The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-16
TRAGEDY AND MUSIC.

DENT OF THE HERALD-NEw POINTS III HIS
HoMEo-HIs YOUTH AND YIEsr lcoUAINT-
ANCE WITH sHAxEspEARE-IN FRANCE, SPAIN,
GERMANY AND SOUTH NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. on
RIsroRr AND RAcHZL-MIss oESEvIEvn WARDS
MEG MERRrLrEs-cosr or A oUILDHALL EN-
rERrArNMESr-ARr IN PALACE AND ON
WHEELS.
LONDON, June g. 1915.
"Piease, mum, here's card, and the gentleman'sa
waItin' down stairs" ] took the card.
"ERSEsro RossIn
II is hardly necessary say that told the obtuse
handmaiden 10 tho gentleman up and straghiway
appeared the Italian tragedan who has given English
critics food for digestion than they have bad for
many long day
Observation-Disclosures
Rcss likes Americans, and II Is easy TO like those
who IKE Rossi Is very frank, very intel
ligcnt and talks extremely WE'LL He has sur
fered from the climate ever since he came
to England, but his voice Is In far
better condition than when he mado his debut;
and II he had first appeared Romeo instead OF Ham,
let no would have been much better treated by tho
press. Romeo is essentially Italian in passion, and
have any one in IL satisfactory Rossi
He makes two points tina. original and effective
When, in the balcony scene Juliet Is about to cnve
for the last time, she impulsvey Romeo
white scarf that had been previously wound around
hor. The scarf is long enough for Romeo reach;
scizng IT, no kisses passionatcy In lieu OF its loved
mistress, and clincs TO 1t until Juliet, terrified fear
OF discovery, withdraws II and disappears Tho
effect is electrical. The second point Is
in the last act. Alter taking the poison
Romeo falls r. c tho foot OF the steps leading to
JulIets tomb. AS he lies there, almost inscnsibe,
Juliet awakes and goes down stage dazcd unconscious
nf her stkuafi0 maa owhi ~nd
makes his up the steps to take long look
at his BRIDE. HIS nmazemcnt finding the body gone
is powerfully depicted by Ross who, on discovering
Juliet in tho distance transnxed at what he sup
poses to be apparition.
JULIET SPEAKS
Romeo rushcs to her arms and you can well imagine
! how srrod tho audience becomes by this perfectly
now rendering OF well scene. This is decidedly
the best point have Rossi make but my knowl-
cdsc OF him as an actor is limited to three partsall
| Shakcspearian.
Tux STORY
But am keeping Signor Rossi tho door, whilc |
| am discussing bis Romeo, which is hardly polite
Some people need deal OF ice breaking before they
thaw into fluent conversation. Life being short and
long such people great trial to ones fcclnss
but Ernesto Rossi Is not OF them. In five minutes he
was plunged in analysis Of the Ango-Saxon charac
ter drawing shrewd deductions from personal obser
vntiOnS; Dut aS inucn prefer 70 nave clever
talk about what they know bettcr than any ono
| elsc-thcmsevcs-I asked tor a bit CT
HISTORY.
"You want to talk about mysefn said RossI in
| very good French. "How monotonousl But II Won
| will you will As you know was born in Flor
ence; as you don't know, l intended for the Law
and sent 10 the University Of Pisa But my heart
was dedicated TO tho stage and--dont be Surprised
| TO your great author Shakespeare upon whom had
| been brought up may say that learned Shake
speare by ear, my grandfather telling me daily the
stories OF his plays before knew how road He had
passion for Shakespeare which inherited and when
| child turned my heroes and heroines into Mari
onncttcs. Leaving Pisa, went upon tho stage and
began comedy, for do think any actor can be-
come eminent IN tragedy who Is not fnc comedian
| See what comedy acting Is required IN Shakespeare
Tho tragcdan who Is without the tragedy element de-
/ claims passages which should 10 given coloquiay: :
hence in Italy insist that actor shall lcarn his
profession all round.' Many time have acted in
comedies with Ristori All, what genius is hors
Great in tragedy she Is even grcntcr in comedy and
every night we'd invent new "busincss' and mako new
points What pleasure II to act with her and Mon
/ bieu what beauty Tho outline OF her mouth and
chin simply perfect
sHAKEsPEARn.
'Constnntly Atudying Shakespeare, determined TO
produce him In Italy. Our great actor Modena, made
| ripe Tor the innovation lived better days and
though obliged TO do deal OF lighting won tho
battle To-day Shakespeare IS wonderfully popular in
Then came Macbeth, aferwsrd Othe:o Since then
have added Romeo, King Lear and Coriolanus to my
repertoire. brought out O,helIo at Milan In 1856 10
prove the superiority OF Shakespeare over voltarc
After denounc,ng the great Englshman Voss,rc went
TO work and him badly Zairc in which part
Sslvni made deservedly grcat reputation; but the
moment Salvni saw Othclo he said to me:-'You arc
right; Zaire Is puerile in comparison Since then
Zare has been dropped, and Saivini has put 0heo In
Its place
A0vU IN dvaip nd fhopa oa
est possible prejudice against Shakespeare, owing
largely tho adverse criticism Of eighteenth Gen.
fury writer named Muratori. Having read Shake
spearc French no called him fool and mpaIcd
Hamlet on tho point Of his pen How do you
pose nc translated
Tobe or not to be,
Erisfir crisr
To exist, physically. or not exist Finding that
my Path would be particularly thorny gave some
previous To my appearance the stage. and taking
Mnrs,or ~ aand, ala my Des, 70 prove 10 tho
Aided and abcttcd by prominent Spanish scholars
effected revolution in public feeling, and my shake
spcaran representations we're pronounced success.
OTHER COUNTRIES.
''rn Germany, in Holland in RIO Janeiro, in Monte
siasm for Shakespeare For me hc IL the greatest OF
all dramatic authors
gro WHICH ROLE DO GIVE rnE PnsrxnyxcrY
"Ah, it would be dficult to say. All arc different;
all appeal TO artistic sympathy. We're you to ask
which istigucd me the most should say Macbeth as
II calls forth emotions which not natural to me-
Hamlet Ia 40 human that feel every line the text
could be capable Of the passion OF Romeo the icaI-
ousy OF Otheio (the murder OF Desdcmona excepted
but Macbcth's crimes snch MS could be guilty
oil, consequently am iatigucd by depicting them,
NEiLsox's OPINION.
Returning to the subject Of Romeo, sgnor Rossi con-
tinucd when was in Paris Miss Nelson tho hand
English actress, came to saying, Il have
watched your performance OF Romeo ana am he
wildercd regarding tho balcony scene Either you are
all wrong or am and don know which. Let US 90
over the tcyl.' replied, and go over IL we did |
found that she dccIamcd instead OF being mpusively
colloqnfaL Passion such that, in n situation
md mo- -
written yesterday. Tbs Mass Nelson finally acknowi-
edged, and after studying with week she acted
Juliet at the Haymarket with additional effect ,,
THINK or RAcnAxLY
That she a genius. and will tell you Why She
took cold French verse and brcalhcd passion into
IT, sho evolved sentiment out OF The c0Dven
tional classic. No tho French stagc
has dono IL since she died. In drama
France has nnc artists; In comedy sho
Ia unequaed but in tragedy she Is asleep add proba
bly, Will remain 60 for what be unnatural
than her rhymcd cIassicss | | don't know,