New-York tribune., 1878-12-19
THE DRAMA-MUSIC.
MCCULLOUGH AS CoRIoLANUs.

and noble is quite likely 10 inspire resentment as 10
awaken sympathy 1t contains many elements. and all
of them are good but chiefly typies the pride Of in
tcllcct This in itself natural feeling and vrtuous
quality practically becomes vice. When IL is not teih
pered with charity for ignorance, weakness aud the
lower orders of mind Tn the character OF Cor0'dnuS
is not so tempered, and therefore IT VIII
ates his greatness and leads TO his de
strpcton Much Of course. he urged In his
defence lie il a of spOtiesS honor, unsweTving IN
tcgrity, dauntless courage, simple mind Straghtor-
ward conduct. and magnanimOus disposition. lie Is
awavs ready to brave the peI1s Of battle Tor the ser
vice of his country. He constantly does great deccs-
and would continue constantly to do them-for Their
own sake and IN spirit of total Indifference alike to
urases and rewards He exists in the consciousness "f
being great and las life in the opinions OF ohcr I
sons He dwelis in "he ccdar's top and "dalucs win
the wind and the sun" He KNOWS
and he dcspises, with active and immiticable CON
tempt. the shaowncss and tckleness of the multitude
He is of an lev purity, physical well as mental
and his nerves tnge with absolute disgust OF the
personal unccGniuoSS of the mob. "BId them "a'h
their faces he sayswhen urged To ask the suGrages
OF the people" and keep their teeth Clean " lie re-
wards his deeds with DONG them, says his teiIowsodlcr
C1mints and looks upon thugs precious as the com
mon muck Of the world" His is not the artocracy which
sits in corner, dcedless and mcritlcs,, broodlnS
over transmitted name and sucIng tEc
orange OF empty sefTonceit: bn' The aT1s-
tocracy of achievements and Of natUe-ihe solid superb
having done the bfEllt@l ava WNt u't'iN 'u
could he done in his time aud of ing The greatest man
Of his generation II ia IS If Washiagt having made
aud saved nation, 70 spurl n from llim VITA MS
foot ID lofty, and by Grounayss contempt Tor
the ignorance, pottmess, meannrSs and filth OF man-
kind The sorry of Cor,olps a. il occurs IN Tuarch
is Thought be fabulous but ii very far from being
fabulous it stau.s transdgurcd IN the stately ard ro'
queut tragedy Of Shakespeare. The character and the
expcIeuce are ludubt5hy representatives II vIs some
modified form Of the condition thus SHOWN that r.
suited in the fearful treason and subsequent
awful ruin Of Benedict Arnold. Pride Of Ill
tclcct largely dominated the career OF Aaron Burr
More ibau one great thinker Of The past has split Us
rock and gone pieces In the surecs Of pnlar resent
mcut. No man, said D.. Cnapn, IN h' discourse over
the coffin Of Ho-ace Crceey, "can llft himself above
himself" He VINO repudiates the human " OF which he
il a part will inevitably and ruin. IL is
perfectly true tina intellectual person should IN the
leIst depeud upon the opinions q. othcrs-wh"h In the
very nature OF things exist il all stages Of nmaury,
Iuutabiitv and error-hut should aim To do the
restest deeds. and find reward enough in doing
them; yet ALWAYS the right mood toward humanity Il
cept,enes4 and not scprn. &" Thou, my father" says
Matthew Arnold, in his tribute 10 one OF the greatest
and b,st men of this century, wCudt not bc saved
alone" TO cughtcH thc ignorant, TO lit mp the weak
to pity frai 10 disregard the meanness, ngrande
m-apprchen,ion stupid dulnes,, and petty malice OF
tbe lower orders of hum lnrtythS is the wisdom OF the
tr1ly wise and th, accordau with the moral law Of
the universe. from the operation OF which no man
escapes study, in Shakespeare the story Of coro-
,Qnus is to observe the violation Of that law ana the
consequent ret button Of a SIN.
Battles and the breath
Oi stJrnT war and violent death "
f up first part Of the tragedy as It stands in shake
speare aud this portion j. also much diversified wlth alb
rupt changes OF TINT 1t has IN past 1cs been
Ionnd expednt to alter the piece, with view 10 lis
more practical adaptation 10 the stage. While. how
ever, 1t not acted in strict accordance with shake
spearc, s essential parts ar" retained ana represented
Many new lines. though, occur toward the close
Mccullough. III the revival at the Gr2ud Opera House,
asses the version that used by Forrest, who, a.
to tbs subject, followed in the footsteps Of
Cooper tne elder vamdcDhof and James T.
Anderson. There is perhaps, an excess OF fore
-roud-a supprf1ity Of fights and pr0ccssOuS-by way
OF preparing the ordeal through which the chardc
ter OF CoIiOtdUaS IS 10 be displayed. Yet, wEea
Hecuba last Is reached, the interest of the situation
makes itself felt with the cliest force To u.s. with
lu and vivid remembrance Of tie massive presence aud
rialwart defamation Of Forrest in this character the
embodiment Of COrioiannS by Mccullough, while
equal 10 ITS predecessor in physical maj -str
is superior 10 it in intellectual haurhtiness
and in refinement. The actors treatment Of the char
acter must uuavodaby follow the large, broad style of
the historical painter. There Is scaut opportunity
afforded in any OF the scenes allotted to COrioaHUS for
fine touches and delicate shading During much OF the
action the spectator only OF an imperial figure
tnat moves with mountainous grace through the fleet
war, ofuly calm in peace, irradiang rather than e1
pressing the con scOus superiority Of power, dignity
worth and honorable renOWn. Mccullough Ills TINS
aspect OF the part II he had been born FOR
1t. His movements have the splendid repose, not
merely of great strength but of intellectual pose and
native mental supremacy. The " must be found" ar
Of OG,et,o here again displayed, in ripe perfection
through Roman tOga. His defamation is rs fluent
and massvey graceful as his motion and gesture. All
are piece, aud that piece Is innate majesty. II this
actor not the wonderful sonorous clarion voice OF
John KeIube yet certainly realizes all that tradition
tells us OF the stately port and dominating
step OF that great master In the dramatic art.
He looks C0rioIaups. 20 the lie. More OF poetic
freedom perhaps, could he wished, in the decorative
treatment OF the persona little touch Of wdness in the
nar tinge Of imaginative exaatOn in the expression
OF The ysagP, OF guarity IN the ashcs OF com
bar StI, the embodiment should not lack a certain
kind superficial conveHtOnality and 1t certainly
sesses true aud affecting grandeur Whenever there
opportunity for fine treatment, moreover, the actor
seizes and fs it, with the easy grace OF unerrng intul
tion and spOntaneity. The delicacy Of vocalism,
movement, tone OF sentiment, and manhness OF
copdi,ion-the true royal fibre of great mind
in the act OF withdrawal from the Senate was night and
beautiful 1t difficult not to overomphasize the phys-
zeal symbols Of mental condition, IN the street scene
with "the voices; but here again the actor denoted
fine spiritual instinct To situation like that of the
banishment he would OF course prove easily equal in-
deed he gives This ma gnihcent Outburs Of with
tremendous and thrilling power: but 1t is in the pathetic
scene with VOIannia and FirgiiG that he reaches tile
summit OF the shakesperean conception The deep
heart well the imperial intellect OF Cof0tnn"s
must here speak. II is the distracted moment
of agoniZed and dreadful and pathetic eonfict; Tor
Mccullough 1t moment OF perfect adequacy aud
cOnsummate success. The stormy utteranee OF re-
voted pride and furious disgust in the denial OF IoHm
niqs reQuestthe 0utburst "l VIII not DO
it"-made as wild, nery and lne a moment IN tragic
acting as wo have known but the elnDaI,