The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-02-05
PROFESSOR SAYS
'SALOME' IS PURE
DECLARES PEOPLE WHO OBJECT
ED TO OPERA AND NOT THE
OPERA ARE AT FAULT.
NOT FOR EYES OF YOUNG
But Good Enough For the Grown-ups---
Or. Rublnkham. Of Chicago uni
versity, Says Wilde's Motive
Was Clean.

| Chicago, Feb. Oscar Wide was
idealized and "Salome " the opers
whose fame is ringing around th'
world in horrible echo Of its savage
/ passions, was classed as an inspirat
pcesy.diama by DR.. Nathaniel l.. Ru
bi0kam. Chicago University lecturer II
the extension of literature, in a lee
ture at Music Hall today
The savants eUlogy was as weirt
and strange of the Wilde-Strauss pro
ductions Itself.
DR., Rubinkam deplored the artificial
modesty which makes the world tc
quake and shudder at naked truth art
fully portrayed. Then he said
THE Jews did not permit the Song
Of Songs" to be read by one before
thirty years OF age; one should not see
the Strauss Salome' until the heyday
in the blood is tame of waits upon the
the Judgment"
This an Age Of Prudery."
DR. Rubinkham said that "Salomet
should shock no one The fact that
the Strauss portrayal has shocked and
Jared. he said was not because the
opera was at fault, but because the
hearers and critics were children of am
age of prudery, which made no con
cess ons TO art.
The title OF the lecture was John
the Baptist In the Bible, In Suder,
mann's Johannes and in the Wilde.
Strauss 'Salome.
The address given was under the
auspices Of the Chicago Association
for the Rubinkam lectures.
The story of Johns beheading and
Of his relation with Herodias wife OF
Herod Antipas, ends so abruptly that
~ leaves room for the imagination
through legend4 art. poesy and drama
TO fili out the picture. Upon reflection
a greater reason seemed TO be nece..
sary to account for Herodias' revenge
upon the prophet than his rebulSe Of
her adulterous marriage with Antipas
She must have loved him and com.
passed his death becalse he would
not requitee her love.
Story Greatly Changed.
Then poesy and drama found here
their inspiration, the latest produc.
tions Of which are Sudermans 'Yohan-
mes and the Wilde.Strauss 'Salome.
Here Salome, and not her mother
Herodias Is innamed wit hthe lovs
passion for he holy man. This step
was latura and inevitable, as It furu-
iahed a youthful virgin suitor IN the
place of the crime-gorged matron
There is something in the element.
al rigor and fierceness OF the project
of the wilderness which appeals TO
what is most elemental in her being.
II Is elemental domonic passion which
Richard Strauss saw as the opportun.
ity for great orchestral music.
TN 'Salomc' are ble7ded cha titv
and scnsUalty. purity with vital emo
tions and fercest sire. T. is a
tribute to the musical art of Strauss
that the drama of Salomc.' after being
played ten years first stirred The
world when his orchestral interprcta-
lion exhibited the terror. the horror
and the passion which urked in It's
lines.
As the literary contents OF the
drama II is infcsed with the Oriental.
ism and tropicalism Of Old Testament
P0esy Yokannan's lines arc an echo
Of the Old Testament prophets and OF
the words Of the Baptist And as for
the lines Of Salome they are largely
IN imitation OF the poetry Of the Old
Testament in the SO0g Of Songs. In
fact her lines do not equal in amativc-
n ss he words which the Old Testa-
ment poet puts into The mouth of Solo
mon aud the Sulcmitc
Wilde lets Salome say to lokanan
Thy body is like the SHOWS that De-
ln The mountains of Yudea
In the Songs Of SouGs' Tho D ruin.
says Let me Hiss ne with abe kisses
r bis hnutb Saiume says 10 lukauaH:
! viii kiss thy mouth.
The SONG of Sonrs' says. Man,
waters cannot qucuch love Neither
Fan tho tlCods drown it, Salnmc =ays
Neither Tho foods nor the great va
srs ca1 quench my love.
The Jews d.d not permit the song
of Songs % De read by one before
thirty years OF age. One should moi
see the Strauss -Salome' Until the hey
day in the blood is tame or 1T least
waits upon the Judgment one must
listen 10 such music-drsma as an ar
list. or pathologist. or az one who can
ook upon ratrre and life as they are.
This work IS an art expression of
and passion like the fires
Jf a volcano in eruption. But al that