Evening star., 1928-11-18
NJ u SIC
BY HELEN FETTER.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa., November
IS. 1928.


" tive audience witnessed tn,
Il American premiere tonigh
of "Salome," ballet spec
tacle adapted from Oscar Wilde.
famous poem, presented in tn,
Academy OF Music, by the Phila
delphia Grand Opera Co., William
c. Hammer, general manager
The musical setting for this new
"Salome" was arranged by Hen3i
Elkan from works of Glazounow
the Russian modernist, whose
compositions show the Oriental
themes in unusually effective
manner; Dukas, the French mod
ern. DebuSSy, the impreSSioniSt
also of France, and Granville
Bantock, the English moderniSt
whose research into Oriental field
of music has been glimpSed in ex-
quiSite songs, particularly those OF
Chinese inspiration, which john
Mccormack introduced to Ameri-
can concert audiences a couple OF
seasons ago.
Mr.. Elkan, the arranger who
blended these varied composers
works into an amazingly interest
ing instrumental setting for the
ballet, led the orchestra in the
American premiere tonight. He
received much applause at its con-
CluSiCn. Of course, to date, Rich
ard Strauss "Salome" has been
the ruling setting for this faSci-
mating yet gruesome story of the
fiery young princess, daughter Of
HerodiaS, who danced to the
diminishing accompaniment OF
seven wells to so allure Herod that
he would give her as forfeit the
head Of Jokanaan, whose utter in
difference to her charms and
SaintlineSS of attitude aroused her
Scorn to the boiling point. M.
Elkan'S setting is very different,
and, with the stage settings and
costumes of this production, pro-
videS a highly diverting and richly
varied entertainment. The music
was played by an admirable or
cheStra, and was never obtruSive,
yet always changing as the mood
Va OWL CA1AN AAcl11SCAO D1I14OC
The DebuSSy music was eSpe-
cially lovely in the first of the two
scenes. Warren Crosby, as Joka-
naan, was, quite naturally and eff
fectively, the dominant personal
itv of the cast. Salome, while a
most facile and graceful dancer
Catherine Littlefield), did not
possess a distinctive personality;
this was thoroughly in keeping
with the level to which this char
acter'S petty reactions to the
drama of her part has placed her
in history Salome, in spite of he-
seven wells, was nothing more or
less than a spoiled, vain and beau
tiful woman. who finally had met
a man to whom she meant moth
ing, thus arouSing her furious
scorn. Miss Littlefield did her
part eXcellently, and was appro-
priately supported by the COM
pany of 200, most of them very
graceful, and all we'll trained
dancers, who achieved the Orien-
tai postureS and rhythmS very
well indeed.
The Greek chorus of Is men and
women did their smaller part well,
too. The setting of the second
scene, with elaborate long silver
curtains, was dignif1ed, yet color
full. The only improvement that
might be suggested would be the
elimination of the dazzling elec-
trio candelabra in the left and
right foreground. From every
point of view this ballet, which
suggests the influence of the Bal
let Russo, but has much original
charm in grouping and dances,
should prove popular enough for
many more American appear
anceS.
The bill was opened by Loeni's
delightful, though very Pucci
Mosque, one-act opera, ''L'Oracle. )"
It is a most tuneful work, and has
not been done for a round dozen
yearS-that is, since Antonio Scot
.; took his opera company on tour
in it. The setting suggested by
San FranciSco's Chinatown forms
a fine background for the remark
ably good singing of tiny Takane
Nambu, the new little Japanese
actress, who discovered she had 4
lovely voice and first made sue
cess last year in Nine. Butter
hy'' with this opera company
Giuseppe AgoStini, as the inevi-
table tenor lover, who expires in
front of his sweetheart, as most
grand opera tenorS have a way of
doing, gave good support vocally
and histrionically. Ivan SteS-
chenko, in the leading role of the
wise man, brought Russian inter-
probation and bass notes to q
character that yet emphasized
the Chinese feeling. Adamo
Didur, as the most villainouS vii
lain, was sufficiently restrained in
his buffoonery, and Nicholas kar-
lash was very good as Hu-TSin,
uncle to the unfortunate heroine
and father to the very scared
small boy whose kidnapping by Mr..
Didur started long list of eX-
tremely cory murders. Berta
Levina made the most of q small
second feminine role. At the con-
cluSion of "L'Oracle." the SoloiSts,
the large chorus (which was ad-
mirable in the softer parts of the
prayer scene) and Mr.. Elk2n and
his orchestra all received warm
applause.
Combined with the very definite
contrast of the new ballet, the
T.eoni work makes an interesting
evenings entertainment for those
who like to take their opera music
lightly.
X X X !.
ALL musicians and many other
people, too, are actively en-