The immortal sound of Sarah Bernhardt, 100 years after her death
Daily Comfort ZoneThe supreme French actress and international celebrity made several recordings and films in the two decades before her death, 100 years ago this week. Here are two.
And you won’t want to miss her 1908 silent Tosca.
I wonder what future generations will make of Meryl Streep 100 years from now.
Most likely they’ll view Streep’s accents the same way we view Bernardt’s vibrato declamations.
Sounds entirely histrionic!!
Hm. Just another trembly-voiced weird historical recording. If anything, a bit monotone. Hard to believe this person was a superstar. Just another “historical great” who would be a nobody today.
By some accounts, when Bernhardt saw herself in “Tosca”, her first substantial film, she was horrified by her appearance and her acting.
I have to wonder about all the generations of actors, prior to film and video, who never saw their own acting as their audiences did, and all the strange affectations that were cultivated for what they only imagined to be effective.
One must remember that Sarah was reciting to a contemporary audience with contemporary tastes. I heard something special behind the exaggerated delivery.