“The film reproduces the main scenes referring to the production of the Excelsior allegorical ballet, already staged at Milan’s La Scala in 1881 and subsequently presented in Italian and foreign theatres. The ballet is dedicated to the titanic struggle of Progress against Regression. The power of civilisation wins at the end, by destroying old reactionary and obscurant forces which kept people in darkness”.

(E. Bernstein, Il Maggese Cinematografico, 10th February 1914)

“The orchestra has been constrained within a huge and completely covered cage in order to pursue two objectives: getting the utmost attention from the orchestra; not detracting from the necessary darkness of the theatre. Music does not suffer from it, but rather the contrary; it seems that music reproduces itself as if by some magic spell. One does not think that under that veil, from which the orchestra conductor’s head emerges through an opening, as he is the only one allowed to see, would hide the magic forge of success”

(Emilio Rugiadini, La Cine-Fono e la Rivista Fono-Cinematografica, no. 262, 20th December 1913)