Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-11-03

rope to speak of great Prima Donnas, Actresses
and Dancers not as Madame, Miss, Mademoiselle,
&C., but as "the,") is in every respect great
singer, tragic and lofty. She is also the Court
singer, and has some tremendous title; the sum
and substance of it all is that she sings at the
private soirees and entertainments Of the royal
family. For two months she has been in retire
ment studying the role of Judith, in anew opera
of that name by Naumaun, the royal music di-
rector in Berlin. This work is to be produced
on the first of October, with Madame Ney as
Judith and Herr Mitterwurzer as Holofernes; !;
it is very highly spoken Of and Dresden is again
on tip toe.
Speaking Of actors and actresses, let me again
revert 10 the evening of which my former cpis-
tie treated. Before the rising of the curtain,
all eyes were directed to box, in which sat no
one but an elderly lady-a woman of apparent
ly sixty. This turned out to be Madame Schro-
der-D -Deyrient, the immortal Schroeder Devrient,
who fifteen or twenty years ago was the great
est singer and actress in Europe. She was also
the most beautiful and most dssipated woman
Time has dinmed her naughtiness, but alas it
has dimmed also her voice and her beauty !
Between the first and second acts this lady was
joined by Madame Unger-Sabatier and Joanna
Wagner, two Berlin stars of the first magnitude,
after which the box in question disputed with
Rienz Irene and Adriano the attention Of the
audience.
Of the actors, will mention only two. and
they, without eny manner Of doubt, the greatest
living, Emil Eevrient and Boguml Dawson.
Who could SD them without deploring the want
of universal language? Devrent is of alami
ly distinguished for ages past in the dramatic
annals of Germany, and like Ticha%ehcck, now
an old man, but as elegant and youthful in ap-
pcarancc as was ever D'Orsay. He plays only
in tragedy, or in very serious and elevated parts.
Dawson, on the contrary, plays in every thing,
from Richard the Third and Faust down to the
veriest farce and equally we'll in all. The latter
is Polish Jew and one, who, i'll "sifting odt"
of his tribe "among all nations" has fallen into
wonderfully convenient berth. His Richard
III, Shylock and Mephistophles are presentations
which not only rise above all criticism, but
make the spectator question himself if lie be Of
the same species with the sublmcly gifted man
before him. The acting Of Dawson and Devricnt
is not acting it is the impulse of fine genius, of
subtle intellect, Of noble soul. They are men
to yenerate! Very lately, theyappeared together,
which ifss not Bstofe hsppshsssd, N seHfItef's
"Don Carlos" one Of the most powerful and
popular Of the great poets works. A drama
founded upon the sad and interesting history of
Don Carlos, son Of Philip Second OF Spain, who
after being betrothed TO the beautiful and viru-
Gus Elizabeth of Valois whom he SO ardently
loved, saw her become tue wife Of his hoary
father, and was forced to dwell beneath the same
roof with her and to call her mother. Dawson
played the norose, bigoted, superstitious Philip,
noble however in some respects, ever struggling
between lis good and evil impulses, and ever
yielding to tie evil. And Devrient, the young
and enthusiastic Marquis Posa, high souled
knight of Malta, without selfish thought, and
burning with plans for the good Of his fellow
men; he dies for his friend, the unfortunate and
blighted young Carlos, and even at this price
cannot save him. What roles and how rendered! !!
Twill add in closing that the plays of our
revered Shakespeare, those at least which are
brought upon the stage, are translated into Ger
man in manner which leaves nothing to wish
for. Indeed the tra1lslators are Schiller and
Scllegel. j. I. B.