Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-13
WAGNER'S OPERAS.
They Will Be Presented Dur
ing the Worlds Fair.
The Bayreuth Theater to Be
Duplicated at Milwaukee.
Some Interesting News for All Music
Lovers.
The News Received Here Yesterday By
Manager Ogden From Frau Wag-
ner aud Angelo Neumann.
The Facts In the Case.

Yesterday afternoon Manager M. M.
Og den, of the Columbia Opera Co.,
which opens at the Los Angeles theater
next Wednesday, received a bulky
foreign envelope containing things which
will be received with profound salts
faction by the music lovers OF America.
The letter was from Herr Angelo Neu-
mann OF Prague and contained contracts,
estimates and plans for the reproduction
OF the world-famous Bayreuth-W Wagner
ian theatre at Milwaukee during the
worlds fair at Chicago.
Manager Ogden first presented the
project to the citizens of Milwaukee
during the past summer, and the propo-
sition to establish Richard Wagner
theater in America was of such inn
pressive magnitude from financial,
musical and artistic point of view that
it excited widespread comment both
in America and Europe. The citizens
of Milwaukee, a city largely made up of
Germans and devotees of music, and
particularly of Wagnerian music, took
hold OF the idea with enthusiasm. A
public meeting was called under the
auspices of the Chamber Of Commerce
and the Advancement Association, and
it was decided to go ahead with
the enterprise. Mr.. Henry Willard,
the well-known railroad magnate,
who was in Los Angeles Wednesday,
announced that he would build the first
long distance Edison electric railway
between Milwaukee and Chicago, thus
enabling the hundreds of thousands of
people who will attend the worlds fair
to 60 from Chicago to Milwaukee on
pilgrimage to the first shrine of Richard
Wagner in America in an hours time.
An elaborate basis of organization was
formulated by Manager Ogden, providing
for a bonded association calling for
capitalization of nearly million dol
lars. This was accepted by the people
of Wisconsin.
The next step in the project was to
secure the assent of Herr Angelo Neu-
mann and Frau Cosima Wagner for the
exact reproduction of the Richard Wsg-
ner theater, Bayreuth, with all its ac-
cessories and all the artists for the sea-
son at Milwaukee in 1898. Another i'm
portant question was the securing from
them of the right to produce at Mil
waukee Wagner's greatest work, Par
sifal. Manager Ogden has been in
correspondence with Herr Angelo Neu-
mann and Frau Wagner, who are the
custodians of the Bayreuth theater and
Wagner's works, and yesterday received
q letter from them containing their con-
sent to the project. The letter is as fol-
lows:
PRAGUE, Sept. 23rd.
Manager Marion M. ogden,
My DEAR SIR am ready to cooper
ate with you in the reproduction of the
Bayreuth theater in America. 1 can
but express my appreciation for the
honor you have bestowed upon me in
proposing to place me at the helm of
such grand and magnificent undertake
ing as the founding of Wagnerian
playhouse in Milwaukee, in which to
reproduce the Bayreuth-Festival plays
during the Columbian exposition at
Chicago, in 1898. I have not the least
doubt that this institution will prove
great success, and herewith inclose con-
tracts and estimates on the basis which
you suggested, with some alterations by
myself.
I think it will be advisable to give
four evening performances and two mat
inees weekly, the performances to ex-
tend over a period Of three months. The
repertoire will consist of the following
works by Richard Wagner: Die Feen,
Rienzi, Der Fliegende Hollander, Die
Meisteringer Won Nuremberg, Lohengrin,
Tannhauser, Tristan and Isolde, Das
Rheingold, Die Walkure, Seigfried,
Goetterdammerung, and Parsifal.
While expressing my joy over the fat
tering call which you have extended to
me to place me as the artistic head oil
this great undertaking, will now state
another reason which has prompted me
to accept. 1t was no one but Richard
Wagner himself, who intimated the idea
to me during the years Of 1882 and 1888.
He repeatedly expressed the wish to me
that l would transfer the institution
founded by myself, which only by his
permission received the name Richard
Wagner theater, to Berlin first, England,
Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Austria,
Russia and Italy the Ring of the Nibe-
lungen, and then to America.
The great master himself offered to
assist me that under my direction the
Richard Wagner theater might be
introduced into the United States.
Providence, however, called the master
from this world, and since his death,
the 18th of February, 1888, the plan
rested. and nothing was done toward
executing it until l received your pro-
posal. The death of Wagner was the
only cause that the Richard Wagner
theater was not introduced in America
before this. Respectfully yours,
ANGELO NEUMANN.
The above tidings will be source OF
infinite satisfaction to all lovers OF
music. Manager Ogden has cabled
acknowledgement of receipt of the letter
to Herr NeumaEn, and last night tele.
graphed the citizens OF Milwaukee the
good news.
The vexing question, of this vexinc. age is: