The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-18 00:00:00

MDLE. RACHEL'S DEBUT IN AMERICA.

I FIRST NIGHT OF " HORACE" IN NEW YORK.
(From the New York Daily Herald, Sept. 4.)
The most interesting dramatic performance that ever
took place in the United States, came tff last night at
the Metropolitan Theatre.
The spacious theatre was crowded at the rising of the
curtain. The audience included all classes and all na-
tionalities in the community. There never has been, of
late years, such a turn out of old theatre-goers. The
parquette seemed almost like the old Park pit over
again. Not even Jenny Lind attracted such a con-
course of habitues of the play-house. The delegates from
Young New York were of course in the majority, but
we rarely see so many old men in a theatre as were
gathered in the Metropolitan theatre last night. The
house was what is called a " black " one—that is, two-
thirds of the audience were men. Why the ladies staid
away we cannot say, but at any rate, the " lords of crea-
tion ' predominated. Perhaps the female part of the
community were kept away by the wicked stories told
about Rachel ; but they will come yet.
The feeling of curiosity seemed to especially inspire
the majority of the American audience. They seemed
to think that they had merely come to see a very great
show, and they desired to have the affair finished at
once. They changed their minds, however, before it
l was concluded, and wished there was more of it. Fa-
shionable society was not strongly represented. The
audience was very much diversified and mixed up. The
literary and art world sent its best people—and the
occasion seemed to be a reunion of persons who knew
everybody of any consequence, and were, consequently,
very well known themselves.
The house was very full. The gross receipts could not
have been less than $5,000. The parquette, dress
circle and private boxes were uncomfortably full. The
"standing committee" was full, and a large number of
extra seats were placed in the orchestra, aisles and lob-
bies. Full dress did not seem to have been much thought
of, although a few people owning large quantities of
jewellery (probably in the trade) did dash out a little.
Our foreign population—French, Italians, and Germans
—were strongly represented.
The performances commenced with a two act comedy,
" Les Droits de l'Homme," played by M'lles Sasah ;
Lia and Felix (sisters of Rachel), MM. Bellevault, Beau-
vallet, and Dieudome. It is a neat comedy, although a
great many people who didn't understand French went
to sleep while it was being acted, and only waked un at
the end, when M. Bellevault Fred a pistol out of the
window. We have not time to criticise this piece, and
will only say that M'lle Rachel's youngest sister, Dinah
Felix, is a very pretty girl, and that M. Beauvallet is a
clever comedian.
After the comedy there was an interval of 20 minutes,
and at half-past nine o'clock the tragedy commenced.
Every one was awake then. "Horace" is the proper
name of the play in which Mlle Rachel first carved her
name on the temple of fame in such deep letters that a
great many years will be required to wear out the im-
pression. It is' an old-fashioned tragedy, in five acts,
only four of which are played, as Camille, the heroine,
' is killed in the fourth act, and it is wisely judged that
the audience have no great interest in any one else. To
speak plainly, " Horace" without Rachel, would be a
great bore. But she is so wonderfiilly great as an artist,
that we could endure even something more antique than
this play for her sake.
, The audience evidently thought the first part of the
play rather heavy. Everybody had a book containing
, the French words, with a literal English translation.
• When they turned over a page, it sounded like the rust-
ling of the " leaves of Vallambrosa." They suffered
under this difficulty—when endeavouring to follow the
words they lost Mlle. Rachel's by-play, which is the
most exquisite of her effects.
• The late hour at which we write forbids us from enter-
ing into a detailed analysis of Mlle. Rachel's Camille.
We may, however, present a few points for• a general
deduction.
She came on in the second scene from the upper en-
trance, and half a second before her "cue" was given.
She almost glided into our notice, and seemed to be a
little astonished at the impetous applause that greeted
her appearance. Her readings were excellent, and her
voice exquisitely modulated. She did not seem to en-
deavour to produce great effects, and yet they were pro-
duced. In the first three acts the other persons in the
play are of more consequence than herself ; but she rises
superior to the exigencies of the scene, and by her mag-
nificent by-play, fixes your attention upon her almost
without your knowledge or consent. We cannot quote
particular speeches or cite distinct scenes, because
everything was so good that we would not know where
to begin. We may instance, however, the scene wherein
Sabine endeavours to dissuade Horatias and Curatius
from the combat. The gleam of hope which passes over
Rachel's face as she thinks that she sees they are moved
from their purpose may be only a trick of a practised ac-
tress, but it seemed to us a flash of real genius. The
expression which she gave the line
"Courage ! they are softened,"
spoke a whole volume of itself. The fourth act was,
however, her crowning triumph. Here she is informed
of the death of her lover by the messenger sent to her
i father to congratulate him upon the victory gained by
his surviving son. When the story is commenced she
seems indifferent. As it progresses she gradually rouses
herself, and when the catastrophe is announced, the depth
of her despair finds vent in one word—Alas !—and she
falls into a deep. swoon, so well done that one accus-
tomed to the stage is, for the moment, carried away by
its seeming reality. Following this her scene with her
brother, her denunciation of her brother and of Rome,
were so powerfully delineated that she seemed to break
down the great barrier between herself and the audi-
ence—that is her foreign tongue, and to carry them with
her, as it were, into the hollow of her hand. She acts
down to her fingers' ends. Her thin and fragile figure
• seems to shrink and quiver from the effect of the pas-
sions which seen to excite her, but which, in fact, only
have that effect on the audience. She elaborates detail.,
Every effect is highly finished. She is triumphant over
her audience. Without the slightest real emotion, she
so enchants them with the cunning of the scene that
they are carried away from the theatre—they stand in
Rome—they hear the clash of resounding arms and the
shouts that welcome the victorious Horatias to the Eter-
nal City—they go away sadly with the death shriek of
poor Camille still ringing in their ears, and with the'
blood of her lover before their eyes. Even those who
were altogether ignorant of the French langoage were
in raptures with the fourth act. Rachel's pantomime is
more eloquent than the words of an ordinary actress.
Her figure resembled, though it is somewhat thinner
than that of Miss Julia Dean. She is an actress that
once seen] can never be forgotten. The writer of this
has seen a great many theatrical performances and a
great deal of what is called good acting. The Camille
of M'lle Rachel is the only piece of great acting that he
has ever seen.
The audience seemed astonished by it, hut at the fall
of the curtain their applause, which had been shower-
ing, broke forth in a perfect storm, and there was a
unanimous call for Rachel. The curtain rose, and she
was discovered in the centre of the stage, very pale, very
tremulous, and very much exhausted. She acknow-
ledged the applause three times, and seemed so much
exhausted that M. Felix came from the wing and carried
her off. Some uncharitable people said that this was
affectation. We, on the contrary, think it remarkable
that a person with such light physical timber should
have succeeded in producing such extraordinary effects
without being still more exhausted than she seemed
to be.
There were several peculiarities about the performance
and the artists which we shall describe hereafter. In
the meantime we may say that no description can give
an adequate idea of Rachel's acting. It is a luxury
which, to use a trite expression, must be seen to be ap-
preciated.
RACHEL'S SECOND NIGHT—PHEDRE.
Mlle Rachel last night sustained upon her own shoul-
ders the most wearisome performance that was ever wit-
nessed by an American audience. Think of over two
hours of mere recitation, without an intermission, with-
out a change of scene, and without any of the stage ac-
cessories to which we are accustomed. It was purely an
intellectual banquet, and as such it was enjoyed in the
most complete silence, only broken by the rustling of the
leaves of the play-books, or when the applause could no
longer be restrained, and, broke out in a burst remark-
able for its spontaniety and heartiness. Her two great
points were made when she declares her love for Hippo-
-1 te, and is rejected by him. It is impossible to describe
theexpressi
heonwahrt ; 't
is there thyhegaveto theaild
lines—
Here
ought
Impatient already to expiate her h
r offence,
feelaicmllt m
e vtehsat it e
advances,
unworthy
is my to strike.
hyotrif
thou beithy blows,
If thy hate envies me a punishment
To
tor i meetk
e ;
Or if of a blood too vile thy hand
so sweet,
world be steeped,
In default of thy arm, lend me
thy sword;
Give !
Her exit here was followed by such a storm of ap-
plause that she came forward to acknowledge it. Her
scene with CEnone, where she casts off tile unworthy
confidant, was still more magnificent. Her rage, scorn,
and contempt were infernally splendid, and the flarnes of
Acheron seemed to dart from her blazing eyes. Her
death scene was painful from its intensity. She was
summoned before the curtain at the end of the play.
As we said before, we do not think Phedre is equal to
Camile, excepting in the points above cited, which are
quite as effective, though more melodramatic, than the
best points of Camille. It seems to us that M'lle Rachel
represents rage, crime, hate, and jealousy much better
than she depicts pathos, penitence, sorrow, love, and
despair. Thus she was more effective in the last scenes
of Camille and Phedre than the first. But the result of
all analysis of her acting will always be the same—
namely, that she is a very great actress, and that, from
the neophyte to him who 13 blase of plays and players,
her triumphs are universal.

THE ALEXANDER ESTATES.--The extensive London-
derry estates of Mr. Lesley Alexander, are s doomed to
the hammer, and are to be set up for sale in the Encum-
bered Estates Court on Friday, the 15th of November
next. The property is divided into 30 lots,
in the whole upwards of 8,000 acres, and producing a
gross profit rent of 4, 521, a-year. cantaming
i
Tin: BALMORAL BONFIRE.—When it was reported in
September last that Sebastopol had fallen a large quan-
tity of timber was collected on the summit of Craig-
gowan, the mountain which rises immediately to the
south of Balmoral Castle, with the intention of kindling
a bonfire as soon as the news might be officially con-
firmed. The report having turned out to be false, the
fire was, of course, not kindled ; but the fuel having re-
fl mined in expectation that it would still be used for that
purpose, it was kindled on Tuesday night, and illumined
the country for miles around. Thus, within a few days
of a year, -had-this pile remained, its dry and dead-like
appearance being, Perhaps, one of the most suggestive
lights which the Queen w, itnessed when on Saturday
N, Oak, her Majesty stood beside it on the mountain.