The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-12
DUSE AS FRANCESCA DA RIMINI
~. ANNCNZIOS GLORIFIED MELO-
DRAMA HEARD HERE.
Opportunities for the Great TraE edienne's
Art Not Many. hut the Play Produced
Profound Impression -- SignOra
buses Francesca" Winning anu sad.

D'Annunzio's Francesca da Rimini"
is Rjorified melodrama. It was played
for the first time in this city last night AT
the Victoria by Eleonora DuSe and her
company. It's SUCCESS was instantaneuu. {.
applause and curtain calls numcrou.
II Dll-o had begun her engagement with
this stirring. picturesque transcript of love,
war. hatred and cruelty in the thirteenth
century il is doubtful if the other plays
Of The Italian poet would have been heard
at all Francesca da Rimini" promises
TO b the one popular piece in the limited
repdf7ory of Buses present season. II
10 less literary and has better acting
qualities, in a conventional sense. than it,
Predecessors.
It Ii unnecessary to revert TO the plays,
poems. books. pictures, symphonies that
have been made with the unhappy loves
OF FSancsscd and Pdoio a. a theme From
the day when the great Florentine exile
wrote in Csnto V. of his He'll. In it,
leaves that day We read no more. Dante
inspired painters, poets, sculptors- ltodin
not among the least-musicians and play
wri9hts.
Leigh Hunt wrote THE Story of Rimini:"
there Is George Boxers commonplac" play,
Otis Skinner and others have appeared;
there il an old play 10y Silvio Pellico, and
the two new Settings of the story by stephen
Phillips and Marion Crawford-tho latt"r's
version prepared for Sarah B"rnhardt-
ar of Yesterdays doing- Both List
and Tschaikowsky have composed sym
phonic poems on the subject
And now d'Annunzio, As if he wished to
demonstrate his fitness in the handling
OF any dramatic form. conceived and exc
cutet species of poetic melodrama i'm
which the life of a felldal period H. unrolled
before us in five glowing tahleauy Prodi-
galty of color. bloody war, horrd luSts
are mingled arti-tically with the process
sional attitudes OF tire-women. sweet sing
ing and interludcS of lyric passion. A.
IN mirrored dream of BIrne-Jones Fran
cesco moves slowly from rapt maidenhood
q forced marriagc; from unhappy inarriag
TO deception and death.
Not content To follow the bare lines Of
the ancient chronicle the playwright weavcS
into his symphony of adulterous passion
historic episodes and pict of MANNERS.
IL In one epoch Of strange rep"llait con-
trasts. Souls are spilled to the tune of
graceful madrigals. and the roses often
dyed deeper hue 10y blood. In IN" sphere
Of action the play mostly lives, though
there are some hating moments of poetic
delicacy and introspection set over against
operate episodes.
We first assist az scane If jester and
damsels which recalls Bandellp or Boo
caccio. II Is gay and humorous, with the
coarse unScemly humor of the time. Al
bench teaSed by the three merinaid- in
-Rheingold' il recalled. Two brothers Of
Francesca indulge In fierce recriminations
during which a yelled accusation of al
tempted parricide Is made, with ia. result
that fratricide is barely escaped.
Francesca is deliberately betrayed by
her brother Ostdsio Polenid into the arms
OF the -Lamester' GiOrdnni Mridtes,d
She believes that she is wedding his brother
Pdolo, called the handsome one, skilled in
and a lover Of sport. BY deivce near
the close of Act | he is made To pass and
be seen by Francesca She goes To her
doom willingly. She loves. and Pdolo is a
married man.
In the second act. a year later, Fra--
cesed, in a Saracenic headdress, seelIs
to haw aged ten years. On the bat
Element Of her husbands fortress, amid the
enginery of war. Greek fire boiling in the
cauldron, darts flaming, missiles. cataputs
ballista and outlandish weapons that
crowd the summit OF the tower, she stands.
There Is terrific din; crossbows twang.
and toscins are heard. francesca
displaying true medieval immobilty at
all these sights and sounds hovers about
the platform questioning, curious
She insists on tampering with a torch Of
the deadly Greek fire and il evokea from
the poet flock Of his flaming images that
5winbume alone Nigh, parallel II was |
cut last night, but ~ Pdoio enters, eager |
Tor the fight, FrdncescG's attitude shifts |
At once We see her aroused interest She |
loved him, loves him. Their interview con-
tains some striking speeches: and then | |
saw your face, silent between the spears |
OF the horsemen," she tells him, and adds |
hat then she longed for death. He replies |
IN like exalted strain. He exposes him |
self at the open portcullis and she tremblcs, |
but IL brave.
Her 'Pater Noeter' Is an outlet for her |
overcharged feelings. 1t waa delivered |
BY Dlse with shivering eloqucnce. The |
Of the scene IL heightened bv |
he entrance of her husband. surnamed |
0idnciotto. He limps, but is mighty |
warrior in the land. The characters Of |
The two brothers are exposed in few linea
Still another brother appears, Mdidhs,ino. |
he Ia the youngest. His eye has lust been |
destroyed during this battle. Malcvolcnt.
cruel. he, too, loves Francesca. In a later
act he plays the part Of Idgo to his elder
brother.