The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from Gambara by Honore de Balzac: comes the grand trio to which the whole opera has led up: the triumph
of the soul over matter, of the Spirit of Good over the Spirit of
Evil. The strains of piety prevail over the chorus of hell, and
happiness appears glorious; but here the music is weaker. I only saw a
cathedral instead of hearing a concert of angels in bliss, and a
divine prayer consecrating the union of Robert and Isabella. We ought
not to have been left oppressed by the spells of hell; we ought to
emerge with hope in our heart.
"I, as musician and a Catholic, wanted another prayer like that in
/Mose/. I should have liked to see how Germany would contend with
Italy, what Meyerbeer could do in rivalry with Rossini.
 Gambara |