New-York tribune., 1871-09-21
THE DRAMA.
NIBLO's aARDxN-cARL The rrppLxR.

A somewhat abrupt transition from folly and
extrsvaeance TO and simplicity has beou ads st
Niblo's Garden. Mr.. Gayiers now play Of "Csrl Tho
Fiddler" superseding his old play Of "Frits," was
brought out Monday It 10 comprised IN throe acts
an written prose, with tho embeishmsnt Of three
original songs. single s set for each sct Ton
persons arc introduced The action passes In the sQusd
lodging Of poor musician, tho luxurious paror Of rich
mans city house. and the ornamental grounds adjacent
TO rural residence The character Of the piece domes-
Ito Tho Incidents arc mostly old. and sone Of them
are Q little puere. II Ii not every writer
who can depict goodness without making 1t
goodyim-and Mr. Gsylers pen has boen 20
long and 30 sedulously directed TO tho service
of the sensation drama that it seems TO have
been somewhat embarrassed by contact with .
plain and homely theme. Nevertheless tho vet
srsu playwright has accomplished In tah now
piece good deal Of sound earnest and orediabo work
neither misepresentng human nature, nor dissortnx
tho plain facts Of common life, nor largely Offending
probability Tho story OF "Car the Fiddler" r,"-aside
from few forced assumptions Dssis. and tinge
of swkw ardness and complexy In some OF Ia mecnAn
ism-is straightforward rational, and pathetic IL uus-
trates the strength and beauty OF fraterna anecon
1t appeals to sympathy with OF the purest emotions
that the heart feel and 1t awakens PITY ior
the suferings that virtue and love are unjusty ana
cruelty made TO endure This is . keynote seldom
struck In the drama Of today-a tender nurmur OF
the nute, instead Of the shril and rattlins
clang Of the cymbsls-and we, therefore, In
cline to give 1t pleased and heedfm hear
ing. The quality of the tone may be little rough
but ts melody IL sweet and gentle Mr. Gayler has, In
times past deployed good many dramatic scare-crows
upon the American stage; but In this instance, be mas
brought forward natural and interesting parsonage,
and one that play-goers ought gladly welcome and
kindly to entertain. Carl The FddLer s young German
musician, rcsdent in EewYOrk. BE has sister, VINO u
eight years old and whose Is Htlda They are or
phans very pOOrbut they are rich In the aneo
tion that money cannot purchase. The MUSICIAN loves
this little sister very tenderly, and 1t Is the cnel apor
and purpose Of his life to protect and educate her.
When. therefore, she Ia stolen frem him-by
persons who employ her as means OF frsudu-
lently keeping possession OF certain property
he endures terrible shock Of Ten years Hit by
and during all this time he wanders about IN quest OF
the lost child. At last called In to furnish music anu
merrment for gay party Of wealthy revelers, no en-
counters Hida, now grown TO womanhooo Az nfs'
there is Of course recognition But the Minstrel
strangely attracted by tho beautiful young lady and
presently by Of gng that he was accus-
toned to sing TO childhood he ar0uses her sln-
bering recoecons Of infante years. and 30 ascea1anS
that she really his lost sister Certain obstacles are
thereupon thrown in the way Of the reunion OF these long
relatives and certain troubles that beset the
amaory experience Of the young lady and her lover are
mingled herewith, In the web Of tho story; but
the courage, watchful care. and good-fortune
OF .Carl-largey assisted by the P0teM
help Of q recreant partner TO the original
theft the chidprovo adequate to the task OF over
coming obstacles and smoothing away these uou-
bles and Carl and Hilda reunited in happiness ana
In afHuence. The betrothal Of Hilda and the utter
discontinue Of her pretended father the work and
conclude 1t. All this is evidently simple, almost TO the
degree of being pastoral Close observers OF human
nature may perhaps, doubt the assumption that pro
theirs love Of the profound passionate devoeo
and utterly sefsacrcing character Of CarPs anecton
and therefore, may look his ten years quest OF Inc
lost child quite unlikely 1t Is usually for the SISTERS
Of other people, and not for their own that men become
martvrs SILL An the infinite varieties of human indi
yidualty Carl is not altogether impossible; and GER
tainly he stands beautiful IDEAL 1t seems TO have
been part Of the play wrights purpose TO suggest In
this wandering fiddler that sort OF temperament wh0h
Is rendered almost helpless in the world by an excess OF
sepsibilty and an incompetence for practical acten
Carl never thinks of invoking the aid OF the police 70
find his stolen The best expedent he can devise
Is to fiddle lit Is guitar on the stage) and wan
der about the country. 1t s good art which combines
the facts this result The capable OF sucn seli
SECT would, probably achieve it in just such way
The heart Charles Lamb never goes with the head OF
Oliver Cromwell It is not good art however, which
makes woman Of eighteen almost entirely obivtons OF
what happened to her when girl Of eight The reool-
econs Of most persons extend back In absolute clear
ness to much earlier period than the eighth year OF
life. II is not good art neither, wnich suHers shpi'y'
when used for a dramatic purpose to drop into
co mn onplace Robertson, In his comedy OF "schOoi'
has noticed the tendency Of the water and the milk TO
Get themselves mixed. scky flavor Of stagRant In
sipdity far often spois in every sort OF art the
domestic feelings and virtues This blemsh mas 10 some
extent been permitted in "Carl the Fiddler" Con-
tinuous details instead Of few vivid touches ustrate
the love Of the brother and sister, and thus make
little mawksh. This is q grave mistake. Not even
childhood endure q
felt OF honey The defect thus indicated would doubt
loss be less prominent the play were intrusted 70
entirely competent performers; but, even tneh'
the swkwardness consequent ON prohx e1pah'
sion Of pretty commOnPlaces would not entroy
disappear. There are some othef oetecS Vi
construction which cooperate with this one
10 mar the intellectual effect Of the play Certain
mildly lurid elements Of melodrama are interfused
with the more homespun attributes suitable TO dome%
tic niece There s Dartle sort Of female VINO per-
yades the piece, awful state OF gloom ana Vinoo-
tivenes ss and who is always on hand TO Dame-na' Ia
and to make picture" The essential climax OF the
action moreover is attained at the end OF act second
Carl the Fiddler" nevertheless, s sufficient Tor its
rurpose and Ia a far more pleasing play than b usual
among the novel productions Of native authors Mr j.
X Emmett appearing Carl, evinces IL not deep feei
ing at least marked capacity for its ihustraton many
points in his performance are picturesque ana SEVERN
popts are almost pathetic Carefully toned down. ana
divested Of the quality OF not very n'on' ~
which steadily crops out In the acting OF THIS
his Carl should prove very popular personaton II
has buoyancy mirth sadness, and sympathetic mouVe
and purpose and even now-despite its extravaganza
Of FORM roughness of method and obnoxious tnse OF
aoonsc,ous yanity-it q worthy effort in acting and
decidedly An advance upon sll that Mr. Emmet has
hitherto accomplished. HIS future however, mani
festy lies the direction of the eccentric ana comca
:. Carl the Fiddler does not enjoy many advan-
taoes in the way Of scenery and acting
as ,resented at Nibos. Mr. A. H. Daven-
~. faithfully portrays the frivolous and mean