for Sarastro in the next scene ("In diesen heil’gen Hallen"), familiarly known on the concert-stage by its English title, “In these sacred Halls,” the successful performance of which may well be the height of any basso’s ambition.  In the twelfth scene there is a terzetto by the three boys ("Seid uns zum zweitenmal"), and in the next scene a long and florid aria for Pamina ("Ach! ich fuehl’s es ist verschwunden"), full of plaintive chords and very sombre in color.  The sixteenth scene contains another stately chorus of priests ("O Isis und Osiris"), based upon a broad and massive harmony, which is followed by a terzetto between Sarastro, Pamina, and Tamino ("Soll ich dich, Theurer nicht mehr sehen?").  Once more a concession to the buffoon occurs in a melody “Ein Maedchen oder Weibchen,” which would be commonplace but for Mozart’s treatment of the simple air.  The finale begins with another terzetto for the three boys ("Bald prangt, den Morgen zu verkuenden").  It may be termed a finale of surprises, as it contains two numbers which are as far apart in character as the poles,—­the first, an old choral melody ("Der, welcher wandelt diese Strasse"), the original being, “Christ, our Lord, to Jordan came,” set to an accompaniment, strengthened by the trombones and other wind instruments; and the second, a nonsense duet ("Pa-pa-Papageno”) for Papageno and Papagena, which would close the opera in a burst of childish hilarity but for the solemn concluding chorus of the priests ("Heil sei euch Geweithen").

The great charm of the opera is its originality, and the wonderful freshness and fruitfulness of the composer in giving independent and characteristic melodies to every character, as well as the marvellous combination of technicality with absolute melody.  Beethoven said of it that this was Mozart’s one German opera in right of the style and solidity of its music.  Jahn, in his criticism, says:  “’The Zauberfloete’ has a special and most important position among Mozart’s operas.  The whole musical conception is pure German, and here for the first time German opera makes free and skilful use of all the elements of finished art.”

ROSSINI.

Gioachini Antonio Rossini was born at Pesaro, Italy, Feb. 29, 1792.  His early lessons in music were taken with Tesei, and as a lad he also appeared upon the stage as a singer.  In 1807 he was admitted to the class of Padre Mattei at the Bologna Conservatory, where he took a prize for a cantata at the end of his first year.  At the beginning of his career in Italy he was commissioned to write an opera for Venice.  It was “La Cambiale di Matrimonio,” an opera buffa in one act, and was produced in 1810.  During the next three years he wrote several works for Venice and Milan, which were successful, but none of them created such a furor as “Tancredi.”  This was followed by “L’ Italiana in Algeri,” “Aureliano in Palmira,” and “Il Turco in Italia.”  In 1815 appeared “The