The New York herald., 1868-06-27


her departure to-day for Europe after two dra-
m stic seasons of unexampled success in
America. Her first appearance at New York, in
'tMedea, on the Goth Of September, 1866, was
an event in the annals Of the American theatre,
and her last appearance, in elizabeth, on the
26th of June, 1868, will be equally memorable.
Madame Ristori has given three hundred and
forty-nine representations in the United States,
Canada and Cuba. She has been spplauded
in New York, Brooklyn, Newark, Boston,
Springfield, Lowell, Providence, Hartford,
New Haven, Albany, Troy, Utica. Syracuse,
Rochester, Buffalo, Erie, Philadelphia,
Harrisburg, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Columbus,
Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee, st.
Louis, Indianapolis, Louisville, Memphis,
Mobile, New Orleans Richmond, Baltimore
and Washington; in Montreal, in Guanabacoa,
Marianao, Cardenas, Matanzas and Havana.
She has appeared sixty-two times in "Marie
Antoinette,' sixty-seven times in MARY
Stuart" and ninety times in elizabeth"
Her repertoire has consisted of "Medea,"
''Mary Stuart" elizabeth, ''Giuditta,
'sPhedra," Macbeth" "Adrienne Lecou-
vreur," ''Pia de Tolomei, Debora, Gamma.
s'Myrrha," ''Angelo," ''Tiran di Padua,"
'Jean dare" Francesca di Rimini, ''Marie
Antoinette," ''Norma," ''Sor Teresa" 81
Pazzi per Progetto," Lies Jaloux Henreux,"
''Rossini Parigi," ''Cuoco Segretario,"
''Tramonto del Sole,' and LA Cole
rica." She has played in all these pieces at
New York, except the last four, which were
a scene from which was given at Chicago.
We need not repeat the eulogies which we
have constantly bestowed upon Ristori ever
since, at her first appearance in New York, she
awakened public enthusiasm by her transcend
ent genius. Our opinion of the versatility and
the intense power of her genius has been uni
versally endorsed. Even the obscuring veil OF
foreign language could not hide the pro-
digious talent Of the most gifted and most
accomplished living actress; and our American
public has exhibited in its turn the remark
able talent of appreciation for which we have
always given it credit, Our people see and ad-
mire instinctively genius Of the highest order.
They are yearly becoming more capable of con-
ferring fame as we'll as fortune upon the very
best artists that the Old World can produce.
Ristori, indeed, brought to this country a name
celebrated throughout Europe; but she would
have won here only q mere success of
curiosity as the French call it, had our people
been incapable OF deciding that she worthiy
ad har hr;II;a nj ro,,,to
Moreover, certain circumstances, independ-
ent of the personal merits of Ristori, have CON
tributed to the immense success which she has
won Her first arrival in New York was
an eventful and peculiarly unlucky career,
Italian opera, az an agency to promote taste
for entertainments Of high order and to
multiply the refining influences Of elegant
social life, had utterly failed Our readers
are familiar with the history Of the vain efforts
to establish Italian opera in this city-a his
tory almost entirely Of losses, disaster and
ruin, from the days of Palmo through
those of Patti -Sanguirico and Fry and
Maretzek excepting the brief period
his early promise might not prove de-
lusive); and tho Havana troupe. under
Marty, from the Tscon, when such names as
Salvi, Marini. Badiali, Bossio, Stefanone and
Tedesco did not prevent loss of forty thou
sand dollars; and Hackett, who lost twenty
thousand dollars even with Gris and Mario;
and Ole Bull, and Maretzek again. aud Ull-
mann, and Strakosch, down to the dark days
of folly and impudence on the part of Max
Maretzek and his one hundred and ninety nine
and half stockholders, who fell into silly
struggle with the press resulting fatally but
naturally enough for the Italian opera and its
self-constituted supporters.
At this desperate crisis in the affairs of the
Italian opera, and at q moment, too, when the
legitimate drama seemed to be at its lowest
ebb Ristori arrived in New York and inaugu.
rated a healthy reaction against the depressing
influences which threatened the American
stage. Her consummate acting at once opened
the eyes OF the public and enlisted their sym
pathies. High dramatic art was again in tis
ascendant. The theatre, which, in It's degrada,
ton, was fast being deserted by persons Of c'al
ture and responsibility, was again thronged b.
them. The entire community has been snp
piled with loftier standards Of taste by th,s ex
cellent impersonations of Ristovi, whose nrify
ing and elevating influence will directI y and
we trust, permanently affect the Arnerica
stage.
| II detracts nothing from the nAerits {
Ristori 10 add that her success, which ha
aided in the reconstruction, as IL we re, of th
American stage, is also largely due, to the ski
full and energetic management Of Mr.. Graz
To the lack Of superior manage ment must b
ascribed the failure In America of Rache
| Notwithstanding all her indisIyutable geniu,
and the more recent failure of Janauschel
the admirable German hogstkenna Janaus
| oboL II.