New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-25
mUSIO-THB DRAMA.
OPERA AND BALLET.

The eyept of tho ntcrets clt by the public in the
ballet SYLVIA" for hch Leo Delboa wrote some OF the
most fascinating music that ever came from his pcn was
shown last nj ght by crowded house at the Academy
of Music Tho curiosity 40 natural and so smable
that Only n msanthropIc nature would condemn 1t.
Ballots have long been absent fiom our theatres and
the reputation made by the American Opera Company
for opulenco In stage decorations justified the eNpeca
ton that Sylvia" would at least present series OF
exceedingly beautiful pictures. Much OF the music
foo was familiar and when the promises so ex
oellent for lovely and exquisite muse one
could easily afford to the risk Of being obliged to
make some allowances for the dancing aud the panto-
mimic acting The only shortcomings in the ballet
were in the department which includes the last two
features and the little experience that the pull lie nave
had for long time with entertainments OF this char
acter has begotten much greater tolerance IN Judg-
ment than was called for last night. 1t Is an Ola
COMPLAINT which was freshly voiced by dancer oil
excellent European repute IN book Oh the SUBJECT
printed few years ago that the world Is growing Ola
or at least stiff the out OF joint ana dancng
has been all but abandoned. " Ballennt no longer
dance themselves into the Deerage as die Theresa
Elsler sister of the greater Fanny Nobody cuuYates
dancers nowadays as Thackeray did Iagioni IN Inc
Newcomes" and in these degenerate days it would
create petty scandal if the KING OF Prussia or any
other great pOteuta should demand that balItt-
dancer should be included IN all invitations 10 cine cA
tended to his Majesty was the case with fredeiek
tTa Cre9t and BoTharna famous ballerna of
her time who rewarded the pulssant hlng husiiIy
by running away with Cocceli and marrying MN,
thereby bringing the priest who performer tue
marriage ceremony to prison fare OF bread anu wafer
However if the aggression is pardoned 1t can DC Sad
in her praise that she lived n bameess married me,
won back the love of Frederick accepted from MN he
title of Countess Csmpanini and when her husband
died built a nuunery which she entered heIseI anu
died truly piO1s abhess. .r., E..
l-intr4 # he
10 mind that when the admired tenor OF that name
VAS haunting the Academy OF Music with the man
ageral bee buzzmg in his bonnet, his plans Tor au
operate institution to be domlelIed I'D the historic
house embraced the production OF Dallets on granI
scale. An entertainment like that OF last ls NJ W9ul
haze fitted perfectly in his scheme. only lie "ouu al
the same time have had is grand opera company per
forming in Brooklyn. The ambitious oDeratic nero
mic h have given 10 better dancers he could scarcely
have hoped 10 equal last nights musical performance
surpass the sta pictures The latter we're almost
like gllmpses into fairy land and each ascent O1 the
curtain was followed by an admlr1ng mnimur WDieh
we!ed into applause. The groupings, the attitudsS
and the pantomne of the performers iet something 10
be desired in the matter OF gracefulness and eX-
pressyeness on the part of principals as Wen as SUD-
Griinates but vet with the eye charmed by the set
tnrs and the ear filled with the delghtiu music OF the
orcbe stra there little room lett fOr Glsappoht-
ment Delibess score is in which lofty purpose
Is manifest W. know from lis own comics sion, made
in letter of thanks which he wrote III 1871 10 the
orchestraof the Imperial Opera House IN Vienna that
when he set out to provide the music Tor sylvia he
was ambitious to compose music IN the symphonic
STYLE which should accompany and extend the tnnua-
mental idea of pastoral OF Iasso s." Inc pastoral
referred to is Aminta and that 1t was Translated
into a bewitching ballet all tLOse who saw SYLVIA
last night testify. he music follows the action
closely accentuang, illustrating, commenting cee-
brating with sometimes most eloquent eXpresslYeneSs
But the familiarity OF the principal numbers from ire
oupnt performance in the cOncert-rOOm makes de-
scription and analysis useless. Of course its sym
phonio" character exists chiefly in the imagination of
the composer who like most Frenchmen, are strict In
their application of the adjective.