New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-27

shows a little emotion which has contemporaries
human interest but the feelings of all the glorious
company and goodly fellowship that group themselves
around the celestial staircase run to song They sing
Characteristic trait of modern Italy thls,' not
magnificent PAGAN to creation and its Lord like the
,changeis in the prologue to Goethes " Faust but
an Ave Maria In contrasting the two pictures with
heir cXemplhcaons of the employmcnts of the bless
and the damned the story would not out of mind of The
little boy who asked his mother whether if he were
good boy all week in heaven the Lord would not let
him 20 10 he'll on saturday afternoons and have good
time But must hasten to tell OF the terrestrial
adventures OF these strange beings.
When next we meet them they both in Brabant.
AsraeI is now Knight who by means of his SUPER
natural powers witlsands the glance of sorccresS,
princess who puts all candidates for matrimony to
that test Having her i'll the contest he sprns
by the retainers but parayIes their arm; as they
superior OF a nunncIy, WHO happens on the scene in
gxrsy queen Who has fallen in love with him. In
M next act Asrael happy in his new love- lives
with the gypsy i9lk and si1gs duets Ia Tristan and
the gypsy to learn his true character by placing ner
hand his heart a. he sleeps aud questioning him.
which under the circumstances II is hard to believe.
Enraged. the gypsy emptieS he contents of IL vial
TO his fest reels and falls a if dead Demons come
% seize HIM but angel. Ser r. and drive them
In Meta and her nuns carry him into their clostcr,
where he is restored to health. Now lie wishes 20
leave his bencfactorS but is restrained by the Mother
suueror confession OF love. He thinks of his promise
10 satan. shall he take with him the soul OF sister
Clotilde she waivers and i about 10 sacrifice her
soul TO love when she bcthnks herself of prayer
She urges him TO send up petition TO heaven but he
in the attitude of prayer, says the Ave Maria which
he labonousy repeats after her As the word Jesu'
Il reached. ii is taken up by the celestial chois. the
Clois,er disappears, Asrsc Meta and statue of the
virgin Mary are translated to Heaven Both change
their garments and stand redeemed in the presence
OF the scraphim the virgins, martyrs and patrarcls.
Neftas love has salvation for an angel who was
snless when condemned ana rou' and traitor TO
The colerency and dramatic proprlety OF this story
must remain mystery til chaos be come again.
Compared with il surely IL Trovatore" is marvel OF
luCldty and logical development. Ii is plain enough
tempted to celebrate tina: great cardinal principe
Of German poetry upon which Goethe built his Faust
and 10 which Wagner gave expression in his Niblung
tTagedy-the saving grace OF woman's love. 1t Is
equally plain. however that. Uttered through tho
fantastic mind OF Sgnor Fonana this principle is re
duced 10 the lowest terms of the ridiculous and absurd
In trying 10 embody ii he is bounded 10y the horizon
discriminating in choice of models Notwtusta ldnc
that the story reads like entirely new and original
phanasmagora, its characters and situations all
similar: Looking at its pictures and listening to il.
music is like catching passing glimpse OF score %
familiar operate pcrsOnages and scenes. Heaven i
pr4clsmed by trumpet blasts from the eeraphim as in
boto's Mefstotee" % soon as the scene changes to
musical when the knights are invited TO enter tie
lists dramatic when 0rtrud LijoIs The Soreeress:
the attack OF the yassals Of Braban transforms Arael
INTO BARBER ana Cares Mephl-fOpleleS Win MS
strange influence the swords Of those who would
STAY him. There i a rustic in which the leaves
are stirred by the breeze, and Immediately the magic
the circumstance that the love duet be finished
upon a NOISY bench infuSe, the music with
Tristan and Isolde" mood in the last Asrael
suggests at Wagners Tannhaeuser and
Donzetns Fernando; and 50 ii goes oil; If
il be asked. these things being so, wherein
lies the charm OF the work, il may be
swered. in the pictures which strkngly beautiful,
and in the music. which in spite of the fact that IS
not srikngly original, i vet full of evidences of
talent far beyond the ordinary. and disposed 10
most admirable seriousness Of purpose 1t is based
Is free in form, that TO extent the orchestra
made Of typical phrases to convey meanings. These
phrases not used BADLY, Hzct one in Car
men, but are symphoncaly developed 10 keep pace
with the dramatic moods and situations. Much Of tho
music is commonplace and tendency To- placid
Italian sing consort strangely with the devotion
to dramatic expression which frequently asserts itself
but. the whole il Is interesting music rhy thmiCaN
varied and effectively orche>trscd.
The performance introduced five newcomers, Marie
Jain. soprano (Neftsl: Marie Ritter G0etzc. T,eG?p
soprano loretta; Andres Dippei. tenor tASracD;
Primo Iurgcnstcln bass LUcfell. and =. Mas:Orff
baritone "a peasant. Concerning their individual
the future. wish only 10 say that each made
a favorable impression. and that Madame RtterGoeize
Fraeulein jain and Herr DIPPED in especial won warm
places in the admiration Of the public, in spite Of the
enbarrassments Of a first appearance. The members
of last years company who appeared were Charlotte
pnbn contralfo (Ldora and Conrad Bchrens (the
King.