fzed all his work this season. With An electrical
high note at the eud of his Romance
m the second act he hOwever, enthusiastic recall
Mue Nilsson has G cida part that enables her 10
display her tragic powers 10 an admirable hght
She did not slight 1t ia any respect ana kept lhe
audience IN a state OF almost painful exctcneht
by the vivid manner In which she depicted
the uferfngs of the street singer Nine. Furscl Sadi
Mime scalchl Sig. Del Puente all added to thcr rep
utations as sterling artists. The costumes were Brilliant
and patOInuic ballet called The Dance Of the Hours
led by Mime. Cayalaz evoked loud applause There were
soore of recalls and aftsr the third act loud cries OF
Maestro brought Sig. Ylanesl upon the Stage