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Show 154 THE CODE OF TERPSICHORE. CHAPTER VI. O N T H E SUBJECTS PROPER T O BE SELECTED A N D ADAPTED TO BALLETS, A N D T H E M E T H O D OF THEIR COMPOSITION. " La virtu del hallo sta nel rimettere in attoleprincipalis le piu vive impressioni che ricevono i nostri sensi."-Q. VIVIANI. " Esso costuma piu. di affascinare il cuore, che concettizzare alia pen-sierosa ragione.-DE V E L O. IT is not every subject that can be rendered suitable to dancing; the composer, therefore, should know how to make a selection. A subject of the least importance may be worked up to interest greatly either as a tragedy or acomedy; but in a Ballet, the case is otherwise. Thus, for instance, the Tartuffe; the Ligataire Universel; the Grandeur; the Philosophe Marie; L'Ecole desFemmes; Le Joueur; La M4tromanie; the Dehors Trompeurs; the Mediant, and the Coquette Corrig4e, are all excellent performances, but which, transferred to Ballets, would produce no effect. What could be substituted for the finished and witty dialogue of these pieces ? Where is the pantomimic performer who could exhibit a true imitation of the minute details, delicate jests, or give an exact transcript of the characters, with all that striking originality so remarkable in these comedies ? Could the Ballet-master attempt to introduce |