New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-22
MuSIC-THE DRAMA.
co,-Non,s .M,RELLA.r

GOIJNOD'S "MlRELLA."
Frederic Mistral, we believe Is sun ns,ns.
-. AZ. war, ago he wrote rustic epic In the FRO
- dialect, which he called "Mreio'' ana ~hch nus
marvellous popularity In France ever since IN
.or africa Mines Montpelier and the surrounding
,rv the influence OF the poem was so great 'ha' So
n, ,iI;bves or Ministries. sprung UP to cultivate the
-, ,o.gue and to attempt a restoration OF the s"s
nce. OF the famous old Provcncai troupadours I'ep
80 ~ n said lovesick SWANS can DO heafu III INC
,,o. mentioned. serenading their mstresses Win e
~ d> macaA from " Mireo." Within hve years
60 ,ts publication NJ. Carrie had worked over
ooem into an opera book. and Gounod
~ n,odnced "Mireille" at the Theatre Lyrique.
~ orera was the second after fa's'
III. separated from Gounods masterpiece oy La
p,,s de Saba" and was first performed on March w.
go II was performed for the first time In NewforK
1.a,,av afternoon, the presence in Mr. Mapfcsons
nnapy Of Miss Nevada having been the instigatins
nee Although Gounod IL one OF the most popular
composers alive II has therefore taken this one OF
rs works twenty years 10 reach our shores
uaS NJ Mstra been present at tho Academy, II Is safe
. venture he would not have recognized his intellectual
o-s,r,ur, II IL even open to question whether d.
nonnod would have been willing TO admit that that
,.ch was called Mirella his work. He would
,aby have identified It as number OF more or less
a,.,ointed fragments OF what he had called
ureille," for in the preparation OF TINS
r,atan version for this stage little, III
v regard was had for the dramatic framework of the
,see The story Of Mstrars poem, which was followed
Nth a considerable degree of fidelity by NJ Carrie oil
houch extremely simple and pastoral is not 80 utterly
yapd and silly that presented by Mr. Maplesons PEG
cle II has even elements or dramatic strength
aud poeca beauty. All Of its characters are exceed
,nev humble all Of it, sentiments amazingly simple al
,,s scenery remarkably true TO nature It deals with
,he puhsppv love " rich farmers daughter and poor
bsshpt. maker. The pair thrown together, In the
r,.r hv uryflis and her father seeking refuge from
stor,n In the basketmakers hut The young man Il
persuaded ~ tell the story " hts life The recital
q void VI all heroic features aud deas only WIN
,hs Incidents which occur 10 him while en-
,ese,i Nm ratchns medicinal flies and eevhes but II IL
~ encacrus pthslio's tales Of " hair breadth
seeres" 1t hesets q wepdrrus love ~ the fa'mef's
daughter the yeaus palt ~ hlfdsnestlht one dat
aud sn accident leads to declaration ~
love Thea s met the fatal tnoh B
ut,eals's pa,ents will have no nf-ealehet lreoh
nahef aud basket maAef tef q seh.lh law The sH i
,ei - choose husband tgen three s'eta t nos mana
a shepheri hnts,-iuaier and oX,herd she vii have
neither, ana the latter who has hnroe sounding name
Oi4,as onraged AZ the giris Iofasnl waylaya lWofW
The favored pvor aud attempts 90 murder him by treheA
elosy staining him Ia the hack after the victim hnd
o,erpowered him aud then spared his life Vincent is
tmnd h., "a sor,ere,s whose lamentations save him hc
sends his father TO ask the hand OF Mireh aginand l.
ssan refused MrcHle then leaves her home ana
wauders In mental aseny through the coun-
ty. Al last, fOotsOre ana okha"sI'u' S"o
enters village church. hut scarcely
reaohc, the resting place before she swoons In vision
the saints appear and recount their martyrologN
and she thus strengthened to endure tho rest OK hr
suffering. Size awakens only TO find Vtnce"tby her 'de
and Thus % die.
Cam, made some Singular changes In the poem His
heroine dies OF suustrokc the effect Of which NJ Gounod
hechter Cd by setting It TO brilliant waltz tune, the
ONLY number Of the opera besides the overture that Is
familiar ON this side of the Atlantic The customary
spectacular act he developed out of one Of the most
picturesque and dramatic episodes Of the poem After
Oir mas tried 10 XIII Viacct Mistral has him leap
ghosts the and women drowned In the river rise
AID dance a ehastly dance around the murderer he
dies ont OF this Carrie and GOunod constructed scene
Ike the Witches sabbath In Faust II
wa cut ont OF the version performed YESTERDAY ana
too was sacrificed and MieHd recovered from the sun
stroke rlled her dying waltz. was Gathered mo IN
arms OF her lover and the curtain fell but only 70 rise
again that she might repeat the waltz ana Dow herself
either into eternity or the DassetnaAers hut- WAS not
plain which. =, o., -,
from the italian version the continuity ana dramatic
development are greatly disturbed by me cASlsios
made and the many makesliftS reSorled 70 hshe, he
waltz. already mentioned II has number OF beautiful
pieces and throughout the first and trd acts is eNe
peaceful and pretty pastoral spirit II malnta'u "lc
A. not without novel charm But the dramatic element
l. feeby represented and though the score shows always
the pTactl~cd hand it shows genial Inspiration Only ID
SPOTS The overture is spirited and pretty,
and there loss in interest in the opening chorus
10 the music which the Pcoyengal maldens strip the
mulberry trees. The best concerted piece T. the
finale OF the second act, when hlrfHe l. reruStd ana
the fathers OF the lovers quarrel Tar mas gavotte Ike
air In s'avioue arriva' harmOniles captally with
the music with which the opera abounds and the duet
"Ah, sci IN :" wonld ornament any opera. Bui NIs
questionable whether II viii endure another twenty
years Mss Nevada finds the idyic character Of
MrcVc fitted 90 her artistic temperament ana inicpret
IT, with beauty In The cantabe passages a.
well the orid Like her other representations this Is
lacking chiefly III power