New-York tribune., 1885-01-21
THE DRAMA--MUSIC.
rnw,N BOOTH AS oTHELLO.


,th truth be said that it fills the hnaginauon anu
-. ,h. intellect entirely satisfied. OF his emDod-
mani OF OthelLo-whch was the principal feature ~ @
anetition of the tragedy given last night az 'he f
avsnue Theatre, and seen by numerous ateh"'o anu
.ord,a, aud!ence-it will be just to qualfy the accept
snoe with some slight reservation The performance
,aaea is afiuent with feeling very eloquent eAceou
.r,v nicturesoue and admirable for sustained power
"a complete symmetry. Yet the observer ofltis con-
c,ous that Il lacks to extent, the attribute Vi M
nressjye reality. For this result thero "i
two reasons One, that the actor Is hah VI
slight figure the other, that he Is over-nteico'u''
o.. the character 1t is true that In actual IIe' ue
Mors are not large men and, judging Otheo according
o. standard OF actual lfe he may be htly presehteu
nv man of the average size. Built Is also true 'na
this particular Moor Is the hero OF a rage"y '""'
noeticaia tragedy that deals with the acts ol o' o
in their COMMONPLACE and everyday FORM ont III III OK
Allied and exaggerated form. There may not DC sooo
asuynable reason for the preference but IL Is cer'"
that the ideal of Oeo suggested in the poeec worus vi
Shakespeare is best satisfied by the presence o man VI
large physaue. Aud 1t is essential, furthermore' '
the representative O.. Ohslo should convey less .ho
idea of mind than the idea OF pnySica 'o''r, nr'.
accompanied by wealth OF feeilng, Aho
Moor ia secentrcd In ana calm goou
nature until he becomesa lover; and then MS whoo
being IL suused with passionate tenderness out Nc Is
never O thinker Tho presence Of high mentahty III '"o
organization of OGeiIo would save him unharmeo from
hP
that tattributenvoluntary and unavoidahle-in Edwih
Rooh,s epbodiment of him. combines with lightness OF
stature to invest the performance noble and right as
H. In plan and feeling with certain air OF remoehess
and intangbity though were not always Ill earnest
On the other hand its characteristic beautles-horo
especially at a time when degraded Ideal Oh 'he
Moor has generally been accepted as one Oh
tbe grandest spectacles that ever the stage
displayed-are such as ought particularly to command
attention and respect. Edwin Booth docs not make
Ofheos for Desdemona sensual love- nor MS '"o
rce of her beautiful and bameess life an act OF ZERO
cous slaughtersuggestive Of the African jungle auu
redolent with the aroma the menagerie His imper
sonation is poetic He knows and he makes 1t felt ana
understood that Ohelio loves Desdemona with certain
awe and alteration of her heavenly beauty ana III
spirit Of humble sefabnegation There Is something
almost and certainly very pathetic III tine ueVo
ton of this grand simple nature this rugged staiwart
warrior now become helpless in the hands OF mere
girl And when the night OF horror comes ana
in the awful calm Of despair that mas
succeeded to frenzy, the wretched man
must kill what he loves beyond his hope OF heaVeh'
an act OF inexorabe justice and not as an act OF
murder that the blow is struck Edwin Booths IDEAL OF
Oheo is the right ideal and his execution or Keeps
the smootnness of birds flight, and surprises Dy is
adequacy power The bemishes are such ~ grow out
of physical mental incompabiity OF the actor and
the part Yet all the same it remains yindieaton OF
the stage tradition that has descended 10 us from
Edmund Kean and example to the actors OF the new
age In pathos It is very potent and especially in the
third and fifth acts its art is extremely beautiful
With reference Mr.. Booths influence upon his audi
ence it should here said that the effect of his acting
was electrical At three points last night he reached as
high an altitude tragedan could ever
reach in the character Of OheAo-in the
Farewell, in the frenzy at "Never pray more, ana
In the hcart-broken desolaton OF " Had IL pleased
heaven" These efforts were extraordinary and the pup
lie recognized them with responsive emotion that was
rkahi For
Iago in the act, on the first mght-an
enthusiastic outburst OF applause womb nave
recalled Mr.. Booth after he had left the scene;
but in both he declined the call This has been
called a cold audience. " 1t doth not appear MT
Charles Barron Iago and his performance was
observed with thoughtful interest 1t soon became OBJ
yous that Iago entirely within the scope OF MS
execution OHelo is and yet he did not produce IN
it an equal effect Of power. The nature Is not one
him. There was no light of heish see In MS
mood there charm of internal specousness In
his demeapor The qualities OF his IdgO are frank
demeanor, air OF calm thoughtfuness, certaih
smooth, bland duplicty. The text ia given with nne
and adequate intelligence, and with almost
nonchalant air. round, smooth, scholarllKe, gooo
piece acting but not one TO stare and not one tat
presents any exceptional novelties OF treatment The
soid worth Of it, however should be recognized To play
Iaoo at ALL after Edwin Booth ard the stage
with him, is to accomplish difficult task
Mention was made In this column yesterday Out with
W
+he performance Of Emilia, by Miss Annie Clarke and
he performance of Dcsdmona by Miss Blanche Thomp-
1on. These mpersonaons were repeated last night.
and with stl better effect For Emilia OF course. there
is but little opportunity until the fourth act OF the trag
edy Is reached Till then she is only tributary to the
dramatic experience OF others. From that point on
ward however she assumes personal prominence. Miss
Annie Clarke has embodied this character
with equal truthfuness and force. Emilia should
be young, handsome impetuous, little crafty. and-as
shown the last OF act fourth USUALLY unaced-
woman not oyerscrupulous as to either moral prnc-
pies Miss Clarke's physical presentment OF
Emilia is remarkably bold and brilliant; her action
and vocaism in the murder extremely efec
tive and, throughout the performance her quiet suc
gesiveness OF the actual nature OF Emilia evinccd such
subtle dramatic perception unusual Miss Blanche
Thonpson's performance OF DcsdemOJ'a again pleased
but, almost exclusively by its sentiment and sensi
by. correct and reputable performance OF Brdbdnto
recorded the credit OF that sudious cOnscien
tious and well-equipped actor Mr.. Alfred Hudson.
"Othelc." we rejoice add disappears. IL will
not be repeated during Mr. Booths present engagement
CONCERT OF CHAMBER MUSIC.
The principal feature of the third concert of
the Standard Quartete Club at steck Hall last night
the Brahms quintet in minor which, with Edward Neu
pert at the pianoforte, given between two string
quartettes Haydns in fiat major, Op SO. No. g and
BeethoveDs familiar and sunny in minor. the