If there was ever a brilliant mise en scene at the Opera- Italien, I cannot believe that it equalled that of Robert le Diable, the new five-act opera of Meyerbeer, who has also written “Il Crociato.”  “Robert” is a masterpiece of the new school, where the devils sing through speaking-trumpets and the dead rise from their graves, but not as in “Szarlatan” [an opera of Kurpinski’s], only from fifty to sixty persons all at once!  The stage represents the interior of a convent ruin illuminated by the clear light of the full moon whose rays fall on the graves of the nuns.  In the last act appear in brilliant candle-light monks with ancense, and from behind the scene are heard the solemn tones of the organ.  Meyerbeer has made himself immortal by this work; but he had to wait more than three years before he could get it performed.  People say that he has spent more than 20,000 francs for the organ and other things made use of in the opera.

[Footnote:  This was the current belief at the time, which Meyerbeer, however, declares to be false in a letter addressed to Veron, the director of the Opera:—­“L’orgue a ete paye par vous, fourni par vous, comme toutes les choses que reclamait la mise en scene de Robert, et je dois declarer que loin de vous tenir au strict neccessaire, vous avez depasse de bcaucoup les obligations ordinaires d’un directeur envers les auteurs et le public.”]

The creative musicians having received sufficient attention, let us now turn for a moment to the executive ones.  Of the pianists we shall hear enough in the next chapter, and therefore will pass them by for the present.  Chopin thought that there were in no town more pianists than in Paris, nor anywhere more asses and virtuosos.  Of the many excellent virtuosos on stringed and wind-instruments only a few of the most distinguished shall be mentioned.  Baillot, the veteran violinist; Franchomme, the young violoncellist; Brod, the oboe-player; and Tulou, the flutist.  Beriot and Lafont, although not constant residents like these, may yet be numbered among the Parisian artists.  The French capital could boast of at least three first-rate orchestras—­that of the Conservatoire, that of the Academic Royale, and that of the Opera-Italien.  Chopin, who probably had on December 14 not yet heard the first of these, takes no notice of it, but calls the orchestra of the theatre Feydeau (Opera-Comique) excellent.  Cherubini seems to have thought differently, for on being asked why he did not allow his operas to be performed at that institution, he answered:—­“Je ne fais pas donner des operas sans choeur, sans orchestre, sans chanteurs, et sans decorations.”  The Opera-Comique had indeed been suffering from bankruptcy; still, whatever its shortcomings were, it was not altogether without good singers, in proof of which assertion may be named the tenor Chollet, Madame Casimir, and Mdlle.  Prevost.  But it was at the Italian Opera that a constellation of vocal talent was to be