The sun., 1870-02-15
FECHTER As HAMLET.
The Great Foreigner Compared with the
Great American Traaedian.

The Great Fortianer Compared Win the
Great American Tragedian.
Last night, Mr. Fechter appeared for the first
time In the r6k OF Hamlet at Nibos Garden, and
much expectation gaped round its crowded walls.
The feeling, which seemed 10 be one rather OF
curiosity and pleasurable anticipation, was for
moment satisfied. As the parting or tho front scene
opened the court TO view, Mr. Fechter was discov-
erod dressed as q Dane, with . profusion OF that
yellow or rather Titian-tinted hair Inscribed to
the scandinavians, and with o very inky robe
dress so peculiar OF once 10 seperate him TO the
eye from any other Hamlet seen on our stage, md
which might give him a certain advantage in wear
ing that dreamy, impractical look which II is more
difacult TO associate with dark complexion. The
dress was doubtless strictly and his personnel
Is entirely in keeping with Horisrs description OF
himself but thous HASA perfect master oppose, and
o all the articles OF his art matter OF statucsque,
even his presence was not so picturesque nor did he
realize by any means 10 the same degree az Edwin
Booth the poetic ideal OF Hamlet His fathers por.
trait hung from his neck, but the sorrow which
should rest beneath IT, and which In Edwin Booths
personatlon was so pictorally expressed in the
taddened lAssitude OF grief with which he poses
himself In the chair placed at the foot Of the
throne TO receive him, not there. The eIterLas
we're exqulsiteiy portrayed, but there was not
few moments OF action gave q key to the whole OF
the spirit which ran through the play
down to the minutest details. His nrst
dialogue with tho Kina and Queen. his impatence
during the exhortaon Of the King the peculiarly
courtly and significant air with which. with glance
at him. he replies to bis mothers wish, al shall
in oil my best obey vou madam" were most
effective pieces Of stage business, but
the answers did not rise carclessly they should
from the abstraction OF mind engaged within itself
In meditation, as " weary OF such interrupuon
and unwilling TO be disturbed, and which
relapses again into its realms OF thought.
The manner OF his being len alone
on the stage here as indeed, all tile stage business
showed q perfect knowledge OF the legerdemsin,
and let us even say the graces, OF his art.
But clever hits OF business cannot constitute
Hamlet. His performance was o pure
piece OF mosaic acting, and not equal In exquisite
ness OF picture even at that to Mr.. Booths, and
wanted entirely the glowing current OF life
beneath. He glided on . pair OF highly pol
isted French skates over the surface OF
the character, but never broke through 10
the deep currents beneath. The ceiebrated dia.
logue delivered when len thus alone was perhap.
the most fauliless delivered through the night. II
was here, however, q weakness impossible to speak
OF without tenderness STEPPING In. No who loves
ART can fAl 10 tympatnlxc win fechtere gallant ef
fort to master . language to which he 10 an alien,
and with the remarkable success which attended It,
In Henri de Leodrders in the Dukes Motto"
where the dialogue Is quick and sharp, and which
really might Just as effectively be played a. a pan
tomime, his pecnliarity OF accent was not only
psrdonablc. but even Interesting. But the
strong, splendid, vigorous tongue OF Shakespeare
cannot be served up in frittcrs. Mr.Fechtor 10 on
this aceount wholly incapable OF conveying the force
OF shskespeare's thought, especially In those pas
sages In which he breaks nom his meditativcs moods
into bursts OF passion. Still at times the delivery is
marked by many subtle and exquisite variations, In
the scenes which follows with Narcezus and Roraao
and the Ghos the same incapsety TO enter into the
spirit OF the character Is evident Though the con.
eepton Vs. considered purely OF ITSELF rsansa and
wen studied French one. Mr.. Feohter does not seem
to have caught the Scandinavian sense Of commun.
ion with the ghost world does lie show, hear
ing the GhoN any OF the awed Of the supernat
ural that IS essential part OF Hdnlsrs character
The illusion OF the Ghoa was, however, perfect, and
Mr.. Fcchters attitude n he listens to the
tale Of horror admirable, as 9 piece OF sta
tuesque pose and the "res, rest perturbed spirit"
as many OF the shorter passages were spoken with
most touching eject. lie does not In the amer
scenes however, exhibit the relief from the long ten
sion OF the mind In the Interview with his father or
what may be termed the subsdence OF passion. or
show the rising struggle In his breast between
hundred conflicting and hiek-eoming thoughts as to
how he Is TO carry out his fathers injun ctions
Hamlet great In thought, most weak in
action. To Mr.. Fechter action Is everything While
Rachel as is the way with most great orators ard
authors, raised an arm only to point q paslon and
let 1t languidy fall to express the depressing depths
| OF sorrow, Fechtcr seems like a fan,occini ngure
without a moments repose He Is full Of novel bits
| OF business. some Of which have no recommenda.
| ton but novelty, and which no more illustrate the
poetic spirit Of character like Hamlet than do the
little curious corkscrew curls the forehead OF a
lovely girl illustrate the beauty OF her person or the
| spirituality Of her mind.
| The scenes with FOi0nius VIC desire to commend
as most specially good. Fechter rather smiles at his
| tedious prosness, and playfully waves him q one
| side instead Of like many other Hamlets insulting
| hin; and even In the interview with OJ,hsliG
though Fecter adopts the idea that his action Is d.
| rected by his knowledge that there are caves
| troopers hstenng, preserves, under the apparent
| rudenese OF his words, the grace OF manner OF a
| conrtier Indeed all the elegant comedy which
| belongs TO Hamlet Il played with n charm
| ing French polish, and he never loses for
| moment q sense OF the dignity aud Rentleness
| which should belong to prince. The Performance
| "a one not only to be seen as matter OF curiosity
but in higher point Of view an effort fresh from
school All the details seems entirely the result Of
his own Thought. The piece placed on the stage
with aibeTaty htness ana grace Of pictorial effects
and appliances which, considering the short time
permitted Tor preparation, reflect great credit the
management, and the company were OF more than
al lnFQ aIa