The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-06-23


Court of Austria have fallen 10 the of GOODNESS Fur
Their than this goes believe would be incorrect to call
1t political demonstration
Madame Ristori's Debut In London.
From the London News June 5.
The great event of the theatrical year is Madame
Rstor last night made her first appearance before the
English pubic Let US record the result at once The
gifted actress has received from the unanimous enthu
siasm OF audience crowded, but select sympathetic
and yet discriminating, pienay confirmation Of that
judgment OF the continental critics which has already
signed TO her. not an unapproached pre- eminence in
the highest regions OF tragic art at all events coequal
share OF that histronc throne where Rachel so long
queened it in sole and undisputed supremacy. French
criticism, indeed readers probably aware,
has gone beyond this ana with an ingratitude some
what too common fear with that most
tile and caprcious OF oil possible pubics has
dethroned the elder goddess in order to enhance the
triumph of the younger We shall initiate the
pie. Madame Ristor il great, and with greatness all
her own She is far too great TO need of that baser
incense which mean and maevolent fattery would ex-
tract out o. aislaseineht 70 rlva IN art Let Kstori
wear her laurel crown but let not Rachel be nsuted with
that mockine wreath of im'aotete by which Partisan
audience had once the cruelty to remind Mile Mars not
indeed Of the decay OF her powers, but of the decline Of
her popularity and the WEAKNESS caused By the long
duration Of her reign.
Most Of readers we may fairly assume know who
Adelaide Rsori is. For the sake OF the few who not
let Us briefly recaptuate the main outlines of her
Born in Venetian Lombardy, about the year 1922. the
great actress is III her thirty fifth year She
educated at Rome AT a very carly age she appeared on
the stage and acted for time in the company
ached to the court OF the King OF Sardinia In 1916 she
married the Marchese del Gro and after two wears OF
matrmony returned TO the stage The effect produced
by her temperance extraordinary; and from that
time to this her has been succession Of rumphs
OF which until last night the most brilliant that had been
that achieved at Paris rather more than tweyemdth
ago:
is an Italian translation (by signor Montanel) Of NJ
Ernest Legouve sAwen known tragedy Of Medea.n We
have recently Criticised this performance that on the
present occasion we shan conine ourselves to such AZ
account Of the principal situations aud characters Of the
play may be requisite to make remarks the
Torrance Ineligible. The drama Is in three acts The
l. Corinth The time Of he action i the OF
tie nrFta q Jason (sgnor Gleck) with Creuso adle
ficclotino. The play opens with long anu sufcenty
tedious interview between Creon sgnor Tesserol Jason
and 0rpleus (Signor Boccomini) in which N. Legouve
takes occasion somewhat after the fashion Of Gothic IN his
Iphigel 10 set forth several pages of stately and
unmpeachabe vershcaton the relative claims OF the
OF action represented by Jason and the Of thought
personied in Orpheus on the retirement Of the King
the bard asks the warrior the not unnatural question:
what he is going TO do with Medeag Jason who repre-
scented throughout absolutely unmitigated scoun-
dre justiics himself 1rst by the fear inspired by Me
IDEAS hdeous crimes next by the irresistible attractions
Creusas charms Neither Is very satisfactory
the respectable and vrtuous lover Of Euydce Jason
however has time discuss the matter further and
considerably to the relief OF the audience goes OIL in order
10 encounter Ahtstor-a hoted sea rover, Who rs os
been the terror Of Corinh, and has just made fresh de-
scent the coast Creusa next appears, radent with
o. JOY OF her approaching nupas to offer her vows IN
te temple Of Diana Ere the last strains Of the hymn of
0rpheus have died away on the air, Medea with her two
sons, enter on the scene A wandarer from beyond
the seas, just arrived in Corinth, destitute and
travel worn-she bids her two boys supplicae the IA
OF the young bride Crcusa's heart won at once
TT the children and strangely attracted by the mother
ohe which follows between the two ladies Is one Of
the cally contrved in the whole play. Each
confdcs to the other in series Of revelations indefinitely
approaching but never quite touching, the fatal point
everything but the ma me Of thc man they both At
length the of Orpheus makes longer conceamen
impossible The deserted wife at recognising in the
bard former comrade OF her false lord springs upon
him with the GREATNESS question " Does he liver The
terrible Of the fascination that had drawn the two
women together is at reveaed-the wrath of Medea
bazes into furyCreusa cngs passonatey TO her love
sTo morrow she cries, che shall be my husband =
<Hc your husband-we shall See, (Et! sposo tuo-Pe
dro is the reply Of the wandering Queen, and the end
of the first act In the second the action advances but
slowly Jason returns in triumph from his victory
the sea rover-the idol of the popular enthusiasm He
has Of to face his wife In the interview he dis
plays hard hearted brutality which is not only in
fntely revolving bu. intensely improbable, and which
can only be dramatically justified on the theory that
N. Legouve has determined to represent Medea as abb
soutely driven upon her frighuul crime by the in.
man The sole thought left in Medeas soul after this
ribe interview vengeance the woman who has sup
planted her. While she is gloatng on the thought Of this
revenge Creusa herself 10 her from the fury
of the Corinhian mob whom Jason apparently has raised
against her. The conflict Of passions thus necessarily
tions-the mob finally breaks in, and Orpheus only sue
ceeds in calming them by promising that Medea shall be
compelled at once to quit corinth The third act filed
with the appalling vengeance OF the maddened queen
The venomekyei is sent 10 the doomed bride The chill
dren brokY TO the mother for last interview terri
Creusa these last sources Of her consolation are made
supreme means of her despair They prefer the soft ca
ness of the mother. They 60 The mother is lef alone
with her own despair At the foot Of tire altar Of Saturn
That obscene god
Besmeared with infants blood,
she vows terrible vengeance. The children
brought back for last adieu. The first Inn
pulse the outraged TO out her frantic
VOW and offer up Saturn the Of Jason. Yet
ment all the mother revives within her, and her
heart breaking in wild agony Of fondnees the
fruit OF her womb when suddenly the death wall Is
heard for Creusa--the fatal gift has done its work
Infatuated mob rushes in 10 fend the children from nc
grasp OF the sorceress Medca flies TO the altar the
crowd presses round--it closes intwo shrl cries of
agony are heard-the crowd falls back Shorrorsruck
and Medea stands the foot OF the altar pale with the
blood rceking knife. Jason comes, winged with ven
reance TO Stay with his hand the destroyer OF his
bride lie Is stopped by the corpses Of his sons "Ch
uccise2v Who has slain them cries the father. Tu,
is Medeas answer, she PUSHES upon Jason and the
curtain falls on her neiabc despair.
II will be at perceived that this play though
occasionally drags along with ultra classical heaviness
vet contains many passages which afford scope TO the
powers Of a great actress. Madame Rstori makes the
most Of them Her appearance singularly adapted 10
the part stately stature features strongly marked yet
finely formed, and capable alike OF expressing every
shade of transory emotion and the stormy stress Of the
more vehement passions; that range through
the whole compass Of feeling melt with pathos wther
with scorn and appal with empestuous rage-alike qua
Ify her for success part which blends in arduo
whole the passonatey fond mother the nsulDgy aban
doned wife the outraged maniac driven by the crelest
OF wrongs 10 the most terrible Of rcvenges Her first ap
pearance on the scene weary Of heart and limb she
descends from tho Of the shore TO the precincts OF