New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-07
RACLiEL rs ADRIENhE.

hdtHIf 30 NTNffNNE'
Last night there rtse nom partcrc 10 ceiling the
| greatest gathering which has ye. greeted Rachel. SO
dcnsc was the crowd that chars placed aoog the
center pathway bringing wildly to the remembrance
the Thcatcr Francois the home OF Rschos histronic
| youth. The face of tho house. too, was made espe-
cally brilliant by beauty and flowers and al bright
things which belong TO woman and unlike that Of
the first night, the audience almost wholly home
grown.
PERHAPS the mts. fascinating feature Of the evening
at oasi for time o. the iairer portion Of the audience
was the Ractes toilette. Nothing could be more
aorialy beautiful and exquisitey perfect than her
decorations and the grace with which she moved amid
them As she entered every wrinkle In her robe was
gKttoripg with light and every point Oh which 8
lorgnet,e could bear CLEANED back defiant diamond.
So rapid and brilliant were the changes that she
seemed almost 10 represent that heroine of Eastern
tale in the celebrated enchanted garden over whom
the geni hoyerod and wove from tie rainbow each
moment ard let fall new robe Of light. There was
rejection Of taste in the very in which che
placed every ribbon and loo sted every pin which gave
TO her appe all lnexpessoe @sthetcal unity OF
grace.
In the first part cthe play stirring passions &C.
cupy the soul of Adrienne. Sfe loves Maurice She
loves her art. gentle spirit hovers around her, srd
we are at cnce penetrated with the unaffected ease
snd chaste simplicity with which Rachel surrounds
this early phase e the character. She presents Adj
with all the love, but without any OF the ohec
Gonable qualities OF the profession Even her decam.
ton 10 prepare herself for the evening performance is
quiet and natural. To zee Mile Rachel glide to and
fro absorbed in hN Baiazet with that lovely elegance
which marks every movement of hers is not only
chaimtO the audn e. but also les on to her lister art
lists What admire in her in this stage of the play
is her raive simplicity, which is made douby striking
when here and there electrified BY one Of
those Rachel flashes which proclaim the enthusiasm
that burns a. AdIennes hear On her telling 10 the
manager her first meeting with Maurice there is about
her all the gshness of the elegant Par sian gisette,
but blended with it refinement which convinces you
that YOU are in the presence of one Of high and elevated
mind On Maurice coming into the green room, how
cordial yet bow subdued her reception. The actresss
oy 70 see her lover sgan kept in beautiful restraint
by her vomans sense of dignity. The green room
scoue Is highly Characteristic and full of genuine in
terest The sectors are preparing for Bajazet one Of
the Turks playing in tae mean time chess with
Frank, one Of ibe managers fdgetting about andre
GREETING tbs, be Is net shareholder, Of the act
rcses osirg hesef aIDorously in the glass, another
flirting With az hsbtze the Prince and Able
graceful form Of Aorieare II is pc feet piece
of French dramatic sevIes. The elegance Of the
dress to the smallest particular and the refinement of
manner of all the actors without exception, throws
round TIE scere an indesctibabe charm aud creates
delicious impression. The idea which prevailed in
the mind of some that Md'lle Rachel could only per-
senate the terrible, must, we fancy, be dspeled on
seeing the bewtchibg fascination with which she
euters into the spirit of this role. New-York has st
last caught her smile and we fancy it will agree she
never looked more beautiful than when her Intensely
intellectual face was last night lit up with radiance
of erch mrth or sprghly humor. But the pl II thick
ems ans cheerfuncss for Adrienne is soon over The
10y which gave to Rachels eye such dazzling
look on discovering that her lover Is the
great hero Of Saxony is soon broken by
the discovery that she has a rival and the sudden
paorwhch sezes her face on receiving this stroke
appeals more powerfully to the mind OF the audience
than the most vehement expression OF chagrn could
do. Then most wondrous piece of picture Is the
scene in which she aids the Princess to escape. How
truthful to nature is her action as she feels her way
with that strange stiffness of movement which always
belongs to persons steslpg through the dark 1t by
setting in her mastery deneations of the main spirit
of the character such gems of perfect art that admira
ton mounts into enthusiasm.
aggerated picture csnnot compare in effect with the
two great scenes of the reading at the Hotel of the
Princess and the mind wandering and death. Few
will forget the noble dignity she assumes in the boudor
scene with the Princess and the rich womans revenge
she has in the application Of the passage from Pedra
For moment Ptadrs starts up before us again, with
all her monster passions around her, Rechels bosom
begins 10 bcave her mouth to foam he. icing to VIZ
brate with tho anguish which devours her, until
she reaches the climax, and pointing her
finger fixes the Princess with an eye of
fire as the urblushiOg adnlteress But what
could surpass in terrible truth the death First
we sec her in sorrow when she fancies the floral en-
blems of love she offered 20 her lover were sighted
and sent back. And what piercing, touching sor-
row is hers as she sits and tears up half dreamiy
flower on hower--so Ike the child'lke Adrlenne,
feeling that life had become unbearsble when that
which gave il besuty gone. Again the Wild re-
bound of rapture when Maurice tells his love. The
aureolo Of Joy which at that moment lights up her
face casts its luster over the whole stage But mark
the change which the overweight pressure oil
ecstacy works The smile of happiness is suddenly
shaken fiom her lips and eyes as If by some rude
ealvaric shock. She palptates and trembes. DARK
noes and bevildermept gather arouod her. she
catches at the air and tries 10 escape from the cloud
which is covering her. Her hands travel over her
breas, as if to clutch ont of the heart the poison OF
death which has crept in. But it ia too lae. here
and there a glimpse Of consciousness comes, ana she
Ainc borsofin the arms of lover. She IL so young
lie was so beautiful, she will not die Who heard
I..4 Inc x-tth