History of the Opera from its Origin in Italy to the present Time

Nouvelle Biographie de Mozart. Moscou, 1843.

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There are numerous analogies between the various Spanish legends of Don Juan, the Anglo-Saxon and German legends of Faust, and the Polish legend of Twardowski. It might be shown that they were all begotten by the legend of Theophilus of Syracuse, and that their latest descendant is Punch of London.

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Madame Alboni has appeared as Zerlina, and sings the music of this, as of every other part that she undertakes, to perfection; but she is not so intimately associated with the character as the other vocalists mentioned above.

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Waters appears to have spent nearly all the money he made during the seasons of 1814 and 1815, in improving the house.

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After receiving, the first year she sang in London, two thousand guineas, (five hundred more than was paid to Banti,) she declared that her price was ridiculously low, and that to retain her "ci voglioni molte mila lira sterline." She demanded and obtained five thousand.

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There is a scientific German mind and a romantic German mind, and I perhaps need scarcely say, that Weber's music appears to me thoroughly German, in the sense in which the legends and ballads of Germany belong thoroughly to that country.

81

As for instance where Semiramide is described as an opera written in the German style!

82

It would be absurd to say that if Rossini had set the Marriage of Figaro to music, he would have produced a finer work than Mozart's masterpiece on the same subject; but Rossini's genius, by its comic side, is far more akin to that of Beaumarchais, than is Mozart's. Mozart has given a tender poetic character to many portions of his Marriage of Figaro, which the original comedy does not possess at all. In particular, he has so elevated the part of "Cherubino" by pure and beautiful melodies, as to have completely transformed it. It is surely no disparagement to Mozart, to say, that he took a higher view of life than Beaumarchais was capable of?

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The serious opera consisted of the following persons: the primo uomo (soprano), prima donna, and tenor; the secondo uomo (soprano), seconda donna and ultima parte, (bass). The company for the comic opera consisted of the primo buffo (tenor), prima buffa, buffo caricato (bass), seconda buffa and ultima parte (bass). There were also the uomo serio and donna seria, generally the second man and woman of the serious opera.

84

The San Carlo, Benedetti Theatre, &c., are named after the parishes in which they are built.

85

Particularly celebrated for her performance of the brilliant part of the heroine in La Cenerentola, which, however, was not written for her.

86

When Madame Pasta sang at concerts, after her retirement from the stage, her favourite air was still Tancredi's Di tanti palpiti.

87

Mémorial de Sainte Hélène.

88

"Lutèce" par Henri Heine (a French version, by Heine himself, of his letters from Paris to the Allgemeine Zeitung).

89

He persisted in this declaration, in spite of his judges, who were not ashamed to resort to torture, in the hope of extracting a full confession from him. The thumb-screw and the rack were not, it is true, employed; but sentinels were stationed in the wretched man's cell, with orders not to allow him a moment's sleep, until he confessed.

90

The Académie Royale became the Opéra National; the Opéra National, after its establishment in the abode of the former Théâtre National, became the Théâtre des Arts; and the Théâtre des Arts, the Théâtre de la République et des Arts. Napoleon's Théâtre des Arts became soon afterwards the Académie Impériale, the Académie Impériale the Académie Royale, the Académie Royale the Académie Nationale, the Académie Nationale once more the Académie Impériale, and the Académie Impériale simply the Théâtre de l'Opera, by far the best title that could be given to it.

91

I was in Paris at the time, but, I forget the specific objections urged by the doctor against the Freischütz set before him at the "Académie Nationale," as the theatre was then called. Doubtless, however, he did not, among other changes, approve of added recitatives.

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No. 1. —Vive Henri IV. No. 2. —La Marseillaise. No. 3. —Partant pour la Syrie. No. 4. —La Parisienne. No. 5. —Partant pour la Syrie (encored). No. 6. – ?

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Mozart, Cimarosa, Weber, Hérold, Bellini, and Mendelssohn.

94

In the case of Il Crociato, however, the model was an Italian one.

95

Rossini's natural inability to sympathize with sopranists is one more great point in his favour.

96

For instance: Fra Diavolo and Les Diamans la Couronne.

97

The second, Le Duc d'Albe, was entrusted to Donizetti, who died without completing the score.

98

Nourrit was the author of la Sylphide, one of the most interesting and best designed ballets ever produced; that is to say, he composed the libretto for which Taglioni arranged the groups and dances.

99

See Raynouard's veracious "Histoire des Troubadours."

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