16 AUGUST 1851, Page 10

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M. Gounod's opera, Safe, which was performed for the first time at the Royal Italian Opera on Saturday last and repeated on Tuesday, has dis- appointed the expectations raised by the specimen of this young com- poser's talents given by Mr. Hullah at his monthly concerts. Or rather, those expectations have been disappointed in the success of the opera more than in the quality of the music, which is not calculated to lower the estimate previously formed of the author. The pieces produced by Mr. Hullah were sacred, and chiefly in the old ecclesiastical style, a style as remote as possible from that of the modern musical stage ; and it is to inexperience in dramatic composition that the faults of M. Gounod's opera may in a great measure be traced. This branch of the art requires a long apprenticeship. Handel, Gluck, Mozart, Cimerosa, Rossini—every great opera-writer, with the exception of Beethoven—may be cited as having produced many works before they were able to achieve any of the master- pieces which have lived. The case of Beethoven was a solitary excep- tion; and why it was so, it would not he difficult to explain. The failure of a first dramatic effort, therefore, is no ground for despair of ultimate success.

A composer, in the first place, who combined experience with intelli- gence would have seen that the poem of M. Angier was quite unfit for his purpose. It is a pedantic piece of French classicism, utterly cold and destitute of interest. To represent on a modern stage anything of which we have such a dim conception as a contest for the prize of poetry and song at the Olympic games, is a hopeless attempt : and Sappho, standing on a rock and singing a song to the accompaniment of her lyre, though she may look very well as a piece of marble, will be only ridiculous in the person of .an actress, be her talent what it may. Such a subject can neither awaken the genius of the musician nor rouse the sympathies of the audience. It is not wonderful, then, that M. Groaned has rarely hit upon the true language of passion and feeling, and that it is in the situa- tions intended to be most effective that his Airs are most laboured and de- ficient in natural and touching melody. Another result of inexperience is the want of vocal adaptation. Though the part of Sappho was written expressly for Madame Viardot, her voice was constantly strained beyond its powers; and poor Madame Castellan was forced to scream at the top of the scale till she lost the power of singing in tune. On the other hand, the opera contains many beauties. The choral music is generally excellent. We have heard few things more grand and imposing than the opening chorus in honour of the victors in the games, in which a jubilant strain is finely blended with the solemn phrases of a hymn to Jupiter. The chorus which begins the second act, " Viva Bacco," is buoyant and vigorous; and in all these pieces the composer has shown skill in vocal combination and the production of broad and resonant harmony. Some of the concerted scenes are ani- mated dramatic dialogue ; and the recitative (though there is too much of it) is well adapted for musical declamation.

On the whole, though this opera must be set down as a failure, it is the failure of a man of genius.