New-York tribune., 1909-07-11
A Comedy of Depraved Morals and lovely N1usic-Se-
queI to Rossini's Barber of Seville Dit
Between Their.
Opera Tignettes NJ.
BY II. f. KREHEIEi..

i:ra-l..s;. tt. a 'silafy or Figaro comedies.
ard II the tastes aud methods Of a century or SO
aga had been ike those II the present We might
have had also a srfoey of Figaro operas-"Le
Barber de Seville lie Marriage de Figaro and
--I.s Mere Coupable'' As il IS. have operate
versions Of the first two Of the comedies, Mozart
-ezozze di Figaro being sequel to III Barbiere
tts action beginning at period not long after the
precautions Of Dr. Bsrtolo had been rendered
.nutiIe by FTgaro's cunning schemes and Amaviva
had installed Rosina his Countess. But lie
1Sozze'' WAS. composed a whole generation before
Rossini's opera Mozart and his public could keep
fhe sequence Of incidents in view. however. from
the fact that Paisielo lad acquainted Them with
the beginning of the story Paisiec's opera IS
dead but Ross:nf's is very much alive. and it might
prove Interesting DAY. TO have the two hVlhs
operas brought together in performance in order
60 note the effect produced upon each other by
sscru par5son of one effect We fancy?
would he 10 make the elder or the operas SOUND
younger than its companion. because of the greater
variety and freshness as We'll drsmatlr yigor o.
fts music But though The names Of many OF The
characters would be the same We should scsroeIE
recognize musical physognoTnies w . sl'"uia
Hrd the sprightIy Rosina Of III Barhierc changed
snto mature lady with a countenance sicklied 0 er
with the pale cast of gentle melancholy the
Counts tenor would in the short interval nave
changed into barytone: F'igsro's baTytone into
hess while the buffo-bass Of Don Basilio would
heve reversed ths process with age and gone uF-
ward into the tenor region. We should meet Win
some new characters OF which two at least would
supply the element OF dramatic freshness ana
<4vacity which we should miss from the company
n the first opera-Sussnna and Cherub'no-
We should also in sll likelihood be struck by the
difference in the moral atmosphere Of the TWO
works. II took BeaUmarchais three years 10
recllre public performance Of his Marriage oe
Figaro because of the opposition OF the French
court with Louis XVI at its head, TO its too frank
tibertinism. This opposition spread also to other
xoyal and imperial personages who DID not feiish
Che manner in which the poet had casfsated the
mobility exalted the intellectually of menlas ano
satirized the social and political conditions which
we're generally prevalent a short time before the
Trench revolution. Neither Of the operas however
raet the obstacles which blocked the progress OF
Che comedies which they are founded because
1sa FsolIre vino wrote the book Tor Mozart, ana
Sterbini who was Rossiufs hhrettst, judiciously
and deity eIi5ed the Objectionable polticai ele-
suent lie Nezze' is by far the more ingeniously
CONSTRUCTED play OF the tw" GhouSh tfl;ie 100
sn,-o1ed for popular comprehension in the original
languagei. oui III Bar1ere" has the advantage
sor freedom from te moral grossness which pol
sutos its companion. do not wish 70 blink the
sec;lcrl tendency with which conlmerclallsm mas
5nce-tcd theatre to-day hut for the unspoiled
taste IL - better class Of opera patrons there Is
i,elior as wei! a. loveIier Charm IN the story
AIuarfra's adventures while outwitting Dr.
IsaTlo1o ana carrying of the winsome Roslna TO
Ice his countess than in The depletion CT his
J. something especially repellant in the Counts
l,i.ifu pursuit OF The bride Of the man TO whose
sHeli, cIuai ;sourcafuness lie owed the successful
oatooin- q iiis vooing.
II is indeed. a fortunate thing FOR Mozarts music
sist So few ..I,ers4-zocrs understand Italian
deYs. Tie }iav is moral blister, and the less in
Ielicible II is mad hv cxcsions in its dialogue the
letter in respect. for the yirtuous sensibili-
lies 81 is auditors ono point which he sacri-
-sc.d wiil'o, detriHaent TO the music and at only
sfiiii.S the comedy when II is looked
suou froir tue viewpoint which prevailed in Europe
Ef ;he period Of its crestion) is that which Beau
sgarchas relied en chiefly to add piGuancy TO the
conduct Il The Count AlInaytva, are given To
understand. lis marriage with RosiHa had
~oluntarilv abandoned ancient seignorial right,
described ny Susanna as ''certe mezz' ore che il
sretto feudale.- but is DESTROYS of reviying the
practice IN the case Of the Countess's bcwitchng
-naid the OF her marriage TO his valet It is
This discovery which induces Figaro TO invent his
scheme for expedting the wedding and lends
touch Of hUmor 10 the scene in which Figaro asks
sfat he his bride enjoy the first fruits of the
reform while the villagers Justify hymn the merits
cf their yirtuous lo2 but the too frank discussion
Of the subject with which the dialogue teens might
easily be avoided The OPERA like all the old works
al the lyrical stage is in sad need of intelligent
revision and thorough study, that its dramatic
well its musical beauties may be preserved.
srhe-e IS lovelier merit in Mozarts music than
-zze depth and tenderness with which the honest
love OF Susanna for Figaro and the Countess for
her lord are published; and It is no demerit that
1he volatile passion OF the adolescent Cherubino
the froiicsone, scintilant. vivacious spirit
the plotIers also given voice Mozarl's music
could be sll that f. is IL it did enter fully
and unyeseTvedly into the spirit the comedy; it
Is what il is because whenever the opportunity pre-
Feted Itself he raised II into the realm OF the ideal
sset Mozart Puritan. He swan along gayly
xne contentedly on the careless Of life
81 lived in Vienna and elsewhere the closing
decades Of the eighteenth century. and was not
lrerse, merely fer the fun of the thing, 60
step neyond his ibrettist when the chance offered
Here is an instance in point: The ploters have been
orkins little at cross purposes. each seeking his
cwn advantage. and their plans are about to he
But 10 tie test when Figaro temporarily loses con-
s6encs In the honesty Of Susanna With his trust
sn her falls 10 the ground his faith in all woman
Kind. He rails against the whole sex in the air
beginning: "Aprite DO auegl occhi?' in the
, ssst act. Enumerating the moral bleinishes ~
-~ornsn ne ST length be fairly cholSed h,-
ais oHn spleen, and bursts out at the end with n
zSestc col dico ga cgnno 10 ss'' (The rest III not
fell you-everrbody knows it, The orchestra <ropz
eli tut the horns. which with the phrase