nd full chorus. The
first ("Oracle sweet-tongued of Zeus"), which has the genuine antique
dignity and elevation, is a description of the sufferings of the people
from the pestilence which has wasted Thebes since the unnatural marriage
of Oedipus and Jocasta, and a fervent prayer to the gods for aid. The
second ("Thou Delphic Rock, who can he be?") concludes the scene where
the blind prophet Teiresias arrives upon the summons of Creon and accuses
Oedipus of the crime, accompanying the accusation with dark hints of
further guilt. In this ode, which is specially noticeable for its rich
and graceful treatment, the chorus expresses its disbelief of the
charges. In the third scene, Creon enters to protest against the
accusations of Oedipus, but a quarrel ensues between them, which results
in the menace of death to the former. Jocasta appears, and upon her
intercession Creon is allowed to depart. In the ode, the chorus joins in
this appeal to Oedipus,--a strong, vigorous number, the effect of which
is heightened by the intervening spoken parts of Creon, Oedipus, and
Jocasta, with musical accompaniment. The fourth ode ("O may my Life be
spent in Virtue") is a vigorous denunciation of the impiety of Jocasta in
speaking scornfully of the oracles. The fifth ode ("If I the Prophet's
Gift possess") is full of idyllic grace and sweetness, realizing in a
remarkable degree the old Grecian idea of sensuous beauty. It is a
speculation upon the divine origin of Oedipus, after the messenger
relates the story of the King's exposure in his childhood upon Mount
Cithaeron, and contains a charming tenor solo. The last ode ("O Race of
mortal Men") bewails the vicissitudes of fortune, and is full of the
tragic significance of impending fate. The work comes to a close with the
postlude:--

"Ye who dwell in Thebes our city, fix on Oedipus your eyes,
Who resolved the dark enigma, noblest liver and most wise.
Glorious like a sun he mounted, envied of the popular throng,
Now he sinks in seas of anguish, quenched the stormy waves among.
Therefore I await the final hour, to ancient wisdom known,
Ere I call one mortal happy. Never shall that thought be shown,
Till he end his earthly being, scathless of a sigh or groan."

Six public performances of the "Oedipus" were given in 1881, and every
season since that time selections from the music have been performed in
New York, Boston, and other cities. As the most important and scholarly
work a