The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-14

AN ARTISTIC REyoLUrIoN-MUnc AND THE
DRAMA IN THE METRoPoIIs.--We have hereto
fore alluded to the very curious revolution in
the musical taste of the metropolis; a revolution
which set up the shrine of negro minstrelsy in
Broadway, and left the muse Of the lyric drama
to starve in Irving place; revolution which
placed New York. oreratica,ly speaking, among
the smallest Of the provincial towns, and ele-
waited Brooklyn to the rank OF first class artis-
tic metropolis. But in art and social life the
same rules which obtain in politics hold good.
After revolution comes reconstruction, and we
find that work already commenced. It was
high time that something should be done, or
we might wake up some morning and find that
all the fashionable places Of amusement had
been removed to Brooklyn Operatically, the
man Tor the crisis was Muzio, the Garlbaldi Of
the coulisses. He ventured upon grand coup
de theatre, and produced an entirely new opera,
whereupon the New York Academy again
beamed with beauty and basked in the full
blaze of metropolitan fashionable society
something so magnificent that ordinary eyes
are quite dazzled by its contemplation. While
the Academy has been, for the time being, re-
stored to Its old footing, and the nose of Brook
Ign, so to speak, dislocated, we find another
revolution and subsequent reconstruction going
on in the theatres Year after year the theatres
of New York have been given up to the French
sensation drama, comedies-more or less comic
generally less-and burlesques without wit or
point. The standard drama was laid aside, and
Shakspere SO far tabooed that manager de-
clined play because its style was too much
like the Swan Of Avon. This state of things
was brought about by the fact that the stage
was without actors capable of sustaining grand
roles like Hamlet, Richard ILL.,, Iago, Othello,
Shylock, Sir Giles Oyerreach, &C., &c. All
our young actors have been spoiled by at
tempting to initiate the muscular Metamora
school of acting; and occasionally, when man
of genius did break away from this model, his
requisites Tor the most erigeont of artistic pur-
suits were not up to the standard required by
the public. But the time had come for the reyi.
val OF the classic drama, and an actor of the
purely Intellectual school came also. Edwin
Booth-one of ourselves, an American, born in
Baltimore-stands today the representative Of
this school, the inheritor Of the mantle of Gar
rick, Edmund Kean and George Frederick
Cooke. Young Booth has strean,ej across
the theatrical armament like a brilliant
meteor and, although only at the outset OF IL
career, Is the lion Of the day. His acting has
revolutionized the theatre going public. Like
his illustrious predecessors he has recreated a
taste for the old plays, and rendered inestima
BILE services TO the drama. In England. since
the days Of Edmund Kean, there has been no
great tragedian. France has had nothing Of
the kind since Talma. Italy has Salyini now
the finest actor In Europe. Like Booth, Salyini
l. still young, and has a handsome face. grace.
full manners, and, the most important requisites
for a tragedian, wonderfully expressive eyes.
Salyini is even better than Booth in the same
style, but The two are undoubtedly the finest
tragic artists in the world indeed, the only
representatives Of the intellectual school-the
school Of Talma, Kcan, Garrick and Cooke.
Mr.. Booth gives the lie TO the old proverb as to
the honoring Of prophets in their own country. |
lie has never been abroad. His style Is origi- |
nal, and he Is an actor born, not made. lila |
vigor, intensity, grace and earnestness have |
breathed new life into the old seventeenth GEN.
fury DRAMA and be seems to have inspired the |
public with his own feeling. SO the revolution
goes on in The theatres, the opera houses and |
the social circle, as in the Senate, House ard |
The political caucus 7emporq mu'qnhg, nos r.,
,f,ior0r ~ Wis