, 1872-10-13

The Thomas Orchestral season has cof1e TO
close. 1t is unnecessary to say that it hes been
a musical SUCCESS, for, as a lender, Mr. Thomas
stands unriyalled, and bis musical temperament
ia such that be will not abide an ignorant or
careless player in his orchestra 1t has also
been financial Success and has called ont au-
diences who were in the exact temper to receive
and enjoy what Mr. Thomas had provided In
one respect it has been the most notable sea-
eon of music Chicago has ever he'd, namely, IN
the prominence which has been given to Richard
Wagner'e music It will be no EeTs to state
that Mr- Thomas is an ardent adnirer Of Wagner
and his music All the best musicians In this coun-
try are. Wagner's nrst conquests IN Europe have
always been the orchestral conductors. It is 111-
POSSIBLE for them to read his music and master
it so thoroughly that they can lmpart his grand
ideas to others without acknowledging his trans
cending geniua. The musicians and muaicl
connoisseurs come next. The people must be
educated. They must first understand the
poeticd text, for Wagner's music is go intimate
" connected with the poetry OF the hb1etto, TINT
the one cannot be understood without the other
Once having mastered the poetry, it is not diff
cult to grasp the music, for the rhythm and
motives OF the poetry and the music are iden-
tical In giving the public this muRic, Mr.
Thomas has done grateful work. He has
presented extracts from f17e Of his operas. The
overture from s:Tannhanser." prominent themes
from .:Der Fliegende Hollander,' including the
exquisite spinning song, the Vospiel, and
much Of the music OF the frat and
second acts OF sLohengrin," the introduc~
ton and finale to Tristan and Isolde" and the
81 Ritz der Nalkueren," " from 81 Der Walkueren."
t'Tannhauser," the styling Dutchmsn," and
t:Lohengrin" belong to Wagner's first era,
written when all the world, except q few Of his
faithful Bavarisne, we're assailing him with de-
nunciation, rdicu1e, and sarc1sm- In these op-
eras he yielded somewhat to the popular c1amor.
and sacrificed his theory in slight degree, or
yielded what he knew to be true to what he
knew to be popular. There is no difficulty in
compreheading these works at the first hearing
The most persistent stick1er for melody must be
satisfied. for both the vocal scores and the IN
suumentation are replete With delicious Helo-
dies. But, while he yielded in the appG-
cation OF his theories somewhat, he never
Welded q whit in the determination to
eventually compel the world to acknowledge
that he YVES right What would have killed ordi-
nary men only hardened hiE, for the battle
Ridicu1e, sarcasm, poverty, expulsion from one
country to another, even personal mRllSsnlty,
had no effect upon this gallant musician fighting
singla-handed. He fought on, and one after the
other he has put all his enemies under his feet,
rallied faithful friends about him, and now those
who are not prepared to applaud are at least
ready to listen with honest PURPOSE "Trlstsn
and IBolde'' and s'Der Wa1kueren" belong to
this era. They were written when it was no
longer necessary for him to consult any popular
prejudice or vhim. He wrote purely ont Of
himself, and, therefore, ne hare the
full development of lis theories in
these two operas, and to develop
them he las chosen the grandest and most To-
mantle episodes in German lite1ature- These
tvo operas compose part Of the Nibelungen
Tti1ogy, the others being "Siegfried" and
"Gotterdamme1ung," which will be brought out
ct Bsyreuth in 1874. They are based upon the
Nlbelungen Lied, and abound in the romance of
the old German mythology and the rerels and
feasts Of the Wa1halla- The old Morse gods Of
land and sea, the Erllsings and the Vikings, the
grim and gigantic German warriors, the strolling
Troubadors, and the stately medieval women all
pass in procession through these g.eat operas.
and love, and reve1, and fight IS iercely rs they
did in life. THE episodes from Tristan and
Isolde" which Mr. Thomas has given
cover the deaouesnent Of that opera.
Ttiatan is bearing Isolde On his vessel to
the King OF Cornwall, to be his bride. Amagic
drink which they have taken, however, reveals
their mutual }aYeA The drink 1a ! fats1 one,