New-York tribune., 1910-02-02

dency in the drama; it is no less mournful
to contemplate a parallel tendency IN
Strauss's music With all it's brilliancy,
with all its capacity to stir the emo1ions
and fire the imagination, 1T is decadent
It is shown to be decadent by the very
elements which arouse astonishn1ent and
admiration. In ..EIektra" it fills the Same
place and serves the same purpose as in
"Salome" II creates atmosphere for the
score 1t is decorative 1t heightens the
mood of the text. 1t illuminates the psy-
Geological and physiological bestialty of
the people of the play. 1t does not,
music in its hest estate in the compost
tions of Wagner does, act the part of the
antique Greek chorus, in commenting
and rejecting the horror (and when il may
the cheerl of the drama, but revels in it
and glorifies it. This is best observed in
the maniacal dance which at the last ex-
hausts the vital forces of Elektra. Its
counterpart in the earlier drama is not
the dance of Salome, but the apotheoss of
her unnamable lust with which the play
ends. The music of "Elektra' is virfuoso
music of the highest order. Never before has
dissonance been SO freely used: and never
before has dissonance been so robbed of its
terrors by the magic of Instrumentation
Never before have musical thoughts flor
which the conception of melody has long
stood and will stand gain when Strauss and
"Elektra" are forgottem of such paltri-
ness and banality been made to sound so
Impressive by application of characteristic
and brilliant instrumental color. Elektra's
cry of "Agamemnont' has an agonizing
sound, but it consists of nothing more
than the tones of the common chord now
minor, now major. But musical symbols
like these float on flood of music which
strges onward as resistlessly as a stream
of lava. In supreme moments. like that
at the meeting of Elektra and Orestes, the
orchestral song becomes a hymn against
whose eloquence our judgment and emo
tions are as powerless as were the forces of
nature when the Finnish Orpheus chanted
his runes But with all our admiration,
we recognize the great model-Richard
Wagner. Had there been no Tristan und
Isolde there would have been no such
song as Strauss has given us between
Elektra and her brother. In spite of the
potency of the modern music, what diff
ference in the potential melosi Marvel as
we may at the music of this lyric drama in
its newest phase. there can be no other
conclusion than that its brilliancy is the
strongest proof of its decadence The age
of greatest technical skll-'virtuosity,' as
really creative energy.
The noise of the explosion of 'Elektra
is over How long will the reverberations
last? Until public curiosity is satisfied.
Not a moment longer. That has been the
story of Richard Strauss operas from the
beginning. Each is locked forward TO with
the expectation that it will provide a SEN
sation. a new thrill. The sensation having
been felt, the thrill experienced, there is
end of the matter. Such art works are
not like jealousy, which doth make the
meat it feeds on Interest burns itself out
speedily because it finds no healthy nour-
ishment in them; nothing to warm the
emotions, eXalt the mind, permanently to
charm the senses, awaken the desire for
frequent companionship or foster a taste
like thai created by d contemplation Of the
true, the beautiful and the good. Patholog-
icaI subjects belong to the field of scien-
tific knowled ge-not TO that Of art. a visit
to madhouse or an inirmary may be un-
dertaken once to crafty curiosity; ses-
thetic pleasure can never come from fire.
quent contemplation of mental and moral
aIbnormalities or physical monstrosltes-
No pleasure can accrue to lovers of beauty
from the fact that there is harmony be
tween such dramas as "Salome" and
'tElektra" and the musical investiture
which Richard Strauss has given to them.
Taste for the plays is likely to be paired
with taste for the music; and the reason
is that the taste like the things which it
approves. is unhealthy. Curiosity is easily
50 atisfien; the taste for truly beautiful
things grows with its gratification, and
though il changes its ideas, it changes
them slowly and never departs wholly
from It's fundamental principles. Even
with the deplorabe tendency of to-day
toward nervous degeneracy, with all its
SorroWful consequences, there is no need
10 fear that neurasthenia, will overUhelnl
all forms Of art. OR even dramatic music,
speedily Mozart and Beethoven have not
vet been dethroned. and the banishment
Of their music to the limbo of forgotten
things is not imminent We shall enjoy
''Hansel und GTetel' next Saturday, and
be comforted- II. f. Il.