New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-03
MP. FECHTER AT THE LYCEUM.


Our capTiciOus and savage climate gave 10 MI
Fechter most inhospitahe welcome last night put
numerons company OF play oers American ana trehch
atoned for this churshness of Winter weather by greet
ing him gayly gladly, and with welplaced adnhauon'
He came out at the Iyceum Theater IN MS own Fielen
meIodIama OF "LAbime," based on the bhShSh
uorl, nv Dickens and Collins. familiar TO novel
readers "A "No Thoroughbred" and he acted part
that very eonsonant his peculiar spirit and powers
rhat spirt in repose intense uId passion, held as IN
leash and ouiverng to get free and in action, it is
Wild romantic, overwhelming mpctu"Siy' lh"Sc
powers are sovereign over easy idenuhcauoh Win
meo-ramato character and sovereign over tie ea0o-
rate decentralization and finish Of it, IN Observation-Disclosures
,relseyof the Eng ish stagethe attributes
thus denoted find full and often thrilling expression
The part well known and calls for no DESCRIPTION mere
Those who know il that II IL compounded OF
ntaIeot passion, and vainy,-redeemed ny one heaN-
enlv emotion,-seething beneath a bland and elegant
extaor and that It is expressed by continual transi-
toms or flashes OF feeling Dir FecIter looked well IN
the mart and he threw himself into Il with youthful
feryor and wrought Il out 20 symmetrical uilhess 10
every detail. There was much OF the pecuhar
form OF exaggeration that ia called theatrical
in the berohal and vault and all along the play
serving to define and emphasize the character o inc IN
rsonation "A strictly melc lyamatc; but against TINS
no exception n to BE- taken. When Mr. techteI essays 10
convey an ideal drawn from English poetry! Ia manner
essentially Of the actud-and the Gallo actual too
he disSasfes taste and Judgment In the ucee case
b,s French style admirably suits the subject OF his
art 40 that even his intOnations and de
avav cadenees enhance the effect. He was re-
markedly subtle and dercely strong in expressing the
latent hatred andrage with which Rschenbdeh contem-
MATES hs rival; and he svahed the embodiment OF
wiokedness. almost Titantic in its hard power ana
simpleness OF purpose with strange, boodcurdling
Kind Of humor. Time deals no more kindly with Mr..
Fechter than with the rest OF his paythngs yet the
lannon's player retains all his OF action and grace oi
postnrs and gesture and-eXcept that be often uses
action i'm such excess 70 call attention 10 H. making
n eo,ip-e rather than transmit meaunC-he retains al
hrs over to feeling spontaneously and 10 sustain
an uson In the scene Of the attempted assaS-
sination TO a climax Of conflicting passion that was
dreadly real and that made entirely absorbing hy
wildly romantic and picturesque surroundings. Night
loneliness the solitude Of Alpine nights, the chill
NJ Anime snow, the wall OF the stormTind'
the ouinous threateniugs of tempest and OF muir
eer-au suited well with the picturesque. sinister
dyuro 20 vital in action and terrible IL purpose "
crime II there was faint IN the performance,
calculated 70 lower the Ideal which it suggested that
faint vas q certain freshly grOssness combined with
elderly jauntiness Mr Fechter WIS frequently APP
pauded and 1t 10 especially to he said that his presence
seemed 10 animate the company Of players wei as the
play aud difuse the scene and its surroundings
an Dir Of excitement and pleasure such as the Lycen
The,fer has seldom Of late displayed. NJ. MczlcTes
acted with hne droery the part known Joey Ldoic
and the niece (which is extremely long was carefully set
In appropriate scenery