The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-18
Mdrle. Rachel In London.

From the london Chronicle July 81
Last evening, at the St. James theatre Mdlle Rachel
gave the first of series Of four previous to
her departure for America 1t Is almost to
say that crowded and enthusiastic house welcomed the
greatest hdgeiesne of the day with the homage due
her genius. II, told Mdlle Rachel Is not now
without rival her tragic throne in the person
Nine Rstor whose performances have recently created
so marked sensation in Paris, she is mt any fortu-
nate in ths-hat the challenge of her long
has come before failing powers Of expression
cepon has rendered her unequal to vndcate her epu
tation For it was impossible to detect in her perform
ance any trace Of the continuous and tear of
tisc life any want of freshness vgor or spontenety
She is still herself with all her classic grace of at
tude her varied and animated defamation and her dra
matte intensity The four pieces in which she will APP
pear during her present visit to England are well Sc
lected embracing they do, four Of the strongest roles
both in the classical aud romantic drama She appeared
last evening in lies Horaces Of Corneiile After what
we have already said it is unnecessary to repeat that
she did so with entire success and it is equally SO to
ter upon any detailed criticism Of creation which
familiar to all admirers Of the French drama. We need
not do more now than allude to its most prominent
features Like all artistic works Of the highest class its
general Tone and the perfection with which it is pre-
served are Its most prominent characteristics. From
beginning to and she is the thoroughly Roman maiden:
simple but not austere, sefcommandng but uneel
ing. Various the emotions and the passions by
which she is anmaedhis colors the expression Of all
We feel its presence equally in the calm dignity of the
earlier scenes and the tragic int nsy Of the latter but
the attempt to maintain its consistency letters the
freedom Of the artist How bright IL the CLEAN Of hope
which shoots across her face when in the midst of her
anxiety she welcomes, as probable escape from the
horrors of almost civil war the first intimation of the
intention TO decide the quarrel between Rome and Alba
by three chosen champions each side how the
in which she watches the effect Of Sabine appeal
Horace Curace; and with what egotism grief
she repudates her sister-in-aws attempt TO compare
their One of Mde. RachePs finest points in this
play has always struck us as being the start Of joy with
which she receives the first ntimaton of the supposed
result Of the combat followed by the immediate reyul-
sion Of feeling when she recoect that the safety Of her
lover has been purchased the death disgrace Of her
brother But as the fourth act Is that in which the
dramatic interest is concentrated it is that in which the
greatest achievement of the actress occurs. Mde
Rachel herself has nothing powerfully painfully
intense than the horor-strcken sort Of paralysis with
which she receives the of the death If Curace the
burst Of frantic grief which follows the terribly unnatu
raj calmness with which she dates on her fate or the
concentrated intensity Of her denuncations Rome As
have already said do not pretend to crtcise
an mpersonnton which criticism has been exhausted
We shall therefore, only add that Mdlle Rachel was
called before the curtain twice close of the
and received q shower Of bouquets.