REPRODUCTION OF ORIGINAL BILLBOARD OF FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE HUGUENOTS.
From archives of the Paris Opera.
The success of l'Etoile du Nord, performed at the Opéra-Comique, Feb. 16, 1854, was much more spontaneous and considerable than that of the Prophète at the Opéra. Yet, after the lapse of forty years, the latter is still played on all the stages of the world, whereas l'Etoile du Nord is well-nigh forgotten. Assuredly there are some beautiful pages in this score, in which Meyerbeer embodied several pieces from his German opera, A Camp in Silesia, and especially should be mentioned the songs and the ballad of Catherine in the first act, the quintet in the second, the superb song of Pierre in the third, as well as the comic duet and trio; but the work is essentially lacking in unity, it is too heavy as a whole, and the orchestration is too noisy and brilliant for the demi-character of the opera. Meyerbeer was much better inspired in le Pardon de Plöermel (Dinorah), given also at the Opéra-Comique, April 4, 1839. This work contains some exquisite pages, among which I will mention particularly the overture with invisible chorus, Hoël's air in the first act, the drinking chorus and the trio in the second, and the touching and melancholy song of Hoël in the third. Unfortunately the insignificance and emptiness of the libretto have always been a drawback to this beautiful score.
What are the salient traits of Meyerbeer's genius, and what influence has this genius exerted upon his contemporaries? Such is the double question which presents itself to us in the presence of the works of this great man. First of all should be remarked his power of inspiration and power of conception. He was the first to give to France the example of these five-act operas of colossal dimensions, the performance of which requires fully five hours, and the richness, the power of his inspiration is such that so far from weakening during the course of these five long acts, it is often higher, more sublime at the end than at the beginning. Witness the fifth acts of all his great works; Robert, les Huguenots, le Prophète, l'Africaine; every one of them is a masterpiece! As to the power of conception, that mysterious faculty of unifying the different parts of a work so large and complex as each of his operas, and forming of them a harmonic, homogeneous whole, it is trully marvellous, and indicates a peculiarly organized and quite exceptional musical brain. Everything, indeed, is to be found in his works; dramatic sentiment is carried to its highest power, the musical style is full of splendor, the general form is superb, the harmony is solid and substantial, and the union of the voices with the instruments admits of no criticism. If there were any fault to be found with him it would be in the excess of sonority, sometimes overwhelming, which he gives to the orchestra. But on the other hand, how much he has improved the orchestra, giving it increased interest and life, as well as variety of color, of timbre and of effect! What an important part it takes in certain situations, and how carefully, conscientiously and cleverly it is managed!
Conscience, indeed, was one of Meyerbeer's master qualities. Others, so richly gifted, might perhaps have been content to follow the course of their inspiration, without taking the trouble to enrich it, to fortify it with the aid of all the means which art puts at the disposal of the composer. He neglected nothing, no detail, no effect, no method that enabled him to augment his resources, to complete his thought, in a word, to attain perfection, or what he believed to be perfection. Nothing dismayed him, he spared no pains to realize his ideal, to obtain the result at which he aimed, and he never felt that he had done a thing so well that it could not be improved. Thus his works have the solidity of marble and the strength of iron. And if a blemish be sometimes discovered in them, it is like the spots on the sun, which do not interfere with its dazzling light.
In regard to the influence exerted by Meyerbeer upon his contemporaries, although genuine and unmistakable, it cannot be said to be so complete or so general as that exerted by Rossini. And this is due to the nature of his genius, which was very complex, and in which cerebral reflection and the combination of means held as important a place as inspiration properly speaking. It was easy to imitate, without obtaining the same results, the methods and the forms employed by Rossini (I refer to the Italian Rossini, and not the Rossini of William Tell); very much less easy was it to imitate the forms and the methods of Meyerbeer, these being not only more complicated, more varied, but essentially dependent on the subject, on the situations, on the episodes. This is why Meyerbeer's influence has been mainly felt in the conception and general form of a work, and has been much less sensible in technical detail and musical method.
In closing, I would say that Meyerbeer is one of the noblest, most glorious artists who have ever shed lustre not only upon the French stage, but on musical art as applied to the theatre. A great musician, but especially a great dramatic musician, he has power, nobility, bold and heroic inspiration, and above all the gift of emotion, of that poignant and vigorous emotion which stirs the spectator, wrings his heart, lays hold upon his very vitals, and forces the tears from his eyes.
