New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-12
THE DRAMA-MUSIC
NINE. DUsE AT THE VICTORIA,
FRANCESCA DA RTMINI."

A-N<A-Nca@SNA ia RlMINI."
Nine Duse. at the Victoria Theatre snn.aras
ssst night as Francesca da Riuoinf in = Ma ~.
Nr DAnnunzO. relative to the old familiar storx,
OF that hapless heroine cursed with the fatal etft
Of beauty and precipitated by Irresistible rassio
tuto the vortex Of lamentahle sin and traeicoI
death The story possesses the perennial charm of
romance, and, in whatever form il recurs II MAYER
fails TO elicit the response of public interest rs
form IN the present instance is substantially that
Of narrative. its personsas in all Mr. D. Apnunzio,s
pays.-denoting themselves and their feelings and
indicating the march OF events in their ex-
perience. by what they say rather than bv
what they do. The Italian author f,rtber
more. has encountered the story with many
extraneous details which are superfuous and
offensive so that his tragedy instead of
Inspiring the pity that melts the heart and the
terror that startles and chastens the mind revols
sensibility and inspires WEAKNESS horror and
disgust The agonizing cries Of a man subjected
torture are, for example. made audible through
out scene, and the severed head OF this victim
is brought on In red silk handkerchief One gem
heman.-Iago and Ludovioo combined.-has his
left eye gouged out, at early stage Of the game
and goes around dispensing gore as well as syntax
Three brothers are enamoured OF Francesca in
stead o. two. And that amable fascinator herself
kneels and repeats the Lords Prayer. while her
favored paramour is shooting arrows at unseen
foes. and delighting her by peppering each one
OF them IN the sullet The sense OF delicacy
and the faculty OF taste have obviously, been
omitted from Mr.. DAnnunzio's mental organiza-
ton. and the consequence is that he writes like A
baTbarous Observation-Disclosures all the while no
doubt. that he is splendidly audacious and mag
nifcently powerful. when. in fact he is merely
gross and foul. DR.. johnson noticed that "a man
who wants 10 make himself conspicuous will tumble
IN hogsty, II people viii only look at him and
call him 10 come out" and that wise observer
might have added that sometimes man will do
this IN the natural order OF his mental expression.
How else should il happen that plays and stories
written on the revolving details OF crimes too
horrible TO be named? How else can be explained
the existence Of those Paphian books with which.
in al opulent and luxurious countries literature
IS dsgraced and. TO extent society corrupted?
The prelimnaries OF this piece may be instructive
IN archaeology. but out OF all proportion 20
the effect II is a case of running a mile. that
ne may leap a yard BY far the greater part OF
the fabric consists Of limbs and outward -four
ishes." but. considering how numerically prolix
and verbose this authors method is. his audience
probably ought TO be thankful that he has stil
further augmented this interminable compound of
lechery and murder by introducing the Annals Of
Tacitus. the History Of Josephus. and the entire
Old Testament. The only really dramatic moment
arrives toward the end OF the fourth act, when
Malatestino apprizes Giovanni Of Francesca's
adultery with Paoo; and IN these Rosaspina easily
took the laurel OF triumph. by terrible display OF
animal fury. frghtfully repressed.
Nine. Duse, mature in aspect and massive in
person. seems rather heavy for such part
Francesca, but, or course she cOmprehen6S II
perfectly we'll and she is easily able express its
Voluptuous emotion. its reckless abandonment, its
vacillation between duty and love. its mouTnful
ecstasies, its CONSERVATION in the of dis
coVer, and its anguish in the final catastrophe. 1t
would be strange. with all her experience Of the
stage. IL ideal simple were not completely
within her reach and IL an embodiment easy
were not entirely at the command Of her trained
artistic powers. In this, in other assumptions,
however the is laid upon intensity. and the
method is Photographic and dull Francesca loves,
but also she suffers; and it is in suffering that
Nine. Duse exults and eXcels. Upon this point the
eminent Italian has herself provided formal
testimony. Her note IS the pathetic; her ideal the
life that Is raVaged with passion and wrecked on
the shoals Of guilt Let me suffer-" said Matilda
Heron: give me the woman that is lost" It is
favorste device with the emotional actress. but
almost always it is a hollow 81 will move
storms" says the impassioned Bottom; Il will con-
dole in some measure: If Go II, let the audience
look TO their eyes, The audience. at these Italian
entertainments. has need Of frequent recourse TO
the handkerchief OF woe. and a most impressive
spectacle does that audience present with one
suspicious and dropping eye it now consults
the informing libretto and shameless the start
ing tear. The play OF Francesca da Rimini" will
be acted until Saturday afternoon. when the en-
gagement of Nine. Duse at the Victoria will be
brought end. W ".
"HCCKLEBERRY FINN" PRESENTED.