The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-12-06

nor tend to lessen their measure
of nobility and eloqueUce.
This is not the only beautiful mo-
ment in the score. The first melody
which the orchestra announces lays
hold on the fundamental mood OF
the Wilde drama. It is the principal
"Salome" theme, little fragment of
melody not a measure long Yet II
that measure he has accomplished the
expression of the passion, the wist-
fulness, the longing that fills the dis
eased heart and mind OF the unhappy
princess. He has done more: He
foreshadows the whole tragedy, its
tense. quivering action. its terrible
possibilities for emotional excess in
every direction.
Music Follows the Action.
The music follows the action a.
every step and since the action is
chiefly concerned with horrible
events. the music is persistenly ca
cophonic. Strauss wishes to horrify
us. So he sends an army of disson-
ances to torture our senses. Beauty
he does not despise. When it comes
as the necessary expression Of the
dramatic moment he welcomes it. a
in the .Jokanaan music previously
mentioned, in the wonderful array OF
melodic texts associated with the
character and person Of Salone. par
ticulariy those that describe her ply
steal beauty. These attain their eli
max in The Dance of the Seven
Wells" which is a marvel of rhythmi
cal grace, of vivid orchestral color,
of ever fluctuating meiod!c contour
woven il brilliant contrapuntal skein.
Strauss does here what Wagner
has done before him. He transfers
the action from the stage to the Or
chestra. Miss Garden and Mr.. Dali
mores were but the most signicar'
and CONSPICUOUS figures in the stage
picture. All of their splendid art
and it was a truly wonderful inter
probation that they achieved. was but
tributary to the orchestra, but com
mentary on the story that Mr.. Cam
panini unfolded. This is the law Of
modern German music drama, a con.
vention fixed hard ard fast as IN
changeable as the laws of the Nedee
and the Persians, and it is not the
purpose of this review 10 comment
on Strauss artistic creed. but to rec
ord what he has tried to do.
Music Weaker than the Drama.
1t is the ultimate function cf music
to concern itself with the expression
of emotion. that Strauss has fallen
short of the standard set by Wilde
in the drama for, the all-pervading
mood of horror, which the dramatist
has maintained so consistently and
has projected SO definitely in the
cumbersome medium OF the written
words. the composer has sacrificed
at every step in his effort to reflect
the passing events of the stage. This
instrumental reflection Is initiative
rather than symbolic and, like those
; strange mirrors that are constructed
! for the amusement Of the artless, it
modifies the orchestral image and at
the same time distorts it. One may
| justly conclude, therefore, that the
music drama is a less significant
work than the drama itself.
| This orchestral preponderance ne
| cesitates a reversal OF the method OF
review commonly followed when the
! appearance of an operate star in q
much advertised role is chronicled
| Since the. orchestra was paramount
| Mr.. Campanini. not Miss Garden, VICE
| the star of the performance. Those
| who have witnessed other collabora
tive efforts of these two eminent ar
lists were quite prepared for this
circumstance Other and less sophis
ticated hearers last night were some
| what surprised that Miss Garden was
| not constantly in the glare of +he
! spotlight. That she never once has
been there in performance of the
| Chicago opera or. it is believed, in
any other opera. or anywhere save in
the columns of the press, is the sin
| cerest tribute her art can know.