_Of the opera at Banza._
_Sixth trial of the Ring._
Of all the public diversions of Banza, none supported itself but the
opera. Utmiutsol and Utremifasolasiututut, two celebrated musicians,
one of whom was growing old, and the other was but just new-fledged,
alternately occupied the lyric scene. Each of these two original
authors had his partisans. The ignorant and the grey-bearded dotards
stood up for Utmiutsol; the smart young fellows and the Virtuosi were
for Utremifasolasiututut: and the people of taste, as well young as
old, held them both in high esteem. Utremifasolasiututut, said the
latter, is excellent when he is good, but he sleeps at times; and,
pray, to whom does not that happen? Utmiutsol holds up better, and is
more uniform. He is full of beauties; yet he has not one, of which
there are not examples to be found, and even more striking, in his
rival; in whom there are strokes to be observed, which are entirely
his own, and are not to be met with any where but in his works. Old
Utmiutsol is simple, natural, smooth, sometimes too smooth, and that is
his fault. Young Utremifasolasiututut is singular, brilliant, composed,
learned, sometimes too learned: but perhaps that is his hearer's
fault. The one has but one opening, beautiful indeed, but repeated at
the head of all his pieces. The other has made as many openings as
pieces, and they all pass for masterpieces. Nature guided Utmiutsol
in the ways of melody; study and experience discovered the sources
of harmony to Utremifasolasiututut. Who ever knew how to declaim, and
who will ever speak a part like the old man? Who will compose light
catches, voluptuous airs, and symphonies in character like the young
one? Utmiutsol is the only person who understood dialogue. Before
Utremifasolasiututut no body distinguished the delicate touches, which
separate the tender from the voluptuous, the voluptuous from the
passionate, the passionate from the lascivious. Nay some partisans of
the latter pretend, that if Utmiutsol's dialogue is superior to his,
this is not so much owing to the inequality of their talents, as to the
difference of the poets, whom they made use of. "Read, read," cried
they, "the scene of Dardanus, and you will be convinced, that if we
give good words to Utremifasolasiututut, Utmiutsol's charming scenes
will be revived." However that be, in my time, the whole town flock'd
to the tragedies of the latter, and people stifled one another at the
interludes of the former.
They were just then exhibiting in Banza an excellent piece of
Utremifasolasiututut, which would never have been represented but in
nightcaps, had not the favorite Sultana had the curiosity to see it.
And besides, the periodical indisposition of Toys favored the jealousy
of the fiddles, and made the principal actress flinch. She, who
supplied her place, had not so good a voice, but as she made amends by
her manner of acting, nothing hindered the Sultan and the favorite from
honouring the piece with their presence.
Mirzoza was already come, Mangogul comes, the curtain is raised,
they begin. Every thing went on marvellously well: Miss Chevalier had
effaced the memory of Miss le Maure, and they were at the fourth act,
when the Sultan bethought himself, in the middle of a chorus, which he
thought lasted too long, and had already cost the favorite two yawns,
to point his ring on all the singers. Never was there seen on the
stage so odd and comical a sight. Thirty women were struck dumb on a
sudden. Their mouths were wide open, and they kept the same theatrical
attitudes they held before. And at the same time their Toys made their
throats sore with the violence of singing, this a _Pont-neuf_, that a
_Vaudeville polisson_, another a very indecent parody, and all of them
extravagances relative to their characters. On one hand was heard, _oh
vraiment ma comere, oui_; on the other, _quoi douze fois?_ Here, _qui
me baise, est-ce Blaise?_ There, _rien, Pere Cyprien, ne vous retient_.
In fine, they all wound themselves up into a strain, so high, so rude,
and so mad, that they formed the most extravagant brawling ridiculous
choir, that had been heard before and since that of----no----d----on----
_Here the manuscript was worm-eaten._
All this while the Orchestra went on, and the loud laughs of the pit
and boxes joined to the sound of the instruments, and the singing of
the Toys, compleated the cacophony.
Some of the actresses, fearing lest their Toys, tired with quavering
impertinences, might resolve to speak them out, ran behind the scenes:
but they escaped with the fright only. Mangogul being perswaded that
the public would learn nothing new, turn'd off his ring. In an instant
all the Toys were silent, the bursts of laughter ceased, the audience
grew calm, the play was resumed and finished peaceably. The curtain
drop'd, the Sultana and Sultan went off, and the Toys of our actresses
went to their several appointments, where they were to have a different
employment from singing.
This affair made a great noise. The men laugh'd, the women were
alarmed, the Bonza's were scandalized, the academicians rack'd their
brains about it. But what did Orcotomus say? Orcotomus triumph'd. He
had hinted in one of his memoirs, that the Toys would infallibly sing:
they had sung accordingly, and this phænomenon, which disconcerted
his brethren, was to him a new ray of light, and compleated the
confirmation of his system.