Page:The Spirit of French Music.djvu/89



Thus sing the Fates to Theseus, and one seems to feel the crime of Phaedra with its awful consequences stealthily following the unhappy hero along the dark ways of the nether abodes. Human tragedy adds its own colours to the colour that depicts the world below. When we reflect on the loftiness of style and the outburst of musical force that this act presents, one might say lets loose, at its opening, we are astounded to find the artist's power not only sustained but extended and increased right up to its conclusion. There are two elements opposing and warring with one another in this series of scenes: on the one hand the humanity, generosity, courage and tenderness of Theseus, and on the other the eternal callousness of the powers of Erebus and the avenging wrath of Pluto (illacrimabilis Pluto); and we marvel to find that the one element has been treated with no less force than the other. Each enhances the other. Then there is the "Trio of the Fates" singing together in solemn notes the prophetic malediction, while in the orchestra amidst the howling of the winds of hell, resounds the brazen voice of doom. One must know this trio if one would know how far the power of music can go. But it would not be what it is were it not followed by the magnificent and touching entreaty of Theseus: "Since Pluto is inflexible." Here it is no longer simple intervals and perfect chords that the musician employs. He throws forth in full flight a swarm of chromatics like Pluto setting loose devils. But handled with this power even chromatics have the firmness of the hardest metal. To find passages comparable to these