[Illustration: Fac-simile of Meyerbeer's letter to his brother, written in
1837.]
The austere subject of the opera of _le Prophète_, in which the element
of passion played only a very secondary rôle, caused it to be received at
first with a certain reserve on the part of the public. But Meyerbeer
had never been better inspired, and the nobleness, the grandeur and the
severity of the style of this composition raises it to a level which he
did not exceed. The beautiful introduction to the first act, the scene
of the three anabaptists, the marvellous ballet of skaters, the arioso
of Fidès in prison, a truly sublime and pathetic page, finally the
grand tableau of the cathedral, are so many superb and living proofs of
Meyerbeer's powerful and versatile genius. The public grew to admire the
beauties of this bold and dignified work; as to the artists, there are
many who unhesitatingly place the _Prophète_ above all that he has written
for the stage; for myself, I divide my highest admiration between _le
Prophète_ and _les Huguenots_.
[Illustration: REPRODUCTION OF ORIGINAL BILLBOARD OF FIRST PERFORMANCE OF
THE HUGUENOTS.