New-York tribune., 1902-01-26
FRENCH THEATRES.
NEW PRODUCTIONS OF THE WEEK-THE
CERCLE vOLNEY EXHIBITIONS
OF PAINTINGS.
OF PAINTINGS.
Copyright: 1902: BY The Tribune Association)
IBY CABLE TO THE TRIEUNE.l

Ot
Copyright: 1902: By The Tribune Association)
IBY CABLE TO THE TRIEUNE.l
Paris. Jan. 25.-The theatrical event of the
week is the production at the Theatre Antoine
OF La Terre." dramatized in five acts by NM. St.
Arroman and Hugot, acted in a mastery fashion
by the admirable stock company. NJ. Antoine
himself playing the old peasant in such man
ner that Emile Zola who was present at the first
performance. pronounced it TO be NJ. Antoine's
most powerful tmpersonation. Certainly the
death scene 'of the aged peasant. driven from
door to door like King Lear by his ungrateful
children who expires in the road just the
rising sun bursts forth upon the acres of golden
wheat which he had prematurely divided among
his heirs, is superbly rendered, but there is not
enough concentrated action in La Terre" to fill
five acts and the cross currents of village life
become monotonous, notwithstanding the real
istic accessories of live COWS, cackling hens and
bleating sheep, which make the stage of M. An
toines theatre resemble a sort of combined cattle
and poultry shop The result seems to be that La
Terre," like Mana" Pot Bouille' and Ger
nlinal," is not adapted to dramatzation: in fact.
'L'Assommoir' so far is the only one of the Zola
cycle of novels that has proved a theatrical
success.
Another attempt to dramatize popular novel
was lldue w WeuHeSQdy HlSII dI the DoulIco ehiA-
stems. where "Claudine a Paris" by Gauthier
Villars better known in facetious Partisan lit
erature under the nom de plume Of willy" was
produced, but this panorama of the adventures
of precocious schoolgirl, at times tantanzingly
perverse and inconsistent. interesting enough as
a psychological romance is insufficient to make
three act play.
Moritz Rosenthal, whose piano recitals are
ia in Nav hut hO has the last
week been giving concerts for the first time in
Paris. has continued to elicit the enthusiasm of
the musical public. and to-day Charles Joly,- the
musical critic of the Figaro" after calling at
tention to his masterful recitals both of romantic
and classic compositions, states that he has
never heard anything approaching RosenthaIs
rendering of the rhapsodes in the themes OF
Johann Strauss, and that his rapidity of finger
ing and "vertuosite presque demoniaque" could
scarcely have been equalled by Rubinstein,
Liszt or Thalberg.
The annual exhibition OF paintings by the
members Of the Cercle Volney opened yes
terday by President Loubet, who IS himself
exceedingly incisive art critic and admirer of
landscapes and the open air school OF paint
ing. Among the works at the Volney show the
most commended is picture by Dewembez,
night view from fifth story window of a
political manifestation on the Boulevard Mont
martre 1t is full OF movement; squads OF police
drive rioters along here; there man is lying
wounded on the pavement or taking refuge be
hind cabs and tho whole Is lighted by electric
lamps. There are excellent portraits by Benjamin
Constant, Carolus Duran, Jules Lefebvre.
Chabas Humbert, De Pertz Gabriel FerFier and
Cesbron; clever landscapes by Bonnat. Quinard.
Umbricht and Karl Cartier; delightful views OF
Venice by Carous Duran and by Twill;
perb head of old fisherman smoking pipe.
by Tattegrain. Bouguereau sends pretty little
peasant girl leaning against door holding
green apple in her hand. which has been beauti-
fully drawn and is not excessively Bouguereau-
esque. President Loubet stopped before the only
American picture a market scene at Agra. full
OF delicate, subdued color and sultry atmos-
phere by Weeks. and seemed amused by Jhan
Veber's clever and humorous eccentricity, repre-
sentng two Spanish dancers capering about un-
der mellow candle light. c. /. B.