New-York tribune., 1880-04-03
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
EDWIN BOOTH AS RICHELIEU:

A change from Macbeth TO Richeeu" was
made, at Booths Theatre. last night, and Edwin
Booth appeared N the aged Cardinal. 1t is q part
that this actor long since made his own, and In
which-by reason of tho profound correspondence
between the temperament of the actor and that of
tho chaiacter-Ac stands unrivaled among his con-
tcinporarics TO all the conditions exacted by Mac-
beth. who must bo shown as at Onco q tortured i'm
aginatiOn, haunted spirituality. and robust and
sincwy warrior, he is not equal; and therefore his
Macbch is, in some respects, suggested rather than
actually embodied But. to all the conditions ex-
acted by Richeeu he responds with spontaneous SYM
pathy. and with tho ease of second nature. Tho
embodiment is not merely noble with virtue and
wisdom, tender toward the innocent. protective of
the weak. and defiant and terrible toward tho
wicked and the strong, but it IL lovable with innate
grace and ingrained beauty. Goodness alone would
not conquer: the ideal erected by Nr. Booth
goodness made radiant with the electrical
qualities Of genius He makes Rickelieu lion like,
but he also invests him with tender melancholy
and lonely grandeur. The side-lights that are
she'd upon tine character. in the moments of Richc-
LIENS muslng over his lost youth, his lost love.
his lost friends. his lost Illusions his solitary and
solemn ago. have all been observed by this actor,
aud they have illuminated for him the deep heart
of man who no longer lives for himself, but only
lot lnc udpplHtSS VI OtucIS. 10 nave reacneu,-
through experience of ambition, care. trouble, and
sullerNg.that altitude of sad bat noble supremacy
above personal interests, the promptinGs Of passion
and the caprices of fate from which a stately soul
can look down upon tho turmoil OF human life, with
calm tolerance and tender pity. is to be what Bul-
wer meant by Richelieu-an old hero, who IS In the
world but not of il. and who only keeps his grin on
human affairs because he is too generous to desert
II that needs his care and loved ones who repose
upon his strength. 1t is because Edwin Booths
pcIsonation is built. with exquisite taste
and grace, upon this central idea, that
it has, all along, exercised such potential spell
of fascination upon the public mind. The 6ne
tracery of art-combnng intellectual purpose.
will, grim humor, genteness, craft nice touches of
human vanity. ndecclesastic pomp ana splendor.-
so gracefully drawn as to create and sustain per-
feet illusion, would not alone have mado this pcr.
formance splendidly victorious Its beautiful
exaltaton of spirit Is its dominant power. The dis
play Of this last night was as full and Us potent as
over; and. upon the delivery of the anathcmo
there was not heart in all the vast audience that
did not rejoice. rs we'll i'll the Of the possb.
grandeur OF human nature, rs in the spectacle of
vaOr Drawing ruin in tho defence of imperlled in
noccncc and virtue. Acting that has this effect ia
of unspcakabo value.
Mr.. Booth was called before the curtain at the
end OF each act of tho DRAMA and twice at tho end
of the fourth-which is 80 grandly crowned and
rounded with the threat of fexcommunicaton If there
was less force and less volume of sound, and less
demonstrative gesture than have been usual with
him in this great moment, there was even more than
his accustomed intensity of emotion, and there.
withal very brilliant blending of human feeling
-Virtuous, tender. passionate, and noblo-with the
awful dignity Of religious power. The
artistic intention-here, and all the way through
to subordinate the theatrical character of tho piece
to arationa treatment may be named as, in Its more
than usually resolute and consistent exhibition the
only divergence from the general tenor of the por-
formance of Riohclicu to which Mr. Booths audi.
ences have SO long beon accustomed.
Neither MI McCollom, rs De Maaprat nor Mr..
Hardie. as Baradas, nor Miss Wilton. as ,Juln A.
any time rose above She lAyelo Of commonplace. Tic