New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-18
A MUSICAL PILGRIMAGE.
THE LAST DAYS OF FRANZ LIST.
tFRoN A sTAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE. |

ago after listening to the second representation of
AParsifa' perhaps not score knew that Franz
List lay mortally i'll at the home Of Oberforstrath
Froch In the Siegfriedstrssse. not stones throw
from villa Wahnfried. few intimate friends OF
the aged musician and the family of his daughter,
Cosima wagner, were advised indeed OF the danger
" nich threatened him. and many Of those no sat
near the tox which he occupied during the first
performances of" Parsfa and Tristan" and so
were abs to observe his nfrmties left the theatre
oppressed by the mournful thought that they had
taken their last look at the greatest virtuoso ana
most worshipDed man Of the Nineteenth Century.
In obedience to the strangely shortsighted policy
which has been pursued by the managers with ref
erence to everything connected with the festival
the knowing made every endeavor to keep from
tie world all knowledge of the state of LISTS
health. l cannot escape the conviction that this
policy had much to do with the comparatively
sudden and unexpected death of the master.
Denials will come from Bayreuth of course. and ut
will be argued that since he died of pneumonia MS
presence in Bayreuth and his subsection to the ex-
from the festival neither pro-
noted nor retarded the disease. But it was not
pneumonia alone that finally toppled over the ruin
OF LISTS iron constitution. Already in tie hrst
days OF his sickness the physicians fonnd it neces-
sary to administer digtaIs for the purpose OF In
creasing the action of the beart, which was only
feebly performing its functions. Two months ago
every printed statement to the effect chat his eye
sight was steadily and rapidly growing worse. or
that his hsalth was giving way was promptly
denied authoritltively by the Wagner organs AMI
attributed to a vindctve opposition to the Festl-
val. The result was that an lntirm old man. who
had become habituated to atmosphere saturated
with the incense of adulation used up the last
small fund of vitality left him in placing himself
where the pillows of social excitement and hero
worship bordering on frenzy must inevitably
dash over him. Undoubtedly it was his own choice
that 1t should be So and there is a certain amount
of sentiment, not altogether rsprehensibe. IN the
thought that List, whom Wagner recognized as
bis most powerful ally. should have devoted his
last feeble efforts to giving eclat to the BayIeuth
Festivals. just as there was most unmistaKable
dramatic prOprety ID the tragic ending OF Wagners
other friend, the late King of Bavaria monarcn
who lived the life of Ludwig II. coud only satisfy
poetry with au equally romantic end and Lisza. in
of the most admirable phases Of his character.
could scarcely have chosen more opportune
moment for dying than the midnight midway be-
tween Parsifal" and " Tristan " at Bayreuth.
The spectacle presented by List during the first
week OF the Festival deeply saddening to every
spectator who felt sincere admiration for the
part played by him IN the last fifty years OF music
al history. The tourists who had poured into
Bayre1th had been given TO understand that he
was lie and hearty and had workei with Lis old
time vIgor in the Festival preparations. They were
told that he had superintendent the rehearsals
OF course this made him legtimatey one OF the
curiosites of Bayrenth that every sightseer was
bound 10 Inspect. Few stopped TO ask what might
he the effect of their mportnnate curiosity on It's
object The audiences that fllei the theatre on the
hill on the Odd and 10Th days of last month gave
he lfyh
burned brightly in the audience-room. They stood
on tip-toe. craned their necks and crooned with
satisfaction whenever they caught sight of the
rugged features aud long white hair of their hero
Meanwhile lie sat deep in easy chair in Frau
Wagner's box. propped up with cushions and foot
stools and tendery cared for by his grandchldTen
At long intervals dreadfuly omlnous hut
quickv smothered cough would issue from his
throat: then he would weatly open his ey IS aud
in another moment go of INTO the sleepy stnpOr
that had made extended conversation with him
impossible for two years past. Llszt arrived IN
Bayreuth on July 81. He came from Belgium,
where he had been visiting MunkacZy, ana II Is
snrmised that he contracted the cold which
developed into pneumonia in the rail Say carriage.
He had been at Bayrruth IN the early days of the
mouth to attend the wedding of his grand
daughter Daniela Won i}ulow Ia child OF Cosima
Wagner by her first husband On Jnly - |
found him at the railway station whittier he Lao
come to welcome back cue BRIDE now FRAU Ut.
Tode ominous ZANE y from her wedding tour. Inc
pleasure of the meeting and the ovation which the
gathering Bayreuth pilgrims gave him seemed
inspiriting 70 him. lie showed considerable
animation. and leaning the arm of his grand
daughter he moved through the path when
opened before him like patriarchal bishop MS
otnsing his benedctons lie had taken no his
MIA aspIa a
his disposal when in Bayreuth. and there for
several days he was surrounded by curious callers
and former pupils the most conspicuous amoLg the
latter being Sophie Menter-just the chief sub
ject OF scandalous gossip am ing the musicians oil
Europe He never thought of sparing himself IN
these interviews He spoke freely OF his ailments.
attributing the threatened blindness to the tact
that be was obi ged to work by lamPlight since all
the hours of daylight were occupied by socla anu
other duties and laying stress on the tact that ne
had never thought 1t necessary to spare MS eyes
and was in the habit of reading in the railway
carriages whenever he travelled. HIS conversation
was frequently interrupted by fits OF coughing
bnt he expressed concern only for his eyeslsht'
which he hoped would be completely restored by
surgical operation which was soon to be performed
by Professor Graete of Halle. He sat out the
representations o "Parsia" and Tristan on
July % and -. and would have gone again to the
theatre on tue following day if he had not been
dissuaded. During the intermission on that day
Frau Cosima drove to town 10 look alter MS
welfare He still received visitors though the
town was filled with rumors of his growing illness.
The trnth of these rum0rs was known within Tue
inner circles of Magnetism Oh TUESDAY, but Efforts
were yet made to prevent the spread CT the lntel-
o.nce and they were not permitted to interfere
with the reception given by Frau Cosma to the
representatives of the Wagner societies and invited
guests in the evening rhe fever which accom-
pan led the pulmonary trouble and affection oil the
heart grew more violent on Wednesday. ana
besides DR.. Landgraf, of Bayreuth. Dr. tleischer'
Of Erlanger was called in. Thursdays representa-
ton of Tristan and fridays of Parsifal" passed