New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-20
BERNHARDT ~ "MACBETHr
FROM me London Terrgraph.

from London Tei,grdph.
pitched in too high q key. NJ Alarais, who played
Macbeth. began shouting at hi' topmo't note and
strongest lung power No delicate or sensitive acting
could stand against such torrent OF sounl II WA
bad enough years ago when Madame Bernhnrdt had 10
withstand tho tornado of MOunot-Sully; but the
TRAGEDY Of that actor childs play compared To- the
storm and stress O Maal' In 0rdef 10 keep III tune
with him Madame Bernmrdt wa- compelled to shout
also in tho approved artificial style of tho French classic
STAGE he n04c was Injections Tor soon Macdun
Mucom Bnuuuu and the rest of them rOircd 40 If tho
nudicuco were suddenly deaf aud the theatre large
~ the Albert Hall The flute like awcetncss Of Sarah
Brrnlhfts tones. her soiuoss of manner her docacy
of touch her ubcty OF treatment, were all laid aside
in order 10 join in the grand contest for supremacy in
drclauniory strength
ISN'T after all noise bad and ndefcnsibe enough. was
not the only fault of the acting la,t night The dignity
aud majesty of the tragedy tho -ubmity of the theme,
the glow of the poetry, the ina natlYc grandeur of
Shakcspcarcs conception, were necessarily lost I'm tho
Translation, however cou~cicutiously donc but this
,u. i'm no w.c rounrrlccd by an depth of thought
aubtlcy of artistic expression in the acting VI viii be
nd that the general rcprc4rn alton was Oycrstraincd,
and what d, called mcodramatc II was worse than
that hccau.c it was often wholly divorced from i'm
auuaton that IT became positively vulgar All ina
arose from the mi taken notion that tragedy cannot 10
played without an mir. a aiylc, aud noui,ll ono
would have thought that sarah Brrnbaidt would be- tho
frat to become IN iconocll4t. she the most natural
actress IN modern playa of The present generation bnt
the tradition, of the French classical school were TOO
strong Tor hor, and she played Lady Macbeth through
ont without showing very clearly whether she hhd any
very strong ideas of The character IN the hb'tract IA
shr
ont Gur,.r. without light shade without one touch of
the fancy that Is in her She read Macbcths first letter
In "A tragic STYLE and she performed the sleep walking
,cenr IN "A tragic manner For the first time n her
career the least stacy actress who has appeared
a, IA protest against conventional and unmaglnatlye
acting became theatrical TO fault and quite obstl
nnteiy unpOetlcal.
Scene after and tableau after tableau passed
away with exactly the same result The audience kept
watching for the expected that came Ii puzzled
them a last 10 lind how the time slipping away
with attained result NJ Mara- WAS just ~ loud and
ssertiye when addressing servant talking IN secret
to his wife IA when cOnioundng the witches or calling
his retaneTs arms. Never for instant did he re-
serve his strength modulae his fury. The mOnotony
of the persOnaon its greatest fault next to ia con-
-picon- unntolligence Had this very powerful Mao
beth who brought his battlefield manners into the pn
vacy of his castle pitched his sorrow in lower
kew It is possible that Madame Bernhardt might have
been able atune her voice to that % her nervous and
apprehensiye lord and master. But once the tragic
fury was started Lady Macbeth carried away in
the stream of dramatic hurry bury" She put on her
feroely doolamatory manner, which ia isnted to an
actress whose whole yle is strongly opposed to It,
The man who doesn't own yacht calls 1t
yat. tho who does calls It yahti tho old salt VINO
I'D. H. 4 &. ~ ATARI pnn