The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-14

Wilhelm Richard Wagner was born at
Leipzig in the year 1918. His father was a
police actuary who died six months after the
birth of his gifted son. Marrying a second
time, the widows next mate was an actor,
painter, and writer of comedies. He took
fatherly interest in his hopeful stepson,
whom he intended to make a painter, but
died when the boy was seven years old and
had been found inapt to learn the art of
drawing Only a few days before the good
mans death, hearing his stepson perform
on the piano, he expressed the opinion that
he might make skillful musician. Deprived
of experienced guidance in the direction
which Nature had intended him to fol-
low, young Wagner amused himself
with original musical and literary compost
ton, initiating a bewildering variety of au-
thors in both. With a practical eye he
watched the success of others, and made
himself most conspicuous among the aspir-
ants who had something new 10 offer the
public of the kind which had already won
their approval, When he was fifteen years
old, one of his compositions was put upon
the.stage, and he has toiled ever since, dur
ing the most of the time against such dis
couragements of poverty and numerous tenn
porary failures as but few men could go
through without suffering the collapse of
their hopes. But Wagner always believed in
himself to degree that would be called ex-
cessive but for the fact that he has attained
the highest position among living composers
and has established innovations in art which
promise to be permanent.
He was tall and thin, nervous, impetuous
passionate, man at the extremes of gentle
ness and generosity and reckless anger, and
even violence toward those who perform his
music The establishment of his own theater
at Bayreuth, Bavaria was necessity of his
imperiouS and despotic temperament. He
was a wonderful talker, pouring out a cata-
ract of words. A sybarite in his personal
tastes, he drank his coffee from golden cup
and worked surrounded by the choicest OBJ
JectS of decorative art His extravaganza
seemed to have no limit his every sense
must be gratifed at whatever cost, and Wag
ner and his work were the center OF the uni
verse. He had what may be called an out
side hobby in regarding himself as a great
politician. In 1919 he placed himself at the
head of the insurgents OF Dresden and threat
ened to burn and pillage all within his reach.
This conduct cost him an inglorious exile in
Switzerland. While residing in Zurich he
distinguished himself by publishing in rapid
succession fiery pamphlets against the Ger
man 'despots" who had driven him thither.
The United States government paid him
S., 900 for the Centennial March performed
on the day IN which the Philadelphia exhibit
ton was opened
His fundamental principle was that the
poetry and the melody of dramatic music
should form untedly the one and insepara-
Bile expression of the story. He symbolized
the principal springs of action in the drama
chiefly by means of orchestral effects which
recur at intervals with variations to prevent
monotony. The work of the scene painter
the gas man and the stage carpenter under
his skillful management becomes an artistic
performance harmonizng with the music
and the words. A performance of one of
Wagner's chief works presents perfect illu-
sion, which accounts for the cheerful en-
durance of discomfort and enormous expense
implied in the pilgrimage to Bayreuth. The
subjects of his greatest productions are
founded exclusively upon myths and popu-
lar legends. Consequently while almost
wanting in human interest they are consum-
mate feasts to such gifted imaginative souls
as sit at the feet of the magical poet and
musician. "Rienz,' a composition of his
early manhood, proved a failure in Paris,
where Wagner spent four miserable years of
his life. The management of the Grand
opera refused it point blank. The same fate
befell Faust presented for performance
at the same temple. 1.-THE Flying
Dutchman" proved failure in
Wagner's native Germany. "Tannhauser"
was another failure. "Lohengrin" was re-
fused in Paris in spite of the anxiety of the
Emperor Napoleon III. for its production.
After forty-seven rehearsals, the artists of
the Vienna Opera decided against "Tristram
and Iseult" But the glorious success of
"Nibelung" in 1876, and of "Parsifal" in
1882, compensated for past failures. Genius,