New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-12
Early Rird will be played by another actor next


vear--if words are translated into actions
perhaps what have written above would have
baon clearcr 10 the understanding OF the nader
if had prcfaced 1T with the statement that
mon,hs before the opening of this eighth Wag-
merriam festival all the tickets for all the perform
ances bao been bought or subscribed for ana thst
visitors who have come since the representations
beran have had TO depend on tickets that nave
hern returned or seats in gallery never Intended
nv Wagner to be opened 10 the public, Tor which
they have been obliged TO pay the same price d.
tho fortunate subscrbers-hve dollars. As an in
dication of the growth in popularity of the festl
walls this further fact may be cited;
Two wears ago 800 tickets were sold in Lon
don: this wear the number reached 5000. ms
number represents the English contingent and
considerable proportion Of the Amerlcan-chiehS
the curiosity seekers who have never been "
Bayreuth, and consequently know nothing aoou'
the facilities for obtaining tickets directly lr'ni
the Board of Administration.
There is so much human nature in the thrifty
people of Bayreuth, even III the members VI 'H0
Allgemeiper Richard Wagner Verein, tnat the
changes in the external conditions Oh Tue
seem 70 them either cause or effect THEY are not
sure which, of other deploraOie changes IA Wv
also in executions, in these festivals, and am
Of these good people when l say this really
do not mean 10 do So for am myself inclined u
discover a degencracy not only III purpose Du'
also in execution in these festivals, ana am
mother a Bayreuth hotel keeper nor member OF
tho WAGNER VeIein with grievance. Still uNe
talk INDUCED in with reference to the American
tourist makes it difficult to accept all the crlucls
heard without charging some OF 1t to the account
of personal equation. There is no question al'''
Wagners ideal, as he conceived IL nearly mug
wears ago had nothing of sefshneSs IN w. peSon"
that which, some may think was inherent III tue
desire to make propaganda for his type o. arr
When he fist wrote TO Uhlig, his Dresden Irlehu'
about a special theatre for the representation Vi
his Young Siegfricd,' his ambition "ehV ho
higher than hastily Knocked up Woouen pi"S
house, either III Zurich, where he was theh hNln6
IN Punishment. or ON the banks of the Rhine to
which musicians, poets and art-loVers HienuS w
his refor,uat0ry purposes, especially young men
and students were TO be invited without money or
price. before them he wished to give q nouei
performance Of a real lyric drama, aIter Which nI
would tear down the theatre purn MS sOole %HH
say Ii that is what You want. go you 10 W9ik.
The theatrical element is almost as siioIg ~ liz
ner's utterances as IN thosc Oh Dc tho nve
somebody given the money TO MN Which VI. 49,
cution OF ms plan required am pretty sure tnat
he would have carried all VI IL ouI eAoePD N L
destruction of his score lhe interest," mien h Ie
scraps of his youthful compositions Is pIool ,I"'
he would not have voluntarily destrOyed creq 4
ton into which he had poured SO NUN VI illo
hearts blood. Still, his waxing dreaue III "ioSS
DAYS were big with the ldealsm which hau hou icl'
him when the miracle of 1876 became an hoc'i Il,
piished fact. The audiences OF that year anu VI
IsSp were almost exclusively composed oil persons
belonging 10 the clan that ne wished 10 see az
tached to him. Zach one OI the multitude mad
helped him to achieve ms gieat Pul tTn% menu
bers of the Wagner societies These societies
organized on a plan proposed by wagner hilnse ~
existed solely to advance ms arr nS"Ired in
FORM the societies still exist, 30 90 Ine RESULTS
but there has been mighty change IN tHe Iem,
tonship existing between them. ne BURDEN en- VI
the festivals was too great for the Wagner S0cle'
ties After The Ring of the Nlblung lad Deen
performed in 1875 the theatre remained Gioseu tii
the production of Parsifal" in 1857 Under u one
old regime that based upon the relationship "lich
Wagner wished to maintained between the les,
rivals and his disciples, the institution seemeu
doomed The peripatetic amusement seeker H nnIv
the festivals a profitable speculation not only
for the cause of agner, but for his Wldow.
l believe that In consequence OF ats contact
with the rude realities OF the shoW-worio tle ii
stitution has lest in ideaity but the contact anu
the change were both inevitable ara there Ougho
TO be compensation for the dsgrunted Wagnerle
measurably more efficient agent Of propagandlsm
| for the Wagnerian evangel than 81 would nave
| been had tile unnitiated been excluded from II.
| The only question now is one OF maintenance
| Parsifal" alone is reserved for BaSTeuth. In
another y9lr the law of copyright will cease to
! give its score protection III Austria ana othe II
| countries. Only considerations Of sentlEent VIII
| save il then from performance elsewhere. Inc
| force of those considerations has been weakened
| by the feeling of antagonlSm which has sprung
! no between representatives OF the wagner Socle-
| lies and the Festival administration. Had Wag-
| ner lived the maintenance of an ideal standard
| of excellence in the representations would have
restricted the loss in ideaiy to the character o!
| the audiences But the death Of Wagner worked
a mighty change. Madame Wagner has assumed
all the power which belonged to her husband
| The Board of Administration represents her in the
| business management. She represents the name
| of her husband in the artistic management. Here
| her word is law. She will brook no interference
| tolerate no Independence If she is held response
BILE for all manner of shortcomings it is because She
has invited the Judgment. The circumstance gives
appropriateness perhaps also zest, to study o.
| the developments of the present festival.
| III. Il. X,