Evening star., 1952-08-10
News of Music:
Librettist Recounts Story
Of Last Strauss Opera
Composers Collaboration Describes 'Donoe'
To Be Given in SoIzburg Thursday
BY Alice EYersmon

has to marry without much ado,
the gods mistress.
THAT is the rule, according to
the cheerful NEUROLOGICAL leg
end. That is the will of the god,
who is anxious to prevent news
of his terrestrial adventures
from reaching Olympus and the
ears of his severe wife. Hera.
That, however, is not Midas
idea. He has the temerity to
assume Jupiter's place in the
nuptial chamber. He trans
forms it into gold. but when the
beloved woman finally enters
the chamber and he rushes to
embrace her. his baleful gift
takes revenge. In Midas arms,
Danae is transformed into a
golden statue. g.
The enamored king, how
ever, is not going to leave the
beloved woman to Jupiter. In a
powerful duet he calls the god
to account, and exposes the
iniquity of destroying true love.
Jupiter finally agrees to let
Danae herself decide. She
chooses Midas. In a wild finale
Jupiter proclaims the human
tribulations that are to beset
the lovers to whom he had Of
fered divine fate.
The Lost Gift
"The third act opens on an
entirely different scene, both as
to decor and music. Midas and
Danae meet again on a dusty
road. She has lost her illusions;
he has lost the gift Of trans
forming things into gold. He is
once more the muleteer he for
merly was. Love, however. is
overShadowing these two beings
to whom nothing has been left
but their feelings. Nun fuhr
ich dich NIT sanfter hand
Il lead you now with gentle
hands, undoubtedly is one of
Strauss simplest and most NOV
ing love songs.
For the god, too, fate takes
its course. Together with Mer-
curry, Jupiter also arrives at a
practical summing up on earth.
He arranges a picnic in a wood
with his four former mistresses.
Musically it is a sweet quintet.
The composer once said it had
been written under the inspira-
ton of Mozart himself. In this
legend. however, this mightiest
of gods is always unlucky. The
creditors discover him, take him
for Midas and demand pay
ment. Now the golden rain,
formerly but a dream of
Danae's, materializes. While
the creditors fight among them
selves for the gold the gods
manage to escape.
Love Song Features
"a powerfully conceived finale
closes the act. A stranger visits
Danae in her muleteer's hut. He
still fosters some hope that she
might now change her mind,
but the more obvious it becomes
that the stranger is Jupiter,
the more definite becomes her
refusal. Ironically, he is given a
present and ironically enough it
is a golden clasp caught in her
golden hair-all that has been
left from all her adventures.
with a touching song, the
god takes leave: 'Und Gottes
Auge leuchte euch milde, leuchte
Sein Segen, Sein Dank! :. (And
the eye of the god may look
upon you mildly, his blessing
may shine upon you and his
thanks). These are the last Sc
rious words in an otherwise
light play.
"The history of the cheerful
legend has had quite a few seri-
GUS aspects. For many years
Strauss worked on it. AS he
told me, it was the great res
torative draught' in the arid
desert of the war. The first per-
formance was scheduled for Au-
gust, 1914, at Salzburg. It did
not take place, although the
general closure of the theaters
under the Nazi regime did not
come into force before Septem-
ber l."