The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-04 00:00:00

,-;
( ,
•
_±2_-_-_;•‘--- -
.• . ~.
,-
-......-:.,..,-,-:..- -.:4A-.,- : ..,.-..
,t.‘ _.... ~
„•
.
...,. .
.4..... i,,, . ,
~ . „.....4
_...rt•iv-). . 4r•-.0
. .
.r5,..,,,,A, „.•,-.4011t_
~.,..,- t. 154,, ‘,,,,,,,a,,,
„ ~, - ~. 'A\ 40,1.401. k, ,:... I,'-': 13,11-' •-"'"'""" 'A. ~, ...00 a' 'l-',":4A-1P.4.1... '
, ,'.:\, ',. - 14 I•: 4 4 Ciy 4 •,.. :
, -,- •, , , *.4-* ' ' ~,,r - ,t 7 -_.__,7:-- .41::.-
r.l-3-74-7' 1.11 40 ' •44''' ROTT .I:,'''' ' 41,
~,----t r
aw . ~. . . •
,„„ ,`.....,1.1 •
.../
-/:'. *' $` /.131" 1) f
1 , . i-, ----------,e, a,,,--6)
..._„._
i:,-- 's.:i ~:. ~,......
:,_._•.,.4.,,,e.....,,,,.,-. -•..--,

PRICE 4D. STAMPED, SD.

MADAME RISTORI IN A 141.017
CHARACTER.

(From Galignani's Messenger.)
The re-appearance of the great Italian tragedian
Madame Ristori, in Paris, is an event in itself cal-
culated to create great interest in the theatrical
world, but when it is added that the renowned
artiste was to appear in a French character, and in
a new piece, curiosity and excitement arose to an
extraordinarily high point. The Odeon Theatre
was of course crowded in every part to excess, and
the reception of this now unquestionably first of
living actresses was everything that might be ex-
pected by her friends. The plaudits on her entrance
were loud, long, and enthusiastic; so warm, indeed,
was her welcome as to produce evident emotion in
the feelings of the fair stranger, while acknowledg-
ing its unusual and special cordiality. The drama
"Beatrix" is written by M. Legouve (the author, it
will be recollected, of " Medea," in which Madame
Ristori made so great an impression both here and
in London) expressly for this lady, audit is certainly
skilfully composed for the peculiar circumstances in
which she appears, the character she represents
being that of a distinguished foreign artiste, as will
be seen from the subjoined sketch of the subject.
The action is laid in one of two smaller Courts in
Germany, where the reigning Grand Duchess, a
generous and munificent protector of the arts, has
just received'Beatrix, a famous Italian actress, with
the most special honours. Beatrix holds that species
of eminence in her art that opens all Courts and
Palaces before her; to the highest gifts of genius she
adds those still more rare, nobility of character, fas-
cinating beauty and virtue, that the slightesQ3reath
of slander has never been able to reach. These
claims to respect and admiration rend her an almost
universal idol; but the heart of the fair enslaver has
hitherto remained unscathed. This indifference is,
however, put an end to by the devoted and uncon
trollable passion of the young Prince, son to the Grand
Duchess, who having once seen Beatrix while on
his travels, she has remained from that moment

the sole and constant object of his idolatry. On
now meeting her he pleads his passion in terms so
fervid and sincere as to touch her heart ; but she
disguises her feelings towards him, and he quits
her in despair. The Grand Duchess, at a brilliant
assembly given in honour of the great actress, in-
sists on her giving them a specimen of her 'tran-
scendant powers, by repeating the great scene from
Shakspeare's Romeo and Juliet, where the unhappy
lovers expire in each other's arms. The part of
Romeo is taken by the young Prince, and the
maddening transports of the lovers, their vows of
eternal fidelity, and alternate feelings of rapture
and despair expressed in the burning language of
the greatest of poets, create an emotion so real and
so powerful in both, that the anxious eye of the
mother at once detects their secret ; but listening
to the ardent appeals and despairing eloquence of
the Prince, she feels disposed to give way. Bea-
trix, however, nobly struggles against her passion,
and finally sacrificing her affections to the future
welfare of her Royal lover, departs, bearing with
her the friendship and blessings of the Grand
Duchess, and still remaining the queen of the
drama. It ill be seen from this sketch that the
life and soul of the piece lies in the acting of Mdme.
Ristori, and its success, which was brilliant, must
be set down as entirely due to that lady's inimitable
talents. The manner in which she would speak
the French language was evidently the great point
of curiosity with the auditory, and this ordeal she
passed through to the entire satisfaction of the
public, who hailed her very first sentences with
loud plaudits. The Italian accent was not how-
ever imperceptible, but the nature of the character
lends itself to this little anomaly, and then the
acting of Ristori, the eloquence of the eye, and the
grace and elegance of her every gesture, would
almost supply the place of language were the
tongue even mute. The grand scene of the soiree
was that from Romeo and Juliet, and here Madame
Ristori was indeed great ; the tenderness, passion,
and agony of the scene, as depicted by the great
bard, never had a finer interpretation ; the curtain
was twice raised for her to come forward and re-
ceive the renewed applause of the public at its
termination.