Tombstone epitaph., 1890-05-17
THE MISSlON OF MUSIC.
Some of tho Essential Elements of R:ch-
 ard Va%acr'5 Theory.

Some of tho Essential E,cmnnts of R.ch-
 ard Fa:Sacr's Theory.
 The first of thcso i9 that tho mission
 in which Wagner laborod as contro-
 vcrsall5t and composer was reform of
 tho Cpora-not Q reform of music gen.
 orally. He was Q musical rcforraer only
 co for as nuGic i5 factor in tho sum of
 tho modorn opera. Outside of tho tho
 ator, it i5 true, ho cxcrtcd a trcmcn- dou' Influence on tho development of
 tho art; but that influence ho oxcrtcd only a9 Q gifted musician who stood in
 tho inc of succession with tho great mon who Uidcncd tho boundaries of tho art and struck cut now paths for it. let mo gay Bach, IIaydon, Chuck, l1o- zart, Beethoven and Schumann.
 As tho legitimate successor Of these kings, hc advanced tho musical art in- decd; but as rcformcr, his activities wcrc directed not to music in it's aba .. lut2 fOcIH5, but to an entirely distinct and corplcz-art-forrl-;ho opera. Tho phrase music of tho futurc,'' popularly attributed to him, was tho invention of tho critics; his own phrase which was thus p2rOdicd was ''tho art-work of tho future" by which he meant Q form of theatrical entertainment in which poetry, music, gesture, painting and the plastic arts were to corporate on a basis of complete interdcpcndenco and common ain, tho inspiring purposo,of G11 being dramatic expression. Tho starting point of his rcfCrmatory ideas was that music had u3urpcd placo which docs not bclong to it in the lyric drama. It should be a means, and had become tho aiin.
 As al Gjthotic principle, he contondcd that 1t lie; il tho n2turc of music to bo not tho end, but Q nelium of dramatic expression. He therefore reversed the oil rcl tions of librcttis5 aal conooser anI nadc music, which cal only ad- dress itself to tho emotions md imagina- tiol, dependent for form. spirit and character on tho poetry, which can cp- peal to reason aS woll. As musical form of expression. Wcgncr held that rhy.no i3 useless, because is implies the identity Of tho con3olant3 succeeding tho voTcls, and thcje col5o1lntJ arc lost because only tho vowcl5 can be dwclt On. Tho first COlSo1Gn5 of a word ca1 not be lost, howcvo', because it ij that which gives physiognor1y; and sincc repetition makes a agreeable denco, he substituted 2llitoration for rhyme in tho significant portions of his verses.
 This theory, however. he put into practice only il "Tri3tiaa und Isolde" and ''ror Hing dcs Nibclungcn;" in 'rcrsifal" ho rocurroI to rhyrno. From tho verso n 'lody thus obtained he de- sired tho musical melody to spring, words and music becoming lovinGly mcrccd in ccch other, each sacrificing cnough of sHlighacss 10 na,lo tho union possible. This means that for tho sake of truth Warner brought Reclamation forward q tho fir5t and most essential clement in dramatic singing. Tho mol oIy, i1 tho 5pnS9 in which tho word i3 generally understood, has to great ex- tent boon rclcgatcd to tho orchestra, whore it is wovc1 into great sym pLonic fabric, il which, no loss than ono 5tAgo tho drama iG worked out.
 n his vocal part the cin i3 to achieve through tho music an increased impress ivcncs1 for the poetry. and to this end he raises it to Lind of intensified speech, which retains a3 much a3 possi- blC of tho di3tinctncs3 of ordinary Gia- loguc, with itJ emotional capacity raised | to higher powcr-ua-pcr's Monthly.