The second act opens with a vindictively passionate duet ("Assur, icenni mici”) between Assur and Semiramis, closing with a fierce outburst of hatred ("La forza primiera").  The scene is a very long and spirited one, and is followed by a second chorus of priests, leading to a great aria with chorus ("Ah! tu gelar mi fai”) for Arsaces.  In the fifth scene occurs a long duet between Arsaces and Semiramis, the second part of which ("Giorno d’orrore”) is the strongest number in the opera.  Though intensely passionate in its tone, the music is smooth and flowing and very florid for both voices.  The seventh scene is composed of a scena, aria and chorus, followed by still another chorus in the mausoleum.  Semiramis sings a prayer of great pathos and beauty ("Ah mio pregar").  A terzetto ("L’usato ardir"), which like the mausoleum chorus is based upon an aria from Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutti,” closes the opera.  “The Harmonicon,” to which reference has already been made, in an analysis of the work, has the following apt criticism:  “It has been said, and truly, that ‘Semiramide’ is composed in the German style, but it is the German style exaggerated.  Rossini is become a convert to this school, and his conversion does his judgment credit, though like all proselytes he passes into extremes.  Not satisfied with discarding the meagre accompaniments of the Italian composers, he even goes far beyond the tramontane masters in the multitude and use of instruments, and frequently smothers his concerted pieces and choruses by the overwhelming weight of his orchestra.”  But what would the “Harmonicon” have said, had it had Wagner’s instrumentation before it?

WILLIAM TELL

“William Tell,” an opera in three acts, words by Etienne Jouy and Hippolyte Bis, the subject taken from Schiller’s drama of the same name, was first produced at the Academie, Paris, Aug. 3, 1829, with the following cast:—­

MATHILDE       Mme. DAMOREAU-CINTI. 
JEMMY          Mme. DABODIE. 
HEDWIG         Mlle. MORI. 
ARNOLD         M. NOURRIT. 
WALTER         M. LEVASSEUR. 
TELL           M. DABODIE. 
RUODI          M. DUPONT. 
RODOLPHE       M. MASSOL. 
GESSLER        M. PREVOST.
LEUTOLD        M. PREVOT.

Rossini wrote for Paris only two new operas, “Le Comte Ory” and “William Tell,”—­the latter his masterpiece in the serious style.  The libretto was first prepared by M. Jouy, but it was so bad that M. Bis was called in, and to him is due the whole of the second act.  Even after the two authors had changed and revised it, Rossini had to alter it in many places.  When it was first performed the weakness of the drama was at once recognized, though its music was warmly welcomed, especially by the critical.  It was represented fifty-six times in its original form, and was then cut down to three acts, the original third act being omitted and the fourth and fifth condensed into one.  For three years after this time the second act was alone performed in Paris; but when M. Duprez made his debut in the part of Arnold, a fresh enthusiasm was aroused, and there was a genuine Tell revival.