New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-10-15
" pHEDRA r-RACHEL AND RSToRL


Euripides Seneca and Racine goodly amount Of
intellect TO have bowed down before the revolving character Of
pb cdra and exalted the first rank in dmatic erature
tn tho tragedy of the first do the tragedy OF the last
c poine very honestly tells us that Eurphc from whom
he likewise borrowed ideas for his tragedies oil lpgen ana
He tells MS he il not aonhed that Phedra should
have had an In It's Greek dress nor t
shoud nave been well by modern france because ts
character possesses all the qualities Aristotle considers neces
say the making Of stage heroes II has uS yus OF eS
aud wrote very beautiful French Dut iHicc hleu nay
century ago; the foundations Of compassion anu o hass
undergone much alteration then Nous dt0 chdege t
cela Modern eyes and ears have no sympa,! WIN Ms
severely classical drama particularly ~e da d eo t ss
eral stills in togas and sandals and the long po specns
Peon is Piled upon Ossa By the dcneation suc ncc
passion Phedra is the victim o. we OF he
century arc very much preudiced of nature Phera
is far removed from nature mythology from iaet ana X
in Paris where the smooth flowing rhythm Of Racine bes APP
Rachel capable y his masterpiece paatabe how
be expeesed that should enthusiastic over kasns
does herself tho least Justice IL what Rachel AID herself %.
Until now we have purposely avoided drawing
necessity or even We woudas think
OF comparing the colos of the rainbow Preferences people
will have according natural constitution. Some like blue
best others yellow but who Is to decide which is the finest
color Both necessary Rachel and Iistor are to us as
black and white could do without either One as IN
dspensabe TO Art the other they fill different inches In
the great dramatic Pantheon and receive different offerings
II Only when attempts TO take the Others place il NOS
until black would call itself white that forced TO emerge
from an armed neutrality and nge o1lsevs: On ~ ~, ne, s
willingly because we have remarked tendency to under
Rachels ability When the lion is dead requires very
little courage kick him. We not among those who.
when visiting Raches tomb leave their cards at the iron door,
but among those who her the first art revelation
OF fist YOUTH this later day cannot play false to the grand
lesson then and there received
1t ayas little TO say that Partisan critics have placed Rs.
tors Phedra equality and in advance Of Ras
chefs Though Paris when impartial is the worlds art uIn'
pre its critics capable of malice and oil unchar.
tabcness those of elsewhere;
Of Jules Janin open sesame TO the truth AT the time
that Rstor appeared in the French capital Rachel was prso-
ally exceedingly unpopular Almost every member OF the press
at with her and nothing but her unenabe genius
which was too well known and felt to fear attack prevented
the newspapers from tearing her to pieces and leaving not
wreck belind. All that could be done to Recliels
professional injury done and loudcst among
her detractors was Jules Janin, the who
had previously been most enthusiastic in her praise HIS ci.
cns therefore are worthless Either he was wrong INST or
last and being wrong one way or the other not to bs
Rachel that io months he attempted TO make rams DeIe'e IN
the Phefre Of Madcmoiselc Maxine actress who ater
struggling for years the and receiving no recog-
ton IRON the public LEFT the classical drama to Rachel and De
came the proprietor OF hotel gar Yet Janl conscious OF
The very sight OF her reveals the woman who eourageous
energetic passionate beyond She does NOT
she does not decam she acts We have found FEsfrs
last Go and her and applaud her go and defend
projections she is left her true instincts &C. Mademoi-
Jann succeeded nothing but in backenng his forever.
When Risior appeared however was different nerg
against the dounecng So good opportunity
more arlcnty embraced by entire critical fraternity and
the great Italian became the goddess Of their oat They
admired Rto but they hated Rachel more and dashed their
former deity the shoulders Of their more recent one
Beautiful great in many things equally at home in tragedy
charming Lsori the only rival Rachel had superb
les were quite ready to declare her Phra the equal u
RacheIs In their hearts they knew better.
Rachel was Phefe-Ristor Elizabeth Rachel could have
done Elizabeth better than dsor does Phra probably
well for Rachel did not understand comedy R9ches
physique emeny fitted her for the portrayal of Greek charae-
ter Drapey hung upon her hangs upoa ether human
being her head classic her wonderful eye burned with
the old Greek he Her ngy Of figure made Ter the more
like Pheire She incrnated the character
Jgi qsga al eeSt dan, e, lsI -, Sa'' i'' L'"'"
"O6jst iqiortsn< aesr eageasee, eeteiten"
burnt ont by the fire of awful passion She was Greek and
Gcted hike Pagan There nothing Of to-day about her,
did not walk did take the stage by much and
o by action and geSiieuaton She could not and preserve
her character She held attention by her magnetism by her
concentration Of power by the wonderful art she put
only cling that Psse caa excite when sand done When
not randy done il is failure 1t must be Rachel dd IT, Or
entered in Act H. Scene and caught first glimpse OF Hippo
lytusi
JoEblie en- ie royast &C que Je ri<us IEi DIRE
Even the miserable Autographs representing her at this
have retained somewhat Of that marvellous expression
From last she succeeded in putting 600 years between
the audience and the stage and in spite Of yourself IN spite OF
the thoroughly repugnant nature OF the creature before YOU
you ovepowered by great work OF something a
entirely created by Rachel and requiring actresla
greatest intellectual effort conceive 1 hardly diff
cut produce intricate harnonies upon harp of string
than put life and reality that fearful monotone OF Phfa
and her one idea
Rachel was satuesquc Ristor is picturesque In PhDdr
where posing than other character
RsOri does less OF il than usual We remember her
wildly at any one particular moment as In her other roles
She Grcek-she does look like Her large and
splendid physique bears traces OF consuming passion.
She noble type of an aianshe Rome in regal attire.
in voice in manner She is IistOri than lave
before We know that the Greeks given Ia
much action. Rston INDUCES in it to unusual extent Sas
brings PhRda down 10 modern times and makes her
human that longer recognize the sister of Arne tho
of Thcscus the daughter that PaSiphas.
We confused We do know what IL is witness.
ing The line firmly drawn between the past and prescnt
the art is there! At times particularly in the fourth net,
Rsto has moments that fire nexpesslon and ntonation.
but whole the part suited 10 her She is warning
against her instincts With her Pha tours De force,
something that she does not from love but because is tho
difficult role the and therefore 20 be nouled in
her repertoire With Rachel it second nature and with
Rachel believe PhoiTe has breatled its last breath
The greatest genius be uneQuaed in everything He
lucky who make character his Rst0 has done
this and She is iyersay gifted than any actress
whom have read Of she afford 10 have