The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-09-21

"roto remarked with surprss ana gralncaton after IN
performance was over, our New YSrk audience applaud
ea insnctivey as u were the very sages on whic
Paris ana London, Madrid Rome and g. .fesersour
had more deliberately, perhaps but not less decs.Yoiy
set the seal Of tier appreciation.
We 30 not hesitate to record the impression made
upon our New York aadence last night that Risiou a.
Medel has nearly approximated the antique idea
OF the character presented By Eurpdes and Apollo
MUS, than b. Legouye himself the author or the
tragedy had yentured to give t. Her regal 'front.' the
wonderful mobility Of her expressive Counenance, her
majestic port, Ike that or exed queen, 70 use the
words Of Crensai her picturesque costume, designed
II is said, by the great actor AIRY schencr; her
voice now soft zephyr and a
storm o. passion, fearful and trembling sonorous
and thrilling az clarion, and her nmitable acting lent
eloquencc and force to her peraonaon or Mcdea-tho
Medea who i not only fond and deserted wife, tender
and devoted mother, jealous woman she might have
been IN land, but who Is also barbarian fred
with passionate love for her Argonautc lover, and i'm
PEELED not only by that love but By the uros themselves
by the fate Impending all old Greek tragedies 10
the commission or crime after crime in order to
piish her purposes almost without remorse at least
with no modern sentiment OF duty Surely thus
explained aud rendered by Rslor, Medea is
more terrible and less odious well more
truly antique tnan II ordinary love and leal.
onsy OF modern limos had alone inspired her
Yet human nature the all countries
And how thoroughly the woman Il Ristoris Medea
The Argonaut her love, as she tells Creusa not
otherwise than he won that OF the daughter OF Creon
To the barbarian girl OF Chochs no less than the
Greek girl OF Corlnth, we may say Modoa says to
Creusa, ia, cor al donna. Thou hast womaus heart
Her distress and anxiety deserted wife wandering In
search Of her husband hor devotion to her children,
stronger she eyclaIms, ''than her hate, h9
womany jealousy OF Creusa nay her yengeful determ
nation 70 strike at her fathess husband through his
dearest anections-he loves Crousa Meleantnus and
Lyenon--A M Ire mi bc nuord-n all three he shall
die-all these traits true to nature a. Il dirc
fatality had not oyerhung Medea transporting her into
the heroic ages Or paganism.
French critics have complained that Mr. Tegouve has
not used language sufficiently Characteristic OF the heroic
ago that his less poetic than prosaic But
Ristori beahes line the very soul Of poetry
and Astounding nature, and fires i with her splendid
imagination Her elocution Is the very poetry speech
some Of the critics OF her earlier performances at
Paris we remember profcssed to fear at rst that Nine
Ristor would have to 30 damned with faint praise a.
Erecting well but dressing il'-as exaggcrating tho
effects OF her pantomme and yielding lar to
the mpetuosty Of her nature 'to mako
false verses by cutting on adding a word
here and herc,-a fault which they ayorred would be
objectionable even in Rachel But Europe Inns long
since got brayely any apprehension % being
strained 10 s'cr,cizo1 this tragcdenne whom America
welcomed last night and unrcseryedly nppauded,
tho greatest 10 the world