are returning, to the
jubilant though somewhat commonplace strains of the march, "Deponiam
il branda." As the soldiers retire and Valentin goes in quest of
Marguerite, Faust and Mephistopheles appear before the house, and the
latter sings a grotesque and literally infernal serenade ("Tu, che fai
l' addormentata"). Valentin appears and a quarrel ensues, leading up
to a spirited trio. Valentin is slain, and with his dying breath
pronounces a malediction ("Margherita! maledetta") upon his sister.
The scene changes to the church, and in wonderful combination we hear
the appeals of Marguerite for mercy, the taunting voice of the
tempter, and the monkish chanting of the "Dies Irae" mingled with the
solemn strains of the organ.

The last act is usually presented in a single scene, the Prison, but
it contains five changes. After a weird prelude, the Walpurgis revel
begins, in which short, strange phrases are heard from unseen singers.
The night scene changes to a hall of pagan enchantment, and again to
the Brocken, where the apparition of Marguerite is seen. The orgy is
resumed, when suddenly by another transformation we are taken to the
prison where Marguerite is awaiting death. It is unnecessary to give
its details. The scene takes the form of a terzetto, which is worked
up with constantly increasing power to a climax of passionate energy,
and at last dies away as Marguerite expires. It stands almost alone
among effects of this kind in opera. The curtain falls upon a
celestial chorus of apotheosis, the vision of the angels, and
Mephistopheles cowering in terror before the heavenly messengers.

ROMEO AND JULIET.

"Romeo et Juliette," a grand opera in five acts, words by Barbier and
Carre, the subject taken from Shakspeare's tragedy of the same name,
was first produced at the Theatre Lyrique, Paris, April 27, 1867, with
Mme. Miolan-Carvalho in the role of Juliet. The story as told by the
French dramatists in the main follows Shakspeare's tragedy very
closely in its construction as well as in its dialogue. It is only
necessary, therefore, to sketch its outlines. The first act opens with
the festival at the house of Capulet. Juliet and Romeo meet there and
fall in love, notwithstanding her betrothal to Paris. The hot-blooded
Tybalt seeks to provoke a quarrel with Romeo, but is restrained by
Capulet himself, and the act comes to a close with a resumption of the
merry festivities. In the second act we have the balcony scene,