The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-02 00:00:00

FRENCH PLAYS.

ON TlP'day last a monting performance was given at
this theatre, consisting of one act of Corneille's Cinna,
one act of Ravine's Andromague, the comedy of

212

Horace et Lydie, and scenes from Where's Pre-
cieuaes Ridiculer and the Mariage Force. The
scene from einua, and short play of Horace et Lydie,
were, to say the least, rendered very ine&ctive, by
being acted in modern dress; and the constant alln
sions to classic costume in Horace et Lydie, when
applied to Mlle. Rachel's smart Parisian flounces, sa-
voured strongly of the ridiculous. The act of Andre-
►aague was played in proper costume, and was by
far the best of the tragic scenes ; indeed, ller►auuee
has always appeared to us one of the parts in which
Mlle. Rachel appears to most advantage. We can-
not refrain from again doing homage to M. Itegnier's
great talent for impersonation. We shall never for-
get his acting of the savant in the detached scene
from the Mariage Force, which, though a mere frag-
ment, was as real as it was truly humorous.
The theatre was cr►wded to the roof on Wednes-
day night. Nor was it strange that such should
be the case, as Rachel was to display her marvel-
lens power of pantomimic passion in that fourth
act of Les Horoces with which she has imperishably
joined her IMMO in histrionic annals. The morbid
parts of conventional and Parisian life in which she
had played this season threw out on Wednesday,
with the power of contrast, all those great histrionic
qualities which she abate possesses. it is in the
grand old legends of Rome, on which Corneille
has written with rapture, that Rachel seems to
purify her genius from the dross of coarse and
earthy passion. Her contortions cease to revolt;
and her terrible spasms of agony partake of the
sublimity of the supermitund. She seems to re-
quire the sculpturesque coldness of the classical
drama in order to chasten down the almost fiendlike
malignity with which she hurls her terrible invective,
or explodes her bursts of Satanic scorn. There—in
a scene where the apparel and the dialogue remove
us from the contentious strife of the passing age—
Raeliel ceases to lie the mere woman of brilliant
power, and rises upon the excited faney as the Tragic
Muse. As she advances in years she becomes more
physically powerful. She has done mighty things. For
more than a dozen years she has made the theatres of
Europe resound with her trinnq►hs in a school of art
that is unpopular with our modern publi.). Without
artists to support her, unaided and alone, she has
performed her exploits. Layard dug up only Nine-
veh, lint !Whet disinterred Corneille and Racine,
and, with vitalising power, made throb the heart of
human passion beneath the buried forms of clas-
sical lite.

This wonderful artist inade her final exit on Wed-
nesday night, amid the enthusiastie applause due
only to that degree of genius which is great and

lusit.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

TIF.M.IOZ's opera, Beneenato Crlliui, produced for
the first time in this country on Saturday last, failed
most uneiptiviwally. Critics of all shades of opinion
seemed to agree in the verdict of the general public,
and admit that a second representation was impos-
sible. The manner in which the music was received
seemed to its the nearest approximation to a fiasco
that we have witnessed of late years in a London
theatre; and nothing but the proverbial indulgence
which the English invariably show to the work of a
foreigner could have prevented the opera front being
brought to an abrupt conclusion. The remarks
which we made upon M. Berlioz'': music, when per-
filmed at the sixth l'ltilltarmonie Convert, apply
with tenfold three to Iris /ten re ii to Genial. We do
not question the author's learning and ingenuity, but
we hold that he is wanting in those qualities which
are absolutely necessary to establish the reputation
of a second or even a third rata eomposer. In our
opinion, moreover, the great lack of melody which
is perceptible in all \I. Ilerlioz's works is not his
only tailing; we think him open to the more serious
charge of want of musical meaning and intelligence.
We are convinced that no impartial critic can rise
from hearing one of his more important works with
any distinct notion of the impression intended ti be
conveyed. and that it would be a hopeless task to at-
tempt to analyse the thoughts or describe the feelings
which he professes to put into music. Ilk best
etikis, indeed, are so surrounded with laboured
writing and harsh combinations that their existenve
can scarcely he recognised, even by the most skilled
and practised musician. It is in vain to tell us that
M. Berlioz is not understood, and that he is the
Radio'. of a new style which in some future age will
be duly appreciated. This position rests upon a false
basis. We can call to mind no instance of any great
talisman who has not enjoyed popular favour timing
his lifetime: and it is so obvious that a work intended
thr general instruction and amusement, to be suc-
cessful, must also be intelligible and pleasing, that
we cannot &Mira space to combat am ()pillion which
deserves the name of a delusion rather than a theory.