| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Gobseck by Honore de Balzac: by her errors.
"Every time that little Ernest came out of his father's room, she put
him through a searching examination as to all that his father had done
or said. The boy willingly complied with his mother's wishes, and told
her even more than she asked in her anxious affection, as he thought.
"My visit was a ray of light for the Countess. She was determined to
see in me the instrument of the Count's vengeance, and resolved that I
should not be allowed to go near the dying man. I augured ill of all
this, and earnestly wished for an interview, for I was not easy in my
mind about the fate of the counter-deed. If it should fall into the
Countess' hands, she might turn it to her own account, and that would
Gobseck |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from Gambara by Honore de Balzac: "What a subject for the /finale/ (in B major) is her grief, brought
out in such sombre hues against the acclamations of the chorus, and
mingling with Mahomet's tones as he throws his wife aside as a tool of
no further use, still showing her that he can never forget her! What
fireworks of triumph! what a rush of glad and rippling song go up from
the two young voices (first and second soprano) of Ayesha and Hafsa,
supported by Ali and his wife, by Omar and Abubekir! Weep!--rejoice!--
Triumph and tears! Such is life."
Marianna could not control her tears, and Andrea was so deeply moved
that his eyes were moist. The Neapolitan cook was startled by the
magnetic influence of the ideas expressed by Gambara's convulsive
Gambara |
