The "books," being by Scribe, are all very dramatic, and lend
themselves to great spectacular display; Meyerbeer's music is
always melodious, and has a certain obvious character about it
that would appeal to an average London audience. This is
particularly true with regard to the Prophete. The Coronation
scene can be made as gorgeous as a Drury Lane pantomime, and the
finale of the opera is thrilling, though the three Anabaptists are
frankly terrible bores. As given at Brunswick, in the last scene
the Prophet, John of Leyden, is discovered at supper with some
boon companions in rather doubtful female society. In the middle
of his drinking-song the palace is blown up. There is a loud
crash; the stage grows dark; hall, supper-table, and revellers all
disappear; and the curtain comes down slowly on moonlight shining
over some ruins, and the open country beyond. A splendid climax!
Again, the third act of Robert le Diable is magnificently
dramatic. Bertram, the Evil One in person, leads Robert to a
deserted convent whose nuns, having broken the most important of
their vows, have all been put to death.
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