rably from the French original as regards plot and
dialogue, though the music is practically the same. Hoffmann, the famous
story-teller, is the hero of the opera, which, after a prologue in a
typically German beer-cellar, follows his adventures through three
scenes, each founded upon one of his famous tales. In the first we see
him fascinated by the mechanical doll Olympia, in the second he is at
the feet of the Venetian courtesan Giulietta, while in the third we
assist at his futile endeavours to save the youthful singer Antonia from
the clutches of the mysterious Dr. Miracle.

The career of Cesar Franck (1822-1890), offers a striking contrast to
that of his famous contemporary Gounod. Fame came betimes to Gounod.
While he was still a young man his reputation was European. He wrote his
masterpiece at forty, and lived on its success for the remaining thirty
years of his life. Since his death his fame has sadly shrunk, and even
'Faust' is beginning to 'date' unmistakably. The name of Cesar Franck,
on the other hand, until his death was hardly known beyond a narrow
circle of pupils, but during the last fifteen years his reputation has
advanced by leaps and bounds. At the present moment there is hardly a
musician in Paris who would not call him the greatest French
composer--he was a Belgian by birth, but what of that?--of the
nineteenth century. His fame was won in the concert-room rather than in
the theatre, but the day may yet come when his 'Hulda' will be a
familiar work to opera-goers. It was produced in 1894 at Monte Carlo,
but, in spite of the deep impression which it created, has not yet been
heard in Paris. The action passes in Norway in the times of the Vikings.
Hulda is carried off by a band of marauders, whose chief she is
compelled to wed. She loves Eyolf, another Viking, and persuades him to
murder her husband. After a time he proves faithless to her, whereupon
she kills him and throws herself into the sea. This gloomy tale is
illustrated by music of extraordinary power and beauty. Although Franck
only avails himself of guiding themes to a limited extent, in mastery of
the polyphonic style his work will compare with Wagner's most elaborate
scores. In fact, the opulence of orchestral resource and the virility of
inspiration displayed in 'Hulda' strikingly recall the beauties of
'Tristan und Isolde.' 'Ghiselle,' a work left unfinished by the composer
and completed by several of his pupils, was produced in 1896 a