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THE
With which, is incorporated THE MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL.
VOL. IY.
NEW YORK, JULY 20TH, 1881.
No. 12
kept within bounds. M. Rubinstein has imparted a distinctly Slavonio
RUBINSTEIN'S " IL DEMONIO."
to most of the music; and considering that the legend is Russian, that
UR opera librettists seem to be progressing from common-sensible color
scene is laid in Russia, and that the opera was produced six years ago at
liberalism to thoroughgoing radicalism. In the early days of Jenny the
St. Petersburg by Russian artists, in the Russian language, he is strictly
Lind the Lord Chamberlain of the period stoutly objected to the production right
in doing so. The opera was splendidly mounted, and although M.
of " Koberto," on the ground that the " Devil himself will next be brought Rubinstein,
who conducted, made the orchestra play as opera-goers have not
on the stage." A hint from high quarters sufficed to license the devil, and this season heard
it play before, he was not always ablo to triumph over the
he has since become a notable individual in our list of operatic dramatis vagaries of the hard-worked
Covent Garden chorus.—Figaro, London.
personce. The angels have been introduced with greater stealth. Super-
numerary angels have been from time to time allowed, notably in the
apotheosis of "Faust," but they have hitherto been kept well in the back- r
ground, and have not been permitted to talk. " II Demonio," produced at I ^HE text of "II Demonio" is an adaptation from the Russian of Lermontoff.
Covent Garden on Tuesday, gives us the first specimen of the genus JL The story is romantic, involving the antagonism of good and evil, as
" singing angel." It is true that the angel is no very terrible one: her embodied in the characters of the Angel of Light and the Demon. The latter
demure robe and funny little property wings not being calculated to wound falls in love with Tamara, daughter of Prince Gudal, and betrothed to Prince
the susceptibilities of the most punctilious. The angel, moreover, and Sinodal, whom the jealous Demon causes to be attacked and slain by Tartars
Madame Trebelli her interpretess, have been treated with scant courtesy, on his journey to the Castle, where the wedding celebration awaits him.
and indeed her only use in M. Rubinstein's opera is to somewhat angrily bow The arrival of the Prince's corpse is followed by the despair of the expectant
the demon in in the first act, and after waiting about for three mortal hours bride, who resolves to end her days in a cloister. Here, however, the recol-
encumbered with those immovable wings, to triumphantly bow the devil out. lection of the Demon's persecution still troubles her. In the midst of her
meditations he enters, a long and highly-dramatic scene ensuing, in which
But in " I I Demonio" we have gone in other ways a step further the evil influence is on the point of prevailing. But the Angel appears ; the
towards the new boundary line within which, if we progress much faster, Demon is vanquished, and consigned to the abyss ; a thunderbolt strikes
the "Passion Play" itself may soon be included. For the typical lovers of the the nunnery, which falls to ruins; and Tamara is borne to Heaven by angels.
operatic stage, the ardent student, the dilatory " Huguenot," the strolling The story affords situations both for strong musical and scenic effects.
troubadour, the silly shepherd, the gay young prince, the jealous peasant,
the dashing count, and the rest of the operatic heroes of the past we now
substitute the devil. It is Satan, "II Demonio " himself falls in love with
" IL SERAGLIO."
the heroine, and who offers every bribe in his power, from untold wealth
and dominion down to an impious promise to no more torment mankind, if ^pHE revival of "II Seraglio," at the Royal Italian Opera, has up to this
she will listen to his suit. In the original Russian of the celebrated poet JL time been not only the operatic but the purely musical event of the
Lermontoff, the devil succeds, and the maiden, despite the power of light, London season. It is hard to understand, so young and fresh do the
falls. But we are hardly yet educated up to this point, and M. Rubinstein's themes appear even now, that the first representation of '' Die Entfiihrung
Italian librettist graciously permits the devil to go as far as it is decent for a aus dem Serail " in Vienna should date as far back as within one year of a
devil to go, killing the heroine just as the demon has seized her and century; yet this is actually the case. As a " Komisches Singspiel," to the
allowing the angels to carry her off in a manner which, if the drop gauze text of C. F. Bretzner, considerably modified, at the composer's suggestion,
had not stuck fast on Tuesday night, would have been very impressive by Stephanie, it was produced at the Opera House of Joseph II. (brother to
indeed.
Marie Antoinette), on the 12th of July, 1782, and, despite the Italian cabals
That this story was a dangerous one will readily be seen. It is possible which had caused Mozart so many heart-burnings, was received with extra-
that if M. Rubinstein's music had been a trifle less monotonous and ordinary favor both by the Emperor and the public. In a letter to Leopold
gloomy, or if M. Lassalle and Madame Albani (to whom any success the Mozart, his father, the young and excitable musician (then in his twenty-
work may attain will be in great part due) had been a little less earnest, a seventh year) says of Stephanie's libretto—" Das Buch is ganz gut." Upon
ripple of laughter might have been induced, and the opera might have been that point few will be disposed to agree with him; but upon the music there
"goosed." Certain it is that the arrangement of the libretto and the Eng- could hardly have existed a diversity of opinion; such evergreen melody and
lish translation would hardly have saved it, For instance, in the very first harmony are rare.
scene, which seems to represent chaos, a series of choruses of evil spirits
About the piece itself it will suffice to state that " the heroine of the
(" from below," the librettist obligingly adds), of winds, of waters, and of opera, Constanze, is, with her attendant, Blonde, made prisoner by Turkish
fountains, with a solo for a Zephyr, and choruses of trees, flowers, rocks, pirates, and in due time finds her way to the seraglio of some Turkish mag-
and other inanimate things, were barely heard above the din of the orchestra, nate. Constanze's lover, Belmont, hurries to her rescue; and, thanks to an
and this high-flown absurdity passed unobserved. There is no need to go appropriate disguise, succeeds in entering her place of confinement. The
seriatim through the opera, and it will be only necessary to note its chief stratagem is discovered, &n
points. The dainty chorus of maidens which introduces the hapless proprietor of the seraglio turns out at the critical moment to be Constanze's
Tamara, and the long cadenza and laughing solo of the damsel, are inter- brother, carried off in his youth to Turkey, where, either by persuasion or
rupted by the demon, whose presence the maiden feels though she cannot force, he has been induced to adopt the manners of his new home."
see him. A pretty song by her governess, however, allays her fears, and Stripped of incidental matter this is all, and surely nothing could be
the scene progresses amidst the laughing chidings of the girls and the ill- plainer.
concealed terror of Tamara. This scene is well constructed, although it,
It is enough, nevertheless, for art lovers that such a simple plot should
like most of its successors, is far too lomj. The demon, in order to rid him- have inspired Mozart, whose share in the transaction stands in no need of
self of his rival, causes Tartars to attack the caravan of the Prince who is on indulgence on the plea of " attenuating circumstances," each of the twenty-
his road to wed Tamara, and the young man is murdered. The first solo of one numbers into which the score is divided being more or less a gem ; and
the Prince contains traces of that Eastern music which M. Rubinstein has of this—notwithstanding the few and far between opportunities vouchsafed
more than once placed under requisition, vhile the servants' choruses and of hearing the opera, as destined for stage representation—the majority of
the battle music are effective, although the act ends somewhat tamely with amateurs, to say nothing of musicians, are aware. Thus doubly absolved,
the death of the Prince. The second act contains some of the best music of we may, without further preamble, add a word or two about the perform-
the opera. The scene is laid in the castle, and the guests congratulate the ance, which, as a whole, must be pronounced excellent.
expectant bride, a four-part convivial chorus of men being especially
" II Seraglio " is by no means a work easy to present even fairly well
noticeable.
balanced, the dramatis personce requiring five thoroughly competent voca-
Of course, in a grand opera, a ballet divertisement is a sine qua non, and lists. That Mr. Gye had such needful auxiliaries at command, however, was
M. Rubinstein has in his ballet music happily either imitated or utilised shown, to the entire satisfaction of an audience, many among whom may
Russian themes. The effect is peculiar, and the ballerines were hardly accus- possibly have been charmed, for charmed they unquestionably were, without
tomed to the national dances, but the music is singularly beautiful, and knowing exactly how or why. The sopranos ( Constanze and Blonde), Mdmes.
there is little doubt we shall frequently hear it apart from the opera. The Sembrich and Valleria, the tenors (Belmont and Pedrillo), MM. Vergnet and
dead body of the Prince is brought in, and the rest of the act contains some Soulacroix, the bass (Osmin) M. Gailhard (Selim don't count, his part be-
excellent concerted music, a highly dramatic duet between the demon ing vocally insignificant), without exception did their utmost to secure an
and "Tamara," and a still more important scene in which the maiden ffective ensemble, and not in vain.
entreats her father to allow her to take the veil. A martial chorus concludes
A marked feature of this opera is that from the mouth of each personage
this act most effectively, and it resulted in a double recall for the bashful music flows which in a true sense of dramatic propriety could not belong to
composer, who was literally dragged on the stage by Madame Albani. The another; that Constanze differs from Blonde just as materially as Belmont
scene of the last act is laid in the Convent, and the action is limited to the differs from Pedrillo, and that the strains allotted to Osmin have nothing
further temptation of the maiden. The duel between the demon and whatever in common with the rest—all which makes the desired reciprocity
" Tamara" is highly dramatic, and, although it is very long, it was so the more difficult of attainment. Much has been said and written during
splendidly sung by Madame Albani and M. Lassalle that its tedium was the last thirty years about this individual characterization of parts, but it
hardly felt.
may safely be affirmed that no one has possessed the secret so completely, or
Taking the work as a whole, its chief defects are its prevalent gloom and been able to use it with such spontaneous freedom, as Mozart; and this
the almost total lack of variety in the orchestration. The various numbers without recourse to "leit motif," or any such means of ticketing.
That Madame Sembrich would shine conspicuously in the music of
are also, for the most part, far too long, and the great quantity of declam-
atory matter wearies the auditor long before the end of the opera. The Constanze was the general belief, a belief more than confirmed by the result.
scoring is very full, and is often highly elaborated, but it is almoBt invariably Although—judiciously, remembering what was directly to follow—she
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