Gustave III - First ballet

Auber can be called "the French Rossini", there is just so many things in common between the two. In particular, both composers are credited with the creation of grand opera ("Guillaume Tell" and "La muette de Portici", respectively), their music has an irresistible smile hidden between the instrument lines which makes it perfect for comic opera, though both have written successful tragedies, both were, basically, a kind of person you would like to be friends with. Plus, it's really easy to like the music of both, so wonderful it is. I just finished listening to Auber's "Gustave III", his second grand opera. It proved a bit of a bust: there is some elegant and beautiful music, in particular, the king's cavatina and his couplets in act two (I actually prefer the last item to Verdi's "Di' tu se fedele"); the finale to the first act and the fourth act (there are five acts in total, more than three hours of music); but the rest is pretty much not on the same level... Except for one more piece: the Ballet sequence from the first act. The opera actually has two full ballets, the present one representing a repetition in front of the monarch in preparation for the ball, while the second one is the ball itself. The first ballet represents a pastoral scene as Gustav I of Sweden (Gustav Vasa) appears on stage, lonely and tired, his despair is depicted in the Andante; then the mood changes with a brilliant Allegretto as peasants appear on the stage and welcome the king, promising their devotion to him. I especially love the Allegretto which seems to me an almost perfect depiction of happiness with just the right touch of humor. Hope you'll enjoy :)!