The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-06
ADJUSTMENTS.
UaToRI IN 'eMEpEA.s

Tho audience which gathered at the Lyceum
Theatre last night had perfect assurance before
hand that IT was we'll worth while TO face blind
ing snow storm when Ristori in "Medea" was
to reward the risk. Il was warm,
full and sppreoiative audience, which Is
much to say In these cold times.
1t had como to hear the most horrible story that
mythology has left u.s. told in the tones and res
lures Of an actress supreme in her art. Mecca
There Is no other heather name around which
clusters SO much Of passion, crime and sgony.
The very love of which she talks and over which
she smiles is fierce rigress love- that bites well
as purrs. The doves Of her Venus must have been
Matched from serpents' eggs, so horrible does
the ennobling passion hover over the brink OF
Jealousy, so weirdly does 1t tremble into remorse.
ana SO nercely does 1t leap into consuming hate.
Mcdea is pang left by the old persisted pagan
pas: to alright the present. To the story as It
comes TO us belong SO many horrors, mat may
well thank the dramatlst who gives US but
career. Legouve has taken pardonable liberty
with the old story when he brings Medea to the
gates OF Corinth, wanderer, leading her two
boys. at the time when the false hearted Jason is
about to wed Creusa the blueeyed daughter or
King Creon. We need not follow the argu-
ment OF the play further than to say that
and the wife IN "a an admirable ascending scale,
commencing with wifey JOY at the knowledge
majesty OF the Nemesis that Stays her offspring to
avenge broken troth. In all the fine gradatiOns
that lie between these two extremes Ristori
The playwright has Invented skllful SITUATIONS.
The soft Italian tongue in which Ristori renders
though the great woman in the b,oOd-red gar
ments lntones the lines In a cadence when car.
may be maglcally won from his sleep in
listening to ns Of the rs sobDing
has one great merit, that Is 1t gives
the audience plenty OF Rislori and hides away the
three or four male ana female lnanities who move
IN dwarfed lntellectualities around her.. If there
is not one raw OF light or relief In the drama the
dark shadows are constantly changing shape and
intensity. In the first act the dams sor.
to hope that all may yet be we'll.
Of the young girl about she dreams. to be- bride,
the awful gloomy love Of the Medea rises and ex.
pands IKE the genus IN the arabian tale tnss
Ser Sy friend the s1s
Jason lives. and cries to her children In delirum
OF Joy, III padre postro rire" She guesses learns,
girl before her is her rlval-that her new found
neart tuas OF glaaness is but the old
Vedren'o," with which the 1rst act Closes loses
was marvel OF vlndicnve force and skyline
cunning. She has told the whole story Of rhs play
in That awe shall see,"' and curiosity may be
blunted. but the red-rooed magician Of Colchis
has you henceorth peneatn her sway and you can.
in ioathing as IN pity. The second act advances
the passion story well. All the pent up
bitterness, the demonlac wrong. the snakish
movements the proud repuslon with which she
turns upon the Jason for whom she cared all
to be cast OF at last, are thrilling ana
Creusa, wherein, with iurtive dagger barred.
and clutched with nervous grip she smiles to the
| face she Is longing to whiten with death. She
asks ner rival Tor the love OF Jason. Creusa
pauses. There Is Rlltterlng uplifting OF the dag
ger, nercer glitter OF the dilating eye, the girl
turns to Medea and an instant change sweeps over
the face, 1t becomes the agony OF pity.
"Deh per pieta di tie responde"
In the last scene OF ALL the murder OF the children
and the murder OF her rival horror Is heaped on
horrors head; but the art OF RlStOri wins trace
OF sympathy through IT. all, and when the curtain
falls upon the exultant avenger. VINO, with reek-
and shrieks her accusing cry OF "Thou, -
in answer TO Jason'R camorlng demand. "Who
has killed themt" there Is such majesty about
! her that the Furies and the Fates that held the
breath OF the pagan world seem FOR the instant
to De before you. Remarkable enect! The
audience remained spellbound and mute till
the curtain had fallen iull ten seconds,
when there arose q storm OF applause that could
not find vent till the effect OF the terrible presence
was in manner removed. 1t was sublime. And
yet all this Is the after story OF vOy-
age OF discovery up the Euxine We wonder will
they tell sucn stories about DR.. Hayes or Conn.,
mander Merriam when the mantle OF fable has
been thrown around the discovery OF the North
Pole. Poets and dramatists, perhaps will be at
as great loss 10 know what the North Pole
means as they have been to tell the significance OF
the gilded sheepskin OF Cocnis.
To-day there Will be q matinee OF elizabeth.
n