New-York tribune., 1907-01-23
"SALOME" DIsGUsTS IT'S HEARERS.
Enormous Crowd Gives Little Applause 10
Singers at Conried Benefit.

Mr. COnried. who Is stil connnsd 10 his horna
crippled by illness. did not ses ths frst American
performance OF ''SalOms'' at tho Metropolitan
Opera House last night. But, the perform
auee was given for his bsneat. he VIII sec about
S22OO0 as a result Of It. Not since the first per-
formance OF ''ParsIfal- has such a remunsFativs
audience packed the great auditorium The scale
Of prices for 'ParsifsL" wss doubled yet all
the sold. well all the standing
,oon. and only the fact that thirty seats were
removed to make room for the enlarged orshastra
prevented the receipts sQuallinE those Tor Lhe
Wagner work. Thsro long lins at the box
office early o'clock and although only Crs
admission ticket was sold % a person. the speon-
lators continued TO set hold OF number. which
they sold at considerable advance. Long before
ths time for opening, the window was closed
The subscribers, however, not very Hb-
orally represented in the audience. Many boxes
were occupied by outsiders. and all over the or
chestra were strange faces Several boxes were
entirely unoccupied. the holders having failed 70
turn them in TO sell. and not using them them
selves
rhs performances OF strauss's Opara was pre-
coded by a concert az which this programme was
given:
HFsnss Of Si Saana Aa l. Dis K5asn voa
maG Rrgeo % AND ggg e M $ sAo9 & Sgs
nr.s Es.aahsrEa.l and Bella Al,sn; Aols BaFsstssT
Duet. La CT aarsm Ia Afaho'' nom ''DOa Giovanni
si.Ss MIS- GeFSoSs H9Is ETsT fro As I .
Barcaroe B.l. N%i aa l1ha Tom hss cOn.. Go
MANN Mines; Louise Homer and Kir;6ycaaH.
Duet 81 yendstls from 'Eg9'ss0 & ,.:, yS
sonss-a} AaIsTsessF Richard straufs
Nine. Msresua semhE;csh- ,,.
Aria 20 Paraai'O r0@ rom. tstasa
% Mss i' 81: 8sS9 ';sPs
Nine Fanes did not appear owing to her injured
knee (Which she expects TO be able 70 stand on to-
dav) and Journet sang IN place OF Plancon. who IS
still III Nine. Sembrich who alone sang songs.
chose them httingly from Richard Strauss She
was beautifully accompanied by Isidore Luckstone
The concert was over a little after nine, ana
the real business of the evening began at a quar-
ter 10 ten when the lights went out. there was a
sound from the orchestra pit and the curtains
narted on 'SaIome" The setting for "Salome' is an
imaginative creation OF the scene painters art.
The high steps TO the palace door TO the righl u'e
cover OF the cistern backed by irOnc roses In the
centre and beyond the deep night sky and the
moonlight on the distant roofs. Two cedars cut the
sky black and mournful Against this background
SSlome moves like tigress. the costumes or the
court glow with a dun. barbarlc splendOr' ana tne
red fire from the tripods streams silently up into
the night till you fancy you can almost smell It.
Here was atmosphere like BelascO's. and saturated
with it the opera moved TO its appointed end.
sinister compelling. disgusting
What the opera is is told elsewhere. 10 remains
record that IN the audiehce hI tllS
as at the dress rehearsal Sunday. the effect or
horror was pronounced. many voices were hushed
as the crowd passed out into the night many
faces were white almost those at the rail OF a
ship many women silent. and men spoke as
IL a bad dream were them The preceding con-
cert was forgotten; ordinary emotions following
an opera were banished The grip OF strange
horror or disgust was en- the majority. 1t was
significant that the usual applause was lacking.
II was scattered and brief.
If Mr. Conried could not himself see this per-
formance. his staf-artists ushers and all the rest
did not forget him. In the afternoon they sent
to his house a bronze statue of Fame, and
parchment signed by all, bearing an address Of
appreciation for his work as director and symra-
thy In his illness.