The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-21

suitable to the occasion. But they mean
peace only so far as peace will serve the ends
of the present rulers Of the restored Empire.
Richard Wagner and His Music
Drama.
We publish elsewhere to-day letter from
our correspondent at Baireuth, Bavaria, the
result of an interview with Richard Wagner,
! the man who must be acknowledged as the
NEST remarkable among living musicians, and
whose sweeping reforms on the operatic stage
constitute the chief subject of discussion in
art circles to-day. He has long waged an ire
pressible conflict against the rule of fashion,
caprice, individual fuvoritlsm and even ira
| ditional canons in the lyric drama, and,
although like many revolu tionists, in his Zeal
to correct abuses he may be occasionally led to
attack principles which, in the sense Of must
cal art must be considered as imperlshable,
yet the honesty OF purpose and undoubted
| genius of the man, united to the unwearying
perseverance, undaunted courage and skill
with which he has carried on his musical war
single handed against all Europe, entitle him
to the consideration, study and admiration OF
every friend of music. Whether his theory of
the music drama, magnificent and colossal as
it undoubtedly is, can become generally practi-
cal; whether vocal and instrumental per-
formers in an opera will merge their
individuality in the laudable desire to present
a perfectly symmetrical performance, in which
no undue prominence is given to any one de-
partment on the lyric stage, and whether the
public will consent to abandon the cherished
forms Of opera which have so long held sway,
are questions inadmssib.e of thorough dis
cussion within the limits of a single article.
But no one can justly refuse to grant un-
stinted praise to Wagner for the high standard
of art pure and undefled, to which he would
elevate the opera. When the motto of re-
former is Excelsior" his theory certainly
commands respect
In the interview referred to the great re-
former makes fattering allusion to the
progress of musical art in America, and ex-
presses his gratitude to Mr.. Thomas and our
public for their appreciation of his works. In
reference to the production of "Lohengrin, y
which he POLITICALLY calls messenger sent out
heroes and gods to follow, Wagner regrets
only that it should have been heard in an
Italian form. He is of opinion that
the English language would have been
preferable, owing to its near relation
to the German. His remarks upon the
heartily Endorsed by every one DESTROYS Of in
telligibility instead of mere fashion on the
lyric stage The grand, whole-souled gener-
osity of the American public is contrasted
with the lukewarm and parsimonious spirit Of
his own countrymen. The 'Nibelungen"
| national school Of German art in which music
and drama will be more closely united, and in
which the existing abuses Of the operate stage,
the egotism of the singer, the slipshod work
of the ibrettist, the caprices of the orchestral
| director and the inattention of the public TO
| the true principles of art will be removed.
| The rule of French fashion and taste on the
German stage comes in for share Of Wag-
ner's indignation, as also the low state of
opera in Germany. In a recent trip which he
made for the purpose OF selecting singers for
his 'sNibelungen" performance he visited the
principal opera houses in his native land, and
was considerably shocked at the condition in
which he found the lyric drama. He calls
| the opera in one city ''unbearable," in an
other 'shorrid," in q third "abominable," and
urges the necessity of reforming the public as
| well as the stage. The inability of the public
and the singers to comprehend the true
mission Of dramatic opera as set down in his
theory, is indeed the greatest obstacle Wagner
has had to contend against and one which for
| long time has been Sisyphean task to
remove. That the public seek amusement
more than pure elevated music on the oper-
| attic stage is unfortunately the case, and in
this one fact will be seen the magnitude of
the task undertaken by Wagner. Not the
least noble and interesting trait in the musical
character of this bold reiormer is his single
| minded worship of Beethoven, in whom, he
| admits, music reached its highest possible
development His mission is to unite drama
to the divine art on the same grand plane
The performance Of the eRing OF the Nibel-
ungen' will be the first great effort to accom-
plish such an end, and for years to come,
perhaps, the little town OF Baireuth will be
the musical Mecca to which pilgrims will
flock from all parts of the earth to gather
wisdom and inspiration from the lips of the
prophet himself, and to learn the true mission
OF the music drama.
| Pulpit Topics To-day.
Three general topics will occupy the atten-