Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-10-11

New York has not forgotten its de-
licious frisson of unholy delight when
it first heard "Salome." 1t looks for
ward this season to Der Rosenkay-
alier" of Richard Strauss, which is
libretto is an indication.
The opera-lover of the great me-
tropolis has not forgotten nor ever
will forget the music which tells the
story of the daughter of HerodiaS, as
she fondles the head of the saint In
"Salome," or the sensuous emotion
excited by the horrible scene. But,
fortunately, few, perhaps, among the
younger women who acclaimed the
opera understood the real significance
of this scene. When it was COM
posed and the roles were finally allot-
ted that of "Salome" was given to
renowned diva of Germany. When
she grasped the full horror OF the part
she shrieked in indignant tones, put
1 am an honest woman, I am no demi-
mondaine 1 will not sing this role
away with it!'
: 1t was finally necessary at the re-
hearsals to impress a chorus girl Oh
accommodating morals, who Willingly
forgot decency for the sake OF the
nOnOT W dIlu ctusCA liSSAAASAiS'
Plot of the Opera.
The plot of Rosenkavalier, it is de-
clared, might have been written by
the librettist of Figaro" Doubtless
at some time der Rosenkavailer
will be produced in Newark and It Is
perhaps we'll that the people OF this
CITY should know what the opera is
and what its libretto is like. Well,
to speak plainly, it is nasty, just as
that of "Figaro" is, only it is more
libidinous.' In the case of the Older
masters of opera 1t did not much
matter whether one looked at the
libretto or not the music carried IT.
For instance. in LIE Cid" one had
no occasion to be learned in the leg
end of the Cid, or to know mucn
about his life and fate. The noble,
splendid melody, the encnantlhg
phrase running through 1t banlsheo
from the mind any idea but that OF
the glorious strains.
But it is different with the operas
of this day, especially those OF
Strauss. If you do not know the IL
bretto you know nothing about the
melodic theme, or what 1t Is all
about.
Here is the plot Of Der Rosen-
kavalier' as l have summarized IL,
aided by a master-hand: A middle
aged princess has a juvenile lover;
her cousin appears and the lover,
something after the manner OF the
resourceful Don Juan" or Byron,
DISCUSSES himself as a girl. Inc
cousin, who is on his way to have
moving meeting with his betrothed,
encounters the lover and incontinent-
ly falls madly in love with the sup
posed girl. Then follow compiica-
lions. drawn out in the style OF some
of the longer novelle of Bandello,
and then the GIRL who has been re-
stored to manhood, is sent as an
envoy to the cousins inamorata- He,
on the instant, falls in love with her,
and there are more ingenious COM
plications. The cousin gets wounded,
and the finale is that the princess.s
lover becomes engaged to the cousins
betrothed. The unhappy part Is that
the elderly princess is left to mourn
alone. But perhaps this Is the in
evitable penalty for all women who
wait too long to offer sacrifice on the
odorous altar of the god of love. Inc
more licentious part of the hpretto
lies in the Enthusiastically with
which Baron Oohs, the cousin OF the
princess, tells the story of his amor
Gus adventures. TO those who ad-
inire Casanova this may be a recon-
mendation, but to the matron or the
maid in the Metropolitan's circle 1t
may seem more fitted to the luxurious
secrecy of the boudoir than to the
blaze of light of the auditorium.
Music of .Der RosenkavaIier."
The music of der Rosenkavalier"
is said to be witty a new
phrase for the musical critic, but a
musical writer whose Judgment / re-
gard above all others, roundiy AYERS
that he doesn't know of any witty
music. and he has had a long ex-