The New York herald., 1870-10-21
ANU MENTs.

SEEBACH-ADRIBNNB LECOUvRBUR.-In spite OF
the drenchng rain storm that deluged our streets
during the earlier hours OF last evening goodly
audience assembled at the Fourteenth street theatre
to enjoy what In the sequel proved to be the grand
est triumph yet Of all that Madame Seebach has
achieved In such rapid and unbroken sue
cesslon on the New York stage. Still, the
concourse was far from what 1t should have been
with such inducements, and from what II will he
tonight, we hope, in better weather. to witness q
performance which takes the sourest criticism cap.
tive
In saying what we have said above we know that
we incur the momentary suspicion OF those
who have not personally witnessed Madame See-
bach's efortthat we yield too readily TO tho kndlier
promptings OF the heart rather than to deliberate
and dispassonate Judgment In oraer to escape
this charge. at once and forever, we have but to
refer to the candor Of every skilled and competent
eye witness. We have commended Madame See
bach's art IRON the first. We were charmed with
her Margaret; we felt her power grow In Mario
Stuart; we were surprised and spellbound by her
Louisa Miller; we wept with her Mathilde,
and we deemed 1t almost impossible
that she could plume her pinions to any
higher night. But we can and we must, IN simple
truth, aillrm that no American audience ever saw
Legouve's great historic drama OF "Adrienne Le-
couvreurn so completely rendered as 1t was last
night with the German tra0edienne in the title role
And this We say with Rachel Ristori, Miss Daven-
memory The Theatre Franeais, the Hor the
ater at Vienna, La Scala at Milan and
the classic boards OF former years In New
York may have seen greater grouping OF stage
adjuncts upon special occasions, but they never
thrilled TO noDier inspirations In their proudest
holr.
TO repeat the argument OF sAdrienne Lec0uvreur''
to American readers were needless, frequently 1t
has already been set forth to thcm Suffice 1t to re-
Of
the Eighteenth century, and Maurice OF SAKE
its baSins Mars in warikc nac acEIeyemenyy eeaey
and Its Hercules IN physical prowess are the lead
Ing characters, upon whose mutual loves and their
misiortunes, wrought by the jealousy OF princess
at the gay French court, the plot OF the drama
hinges. From the first scene to the last the arrange
Fourteenth street company last night sur
passed all that they have previously attempted.
cuiiarly favorable mood OF mind and health
and she was carefully, conscientlously ably and
therefore admirably sustained throughout. The
freshness brightness and spirit OF the work re-
minded us OF those brilliant nights the glow and
perfume OF which are still in the memory and cling
to the published sentences Of the accomplished
critics OF French German, Italian and English his
trtonic literature whose pen pictures relnspired
their native artists on the stage and were reflected
on the canvas and in the precious marbles OF their
country's museums and palaces. Would that we
possessed their magic gt
Mile. Veneta revived her Vlenn0se triumphs as the
Princess de Bouillon, the powerful and reckless
latter part Mr. Dombrowski did better than we had
yet seen hum play; Mr. Brinkmann as the Prince
was excellent; Miss BiSsinger as the Duchess
d'Aumont recalled the classic evenings OF tue
Stuttgart stage in personal attraction, dress,
utterance and movement, and the minor parts
some or them trying Ill the extreme-were smoothly,
yet vigorously given. Among these the character
OF the gallant and gosspping Able, by Mr.. Kraus,
deserves especial cOmmendation. But Adrienne
filed the stage-rising, from scene to scene and act
to act, III feryor, grace and force. Her costumes
We're superb, combining richness with exquisite
ntn m Qrpa NH q
gradations which are OF themselves an intel
lectuai achievement. In the third act and
III the fourth the love scenes were surprisingly
beautiful. and the denunciatlon Of the Princess by
Adrenne in her recitation from Phadra was equal
bic poison scene and death climax OF the fifth act
that Nine. SeeDach won transcendant triumph
tnat none who Deheld 1t can fail to recall through
their lives hereafter as something where common
art and mental endowments sink abashed and in
competent even to describe. 1t was no longer act
ing; 1t was nature, touching, subduing, heartrend-
ing. terrible In beauty and agony. Nature and art
were both at their oftest and best and utterly
blended In the crucible Of the mind. AS Lessng
wo Kunst sich in Natur verwandelt,
Da hat Natur init Kuns gehande.
But, when In the midst of the din OF the great
city, with the storm raging outside; the news OF
clashing and falling empires; OF beleaguered and
bombarded cites OF battles lost and won; Of perish
ing thousands stricken down by fire, famine and
the sword; with the great black shadow OF appalling
celestial and terrestrial phenomena resting over
all--an awe and silence so profound that they
may be felt descend upon brilliant throngs In an
Illuminated tneatre-when such q silence and such
speccnless emotion are imposed by the counterfeit
prescntment OF human sOrrows long gone by In an
other land and age, and each hearers heart thr0bs
and trembes aud at last stands still to the artists
gasp and whispered word, the power that rules
such scene Is welded only BY transcendant and
immortal genius Such was the death passage last
night In ''Adronne LecOuvreur."
Tonight the taste and intellect OF New York may
again judge, In the repititlon of this magnificent
effort, whether we have honestly said one syllable
too much. on Saturday, at matinee, the eturac.
Non Will be Marie Stuart" and this Is the last
week but one OF Madame Seebach in the metropolis.