either of which will serve to show the gulf that separates _Das Liebesverbot_ from _Die Feen_.
The opening scene is very animated, the chorus of the people being full of _entrain_; the whole manner is thoroughly Italian, the orchestra chattering away more or less irrelevantly, and the voices interjecting their remarks in a facile, half-melodic sort of way. How careless Wagner was with regard to deeper musical characterisation may be seen from the theme that accompanies the entry of Claudio,--one of those typical Italian operatic themes of which we can never be quite sure whether they are meant to be tragic or comic, though here it is apparently meant to be serious--
Nor in any other work but this would Wagner have accompanied with so irresponsible a theme the appeal of Claudio (sentenced to death) to his friend Luzio to seek the aid of Isabella--
Du kennest jenen stillen Ort, das Kloster der Elisabeth; Die &c.
The melody runs a thoroughly Italian course--
O eile Freund, zu ihr dahin, o eile zu ihr dahin, sprich sie für mich um Hülfe an, sprich sie um Hülfe für mich an.
with liberal opportunities for the tenor to poise himself on a high note and deploy his resonance--
Bewege sie, dass sie verzeih', dann bau' ich ganz auf ihren Muth. Bewege sie, dass sie verzeih',... dann bau' ich ganz auf ihren Muth.
The chorus that follows is also quite in the Italian stage style, the excitement being worked up according to the established recipes; and of course the purely musical stream flows on without the least regard to dramatic sense, Luzio saying every other minute "I hasten, friend," but without the slightest intention of hastening till the chorus is finished. But, as almost always happens even when Wagner is trying to be least like himself, a characteristic little touch cannot be prevented from stealing in: after the voices have ceased, the long-drawn theme of Claudio sings on in the 'cellos, set against the noisy chattering of the wood-wind and brass. It makes a most effective ending to the scene.
In the third scene appears a theme that was afterwards expanded and put to splendid use in _Tannhäuser_. Here the nuns sing it behind the scenes to the words "Salve regina cœli."
The florid duet between the two novices, Mariana and Isabella, is thoroughly Italian. Again one sees, by comparison of this music with any of that of _Die Feen_, how determined Wagner was to write down to the comprehension of the Italian-opera public: he evidently has his eye on the singers and the audience rather than on the psychology of the characters or the atmosphere of the scene. But in the admirable duologue that follows between Luzio and Isabella, the touch is again that of the born musical dramatist. It is all irresistibly animated; the music is psychologically characteristic, the blend of passion and irresponsibility in Luzio being particularly well suggested; and there are some striking pieces of orchestral colour.