Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-07

social attentions during his sojourn in
Washington.
From Dresden comes the following &C.
count of the giving of Richard Strauss
'Salome." Strauss and his compositions
occupy a unique position in the field OF
modern music. Discussion and criticism
have run rampant. The American and
continental worlds are struggling to dis
cover the mans true place In music. Like
all new forces he has his ardent worship
ers and bitter detractors. The first per-
Torrance of "Salome" was an event Of
acute interest:
Royal opera-December g. For the first
time en- any stage: Salome. Music drama,
In onr act The libretto is based on Oscar
Wildf's drama of the same name; trans
Music by Richard Strauss: Henceforth, the
ninth of December, 1876, will rank as red
letter day of the first magnitude in the
annals of Dresden royal opera. The pro-
duction Of a work presenting such stipend
Gus difficulties to the artists on the stage
and to those in the orchestra in SO perfect
a form, is very great achievement. In
the Berlin, Vienna, Hamburg. Leipzig, etc.
press notices Of the opera which we have
read all the critics are unanimous in their
admiration OF the marvellous performance
and writing in glowing terms of Won Schuch
and the splendid orchestra. One of the
Berlin critics suggests that as there is no
likelihood of producing Salome in Berlin for
some time TO come, the Dresden company
with the orchestra, etc, should go to Ber-
lin and give some performances of the
opera there. There is very little chance of
such a plan being realized. If 1t were at
ali feasible Convent Garden might also be
suggested. For a long time Wilde's drama
'Salome was prohibited in both London
and Berlin. If II had never been publicly
performed the world would have lost moth
ing, To suit the requirements of the opera
the drama has been considerably curtailed,
but there remains enough to disgust the
most callous. Wilde's Salome is ut
terly depraved woman who fills US with
loathing, and whose actions make our
blood run cold How horrible is her an
swer, repeated again and again to Herods
offer of his jewels, precious stones, untold
wealth, even the half of his kingdom:
Give me the head OF John the Baptist"
Most sickenng of all is the scene in which
she receives the head of the murdered man.
Even Herod hides his face and expresses
disgust, but Salome's mother approves her
daughters actions. 1t is poor comfort to
see such a criminal as Salome is merely
put to death by Herod's orders. Musicians
declare Strauss music TO be the most COM
plicated and inexplicable that has ever
been heard on the operate stage. While
Richard Wagner never requires more than
an orchestra Of eighty men for his great
operas, Strauss demands I'D musicians for
his "Salome.' The mental and physical
strain these men undergo must be almost
uncomfortable. The volume of sound pro-
duced by the orchestra is at times so over
whelming that the voices OF the singers
are drowned. In hearing this opera We
SHOULD 90 wei 10 concentrate our attention
as much as possible on the music. Line
for line and word for word 1t tells us the
same story the book. The difference
lies-in the language. Vile and sOrdid the
one, exalted and ennobled the other. The
majesty Of music is a great purifier. Read
the text and compare ii with the music
In the scene between John and Salome: the
frenZied demands OF the woman and the
stern Tebuke OF the prophet Prominent
features of the score are the curse of
John; the scene between Tetrarch and
SalOme; the dance of the seven wells and
the long and overwhelming concluding
scene. Taken all in all Salome is the work of
a very great composer The opera is given
without any interval and lasts one and one
half hour. There Is no change Of scene; the
stage represents large open space with
night of steps leading up to the banquet
hall; in the background is the dungeon
(called cistern in the book In which John
the Baptist is confined. Vocally and artis-
tcally Frau Wittich's Salome was all that
could possibly be desired; it is stated that
she only undertook the part, which does
not lie in her line, at the urgent request of
the administrat ton. Herr Burrian sang
and acted HeroL to perfeCtion; he was quite
rlght not TO lay too much stress on the
klngiy attributes Of HerOd, who is always
spoken Of in the book as the Tetrarch "a
Roman governor Of the fourth part OF a
province). The house was crowded from
OF Dresden society and with numerous
representatives, Of the theaters and the
press from all parts of Europe. At the
end OF the performance the composer, Won
Schuch, and the principal artists were
called some forty times before the cur
tain.-P.
MARY LEARNED.