New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-22
MUSICAL COMMENT.
TWO TANNHAEUSER7 OPERAS-HANS SACHS
As \ RELIGIOUS POET.

AS y RELlGIOUS POE1.
An amusement with which musicians occasionally
divert themselves Is the tracing Of parallels in the
compositions Of great masters. sometimes when the
searcher is little malicious In disposition he speaks
Of his discoveries plagisrsms the amiable call
them "reminiscences. There are very few Of tho
great composers who have not consciously uncOn.
consciously rccchoed mclod!c phrases which were first
uttered by predecessor A hundred and fifty years
ago melodies were common property. Handel made
TO bones about working up the thoughts Of his predc
cessors and contemnorares, and the custom had not
died ont even I'm MoZ2rt'S day Not long Dr.
ChrySandcr discovered that not only had Da POute
borrowed scenes and lines from Gazzarica's d" Don
Giovanni" for his masterpiece and M0zartS. but that
Mozart also laid the OF the earlier opera under
tribute Yet at the time Gazzaniga's Don Giovanni"
was current and popular throughout Europe. Wag
| ner'S obligations 10 Weber many and obvious.
Bu the most singular coincidence Of all Is the copy OF
Wcher's mermaid melody In Oberon7 In McndeSsoln's
Midsummer Nights Dream" overture. "ObeIon'
was brought out I'm London in April. 1896; Mcndel
ssohn composed his overture in July and August 500
Int il is not known that Mcndelssohn heard any OF
Webcr's opera until afterward Concerning this coin
cdence Mr. John Ella once wrote: " 1t has been the
privilege of all musicians to copy their predecessors ID
design and the accident Of the greatest composers to
have adopted meodc creations similar to those OF
Others FuSel's favotc aph0rism at once defines the
boundary of imitation in asserting that genius may
adoJt but never steal -
It is familiar tale that when Wagner read the book
Of hi, Lohengrn" to party of musicians Schumann
remarked in effect that his opera plans had been dNhcd
bv Wacncrs choice of subject. AmbrUs once said al
Schumarn that he went mp and down Ike raging
lion seeking what he might compose Under the cir
cumstanccs II not strange that he should nave
cast a fond eve on the Arlurian romanccS. Now an
opera book before the commentator offers evidence
that Wagner had himself a narrow escape from being
/ stall cd in
Amadeus Nancold who died In 1850 an uncle OF Mt
George ManGOld teacher Of music In the Normal COZ
lego Of this city. composed a "Tarhaeu-er' opera
which was performed forty odd years ago ana has
recently again come 20 notice because Of the publlca
ton of its llrctt0 and its arrangement for per
Torrance bv Ernst Pa,que. The history Of the opera
| is eXccedncl interesting MangOh began the com
po-iton Of his opera october :, 1913 "a month earlier
than Wagner began his. and completed ii on January
/ g. 1s45 tone week after Wagner Yet the two com
posers knew nothing Of each others plans! striking
| coincidence indeed Wagner more fortunate than
Mancoh I'm getting his work performed. however. He
was Capemeister at Dresden and there Tannhacuser
saw the light Of the sagc-lamps october 49, 1919.
while Mane0id's "Tanha1user7 was first performed AT
/ Darnisadt on MAY L. 1S4G The lbrctiist Of Man.
COLDS opera Wa Eiuari Dullar: his work is thoroughly
conventional The opera has four acts. the scenes Of
which are laid. |, In the Thuriugan forest near Tan
haeuscrs castle H. in and before the Cave OF Venus
/ in the Ioer,cbcIG: Ill. in the Church OF the Holy
/ Scpulchrc Jerusalem; ", on the boundaries Of
Thurincia and near the Ilocr,cberc II ends with u"
rescue of the dissolue but p'ucnt knight The pai"l
| staff blossoms Faithful Ec,art.' parsonage whb
fgureS in the Ioeiscbcrc legends A. one who warns
visitors rot to enter the strikes the mountainous
rock with It and releases Tanhacuser and InnisiS'
Eckars daughter, who had entered the cave with HIM.
as well a multitude Of children who had been lea
into the mountain after the manner OF the fcd fper
story.
fbrnC int Cidelighf@
on music's history. Mancoh was excellent com
poser ard Herr Pasque, who records with something
| like pride that he his friend and took part Ia
the first ard last representation that the opera r.
| ceIved, Is plainly Of the opinion that it stu pos
scsses vitality enough 10 justify performance.
year or more ago the publication If an opera by
Lorzing entitled Hans sachs was the first intmt
ton that the world at large had received That
| Waener's comedy had predecessor in operate tert
| ture. There are points Of resemblance between
| Lortzing's and Wagncr's works, however. AprOpos
| of Die Mesters!ncer@ il Is interesting to that
Hans sachs's poem THE Wiuenbers Nightingale.
| whose opening verses Wagner uses in hi, third act
as a popular gIrctirg 70 sachs, Wa translated into
English by Professor C. W. schaeier. D. d.. and pub
llshod in pamphlet form by brobst, Dichl a Co., Of
| Allentown Penn. about eight years ago. spcc
men brick Of the old cObblcipOets drastic style viii
not come ani.s;
Now Doctor Eek hos the Wild boar
Who down at Il.pslc ra,ed and tore
And afC.f him drew
Then for the buck. that's Emser too;
With nunncrlcs he, too much 10 do.
in Muruar next see tn" cat.
Tn. Popc's grand hlchcr and all that.
The barefoot monk he's the wild ass:
At Lep.ic. did himself surpass.
And Co.hlacus. he is the snail.
These Fl, ana more by tale.
Long against Luther worked their pens,
But Luther made them leap The fence.
Their writings had other ground
Than what usage Old found
They could not prove with Scripture true
But that's what Luther loved TO do.
The uniegrncd too might feel secure
in Lutncr's doctrine, sound and pune,
And this his foes could not endure
A benefit concert which will make a powerful appeal
70 ALL of New Yorks pilgrims to Bayrcuh year before
last is being arranged by Mr.. seldl and Mr. ZoIlncr
conductor Of the LledcrlIanz The beneficiary i, T.
he Herr Friedrich the actor and singer who created
so profound sensation at the lat Wagner festival
with nj, impersonstiOn Of Beclune scr. Friedrich is
bonel. S,ly insane and is being cared for by Fran
vaqper and other admirlng friends Mr. Sedl pio
noses TO perform the finale of the first act Of Par
sitalo with the help Of the choir Of the Ledcrhianz.
Mr. Thomas will devote his seventeenth popular
concert at the LenoX Lyceum this evening exclusively
to Italian compositions, the programme beine As fol
lows
overture la vcsaie". slontini
ALL N0''O Signoi Luigi sartoiis.
S SjSs91S from symphony IND op. lo-.ssnmOns
Aiia uIa voce Rio e. G'a, rcaj Ro''Io
BONANZA 'Oe Sis ora Iaid O cami%%i
Overture king Lear" B3zllG
Grand @ Mis De we're and ssao- campanqi ''1
A'n'e"o CStiia$ oicac,traj 1'
Aria, "Ah For'e ,l gi' ~, l;oo
Overture civilian Tcli". Rossini
A SLEEPY WOODCHUCK.