New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-17
THE DRAMA.
SALvINPS FIRST APPEARANCE.

for the first time In America and acted Shakspearcs
0thttio. II was a brilliant occasion. and 1t was sgna
| lied by mobile achevemen t In dramatic ART no'n
we're immensely enjoyed Tho assembage that greeted
salvni-argely composed OF foreigners-was SENSITIVE
enthusiastic hearty and prompt In spontaneous Demon
stration American intellect. culture, and taste were
| abupdantIy represented in the gallant throng
and they we re thoroughly fired with the preVaien'
ardor SO lively utter OF preliminary CURIOSITY Suo
ceeded by such strained suspense, such dstressi syn
pathy and such wild access OF whoe'hear'eu aoira
t,on Il has seldom been lot 70 witness There Is
never an uncertainty of significance in the response OF
| the multitude when its heart is touched and, upon
| this memorable OCCASION its heart was not toucned
| merely but was shaken with mighty tempest OF
passon and Of grief No nimbler correspondence could
exist between actor and auditor than that which was
between savini and the multitude that gave
! him welcome It was that electric current
whereby soul answers TO soul. 1t was that
touch OF nature which makes the whole world
kin To appear Oeiio was, Of courseso far as dis
closure il conference.-the rise into dome Of sunshine
II makes difference in what language that Tragedy
Of all tragedies the unversalbe represented The
poetry may be married. but the action remans; and the
action understood by everybody 1t was so in this
instances and observer, whether acquainted or not
with the Italian tongue could have been aware OF the
least impeachment betwixt himself and the actor Inc
sphere OF sympathy total and whether we CONSIDER
the marvellous efect-in the aroused ana tremulous
ndsputable spell that wrought it, this dramatic enort
must be recorded Of the most victorious that mas
been made within knowledge.
In the pathos of the picture OF human life in the pity
which it inspires, in the consequent ennobing in-
nuence which 1t exerts, Othello" is only little less
than Lear" and thus only little lower than the
highest The difference is in degree OF misery. Lear
sacrifices himself before he Is sacrificed by his children
OheliO is simply despoiled and ruined by his enemy
The old king comes little TO the heart, there
FORE and the spectacle of his anguish is somewhat
more pitaby des0late, for this reason In
the tears weep over that venerable ruin
there s a sort OF blind submission TO fate
dazed sense the weakness OF man. when at strife with
nature a tender emotion of infinite sorrow over the
inter iprnity of the human race Our grief great
that il browns out our anger aud Regan and GoneT7f
and Edmund forgotten, with the rest OF the lumber
of the commonplace world. The spectacle OF OheFos
misery may be equally agonizng; but the emotion II
inspires is not inefaby pteous In our tears for
bin there is fre-the fire OF strong anu
active rage against the diaboc intellect that has
DESTROYED him. He represents TO magDanmous virtue
simple aud stalwar goodneSsleonine port and power,
cOmnDged with the trustfu candor OF innocent child
hood He has not outlved his time the sunshine.
He is not yet any due TO death There may be
auunal tnts IN the foliage of his garden but it is not
amiss that he gathers the ripe frnits OF life'
love, and happness-and we feel that he ought
TO possess them. When, therefore, his glorious
manhood OF nature is broken by the adverse
will of a malignant genius,-against which nc Is
utterly poweress and defenseless,our rage strikes
hands with sorrow and the tide OF our hate rises
equally with the tide of our love. But though IN the
scale of emotion little lower than the highest these
feelings are high. grand sacred-and our hearts
the least approach toward trhng with sensib
ties so acute and experience vital and tragic just as
no soul that really feels will brook light mention OF
the names of the beloved dead soul that really
feels will brook vain and casual meddliDg with those
immortal ideals which Shakespeare has expressed the
sum of human greatness and human misery.
This we say not with the least intention OF Offering,
superfuous comment the play Of Othelo.' but
briefly to indicate general view Of the theme, and
briefly TO explain certain reluctance toward discussing
it, which we have not omitted TO intimate upon previous
important OCCASIONS and which steadily possesses our
thought often the subject recurs "Othello' on
theater stage in other words too often like altar
cloth on the table Of an clearinghouse, or
like the skull OF George Frederick Cooke
tossed out-as once it actually was-for Yoricks
skull, in the mimic graveyard of Esinore. AT this
time though accept it with gratitude II ever this
tremendous tragedy offered in fitting spirit it was
so offered last night in the Academy OF Music We do
not allude to circumstances of scenery and stage
management These good things; but they are not
uncommon. aud, relatively, they are not impor-
tant Besides. these attributes Of the represen-
tatiOn were not cOnspicuousy excellent Edwin
Booths learnedly accurate, steadily poetic, ana
brilliantly pictorial setting of this play remains the best
and by far the bestthat this public has ever seem
But Othello upon this occasion acted with vast
and desperate earnesness Of purpose and such ccum
stances as are thus implied well be accounted ex-
ceptioual. With Oheio, IagO. DeSdemona, Emilia,
CASSIE ROderi0O ByabGHttO, and the Duke In
competent hands, the result left no room for even
the slightest sense OF insincerity IN the repre-
sentation. The most solemn stress .was laid
upon the acting. The effort was one OF clear intellect
and profound emotion An atmosphere of terrible real
y swahed the entire action and elevated the inciden
tai pageant: Aud shakespeare's vast lurid, thrilling,
and agouzng deneaton of the strife of great passions
and the mortal conquest OF evil over love, goodness in
nocence and beauty, was borne home TO the Utmost
heart IN the full stature OF its sublmity, if not always
IN the full scope Of its meaning
The moment for admiration OF anything comes so sell
dom-in this world OF restricted powers and halffuhed
deals-that its arrival when 1t does come, may well en-
barrass the best trained uency OF utterance We have
te awe accordance and applause for Salvnis OkeitO
and these it is difficult TO state-wth reason and pre-
cision The actor who proves himself adequate.
az those points upon which the Ideals
Of all persons meet and blend, VIII, OF
course concentrate upon himself spontaneous
and ceneral homage Othello-an indubitabe identity.
four-sauare TO the intelligence OF all the world
ia such points and Salvin has risen to it with the
ease and with the strength of the eagles flight. We
know not whether he is therefore to be accepted as
monarch Of the universal human heart as great spr
itual guide and leader; as an actor comprehen
sive OF tho scope OF all humanity, and pos
siby typical OF ali its representative conditions
The late Edwin Forrest certainly attained 10 greatness
IN nortions OF his embodiment OF Oheo and as certainly
m not attain TO the tOpmost round OF sovereignty" here
ndcsted and for aught that yet know to the con-
trary. salvnl may prove TO be still another COM
Mound of this restricted power and hmitless as
nraton--shis intuitive knowledge and vehement
ardor which is sometimes as nne as genius