Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-05-25

rested py the petty, sPlenetic and venom
Gus ignorance that refusing to learn con-
demns al those who do as assuming siIs
a Il fhere WIS something 50 superlstively
uhilos8phic IN Wagner that only the
lsxors5 few czn appreciate him, and these
uust be only less IN brain power than
Wagner himself II this were the case it
would have been lost time in Wagner to
Ettsmpt ms tril0gy, OF any other Of the
works by which he is immortzlized.
Shakespeare. the wizard whose psyche
lagic insight into the very reeesses and
Springs Of the human heart, the greatest
of al the pOe1s that have ever lived, did
1ot write N Ezin- Scholars wrsngie over
hiE meaning and intention, and the cor
rsG reading OF certain passages, and all
uni1s n eierzting him 20 the highest place
n the temple 0t fame; but that does no:
prevent the humblest readers from tax
ing him 70 their hearts as light divine.
Shakespeare Is for al time and for all men.
Warner, 1bsugh not the equa. OF the great
hard, was moved by the same purpose.
His thsO-y, over which men yet wrangle,
n simply the elevation OF the ibretto to
the highest plane Of dramatic construc-
t0n and rs union with music that
Il an unbroken harmony inspired by the
fhsne and IN accord with IL, expressive OF
al iiz lights and shadows; dignihed and
seSsns n Tragedy zsd by turns graceful
and simple tender and touching, weird and
mOurufuL Wagner differs from al the oper.
ztir composers that preceded him in the
dignity of ms themes, the loftiness of his
idesls and the blending OF them with the
mos difficult and intricate harmonies.
+ To know HIM ne must be heard in a spirit
oi devotion BE cannot be learned as the
Idle sr-ee1 boy catches the melodies Of an
gssru bolLfie, or those other airs that are
.round on SO rapidly from the America
Africar Stage Wagner demands the same
zsisn60n s. Hamlet" commands when
Een-unaled bg Booth Ne more. That
gwen there EIn be little difficulty in en-
i0yiag ms mos abstruse work even
Il 4 is moi technically understood.
The ETlirif Oi ali his music is to be found
m the words OF the libretto. Whatever
thEt h sach Is the score The great master
tS8k hls key Ero1a nature and pitched
a. ms passages IN accord with the tone OF
1bs earring hu1aor OF his characters, and
fhe sGm 0i these Is the realization of the
dream Of the king Of all composers
Beethoven The mystery OF Wagner is
nature ~ opposed 10 the trivial and arti-
T.. dcizl So nzusez1ilgly developed in Italian
0pe1R His Is the nOblest art and the
hiEoes1 cHez-ioas- He reproduces nature
IN her ErEnaer moods In this age, when
5az zHe accomplished in q few days TO
sllieh n Oths- times yesrs would have to
s,s devoted, !; Il creditsbIe to Memphis
ma she II among the lev cities in Amer
ioz 10 esp0use Wagner and enlist his
/ gs-i1s a. hs- second Music Festival. Nc
eity oi The same SIZE and population in
Europe, Bzyreuth excepted, would at
tempt Il In the older countries, as in
1i1is. s1ch superb undertakings are left to
ooz-mu1ities OF quarter OF a million OF
more people Il viii be something, there
lore. f0r Mzterna, Scaria and Winkelmann
I
Of the beautiful blue Danube" that they
sang some Of Wagner's best compositions
n the young city on the banks of the
E-sat Mississippi that, ike the Danube,
drains q continent, and to three such
1udiences Is only Vienna, London or
I Pans, OF New York, Boston or Philadel-
pima can surPass; that here, where the
val Cd despair but little while ago echoed
T. faI months in al our homes, the elevatine
and inspiring music OF Wagner was listened
70 by thousands Of intelligent and cultured
people desirous OF their swn improve
meuf and anxious to help the Mozart
Society IN the work OF making Memphis
70 the lower valley OF the Mississippi what
CInciunsii Is in music TO the Ohio Valley,
i and Cairaro u the lake cefntr-