bear green leaves afresh.

Full of despair Tannhaeuser is returning to seek Venus, whose Siren
songs already fall alluringly on his ear. Wolfram entreats him to fly,
and when Tannhaeuser fails to listen, he utters Elizabeth's name. At
this moment a procession descends from the Wartburg, chanting a funeral
song over an open bier. Elizabeth lies on it dead, and Tannhaeuser
sinks on his knee beside her, crying: "Holy Elizabeth, pray for me".
Then Venus disappears, and all at once the withered stick begins to bud
and blossom, and Tannhaeuser, pardoned, expires at the side of his
beloved.

Tannhaeuser was represented on the Dresden Theatre in June 1890
according to Wagner's changes of arrangement, done by him in Paris 1861
for the Grand Opera by order of Napoleon III., {320} this arrangement
the composer acknowledges as the only correct one.

These alterations are limited to the first scene in the mysterious
abode of Venus and his motives for the changes become clearly apparent,
when it is remembered, that the simple form of Tannhaeuser was composed
in the years 1843 and 45 in and near Dresden, at a time, when there
were neither means nor taste in Germany for such scenes, as those,
which excited Wagner's brain. Afterwards success has rendered Wagner
bolder and more pretentious and so he endowed the person of Frau Venus
with more dramatic power, and thereby threw a vivid light on the great
attraction, she exercises on Tannhaeuser. The decorations are by far
richer and a ballet of Sirens and Fauns was added, a concession, which
Wagner had to make to the Parisian taste. Venus's part, now sung by
the first primadonnas, has considerably gained by the alterations, and
the first scene is far more interesting than before, but it is to be
regretted that the Tournament of Minstrels has been shortened and
particularly the fine song of Walter von der Vogelweide omitted by
Wagner. All else is as of old, as indeed Elizabeth's part needed
nothing to add to her purity and loveliness, which stands out now in
even bolder relief against the beautiful but sensual part of Venus.

{321}

GUGLIELMO TELL.

Grand Opera in three acts by ROSSINI.

This last opera of Rossini's is his most perfect work and it is deeply
to be regretted that when it appeared, he left the dramatic world, to
live in comfortable retirement for 39 years. How much he could still
have done, if he had chosen! In Tell his genius attains its full
depth, here a