Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-25
W1gNer's Odd Wavs.
From the London Times.

To call upon Richard Wagner for the first
time without having been informed of his pecu-
liarites was to experience mild shock Enter
ing the room where his visitor was seated he
would throw the door wide open before him, as
if it were fit that his approach should be her
aided like that of a king. and he would stand
Tor moment on the Threshold curious me-
diava figure IN Il frame. The mystified visitor
rising from his seat, would behold a man richly
clad in costume of velvet and satin like those
of the early Tudor period. and wearing bon
net Such as are seen in portraits of
Henry VI. and his three successors Button
used to put on lace ruffies and cuffs when he
wrote. and Wagner had his composing costume
that OF Meisterslnger. OF. rather. several cos
tunes, for he would vary his attire not only ac-
cording to his own moods; but according to the
faces Ofpeople who came to see him. He would not
commit the incongruity of sitting down in scar
let to converse with man whose features de-
noted that he was in a "brown study" as we say;
he would prefer to leave such a one for an Au-
genblick. while he hurried out to slip on some
arrangement in subdued hues. Dress was of
real help to Wagner in composition. Genius
often has recourse to mechanical appliances for
stimulating thought. and there was nothing
more laughabe inthe German musicians sashed
donbicts than there was In the monks robe and
cOwl which HOnore de BalZac always sported
when he sat down for spell of hard work.
Alexandra Dumas calling upon him, made
soihe SoOu-HuinOFeu remark about his own lgnO-
rance OF muslc-which he had once defined rs
- the most expensive Of nOises;' but his pleas
antries We're listened to with such smileless
stOlldity that he went home in a huff. and wrote
his contemptuous protest against - Wagnerian
din-inspired by the riot of cats scampering in
the dark about an irOnmOnger's shop" On the
day before this protest was printed In the Opinion
hdtl0adte Wagner returned Dumass visit and
was kept waiting for half an hour in an ante
room Then the author of the . Trois Mosque
tares marched in superbly attred in plumed
helmet, u cork life-belt and lowered dressing
gown. Excuse me for appearing in my work
ing dress. he said majesticaly. Half my ideas
are lodged in this helmet and the other half in a
par OF Jack-Doots which put on to compose
love scenes" Snubs of this sort-of which
wagner encountered many-rankled deep in his
mind and made him say that the French were
'andals whereas in TRUTH their quarrel was
not so much with his music as with him, person.
ally. and with his uncivil followers
He was not Il rapid or regular worker. though
he used to say that he was always composing.
Most oil his poems. even those of his latest
operas, had been written when he was Young
which accounts Tor the rough hewin" of the
verses, and he was wont to recte passages of
them to himself he went out for his after
moons walk, accompanied by his two New
fOundland dogs Walking, he would seize tunes
1oating through the air. now like mists, now
Ike swarms of bees buzzng on the wing, now
like legiohs OF singing gnats" this ia what no
writes in his unpublished autobiography. and
try to make them settle on his verses las on a
mirror. When he was at Baireuth he had n
favOrite walk. leading to the hermitage-tbe
boudOir Or sulking-hOuse of the electors of Ba-
Varla In 0lden times, when their serene high
nesses. tired of beer and politics. would take TO
metaphysics and French wines for change.
over the two miles of road lying between
Balreuth and this retreat, Wagner could roam
nndisturbed for the little FrancOnian peasant
boys and girls, who saw him from affair." would
nimbly skip out of his way, having heard from
their parents that the affairs Of Germany would
somehow get out of joint If they disturbed the
great man in his meditatiOns.
One day small maiden was 40 hardy as to
lolter In his path and beg for a silver groschen.
with smile of surprise Wagner lifted the child,
kissed her. and presented her with golden
| lO-thaler piece. for, though keen to make
money. he was free In expenditure when he had
any whim to crafty. On the morrow the news
OF his hberalty had brought out troop of Fran
| CONAN beggars of all Sizes but this time thu,
| composer was In no mood for favors, and piled
upon the backs Ofhs tOrmentOrs the famous ebony
and gold staff given to him by the MannergesanG.
verin OF Vienna. The burgOmaster of Baireuth
was much agitated over this affair and had
serious thoughts OF providing the composer
with an escort of policemen so that his path
might be kept clear every day. For a whole
fortnight Wagner did not put in an appearance
at AnSermanns Brauerei, where he had been
accustomed TO spend an hour or two every after
noon; and it was rumored that he intended to
leave the city. But he had only secluded HIM
| sell for one of his periodical parOXysms of COM
position. during which he was so unapproach-
able that he would refuse to see letters or tele-
grams and would sometimes have his meals
passed TO him through trap In the door. When
he had scored off his ideas he returned to his
usual haunts, and magnanimOusly forgave the
besgars whom he had beaten.