Art Journal CorrespondenceAuthor(s): ViatorSource: The American Art Journal (1866-1867), Vol. 6, No. 4 (Nov. 15, 1866), p. 54Published by:Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25306577 .

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AMERICAN ART JOUTRNAL.

or characters are represented with a general truthfulness wbhicl sbows that, althougji hastily

written, the play has been carelully rehlearsed. Taken altogether, however, "Griffith Gaunt"

can hardly be termed a success, and although for the sake of Messrs. Smith and Baker, who have labore(d well and earnestly for the public amuse

ment, I sincerely wish itkmay become, so I greally fear it will not. Nons verons.

Mr. COas. Dillon's engagement at the Broad wany Theatre has proved a decided success, the gentleman's eflorts -ln the "legritimate " line provlng fally equal, itfnot superior, to his celebrated personation of Belphegor, the only parl by which he has heretofore been known to New York audi' ences. Mr. Dillon's style is truthful and natural; he does not indulge in the ultraisms of the collo quial school, but uses It judiciously, thereby striking a happy miedium, whicih renders his act ing enjoyable to a high degree. I have seen Mr.

Dillon's perrormance of 6 "Othello,"" 3 Belphbegor," and " Louis X'," and in all the true artist stands prominently forward. His "Louis XI" is the finest, and his "Otliello " is the poorest persona tioni he has yet given us. In the latter there is too much evident elaboration and straining after effect, which stands out in strong contrast to the admirable Iago of Mr. J. W. Lanergan, a per formance which carried the whole house by storm by Its power and trutlh to nature. Some allow ance must be made for Mr. Dillon, lhowever, from the fact that he has been laboring under a severe cold since h is arrival in New York, which display ed itself very often throughout tbe performance, giving, to his voice a huskiness which marred many of the finest passages of the play. Mr. Dil lon's "Louis XI" and "Belphegor" are both

masterpieces of art. In the first he compares fa vorably with Chas. Kean (the greatest repiesent ative of the part now living), using almost all ot that gentleman's "business," and introducing new "busines3" of his own, which is equally powerful and dramatic. From the rise to the fall ot the curtain Mr. Dillon thoroughly imbues himii self with the spirit or the part he is representing, and his power in this respect is fully exemplifled in "ILouis XI," wherein we are made alternately to shiver and smile at the cold blooded villainy and cunning bypocrisy of the wicked old monarch.

Mr. Dillon Is also, a thoroughly sympathetic ac tor, and carries the feelings of the audience along 'With him to a greater extent than many of the ac tors of the present day can boast of, thereby dis playing himiselt to be a thorouglhly great actor; for ani actor to be sympathetic must be great. Ranting, mouthillg, attitudinizing and exagggera tion may split and delig;ht the ears of the ground lings, but to the true lover of the drama, Mr. Dil lon represents a school 'which reniders the stage a school-roein tor the mind, rather than a show shop to catch the tancy. Let us hope that this school will gain ground; it is the true, the only, school o0 acting which can ever become truly sat isfactory t) the thoughtful mind, and will, if per severed In, ralse the drama to the position to

which it properly belongs, but from wlhich it has been remorselessly hurled by many so-called tra gedians, andl woull-be sensational actors.

Bult 1 hlave runl on so, on thlis my lavorite hob by, that there is no space left for a thlorough re

view of the revivals at Walla&ck's-" The Rivals," produced last week, and the "IDouble Gallant" this. They are well-worn suljects, however, and it is lhardly necessary to say more than that they have been both phiyed in that- admirable style which always cbaracterizes the performance of the old comedies by Mr. Wallack's thoroughly ex cellent compan,y.

SHUGGE.

For tho Amorican Art Journal.

DRIFTING.

Drifting out inito the moonlight, Heeding no longer the oam

Hearing no longer the ripples That break on the fast-fadingr shores.

Out from the land shade to brightness, Out from the lanld cares to peace,

Till we glide ftom the world into glory And float o'er a broad golden ifleece.

Softly the leaves of the lilies Tap on the boat, as we go;

And Ihint o'er the water is waftedl The loon's mourfiful cry, sad anid low.

See how the lily leaves sparkle; Jewels they seei in this slheen:

See the bright stars, like their setting, Flash from below and between I

Sometimes this rapture of moonlighlt Brings me a long yearning pain;

But to-night, with the glory-a mantle Of Peace o'er my spirit is lain I

It through this pathway .retllgent, Heaven shoul(d break on our eyes

Scarce could it add to the presentt,

Scarcely awaken surprise I

Ah I to float on thus forever

Or in that group to the West,

Mooring our bark by the moonlight, Find them the Isles of the Blest?

ART JOURNAL CORRESPONDENCE.

PARS, Oct. 25, 1866. MY DEAR Mn. WATSON:

The musical world has been so barren of all that is interesting, that I really have not had the cour ag-e to make up a letter to you, whioh at the best could not be filled with anything but common place affairs-and even now matters are, music ally speaking, very flat, the only circumstance of note which has occurred being tho re-entree of Adelina Patti, who appeared ;in "Sonnambula " on the night of Oct. 2d, to a house crowded from pit to dome, the recelpts excee(ling 20,030 francs -judging from that niglht Adeiina certainly has not yet reached the zenith of her popularity.: On the 4th Mine. Lagrua made her debut as 'Norma"

with fine success. She is a fline artist; but being quile passe6, her voice lacks power in, those parts vhere force is required. Her acting, however, iS suiperb, and she sings with much style anid flnisb. The d&but was a courplete success. Patti miade ber second appearance in " Sonnambula" on the evening of the 6th, with her usual triumph. I am sure you would be surprised to witness the iin

mense strides she has made since leavingAmer1ica. Her voice is at least double in strengtlh and vol ume, while her sinring Xs wondertal. To me, she is nmore than perfect; her intonation being exact, accompanied with a cloclk-like precision of timle-; while her execution is something surprising. A circumstance has lately occurred with her which I believe is the first during her European career. On the night of the 11th she was announced to appear in "Crispino "-the doors were besiegged by persons anxious for admittance, but were m met with the announcement that Patti was indisjiosed (and Lagrua also), therefore no opera wouldl be given. To those who had previously procured tickets the imoney was returned. The tacts. were that Adelina hadl taken a severe cold while riding in thel Bois de Bologne, and Lagrua had also corn

tracted a similar malady. The physicians would. not grant Patti a clean bill of health until to morrow evening the 16th, when "Crispino " is to

be given sure. I am certain the Theatre will be jaimimed.

Great preparatioDs are making here for the giv

ing of Italian opera during the Exposition. There will be two companies; one at the " I Italiens " and

the other at I do not exactly know where. Are

you not coming over? Mrs. Van Zan(dt is engaged at the Royal Ital

ian Opera's o. Warsaw and St. Petersburg for six

months from the 1st ot November, and leaves here on Thursday next, the 2Sth tor our destinations. She had an offer for three years but would not ac

cept for more than six months at a time. The

company is comlposed partly of Mme. Trebelli, the famous Contraltofrom Her Majesty's Theatre, Lon don, andl Sg,nor Ciampi, the renowned basso from Covent Garden, London, &c., &c. Mrs. Van Zaudt d6buts in "Lucia, " and afterwards sings

IIMargerita"in Faust with Mme. Trebelli as

Siebel. Morensi has gone to Barcelona for three months,

while Carozzi-Zucchi, Amiodia, the baritone, and sundry other persons who weie eng,aged by Mr.

Grau, are remaining here "I disponibile."

WiTol

ART MATTERS.

The Artist's Fund Society threw open the doors of the Academy on Thursday last for their Sev

enth Annual'Exhibition. Tho Artist's Fund So ciety is an excellent instituition and deserves all encouragement at the hands of the picture buying community; addled to this, it is composed of some of the most distinguished painters of the country, and the annual exhibitions are uniformly excel lent and praisewortlhy. The present exhibition is acknowledged on all hands to be superior to any ot the preceding ones and its interest is not a lit tle added to by the large display of water color

paintings. Water color is among the neglected arts o1 this country, and the Artist's Fund Soci

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