The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1907-02-07

i 4 i 4 & :
important characters in the Bible. He
was the forerunner Of Christ. More
than that, he was a second cousin OF
Christ.
Yet here we have in the closing scene.
as Nine. Olive Fremstad plays the role,
Salome receiving the severed and bleed
Ing head of this sacred prophet, fon.
ding it, Kissing it's lips and thus max
Ing scene which caused many women
In the audience to retire to the cloak
rooms in disgust. Horribly realistic.
papier mache head is handed to the
singer and actress and is displayed for
about twenty minutes.
This is the supreme affront of the
opera "Salome" to Christian people, fol-
lowing, as it does, the notorious dance
Of the Seven .Veils' and the further
exhibitions of degeneracy throughout
the play. If you saw the oriental
dances introduced into America nv
CASTOR Akoun fourteen years ago on
the Midway plaisance at the Chicago
Worlds fair you saw something like
the dance in "Salome.'' Nine. Frem-
stad did not perform this dance. It
would have been physically impossible
for her to have done it and the sing
Ing. Nine. Blanca Froelich, a clever
dancer, was cleverly substituted for
that strenuous performance. This is
what Nine. F'roelich herself says of the
dance:
ut is symbolic and eastern. It is
nothing but danse du ventre. AS
given in Europe it was ten times as
sensational as it is here"
| The danse du ventre, it will be re-
membered, was popularity called the
''hootchie cootchie" at Chicago. Pro-
test against it has stirred the public in
connection with every American ex
position since the one at Chicago.
A Candid Opinion.
Nine. Fremstad, who sings the part
OF Salome, talks candidly about it.
1--WE all realize that the theme is re-
Voting she says. "Certainly it is
not 'Parsifal.' But 1 am concerned in
the art of it. Even in the opera Sa-
lone Is the worst sort of degenerate.
put Strauss makes something more of
her at the last, where she gets her idea
OF What love means. Her instinct to-
ward good comes into play when she
sees the head before her. Her feeling
Is partly passionate and partly ideal"
This view Of the character may go
for what it is worth. Opera artists
have viewpoints quite removed from
those of the average Individual.
According to Herr Conried, the pro-
duction of ''Salome'' is a great artistic
achievement. The world of music, it
Is said, holds this to be perhaps the
most important music drama since
Wagner. 1t has been produced in
many of the European cities, notably
at the royal opera houses Of Berlin
and Dresden, and at Milan and Turin,
and is now in rehearsal at Vienna and
Paris.
! Carl Burrian, who sings the role of
Herod, says: "In Germany there is no
feeling about it. Young girls go to
this opera and enjoy it. 1t was played
there quite as realistically as in Amer
lea. Let them shorten the disagreeable
part and make the scene with the head
less repulsive. Fit it to peoples IDEAS
I think the directors should take the
middle ground. Simply make it less
repulsive. 1t should be softened."
So here we have views of the leading
singers and actors themselves, each of
| whom out of his own mouth condemns
the piece according to the American
notion of propriety.
One more statement from the pro-
jectors of this operatic sensation may
be quoted. Says the business manager
Of the opera house, 1.-THE only religious
parsonage in the work, John the Bap-
fist, is treated with the utmost dignity
and reverence"
This looks to be quite the most re-
| markable view of them all.
Musical World Divided In Its View.
! The Strauss music is in itself a SEN
sation. The musical world is divided
as to it's value. Some hold that if
this sort Of thing prevails and goes
under the name of music, then the
splendid art Of music is doomed. 9th
ers proclaim the Strauss "Salome' a
magnificent triumph, revolution in
the forward development of music. AS
matter of fact, the general public
must take it for granted either way.
Bill Nye once said Of Wagners mu-
sic, ut is really better than it sounds
! This is the only loophole Of escape for
Strauss, in the opinion of many who
have heard his "Salome" No one de-
MES, however, that the composer has
interpreted with most amazing and
audacious fidelity the meanings Of Os-
car Wilde, word for word. If idea or
suggestion can be translated into mu-
sic Richard Strauss has done Il Some