National Republican., 1883-03-03
TIE GERMANS ON BOOTH.

John @. Freund's Compilation OF Press
Opinion from Berlin, in emusic and
Drama.y
Whatever may bo tho pecuniary results Of
Mr.. Edwin Booths performances of Shaks-
peare in Germany, IL is beyond question that
he has gained brilliant artistic success The
Berlin audience knows its Shakespeare far bet
ter than tho average English or American
house, and has seen the leading roles admir-
ably filled by native actors of genius. Yet
the palm Is unhositatingly awarded to the
American actor. Mr.. Booths engagement,
which began on the eleventh Of January, has
been twice renewed, 80 large was the attend
ance at the first series of representations.
He played Hamlet, King Lear, laRo and
Othello; all these have boon carefully re-
viewed at length by the Berlin critics.
Oscar Welten the dramatic critic Of the Ber-
liner Rundsohdu pronounces him the best Ham
! let he has ever seen, surprising Rossi, Dew
rient, and Barnay, and only to be compared
| to the late Joseph Wagner. He speaks in
high praise of his mobility of expression,
while his quick transitions from laughter TO
agony are described as an achievement OF
startling power in the school Of aesthetic crit
icism. Welten is right, as far as comparison
with Rossi and Barnay goes, but perhaps he
| exaQgerates when he exalts Booth over tho
in equally eulogistic terms Of the wonderful
play OF his face and the speaking glsnces of
his eyes, and pronounces his Hamlet q
masterpiece towering over all rivals, In
which grace humor, passion Of delivery, and
sublime genius are blended. This Hamlet,
the journal continues, twas not played, but
| lived" The Possische Zeiiung regards his Inn
presentations as tho most attractive and life
| like that could be conceived, and full oftouch-
ing and beautiful details. The Stddtsbrger
| Zeitung sees in Mr.. Booth revelation ofa
| spirituality hitherto overlooked in the Amer
| lean character. The|American, whom Euro
peans regard as so practical, is proved capable
of representing the melancholy Dane, with
his dreamy, spiritual soul Giving due
praise to Booths profound feeling-artstic
instinct-this critic Is struck by his dominant
intellect He, too, compares Booth to Devri'
1 ent, and considers the former to exceed In
| diversity.
The Berlner Zeit,mg thinks Booth deserves
tho enormous applause which greeted him
Art has become 80 much part Of Booths bo.
ing that his fidelity to nature is startling
The whole Interpretation was grand and
touching free from all sickly sentiment, and
insane rant but distinguished by deep in
ternal emotion, life like action, and real pas
sion. Die Tribune speaks In similar terms
The PreusSische Zeitung calls him an artist who
interprets the innermost meaning of the part
and an actor Of singular nobility of mind and
manner. The Presse, in It's dramatic columns
is moro analytical. 1t thinks that here and
| there little more dramatic power would be
desirable, but that Booth is q phenomenal
artist full of infinite charm, simple, noble
free from all attempts at mere effect, never
overstepping the boundary lines Of the beau
tiful, and every inch q king.
His Lear was looked for with some anxiety
as Booth seemed physically not well fitted fol
the part. Yet the polks Zeitung declares that
his imagination, depth of feeling, and pro.
found study made his Lear transcend com.
parison with all his rivals, not even Salvini
or Rossi approaching him. The critic adds
that in "King Lear" Shakespeare takes toe
high flight for the Italians, aud can only be
interpreted by an actor of the Anglo-Saxor
race and spirit. Booth is a magician who gives
form and meaning to unintelligibe SEN
tences and lets us gaze into the distant land
of dreams while we are thrilled with every
vibration of his heart. The Borsen Zeituns
thinks that his Lear displayed more soul, h
possible, than his Hamlet, and that he ac'
centuated the unhappy king less than the
unhappy father. In the latter part of the
play, where too many actors weaken, Booth
reached the climax of his performance aid
was the winner Of series Of ever-increasinl
tTiumphs.
Other testimonies than these could b.
given but there are no criticisms that are
not in the highest degree laudatory, and that
do not give good reasons for their Judgment
Mr. Booth may be well pleased ut the result
Of his daring experiment, and his success is {
triumph for American art,