New-York tribune., 1884-11-27
THE DRAMA-MUSIC
HENRY IRVING AS HAMLET.


MIR. Irving has crowned his noble series N
performances IN this capital with his original ex,rord
nary, and deeply impressive impersona OF Raslst
This was given last night at the star Theatre before
numerous and brilliant audience enthusiastic but also
thoughtful; and 1t viewed with eager attention.
sometimes with surprise, sometimes with delight onee
IN while with consterpation, often with cordial
paudits. always with profound respect Miss Ellen
Terry appeared Opheiio and she dgnhed and adorned
the o~asion by performance radiant In beauty 40
exquisite In grace and tender and lovely IN pahos
that simply "it paragons description and wild fame"
The sublime tragedy OF Hamlet" set upon the
stage in scenery Of magnificent richness and melowness
OF color, and It's several characters jucously distb
uted to suitable actors were. with little exception per
sonatcd In competent and effective manner The night
wns golden onc while IL lasted and the record OF IT,
written In letters OF gold will long abide In the pleased
and grateful remembrance Of this community.
The character OF Hamlet appears to bo chosen by com.
mon consent. as furnishing the standard by which
every actor should be Judged. with reference 10 his
claim TO place In the front rank OF the dramatic pro-
fcssion. II Ia not. indeed, difficult part 70 nc, as
either Macbeth or King Lear-sIncc 10 requires neither
the urid overwhelming ina ginaton OF the ncnd rvon
murderer nor the vast torrent OF thwacd tenderness
and shattered senio sonsiblty essential 10 the Afflicted
Insane monarch neither does itexaot such prodgIons
physical and excrtion demanded IN these
characters. But II IA majestic and beautiful personai.
ily richly fraught with intellect. sensiblty ronnome
and grmcc and displayed under Of impress
syo mystery and It's thoroughly adequate rep.
resentation Il possible only to nature o the most
qusite serslby, halowcd by the charm OF genius.
maturei by the experience Of suffering and dominated
by IN intellect that perfectly controls alike itself and
the methods expcdients and accomplishments of dra-
matte art and hence 1t Ia reasoned that the actor who
can cndoar himself TO the world IN the character Of Ham
Ut IL necessarily great actor. In England where they
accept new Hamict about once every twenty years.
and where the mantle OF Garrck has fallen, euccessvey
on Kembe, Kean, Young Macready aud Fechter, Mr..
Iryings embodiment Of Hamlet was long since crowned
with the laurel of perfect lie has now placed
this noble work for the first time before the public Of
NewYork and at length the stone OF hts great
reputation stands fully disclosed.
The performance is one OF the richest and most sug.
gesve that II has been privilege to see and
Of the most dicult TO analyzc and describe letns
sag az once however that IN idcalin fidelity 90 shake
speare's ooucoptlon-t Is almost entirely great
Tie proportion. indeed Is not strictly maintained.
Ccrian attributes OF the chafacter more ann ly.
boldly ard truly presented than others Tho freng *.
Goods the ncutalltg The bitterness Is moro PROMINENT
than the cifn Uf that luci interval 81 lofty polss
that Iidas Who sinos fofih m the speech to lfooi3
nhout pnsslon's satr ani fotiunfs irent "ilets
h scittely d trnce BIT the BdAil, wh0 lJottd into
tBbeirs tybs MS ~ hr w0ili tcii het yrfS s5 the
U4Wft Ms settfi rs hef kh swhet ht'ls lin9ri itt
~ NHr Ari hafah' M tifAW Wh6 thBigbt he t6rii
Ns b-rnHtt ~ nnilht tHt rBfh hhisiit kihs ~ M
Ariie st.FR iit iha1 ~ tai Nii AfraHs" ihe haH.
iss ,ltHHaN ihe ttMMe NJ Wh83i sBti s'it-tti
q hiAran4 pAi ~ i4A aHi fAeNiiNi ahirasl Its
ifWk. gA8 eiiAl ngeA v lhiA h9t ihHk ha8
~ a5 here aNANi nig heAfs '-lh'q !.
lApsAi pt NAfFstp9d 4Na iAlNipftfal Rlsh pfpiaNAl
ea.Rpsleis and ramarklpl beauty. Ana GA'7 7f-aAgA-
The bleulsAes W nnt nYaiiate this. ihel ae "a lha
melhud, and not n tue substance lfi lAfy e4lsi igr
Mr irving has applied 20 Hamlet the same 'naiAFalN
treatment and The eoOqnii style lhat hl employs
for Hiias Ia The Bells" they arc IN that character,
cousummao and superb; but last night they sometimes
seemed eneahled and inadequate, IN contact win lhe
towering magnitude of shakespearos thought aud the
stately pomp and sorority OF his verse Mr.. lryinss
Hamlet we repeat Is great, in IDEAL but perhaps his
expression of that ideal could bo made, In some ways
more massive aud more splendid II is upon the sub
stance and not the manner OF the work, accordingly,
that reelection will lrst rcpose and longest dwelt
The universal tendency OF the human nina
is to summarize Almost ev0ry person likes 10 hear and
likes to make, comprehensive and positive statements
upon all subjects Of knowledge thought Hundreds OF
writers-pursuant this usual mpulse-Iave assumed
To define Haal No writer has entirely succeeded In
doing It. There are subjects that cannot he SUMMARIZED
ard this is of them. Much lucid aud sIiendh
thought upon It has been uttered because many OF the
greatest minds which have existed within the last Two
hundred wears have been attracted aroused aud inspired
by its glory and its mystery But the hnal Calculating
word has never yet boah found Mnch' 10 pe sure Is
clear There can doubt about the general dIirt Dus
what was left Il nmans "A secret STILL When 'ho
human soul and relations to the universe are entirety
understood Hamlet will be entirely understood-and nos
ill then
Without presnming to undertake 10 define Hon'e'
however IL may yet he said that certain iinnilnatVe
facts about him positively known lie Isl Prince III
royal court; noble, geutle. aud OF perfect pie"ihs'
the expectancy and rose OF the ir state" He Is hrv
years old. IIo has been educated NJ the most famous
,,,l, ftV fn
Catholic faith. lie has lived lfo not OF action bat Of
thought His intellect. vast, far-reaohing ana con-
scous OF It's power has been cultivated by Intense tnk-
ing In the most oxtrcmc limit. that now the idoa OK
anything-no matter whats moro real To iin than tho
thing it,ef aud he lost the faculty. ever he had IT,
OF practical continuous action, even while i'ng at tho
height OF mental activity ana IN fever Ct destructive
,vclement IL seems TO have boen shakespearo's In
t.non TO present adiynoy gifted man ~ repre- ienta-
five OF all that highest and bost In human hatHrei 70
place bin NJ tine pinnacle of worldly forunei 10 mako
him great In himself and In his state; 70 give hn hon'
genius love- friendship power. wealth. lopnu'y' o'.y
essiug; and then to overwhen him with aihetion dc-
ve,onug LATENT strain Of misery aud faint of naiiies
in his organization and thus perhaps on the largest can
vas and with tho boldcst c0ors ever used by mortA
hand to paint human life Ia the aspect OF to'o failure.
For this. surely Is what the tragedy OF Hame,
seems TO say: However much mankind may close rse'
TO the truth the truth nevertheless REMAINS thit NOR
taty Is cOn,utiOn not Oh hhppiic,o p"' w
nroraoted and cruel pain with which II begins, tho un-
certainty with which IL Is attended, the rOdDe VIII
which its burdcned the mystery with when " Is sur
rounded the mutabty with which 1t Is onrre ana 'no
misery in which 1t ends, unite tomake It, Ter all VINO iooA
beneath the surface. infinitely pathetic some oi s
pleasures Indeed. are very great, but all ot i"cn' ~"
eyanescent Everything breaks AID dles-eyery 1ns o'
memory. and that Is the crueest aiictlon Oh a' i'''
Byron put Il all In four lines:
"Count DER the joys thine hours nave seen'
Count o ca thy days from anguisi nee,
And know. whatever thOn hast igch'
IT'S something better not 10 De-
All this we lnd implied Ia Mr. 'r'ing's imperson"'ioa
n. never misses the snbety Of the character Inc
i.cry OF Hami Is Inherent misery. IL Is not To any
con. .llerLDlo extent, caused by Ills personal eH'u"-
1p,, ,sr. NJ this world to hin /" weary,