The National Register. — London, England, 1814-01-30 00:00:00

4'; " 16 THE NATIONA REGISTER.- DRAMATIC REGISTER. DRURY LANE. MIL. KEAN'S FIRST APP EA RANCE. After many trials of new candidates for histrionic fame, the ma kagers of this theatre have at last found a performer of undoubted merit and superior abilities. if we were to trust to provincial re port, we should expect to tied Mr. KRA N an ELLISTON in comedy, a RICA AM in Operas, and a REM tux in tragedy. In every part and in every style we are assurel he has distinguished himself. But we leave no need of such evidence to enable us to form an highly ad• v;intageous opinion of his talents after having witnessed his repre sentation of .Shy/ock in the :Merchant of Venice, on Wednesday last. it has at once stamped his fame, and not only placed him above all the representatives of the vengefid since the expatriation and death of Coo lint this wti that his mental qualifications, and his powers,of discernment and of expression, are equal to the perform. once of characters, in which more complicated passions arc brought into action. Though not above the middling size, his figure is good. and. the . justnesii of its proportions soon causes the want of height to be forgotten. Expression sits em every muscle of his countenance, and beams front his eyes. Deep, Sonorous, and clear, his voice is managed with a degree of skill which draws every possible advan tage from its natural powers. His conception of the part was ex cellent, and his acting equal to his conception. Delicate, yet poignant in his taunts ; just in his pauses; successful in his transi tions from different fillings, without ever losing sight of the main passion, revenge, which forms the leading wish of his sold, he ro , .e continually to the trial scene, which crowned his performance with the most decided success. The audience did justice to his merits ; and his reception was of the most favourable nature. We know not whether Mr. Kean will undertake that diversity of characters in which he acquired so much popularity at our pros incial theatres; but we should not be alarmed for his success should lie make the at tempt. Even as a singer the harmonious clearness and power of Lis voice lead us to think that he must attain considerable eminence. y kr (7(1 • ill 1 • • the storm. The beginning of his conversati.m with Juba was every thing that the circumstances would allow, but when the young Prince begins to touch upon the subject of his love for Murcia, the truly great Actor at once beamed in every lineament of Mr. KEMBLE'S expressive countenance :—The sudden change was sueli, that any one in Juba's situation lutist immediately ht ink from the pursuit of the subject he 'bad . 014 commenced ; but the whole of his appearauce, and the manner in which he pronounced the words " Adieu, young Prince," and delivered the aulpeptent admonition, with which he makes his exit, must ever be remembered by evety auditor, but are tar beyond the powers of description. The scene in which M*•. KEMBI.II emitted the most brilliant enunciations of genius, was the concluding 'cane of the fourth act ; it IN, indeed, almost the only one which will admit of much effect. At being informed of the revolt of the Numidians, his VCIICIIItiIt di rections to his son Porcius— " Haste, my son, and see " Thy brother Alarms acts a Roman part," Was finely given :—but on the r eturn of Porciazi, and his mention of his brother, connected with the word misfortime,—the electric burst with which the following questions were ejaculated : dd h a ! what has he done? " Has he forsook his post ? Has he given way ? " Did he look tamely on, and let them pass ?" Can only be equalled by the manner in which he pronounced', when Porcius relates the death of his brother, " I'm satisfied." The vehemence of terror and approximation to doubt of his son'; firmness, seemed at once relieved by the intelligerice of his honora ble death :—for a , moment, his countenance is lighted up by prs expression of thankfUlness; in an instant, however, his patereal feelings seemed to be triumphant, and eiwak his utterance, till his patriotic hear r rises superior to all selfish se:16111(1a, and. in a half suffocated voice of pathetic exultation, he exclaims, " I'm satis fied." The sensations of gratitude arc heightened by the inthrma thm that '.is boy had, in his death, piei cell the heart of the traiter Syphar. This expression of paternal aflection, as soon as he heats the milt tary dead march which announces the approach of his de ceased son, is equal, if not superior, to any thing 1 have ever seen, and continues till the artival of the body on the stage : ! - Te then summons all the Roman in his soul and in his looks, as he turns to receive hint; and, in a voice of manly and triumphant feeling, not unmixed with a due thrill f affectionate sensibility, exclaims " Welcome, my son." The re. tunneler of this scene and the whole of his part of the last act were equally well performed, but the passages which are especially wor thy of mention are—the rebuke to Pareites when he removes his sword—the triumphant manner in which be grasps it on recovering it—his silent benediction of Isis son op retiring to his chamber—atol lastly, Isis death :—This was indeed conducted in a manner worthy of the first performer of the age. He rises from the chair in which he has been state,!, falls on his knees, and with raised and tremb!ing, hands, with eyes fixed as in the moment of dissolutiors, and faulter lug voice, ejaculates the concluding prayer :-11is voice suddenly fails him, he strives to regain his chair, but Isis limbs refuse their office, and he sinks with a deep groan. The character of Cato contains very few points, (aq they are called)—but Mr. Kemble made them all tell, hay struck forth in many instances brilliant flashes of genins from sentenes, which by others, would have been paned over as insignificant. Tie only circumstance which can he considered as in any degree abating the perfection of this performance, has been often noticed. —1 consider it as an error, though I am filly aware that it is not regarded so by many who are well calculated to form an opi nion ; it is the pronunciation of Ron:e as Room. I will not arrogate to myself the power of decision oil a point on which authorities of the first emineece are at - variance, though 1 think that the area, ments are (with the exception of a pun of Shak2spear's) against Mr. KEST RIX. Yet, setting aside the practice of the other performer,i, some of whom !mist be considered as men of judgment, but among whom it is, no doubt, thought proper that a uniformity of prawns elation should prevail, there it one authority which may be deemed of gri at weight ; it is that of Dr.Abrahain Rees, than whom a critic of more scientific discrimination dors not exist; and who agrets with Mr. KEMBLE ill his pronunciation of Rome. Poreins, Mr. A nswer.—When this Play was last represented, two seasons ago, Mr. YOUNG was in the habit of perfuming Por -1 eins; the reason of the alteration in the east, I presume to be, that the chara , ..der is thought too insignificant for a performer of Mr, t YOUNG'S great abilities. At that time, two years ago, Mr. CO VENT MR. .!OTIN xrmittr's CATO, Oil 'Thursday ever - nu:l, use votti in:tant, was performed, at theatre, ApnisoN's tratiedy of Cub), for the pnrpos; .1 f exhibiting Mr. KEMBLE in the elZiraeter from which that play i yes its name. With respect to the tragedy itself, little need now be said. it is justly considered as a dramatic poem, ali:tiding in the most molendid beauties of imagery, of semi:Kent, and of verse : but those beauties are of ton didactic a nature to rend T it a perina trent attraction on the stage. By the admirer of poetry in the closet it must ever be ranked highly,—bur the dramatic situations, incidents, and variety of action, are too few for frequent ther— lea! exhibilon. Under particular circumstaeces, however, as on the evening itt question, this tragedy will ever prove a treat to the amateur —To describe the acting of I‘lr.litntnt.x. in this character. would be but to pour forth a long strain of culo gimn —to give a quotation of every line of the pail, and to say, " this line was spoken with all the chasteness, with all the energy, and with all the truth (one trivial circumstance which I consider a fault, alone excepted,) which it was possible for it to receive from man :"—To describe every gesture and every look,—and to add, a such gesture, and such look, were the very best which could be adopted to each particular occasion." I am by no means one of those, who consider Mr. KEMBLE as equally great in all his range of characters ; his judgment is indeed equal ; but his physical powers are not capable of embodying every part with the same degree of corpnral and mental excellence: — Where he is deficient, however, it is to be chiefly attributed to that vocal debility ‘fliirdi was always sn apparent in his moidian eplendour, and which, as must naturally be expected, rather. in ereAses as he advances towards the horizon of his public career. Though this debility somewhat impedes the full exercise of his time . lions in such long and arduous chsractors a: tiamltt, Macbeth, or Rickard, it in no respect diminishes the justness of his scenic re presentation of Coto ; as the length of this part is not such as to revent his giving every line of the text with soffit lent energy rind force, v.-ithout any apparent strain, or painful exertion of his physical powers. Mr. KEMBIS. at his first entrance in the Senate, and throughout Thar Arens', Was dignified and energetic.—lle lo..ked, indeed, the hoble t uauan paniut—au oak of tee forest, standing alone amid