The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-21
Irviug,s Artistic achievements.
New York Times London Letter.

No rival, past or present, l imagine,
ever interpreted melancholy, remorse, and
death, with such sad, weird re 'lty as
Irving does. His "Mortimer," in "Ihe
Iron Chest" is not his least notable Gre
alton. They say on this side that Mr..
Flockton is going to America To play
some of the characters in which Irving
has made his great successes, more par
ticuIarlv "Charles l." But no other
artist can give you an idea of Irvings
"Charles" any more than they can OF his
"Mathias," in "The Bells" his "Eugene
Aram," his "Dubosc," in the Lyons
Mail" his "Louis XI," or his "Richard
Ill" l observe that Herr Bandmann
has been, however, giving New York an
example of Irvi gs scenic, mechanical,
and "business' treatment of 'Hamlet."
| do not know wheth the Anglo-Ger-
man tragedian acknowledges the source
of his inspiration on his "bill of the
play" or whether he pays the London
actor-manager for the use of his ideas;
but thrre can be no mistake about
Herr Bandmann having fully in
dorsed Irving's "new. departures" in
mounting Ham ct" for New York.
The fattery of imitation hasOften been
insisted on. In this case the London art
ist should rate highly the compliment
Bandmann has paid him, for the Ger
mans tell us that only they understand
our great drama;ist and Herr Band
mann, like his friend Barry Sullivan, has
for many years been leading Interpreter
of Shakespeare in the English provinces
While Bandmann's Hamlet" "sets" and
general mechanical arrangements are evl-
dently founded on the Lyceum version,
it is more particularly in the graveyard
scene where he has accepted Mr.. Irwin s
work, and he must be complimented on
his discernment; for The Lyceum stare
story of "Ophelia's" burial is one of the
most impressive scenes on the poetic stage,
and certainly the English theater has
never seen more natural and solemn y
picturesque Interpretation of perhaps the
most touching incidents in Shakspearean
romance. Not in all the ehistory of "Ham-
let" representations was this scene ever
treated before as Irving treated it. This
fact is mentioned in Mr.. Frank NJ r
shall's preface to the play as Irving ar
ranged it. The church is supposed to be
built on the hill above the royal palacr,
and the procession is seen coming slowly
up the ascent Just As evening is changing
into night. at was at this time the
'maimed rites used to he performed oveI
the dead, who
Did with desperate hand
| Fortiu' their own ie.'
"The stars are beginning to shine faint
ly on the sad group g thered around the
grave. Hamlet advances out of tive
friendly darkness which had hitherto
aided his conceament, as he exclaims
!, What is he whose grief
/. Bears such emphasis? whose phrase Of sorrow
Conjurcs the wondering stals aud makes then
stand
Like wonder wounded he1rersT
"These words of Hamlet's might possibly
have been spoken in the daylight; bu
they furnish sufficient justification fol
the innovation here mentioned" Thus
far Marshall upon "thc innovation" Al
the critics at the time welcomed tht
change, and were enthusiastic in prais'
of the "set," with the procession passin,
at the back of the stage up an elevated
path, and descending into the graveyard
through a wicket. The acolytes, tn
, cross.bearer, the thurifer dispensing in
t ccnse and advancing backward, the men
' alarms, the torches, tie chant Of tn
, priests, the bell tolling, the distant
q sounding organror orchestral accompani
: ment breaking in now and then. Al
y this has been dwelt upon, and the entir
e arrangement recognized as one of thos
y Irvingite innovations that stamp thi
h versatile actor as cultured student an
d a poet in his art. 1t is in such develor
It ments of his taste and jud,
;. ment, as we'll as in his pr
l. fessional earnestness and his tho
;. oughnpss of purpose, that yo
Il may find the KEY to his unprecedente
l. success in Hamlet" ard his wide pop
st larity as an artist and manager. He le
Y neither expense, research, labor, NJ
l. trouble of any kind stand in his wa
s. For example, he has closed his theat
,e for two nights to devote himself to DIRE
le rphearsais of "The Merchant of Venice
re which is to be produced tonight I
re will pay "Shylock'' for the first tim
Ellen Terry is the "Portia." The fir
70 and last time she interpreted the vario
a charms of this most difficult of Gomez
W characters was at the Prince of Walk
Iy Theater, when the piece was produced
rs order that Mr.. Coghland might pl'
ir "Shylock." She was then beginning
~ "take the town." and her ''Portia' a
h. vanced her immensely in popular fave
k. "The Merchant" is to have quite
ID unique mounting at the Lyceum. A
Sc thorities of all classes have been consu
IS ed and there is every reason to anti
at pate for all concerned distinct and u
to equivocal success. Where every body
to in earnest in such work, and the CHI
is director is artist as, well as manage
as where art is the first consideration al
money the second, and given the story
tShylock" for illustration, even ordina
persons might do something worthy wi
it. But in the present case Irving "
at find a congenial part in the suffering b
f. no,Jo;n,s low while 0pnrtia y in +