New-York tribune., 1906-06-24
MAUD EARLE.
In "MamxeIIe Champagne" at the Madison
Square Roof Garden.

those who had read 1t in Fftzgerald's marvellous
translation could scarcely accept any rendering
of 1t to the eye SO impressive as that version
was to the heart and soul. And even as Fitz-
gerald tempted to insert long and wonderful
interludes OF his among the lines Of Hlschy-
lus, many spectator of the play may have
been set dreaming for himself. Perhaps these
last were, after all, the happiest of the spec
tators. and the present writer must own himself
one Of those favored ones.
"I cannot claim TO write a severe and
learned critic, but only one who has spent
many happy hours over the Agamemnon' in
earlier and later years. with such old fashioned
guides as Bottle Potter, Bloomfield. Scholeield.
Milman, or such modern auxliaries as Fitzger-
ald who himself calls his own work a perver-
sion, not q version or Browning. who says OF
AEschyus:
Whose grea. verse blarcs unintermttent
Like any trumpeter at Marathon.
ITO begin upon the Harvard performance 1t
is easy to name certain points which were an
absolute success. In the first place, President
Eliot himself could hardly wish for more alb
solute fulflment Of his wishes TO the vocal
possibilities of the Stadium. Whether from good
selection of voices or partly from resolute In
struction the result followed that every syllable
spoken on the stage clearly heard even on
the very topmost seats of the auditorium. Then
came the wonderful training of memory. Those
enormously long monologues in a foreign Ian
guage. carried through from beginning to
end with hardly glimmer of hesitation; and no
one would have known that there was official
prompter but for the printed announcements.
Nor was II easy to note the variation of word
from the original In rendering. except the oc-
casional substitution of some one sho ort syllable
for another, If actor in English to
insert but for and through inadvertence
here and there. in reciting blank Then
there was, of course, remarkable vigor ard fire
of action throughout. from the superb and vigor-
Gus run with which the herald enters to the last
hopeless yet still audacious exit of the sinful
pair. The fine persistent independence of the
chorus leader; the utter kingliness with which
the returning Agamemnon takes command
where 1t takes only six words of Greek for him
to say what needs In the more wavering English
thirteen words. these things drew down the just
applause of an audience rarely moved to such
expression. If Cassandra was less thoroughly
impressive In acting, it was mainly as having
incomparably the most difficult part in the play
including the tragic utterances OF a fearfuly
wronged woman, doomed to maniaca foresight.
Having thus cordially recognized the essen
tial power and success Of the positive side of
this remarkable performance. It is necessary to
point out some limitations AS to all the points
named thus far, there is nothing which is not
Greek In the presentation of the play. Nay,
there was actual addition, at some points. to
the mere readers appreciation of the Greek.
The present writer, at any rate, had never felt
from reading the vast power of the Greek
chorus, such-that is, had never learned by
the eye only what power the chorus possessed
for the This is of course indirectly a
compliment to Mr. Lodges setting, but it lies
mainly in the revelation OF new organ. a new
means of expression for the study OF the Greek
drama In the mere coming and going, also,
the magnificent exits and entrances, new
power is brought to bear by such presenta-
tiOn. We seem to behold before us successive
groups of kings and queens; no longer Harvard
students, but Argive Kembles and Siddonses
at least. Still there are limitations and draw
backs where do they lis2
They lie, in the opinion OF the present writer
at of the very points where most pains