New-York tribune., 1875-03-06
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
RISTORI IN MEDEA.

-" woud hsvr draw the spirit from her orea'
h.d h' oaI axe It. sshi0s i'rA hsi ''u
such the which 30 strongly appeas 10 tno
Imagination. wuicb consequently bas had so terri
BILE afacuaton dramatic poets, classic ana modern,
Alher himself having written hve-act play ON this
subject which, IN puut OF language and poctical con-
etruction IA far rOr MOntanellrs version OF Le
gouve But Alhsri's Mrdea only be read 1t lacks
that dramatic necessary for representation.
notwithstanding that IL terminates with an additional
horror-Medea dying by her own hand,
When Rachel nrgsrd her cher auteur" TO write .
play which should he short and wherein the interest
should be ceutered In her part. brilliant but not
fstguing" LecouVe bethOught him OF Medea, and
In April 1852 lished the tragedy which we saw to-
night in the admirable Italian dress Of Joseph Mon
tauen. II was read RIehers salon before most
critical Partisan ience. received with applause,
and Rachel, In pt-mber, 1853, went so far as to re-
hearse it, Teen her professional Visit
TO Russia, employed an excuse TO celay
Medea's Representation. and later Rachel refused
Medea coaxnglv drst peremptorily at last. mo.
will not play under judicial oOmpulsion. with
the risk, II the guilty, the abomina0le Medea Goes
not meet with the author expects. OF hear
ing myself accused by friends as the cause.
Medea may murder her children she may even poison
her worthy fltherln-law; 1 cannot do the same II
would" Thus wrote Rachel to her cher auteur"
After much yielding. Legouv6 found himself duped.
opd demanded his pound Of flesh. Once more Rachei
wrote, craving the intervention OF MaueDolseho ue
sncnevie, friend, Il have accepted the role;
have rehearsed 1t twice at the theater; but al
though nay nave been tenfnld wrong, cannot bind
myself to play well part unsuited to my tragic powers
cannot therefore, forward anl risk failure when
she that shall leave the stage IS not far Distant
Legouve Rachel would reient the feud cui-
minated in law suit, LeSOave was awarded damages
and-Rachel did not play Medea Not until Ristori
went TO Paris did the discousoate dramatist find
heroine to his fancy and M,dea finally took posses
sion Of the the language OF "a stranger What
justice To he character, New York knows
well as Paris
II were not more difc; to state preference for
pictures IN the great galleries. OF the Louvre Of the
UhzH and OF Dresden. than to state wherein
RistOr Ia frest. Like kaleidoscope she
changes with every turn, - mother, wife,
barbarian. nend! lender passionate, vim
dictve. rcricsl As whole, the first act Of Medea is
incomparlaly the BEST others being anteclimax
RIsors desperation appealed to by her starving
children, and her first interview with Cren'a. are won
deriuly rendered Her description of her meeting with
Jason Is not TO be forgotten.
Apol s1ardo ascolto amO
She loves again, ana we tine Medea that once en-
chained the hero o. Golden Fleece. Tears come as
size recounts the ptr,nS her mother; they are
driven back. waeu cod lnd fierce sue exelains
Una ba,blra 10 sono
bafDaIln IN II
They fretz, when ury Transforms the barbarian into
tiger tells CreusA what in her terrible jealousy
eAe would d. If found her husband, whom she il
seeking. the feet Of another. Absolutely real is Rs
toris Jog upon learning Jason still lives. and mar
Vicious her transition when Creusa, discovering her
identity and exclaiming.
Z teri
Then thou art ae terrible Melesi
she pour passionate hate ugOn her r7al, and
Granily dcl5s her with that electro word:
Yedr'mol
We shall seei
AImrable is the interview with Jason The vehement
ut:erance Of Esto-i's,
Il / love t.eml
when asked by Jason if she loves her children the irony
with which she the suggestion OF divorce, the
tremendous power she puts into the line:
Pin che no compiler 81 amOl
Mor3 cJBsors, accOmDAces are wei
her terrible realism recalling the curse OF her muir
dered brother the expression OF her contempt for
Jason IN the words:
OrrOr nj fail
Horror thou .asprest
ore mastery Ristor Is a hend ircarnatc when re-
pulsed b. Jlson she thrsts for vengeance, crying
aloud: -.----. ..-..-.. ....u...,
Beautiful gradual return to better sel' when
softened by tae upturuod of her children, she
presses them to her hosoin and sheds womans tears
Grand 81 al Tie second act the sooquy Of scene
sixth. Standing in IMAGINATION over CreuSas hieless
bedy Tastor assumes with upted dagger the pose OF
aveDSing Nemesis and vel nlSn attalns the perIec
ton of plastic art
As the Play proceeds scope for greater acting becomes
more limited, yet hardly anythng can Oe hner than
- stOrs desperate struggle with herself on hndlng that
Der children have been estranged from her by Creusa
Her woTnan's nature ovcrpOwers the savage and she
falls soboiug before the statue of Saturn. Again, in
scene her last meeting with the children Is fine
"a its change from passion 10 patbos:
No taourht o. 9 Father b. the self
blow
aud quickly feeling touch Of those little innocent
hands, the spirit OF evil passes from her. Instantly
Mpdea Is humanz Cd and only mothers voice Is heard
in her tender summons,
v.utel Gs mie venit-
Cone enlleTea come
Poor. not terrible Medeal She Will be remembered
with her arms around those little rather than as
the implacable moaster Of the implacabo
Oace on,y would fastidous taste have Rsori change
the action which she fOTeDly illustrates language
Taat once OF rsS when. brand
iu herself before Creusa murderer she coniesses to
the terror hemng her, secret voice pr0eaimng
Der victim of the rpacabie Eumenides SO far Ris-
,or,'s description is admirable, but somewhat question
able is the pan,om to whtch she sets the words
ca 81 oiOr d saneaei
here IL s.e smel Oi blood
Tsls refers 10 Medea to hands guilty Of fraricide,
bat notwithstanding Madame de Stae insists that the
sepse o. smell the most poetic OF all the senses, TO
indicate a taint OF blood by smelling the hands IS an
sctiol hardly admissible 90 the stage
Ristori, dress In Mcdea designed by AIRY Scheer.
aud Is exceedingly picturesq Salmon coored cloth
edged with border Of Greek pattern forms the
dress winch relieved by perfectly plain blue man
tie fastened on tue left shoulder 10y Greek ornament
end caught under the right arm. The arrangement
of hair. however, is too suf' IL Is
difficult 70 admire that red band around
the head, with its modern bow pendant from
the back Equally dstastofu are the heayy'set eurIs'