The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-04 00:00:00

DRURY LANE.

On Saturday evening another great and trium-
phant success was achieved by Mr. Chatterton by
the production of Mr. Bayle Bernard's new adapta-
tion of Lord Byron's historic tragedy, " Marino
Faliero," under the title of " The Doge of Venice."
Notwithstanding the original poem was never in-
t,:nded for dramatic representation, though written
i„ ti.:?. form of a drama, it has on many occasions
formed the 1 asi3 of a stage play and opera. In
1821 a vet:ion of it was first performed with but 1
indifferent sup ess ; in 18-L2 it was again produced
under the managcmerat of Mr. Macready, but it 1

failed in attraction. _A. very different result at.-
tended the adaptation of the poem abroad : M.
Casimir Delavigne, many years ago, made it the
subject of a romantic tragedy Donizetti appro-
priated it as the libretto of his tragic opera,
"Marino FaHero," produced in Paris in 1835,
and Mercandante awl Verdi both adapted it
as the plot, of "The Bravo" and " I Due Foscari."
K. Delavigne saw that Ilyron's drama had, as au
acting play, two serious faults—first, the absence
of love; and second, the inadequacy of the motive
which enkindled the Doge's awful resentment. To
cure the first of these defects the French dramatist
presumed a romantic passion between the duchess
and her husband's nephew ; to remedy the second,
he rwresented Steno not only as the scribbler of a
silly lampoon, but as the author of numerous insults
and injuries, culminating in his assassination of the
Doge's kinsman. This being the condition of the
play when Mr. Bernard was asked to undertake
its adaptation for the spirited lessee of Drury-
lane Theatre, he says in his preface—" That
he was led to think that his best course was
to combine as far as possible the poetry of Byron
and the outline of his play with the additions of
Delavigne, as a means of enlarging the interest and
action, to illustrate both by selections from the music
of DonizAti and the above composers, and to add the
spectacle of the Venetian Carnival—on the last
day of which, according to Byron, the offence was
committed which forms the groundwork of the play.
At the same time the adapter found it necessary
to modify both Byron and Delavigne in some
particulars. lie felt it best to divest the Doge of that
sanguinary feeling which renders him occasionally so
repellant, and to give him, in lieu of this, a greater
patriotic sentiment. He also saw the necessity of
preserving the purity of the Duchess, whilst
struggling with the attachment she had formed for
Fernando ; and, lastly, in order to remove from
this attachment all offensiveness, he perceived the
propriety of changing the nephew into the adopted
son of the Doge." The play being thus treated, the
plot of "The Doge of Venice" is simply as follows :
Marino Faliero, an old man of heroic character,
who in his day had done the State great service, is
married to a young and beautiful woman, to whom
he is devotedly attached. Michael Steno, a young
patrician, one of the Council of Forty, writes upon
the ducal chair, during the Carnival of 1355, some
ribald lines derogatory to the lady's virtue. For
this offence ho is sentenced by his peers merely to
a month's imprisonment. The inadequacy of the
punishment so infuriates the Doge that he
allies himself with a band of malcontents, and
plots with them for the overthrow of the
State. A relenting conspirator calls upon one
of the nobles, in whom he feels a friendly in-
terest, to warn him of his danger, and is gradu-
ally led to betray his associates. The conspiracy
is crushed at the moment of its development, and
the Doge arrested in his palace. Thence he is
conveyed to the Giant's Staircase, where he
suffers death. The conception of the part of
the Dogo by Mr. Phelps is precisely that which
might have been expected from such an
accomplished actor. It is a great part added to
those he has already made his own ; and the dig-
nity, passion, and pathos he infuses into it renders
it equal to his King Lear or Richelieu. Mrs. Her-
man Vcziu's part—that of the Duchess—has been
cut down almost to nothing, leaving her but little
to do, but out of that little she creates a great part,
thus materially strengthening the new adaptation.
Mr. Cowpertsupported the part of Israel Bertuccio
with the greatest excellence, and next to hiin Mr.
M‘lii tyre again distinguished himself by his
vigorous rendering of the conspirator Stozzi.
Fernando was entrusted to Mr. Edmund Phelps,
and Steno to Mr. 11. Sinclair, • each of whom
merit great praise. Of the scenery and mounting
it is impossible to speak too highly. The represen-
tation of the Carnival at the Pizetta of St. Marc
is a perfect wonder of stage illusion. The brilliant
moonlight falling upon the Adriatic, the gently
gliding gondolas, the soft music of the barcarole
singers, and lastly, the wild delight of crowds of
maskers and dancers, make up a scene of unex-
ampled beauty and excitement, such as we may
safely say has never been excelled in dramatic
annals. At the fall of the act drop at this
point in the play the delight of the audience knew
no bounds. Loud calls arose for " Chatterton,"
" Beverley." Each gentleman on his appearance was
received with a perfect storm :of applause, and as
a crowning act o f approval Mr. J. Cormsck, the
ballet master, who also received the compliment of
a special call. The oiler scenes in the play,
the Doge's Chamber, Leoni's Palace overlooking
the grand canal, with a moonlight view of St.
Paolo, the Arsenal of Venice, and the Giant's Stair-
case, are each miracles of scene painting. The new
piece is a great and deserved success, and one which
will most certainly rival in attraction all Mr.
Chatterton's former productions, great as they have
been.