, 1866-10-14
RfHtorisa u Ju1tth.ss

tfFom INC NcW 1cfk lftnpNe, October TO-
Aner gazing upon Eorgconsly brilliant
East and comment upon the pale blinking OF
a newly awakened uloan. The two must be
I.slarncd By total darkness before the poetry
and grace, the silycry beauty and majesty OF
Diana's symbol can be properly appreciated.
We make this preface with no ain, whatever
at "f,De writing" but simply because We
/ approach The subject OF Judith with Our eyes
| put out by the dazzling glare Of Elizabeth" :"
We have said that, as Far AZ ,ndtrri1i Gtrn4us.
Judith IS quite as effective Il play but
| It is hardly necessary to add. that
when the uaterial Of the two Is compared.
the pattern Of the latter looks exceedingly
scant. A t0rchlfght procession Is an im{s,s-
Ing spectacle of very dark night the moon
Is beautiful when the sun dues not shine, but
withthe coming Of dawn these things that
because Of the omnipotent and otnni ipfesent
light Ristori's Elizabeth IS likewise sui
Qtner. II h 30 tremendous that everything
Immediately preceding and succeeding IS
ways BE- Ut its zenith; perpetual hiyhvatc1
mark would mean stagnation. We caunot
be eveTlastingly thrilled by Elizabeth: and
II we were, there would soon be An end to
sensation. With this lecture to our EMO
grateful for ali that ii gives Us.
In Elizabeth sot}ours Elixabeth-Ristori Ii
unexceptionable. In Judith she is not
equally great There arc times when she
lets herself down fFom the pedestal thigh.
she arc capable. Regarding Ristori as tho
one great tragic actress living, We always
judge accordingly. This Is the ordeal to
which only genius Of the first order can b
subjected. and II Ristort d ,es not paas
: through it uuscathcd it will merely pruvo
that even she Is r3i pcrfer:. What mortal
fe! Rtstorfs Shortcomings In Judith are
none but such as are easily rerned1ed. No
one but herself, for whom the part was writ
and We feel confident that at present Rtstor5
fe not up to her own standard. No art can
master physical indisposltlop, even thasgh
1t be temporary cold.
Rttoris entrance, descending the mouu-
tains TO meet her expectant people, Is very
fuc. And what picture she Is In that pur.
pie and black drapeFy with her own bark
brown hair hlling about her ehonllerst 1t
Is not the same woman We have seen hereto
fore. 1t Is Judith but We see more of RIs.
tori for the reason that the chatacte. reces-
states no aTtiflce whatever. She ID Indeed
ful to behold"
"h d09erda, g Glnaitta nj ..omp1ss
Half the battle is fought and won br Der.
sonxl appearance. 'Judi,h. the daughter OF
Merari, weakened him (llolofcrnes,l with the
beauty Of her counteuance. Her sandals
rasished her eyes" II is immense praise to
say thut Ristori fully fills out our conception
Of the wonderful Hebrew woman. Fer re-
latlon In the FIRST act OF how sue discovered
the spriug which is to bring g1adnesd to Is
rael, u beautifully rendered aud as she falls
upon her knees III gratitude to tod, there Is
the reality, Of worship in her voice and eyes.
Her scene With Gothonicl Is excellent, and
her exit nobly statuesque
The great moment If the second act Is
when lntcatly listening to her hand-.na.ien's
recitation lEoln The sacred books Of how Jacl.
= Thousand crowns by the driving ofa nall,
!ndsth !,1 becomes more and moro excited un-
til. Inspired At the thought Of herself being
az instrument In the hauds Of the Deity, she
,nat Wah ds religious ecstacy joins her voice with
her rcad'ng OF the Scriptures. Were all
those who ascend the pulpit as fine inter
prefers Of the book to which thci1 lives are
deYoted, there would BE- larger and more de-
ssY so11 eonEhigatso1 r.. Lot as We arc to
II enthusiastic. VIC yet think Ris-
tod employs too much pantomime, when.
aiter examining herself III the glass, pleased
at the thought that her beauty may be the
/ rroaches her nuptlal robes and gaxes at Them,
The whole intention Is too much Indicated
for character Of such dignity, aud tn Eact
for any character without the limits of purelv.
pantoa'tmic acting. THIS fault is probably
Ristofi's constant performance to foreign an
diences. Iheis Ignorance of the italian Ian
Kuage tempts her to interpret her words b.
the most inteltigible action. Still It is not
right. Even Italians have shaken their heads
~ III ana ndrn1nh wnea shey xlth Thom ges.lcnla
pantoaime. you may rest assured tha, It Is
superabandant. 'Tis but spot upon thu
sun; nevertheless, the critic Is forced to use
tho telescope and note this spot.
II is N the thard act that Judith puts on
the ulornsostssima E6rea." Ristori's ewes
sparkle with strange ioy." This d sbr ~
whom the Apocryphal Ho1ofernes said:
There Is not such 4 woman from one cnd
Of the earth to the other, both 6r beauty Of
face and wisdom Of words" The eve u
thoroughly satisfied. and and Ristori's act
ing is as nne as it we'll can tc. PitT shines
through power as the alave Arzacie, ~eevins
teare Of anger, stoops to kiss her sandals ia
obedience to the will Of Ho!ofornes- Horror
u depicted On Ristori's lace as the '.tes7ib1e
monster groclaims himself king, high
she throws into the words, "uiw.
nlss. serpent, ! an not Eve. will crush
than anether's ciamorous outcr5. The man.
ntr In which she exelafMs, as Holofernes an
prosches her, .'Judith's kiss thou shalt have
thou shalt hase it Tomorrow" and The
action attendant upon the words *tdo,a1n
" s*+r NItc oApCIU III fEE8l eEUfu. The
agony which she undergoea When Holofernes
seixes her hand, the concentrated yepgeance
OF her
"Eio rednlF'
and the ine1pressible joywhich 1Ightsup her
conntenanee when Vagao enters, and, for the
lofernca' passion. arc ali masterly. So. toa.
1Ie the quick trans1tious Of assumed bland,
ishneats and real terror, which p1ay like the
Lightning I|s5tE over her 1.ee xhen she submits to
noloisrnes. emh'ace in the presence Of Els
when On her knees she QuelIs Holoferrcs' au.
ger against Elfakim, By fascinating him with
a marvellous expression Of seductive love.