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GRISI IN THE PROPHETE. In the Segraisian...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Passages Fuom A Hoy's Epic Bacciiu8. Eno...
Four fountains from a secret cradle leap , In silvery circling shafts , while _chambering vines Run here and there , and catch slant gleams of sun Or else red shadows from the burning West , Creep round old dreamy trees , while mystic birds Flit in and out among the glowing boughs _, Or sing amid the leaves to sunset skies . Here all the children of the forest meet , And in a green and golden atmosphere , Wander delighted till great Bacchus come . At length a various sound far off was heard , As of a thousand instruments conjoined , And from each secret shade the sylvan train Went hand in hand to meet the aotiroaohinP' norm Went hand in hand to meet the approaching pomp , That to rapt gaze with herald splendours shone As when the unrisen sun shines under Heaven , And darkness drops down dead , and all the Gods Stand up , to see the glory roll below . Ere long it came : with faces all on fire The couriers of great Bacchus led the way , With clash of cymbal , gong , and blaring trump ; Then with loose tresses flowing down the air , Like bannered clouds , and faces raised aloft , And lips all white with dreadful prophecy , The Maenads came , leaving their mother's side , To follow Bacchus over sea and land . They , twming ivy wands , and tossing out Their long loose serpent locks , like breaking waves , Burst down the mountain side . Then others came , Crowned with white wreaths of wool , and bearing wands With wool entwined , that twinkling light diffused ; Murmuring a low and magic melody , Stately they marched with modulated step . Next , with proud crest in triple plumage reared , And shaking vellumed timbrels on their heads , The Corybantes came , and called the God , And called the mighty mother Cybele ; Then , with broad features , casting , as they moved , Voluptuous glances from large floating eyes , And girt with curious disarray of leaves , The Satyrs rolled , and leapt , and tumbled on . Then came the Fawns , that dwell near shining lakes And draw wild music out of reeds and pipes , To haunt the wanderer , when the evening fades . The Dryads now , and now the Oreads come , That hide in grey recesses of old trees , Or sleep long summer days in lily cups , By silver mere or by pale amber stream . Behind , to left and right , the Bacchic train Now onward flows ; the Bacchic train before Stoops down the slope of the huge shadowy hills , Blooming with foliage of the scarlet holm , And waving boughs of oak and olive-tree , A moving forest of tumultuous life . But to soft music lovelier forms succeed , In purple vestments clad , with zones more white Than snow that sleeps all day in vernal meads ; And on each head was set a silver star , lhat paused or moved whene'er they paused or moved At length , before the sun a Splendour rose , In sparkling foam involved , which , as it soared Cloven midway , into the topless sky , The semblance of a chariot disclosed , Wrought of pure sunshine or _primaeval light . A thousand wheels a thousand wheels within , In countless evolutions circled round ; Strange modes of thought and processes of life , Ihisied with infinite contrivances , Made up the sacred chariot ; round ami round The elemental living things were rolled , With dazzling speed and force of blinding winds All forms of being , human and divine , All aspirations fair yet terrible , All shapes in earth and water , air and fire _. Revolved and circiuuvolvcd with eddying light . So with _icolian music sped the car , Divine , eternal , which beheld in dream , Or dreamlike fancy , is the archetype Of those enormous . structures that wise men Now frame , to chariot thought and mightier love , And yoking the white steeds of wave and fire , Thro' day and night , thro' field and city fly , Creating nobler life , that orient hours Shall see full grown , when on the bri ghtening tide Of vext Humanity , an endless light
Passages Fuom A Hoy's Epic Bacciiu8. Eno...
Broods like reflected Heaven . So sped the car . W ithin the chariot , shadowy and vast , A scarce distinguishable shape appears , In awful grace , like images of Gods , When Gods look down upon the wondering earth Erect he stood , and as the clouds rolled off , More clearly his colossal beauty showed ; There was eternity in his regard , Each limb was strong with an immortal youth , And ih each action shone the perfect God . All stood out clear in that enfolding light , As m the splendour of a flaming town , When wild winds fan the fiery element , Man , beast , dome , tower , and temple , show distinct , And loom out large and clear across the night . In folds innumerous o'er his shoulders fell A mantle , like the starry firmament , That over darkness hangs . Amid the throng Of sounds converging to one central din , He stood up , gathered in a great repose , Holding in either hand the shadowy reins , That turned the sacred leopards , shadowy too . M
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Grisi In The Prophete. In The Segraisian...
GRISI IN THE PROPHETE . In the Segraisiana there is a story of a German Count whoso mistress , immensely ' bored' by him ( oh ! how love can bore !) ran him twice through the body with his sword . He survived , but , Segrais adds with surprise , " strange to say he felt as much indifference for her as if he had never loved her , and he attributed this io his loss of blood . " In those days love was attributed to the blood . I think I can guess another cause of his indifference . " When lovely woman stoops to stabbing , " it is astonishing how one ' s ardour cools . The remark is true of " spoken daggers " as of _Toledos . I was led to think of this by a bit of bravado of mine on Saturday night . My admiration of Grisi ' s beauty was controverted by a pretty woman ,
who thought she looked "too fierce . " "I like fierceness , " said I , twirling two fingers in those luxuriant black whiskers of mine . "Do you ? But she seems as if she could stab a man in anger . " " Perhaps so . What thonP There is an intense pleasure in being loved by a woman who could stab _yoxi !" What liars men are ! I imposed upon that gentle mind by this Van Amburgh heroism , and didn ' t whisper a word about my having deserted Maria because she threw the Milk-Jug at my head with an amenity I misconstrued . At least she said so . I always misconstrued her , owing to my Avant of " fine feelings . " The fact is , I urn meek and gentle in disposition , and ul though my chock lias Avhiskcrs my heart has none , therefore I don ' t like Avomen who would stab mo . But I like them on the stage . There I can adore an " adorable fury . " In a drawing-room my private opinion ATOuld be that she Avas a fury , and not at all adorable .
This by the way . Do not , understand mo to throw the slightest doubt upon Grisi ' s adorableness off or on the stage ; 1 haven't tho pleasure of knowing her . What I mean is , that the intensify and vehemence she can throw into that grand face of hers is in no way less delightful because , iu private , A ehemence is < _tpfc to degenerate info phlebotomy . But this is digression within digression , so I . will "leave my damnable faces , and begin . " On Saturday , Grisi played fides for the first time , and attracted a suffocating house . It wiin a perilous venture . She had
taken Valentine from Viardot , as she has taken Norma and Lucrezia . from . ill the world . But fides is to Viardot what Norma is to Grisi ; and for Giulia , to brave all prepossessions and beat down all idolatry there , was , indeed , a bold venture . She ventured , she gained . On ber first appearance , one _sjiav tho immense superiority given to her by her beauty , and her simple grandeur of bearing . She reminded uie of La , Savinienne in George Sand ' s novel , La Compagnon du Tour da France . But I began to tear lhat the music , was too low for her . So it was until tho third act ,
and there , in the great Cathedral scene , Grisi ' s singing was unapproachable . In comparing her with Viardot , my impression is this—although she does not excite so overpowering a sensation as Viardot excites the first time you sec her in Fides , yet I think her performance will bear frequent repetition better . . Kvery time one soon Viardot , one likes ber less . Ono gets too familiar with ihe mechanism ; and her acting , nmdo up as if is of minute details , is less impressive and suggestive than that of Grisi , avIio paints AvifJi a , iew broad , simple outlines , all typical . That Viardot is a
great artist , and subdues physical defects to her art , making effects out of them , lew doubt , certainly not Vivian . Hut the immense physical advantages of Grisi—in person and voice- —must also have their influence . The pathetic look of long , deep suffering which Viardot has , Grisi , of course , cannot give * ber beauty prevents it . But her sorrow has tho aspect of the sorrow of u grainier nature ; and the very dignity gives greater effect to fhe forlorn submission when she lias to deny her child . On tho whole , 1 may say that , while very different from Vim-dot ' s . Fides , 1 cannot consider if nf all inferior
Mario , though suffering from unniinfcii . kcablo sore throat , sang and acted like—Mario . Castellan was " coldly correct" oh ! how cold « Formes , Polonini , and Stigelli effective as thi ) three Anabaptists ; and Soldi—unhappy Soldi -as Hfridonf and detestable as ever . Could thoy not hang that , robust , tenor ? Any civilized jury , having each a normal t ympanum , would return an instant . ! noons vordict of "Justifiable homicide . "
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 3, 1852, page 21, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_03071852/page/21/
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