Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-16

RistOrga Dramatic Art-Her Persona
tions Of "Giuditta" "Medea" and
"H1yrrha.v
The other day, we published some thing
about Ristori from q Florence correspondent
and add few more interesting extracts re-
spectiDg the great Italian actress;
Ristori is exaggerated. This fault Is
probably owing, and therefore partly ex-
cusable, to her almost constantly performing
before foreign audiences who have no knowl-
edge of the Italian language, and in conse-
queDce she is tempted to interpret her author
TO pantomime, which really is most wonder
full and comprehensive. Still, once resorting
to excessive action leads to a melodramatic
style, which, however acceptable to English
and French, who demand a key TO unintel-
ligible words, must necessarily be severely
criticized by Italians and those acquainted
with Italian, to whom the language is no
mystery. And when Italians object to
gesticulation, which is one Of their great
characteristics, you may be very sure that it
is more than superabundant.
Ristori is artfuE in her art and therefore
not the highest order of dramatic genius /;
nevertheless, she is probably the first ofliving
actresses. Certainly, England and America
have no one in the least comparable to her,
and her acting never fails to give infinite
pleasure. "Giuditta" and "Medea" are
considered the characters she best portrays.
The former tragedy, founded on a we'll
| known Scriptural subject, is late produc.
ducton of Giacometti, q Genoese poet, and
though it can not take a high rank in litera-
ture is very effective upon the stage. II was
written for Ristori, and therefore is adapted
to the displaying of her peculiarities.
The scenes where "Ginditta" determined to
| 90 to the camp of" Holofernes," and slay the
| arch enemy of her tribe where, upon ap-
| peariDg before him in all the splendor of her
beauty, heightened by gorgeous dressing,
she quells his anger by fascinating him with
the most marvelously assumed expression OF
seductive love; finally, where, before com
pleting her vengeance, she fears her inability
TO accomplish the self imposed deed; the
despair which overwhelms her, when upor
seizing Hol ofernes sscimetar, the o11y weapon
| upon which she can rely to execute thu
bloody work, she is unable to lift its i'm
mense weight-the unexpected appearance
of Holofernes's mistress, with the intention
of numbering her rival, whose presence hast
ened the moment of exaltation, when thi
scimetar becomes light as air, and waving
aloft, "Giuditta rushes TO the barbarian
couch and slays him-all are bits of tire
mendous acting. ..t
In Medea she depicts more varied emotion
and with equal power. Admirable are he
transitions from vengeance to love, fror
love to pRthos, and when maternal feeling
are eclipsed by lovers hate and retaliation
she looks the very personi6cation of tn
heathen tigress, "Medea"
Horribly natural is Ristori's portrayal {
"Myrrha, in Alferi's tragedy of that mos
abomiuable of heather subjects. Alferi ms
terialy alters mythology by maxim
HMyrrha" guilty in thought only. Throug
: four long acts she depicts the one dreadfi
: passion of incestuous love for her fathe
, which she struggles against, for which 81
hates herself, but to which she is doomed b
, | Venus, under. whose curse she lives and die
: When her father, "Cinyras," forces her,
: the last act, TO reveal to him the cause of hC
: mysterious suffering, and her vindictiy
} | tempter forces her to disclose her crime
these insinuating words:
: "Oh madre mia felicel almen concesso
A lei sara-di morir-al tue ianco."
(Ab, too happy is my mother at least
will be permitted to her to die by thy sidt
| the expression of Ristoris face, and her d
iivery of these two lines, positively MAJ
: | ones blood run cold; and the gesture whiS
the dying girl directed to her father, il
ploring him to conceal from her mother h
= impious revelation, was worthy of beit
q perpetuated in marble. ..,.. ...... ID.
: Notwithstanding the literary merit
. NyTrha, and Ristoris accurate conception
4 her character, the tragedy should be Danish
from the stage, for it can be productive of
!, good, and only fills the audience with horr
9 and disgust. It "a wonderful tour de yfol
=, on the part of Ristori, which must be qu
3 as repulsive to herself as to her audience.