New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-12
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
BOOTH AS RICHARD THE SECOND.

| II is to be said--(and there is peculiar
significance in the factthat Edwin Booths personation
OF Rtehardns Second mpresses the imagination more and
more deeply the II Is made the theme OF thought
TO describe IT, however IN adequate terms, Is scarcely
possible II IT, indeed, the perfectly distinct and sym
metrical embodiment OF afflicted majesty; the complete
expression OF kindly weak nature saturated with tho
conviction OF s own royalty and distracted and tossed
about In agonzed tImult by S0rIOW Mt the indgntcs II
must suffer- and by resentment against its wronger
This Ia but saying though that 1t entirely barmcnlles
with the ideal which Shakespeare has, with such beau
tfu art imposed upon the cold and barren basis OF his
tory. There is something beyond this accuracy IN
dcscrbabe element that thrills this performance with
| living light We havo indicated " sympathetic sin
| gulsrity. Booths Richard he Second is man who
would attract interested attention rs bis strangeno-s,
and would arouse sympathy BY certain IN
nate pieousness Of condition. IFS manifestations,
during the earlier scenes, are, it Is true,
marked by strength, petulance, wrath. and tho
base energy that should accompany arbitrary conduct
vet ~ the time there IL quality OF i'iiorn Wstiunes'
about him. seeming 20 denote that fate has already
marked him or for msforunes min0n and iore'l00hed
him 20 failure and ruin The spectacle Of Kings distress
at the detection OF his subecsnO matter how eloquent
the language might be IA which ~ shcud chance 10
announce HI, angush-coud be contemplated With com
posurc but this king, he u pcisonhed by Iowh
Booth, becomes object Of love aud pity ana intense
admiration Pity might be won for him. even ron
OF
says but the quickenng OF tho more ardent emotions
seems dependent on tho human nature that the actor
pons into the part end just here is the underlying and
nervadng excellence OF Booths embodiment His
Richard the Second is thoroughly sufused with innate
goodness, natural majesty, and tho tenderness OIL ieal
grief aud seems altogether, noble and delightful per
son most unjusty and fouy treated We look upon him,
therefore With IA acctOnae interest that never flags.
and VIC remember him the perfect emblem OF hard
luck OF pathetic suerings, and OF virtue too weak 20
Withstand a turbulent world.
II may be that this impersonation-snco II inhahts
drama whereof the action mostly passes between the
acts and whereof the burden Is suffering rather than
ao,ngill not impres, itself with vyidposs upon tho
public mind Richard the Second" ha- never flour
ished upon the stage. 1t 10 certain, though tha Ldwh
Booth has thoroughly and greatly succeeded in present
ing fresh and novel dramatic identity, and that he IL
astoni5hingly vital in ms Interpretation ~ the monsrc
This work no. only affects the feelings bile II Is pass
Ing but is found on retrospcctcn. 10 have powerful
grip upon the intellect The passionate sincerity OF rs
80 profound and the unity Of t is SO complete that We
remember the unhappy King n bee "rro great man
whom we had personally known aui o'rr whose nara
fste and bitter 5uGeungs had personally mouned.
Part OF this result Is the acors attainment OF
thorough Identification with lofty deal part OF 1t Is
al duo 10 that fire OF genius with which lac has burned
certain dramatic moments and wonderful words into tue
memory. VIC can but lDenon-ior 1t cannot DC trahf
lated into anguage-the swelling majesty and mourniu
sweetness. whether OF aclion, look, Or voice, IN
the whole of the scenes Of spiritual fuctuaton and mon
tai conflict in the third act. The ARM ARM my name
wa given with a splendid force worthy OF the best ira
don that attach TO IT, The speech II he serve Coo,
wen serve Him too" thrilling with fearful eio-
quence The imprecation, "Teuible hell make war upon
their spotted souls for this shot forth Ike an AFRO"
OF lightning aud Will long be remembered side by sido
with HaplcPs l. 1t the KingF The great speech, ol
comfort 10 man speak," sounded the very knell OF DO
suair This I'll be buried in the Kings highway OK
pressed selfpy and the fororn degradation OF ruined
greatness as no other human voice now to be heard on
our sace could utter them. And the anguish OF groat
snt forced to submit unjust and cruel authority was
denoted 10 the speech, "Your heart is m know thus
high OF least with force and pathos that brought Gears
into the heart II not the eyes IL may be ever much In
human nature to dislain the yanquishcd; no human
being Yho looks this defeated King VIII fail 10 give
him respect as well as compassion.
One OF the grandeSt and most Characteristic points vas
made bv sr Booth with Down, down come like si5-
tcning Phaeton, wanting the manage Of unriy jades"
Ii was In the affecting abdicatiOn scene however that ne
wrought the most potent effect upon public sens'biity
Here tie King becomes actually derOus with grief and
here accordingly, ia large scope for action The strain
uuon tho actor is very great for the scene long, the
agony begins Ht q high pitch and grows constantly
hi2hcr; the moods vary and the language is fraughs
with O sonorous eloquence and holiness Of movement
most cXgc,ng mind, heart, nerves and voice. Nc.
Booth bore ths test in such way rs 10 make the spec
tators forget that lie merely acting The " SO Judas
dd to Christ thrill OF throughout the assem-
bage Of listeners. The Fiend. hou togment5t mo cre
come to he'll was perfectly eectriiyus and therein
percciy adequate TO the dramatic moment and 20 the
aroused longing Of every spectator for some burst OF de-
nanoe After thi- came the image OF desoaaon, IL the
dungeon scene, lit would make grandly imaginative
historical painting Air. Booth presents II, In thai IA
nous soii1quy the prison and the world; and
then iuc murder scene, which Mr. Booth makes dread
al. 4 |-fi ID
lis earendng yell OF agony when struck bY the MUIR
deior's dagger. And SO the embodiment is finished.
Tine viii show whether t Is TO become a. popular AZ
those II his works which captvate by conquerns action
intellectually it Is worthy TO stand beside his Hamlet
for t IS .t az sbty conceived. aud Just thoroughly.
though not yet smoothly, executed, and il wholly
euUIapped IN pOetical atmosphere.
Orchard the Second" is considerably cut for repre-
sentation, aud much - sacrificed in the process But
this Is q necessity. Even arranged the play self is
tedious In the scenic setting OF Il ~ the lfth Avenue
Theater the views ~ Flint Castle and Of London, with
the Bridge and Tower particularly fine aud com
nenaaDle n the misce lneous cast and acting there IS
10 salient merit Eir. Harhns did not convey either
Diplomacy dupicty, majesty, determined yalor As
B5agJyotc but only businessike resolution ard readi-
moss Mr. HARDENING On Was idcuous }Crk. apd hr.
Fisher va. commonplace Lancaster. Tue pretty Miss
lg asinincd the G'e ah3 bf'i,j i o"yn i h
out of 81! reason. IS1J IS, indeed ifgn,A - plt no
sueaAi excellent En-i.sh VA The drma; whereas her
4v"-ct '-3 VIZ ;,.-.-. ,-',,--' 49,, -
tIcs. Richard the eccOnd' viii DO repeated toul5at
THOMAS's SYMPHONY REHEARSAL.
The first rehearsal of Theodore Thomass
Winter sen son drew, as matter OF course immense
audience the large hall at scinUayo being filed aud
TIE extensions f. tie rear the audience also called
into use The orchestra back to in excellent
trim ana the leading artists OF the baRd,-Messrs.
Jacolssohn ard Arnold Olrs- 1e.insl, Baceas Niolal.