Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-01-25
Fschter's Debut.

From number of criticisms of the
great French-English actors debut up
on the American stage, we select the
following from the last number Of
Wilkes Spirit of the Times, as per-
haps the most discriminating and re-
liable:
Marked as are the excel
Iencies of his style, they do not entitle
INN to the rank of the most highly
cultivated and polished artist. The
most emphatic beauties which his ac-
ting displays, are due rather to physi-
cal poetry, if we may be allowed 10
characterize a splendid muscularity
and a certain Vehemence of action by
that term, than to intellectual insight.
What has been called picturesque
ness" in Mr.. Fechter is the wonderful
grace of gesture and Significance and
beauty of motion, nothing more, and,
ample as these things are, and cover
ing as they do his impetuous roles
with that glamour which always has,
ALWAYS will, accompany intense phys
ical action in which power and grace
are blended, their effect is transltory
and to a highly intelligent audience
unsatisfactory, if left to themselves.
We need only look at the roles seiec-
ted by this actor TO understand his pc
culiar capabilities. "ltuy Bias"
'The Lady of Lyons" and The
Dukes Motto" to go no farther, have
this one element of physical action in
common. When we say they are
equally romantic, we mean that they
deal with certain manly qualities
which can be best expressed by ac-
ton. In each of the plays Mr.. Fech-
ter tvrannizes in a fine way over the
suscsptibilities. He conquers the eye
at once, and then leads captive the
other senses in less certain security.
No play could so well demonstrate
this as "Ruy Bias" In the mixture
of French and English peculiarities of
information and emphasis jar upon the
esr; his voice, musical enough in its
quality, is, nevertheless. pitched up
on too high key, and his face left TO
the expression OF the subtler and soft
er emotions gives no indication of its
mobility and strength OF character.
Nor is there anything in his treatment
of the commonplace incidents of the
nality or the delicacy of his concep-
tion. 1t is only in the exciting exi-
| gencieS Of the later acts that he gives
US his best qualities in quick success
sion, and even then the dictiOn, the
| thought itself is lost sight. of in one
paramount and vividly apparent pur-
! pose of his action. So eloquent and
! elegant is this action that We follow it,
as 1t We're, with our ears closed, and
/ forgetting, i'm a sort of visual intOXi-
cation, al minor and verbal defects,
give ourselves TO the magnificent Wis
| ion of animation, i'm which the pas
| siOns Whirl in d new beauty OF virile
! meaning, and all that is sentiment be-
! comes wholly pictorial. There are
! certain situatiOns-Such, for instance,
/ as the slatching of the sword and the
| subsequsnt declaration OF vengeance
which i'm Mr.. FechteF's acting affect
an audience much In the same man
ner as the imprisoned elOquence OF
a stump orator. And here we find the
causes 10 be identical. Earnestness in
both cases is the firebrAnd which lights
enthusiasm. Mr.. Fechter'5 earnest
ness mounts to q passion, and in tht
| widest moments OF his lmpersona'
ton there is that sympathetic or po.
etical relation between his purpose
and his physical manifestation, which
is the most perfect form of gestulatlcn
| French as this style of acting is, ii
approaches nearer to the American
tvDe as we have seen ii in such exam.
ples OF crude strength as Forrest, Cush,
man, Weston aud Heron, than any
thing which ever before emanAteC
from England; but it is CLOSED by al
instructive, artistic sense of discretion
and harmony, and made pleasant 10y
a valuble delicacy which never ap
peared in the outbreaks OF our Owl
untamed geniuses.