New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-23
THE GENIUS OF WAGNER.
A CONTRAST BETWEEN HIS IDEAL OF MORSE
PAGANISM AND OF CHRISTIANITY

Edward Krehhel. Pp TX, 1913. Harper Brothers.
There are many passages in this book TO hold
the attention of the reader but there is one para
graph in particular which not only involves criti-
cism of Wagner's method as a pcet-composer, put
also gives an insight into his theory OF lie anu
into his evolution as man OF genius IL relates
how Wagner early in his career contemplated two
dramatic works which he never finished in their
proper form, but subsequently, Mr. Krehbiei
thinks, blended in "Parsfal." One of these was
to be q tragedy in which the central character
Jesus of Nazareth, should figure a sage VINO
preached love and strenuously opposed conVen-
tionalism; the other was TO be founded on
legend of Buddhist asceticism. Historically ana
ntrinsically these themes were certainly iar
enough removed from those which he nnany 'ooN
up and wrought out TO PERFECTION bue ~ -
worthy of notice In passing. thai me Periou WHICH
these plans occupied the mind OF wagner was
one In which he might have been snoJecteo "
two potent nfuences-the Grass. nut enthusiastic
rationalism which eliminated In STRAUSS Lille
pf Jesnss and the slowly rising tide OF SEMI
Oriental pcssimsm which only few years peiCre
had carried SchopenhauerIs vast treatise Die
Welt ais willie und vOrsellung,' TO secohn
edition. One can only imagine what he might
have done with either Of these themes by con-
trastinp the hint OF them. the one hand, with
what he did in Parsifal" for the development
OF an essential though extremely narrow view OF
historical Christianity, and on the other with his
successful handling of the rugged mythology OK
the North IL is fair TO suppose that those who
read Mr. Krehbiels book thoughttnliy VIII come
10 a stop at this passage and will begin to 20
over In mind what has preceded and TO scrutinlze
closely what follows because they will feel that
the key 20 a mystery has been placed in their
hands How could Wagner harmonic the stern
fatalism which is tho highest thought in all
religions except that Of the Christian with the
thought OF n renewed humanity? Was he so
far master Of himself that he could work out
two mutually exclusive conceptions of human life.
without subjecting his artistic personality TO
either of tlUmP These questions press upon
one. even though he can barely understand the
dramatic element in Wagners work and hnds
only bewildcrment in the music.
Meanwhile one thing is clear. AT the time
when Wagner was shaping and defining in his
mind the thought which he desired TO give 10
the world he was also engaged in perfecting the
form in which that thought should be expressed.
II is with this external phase, if one may call IT
CO. that Mr. Krehbcl begins his studies. ~ the
outset the reader Is warned against the misappre-
tension that Wagner was a universal reformer
In music. His influence outside OF ms spcciic
task was great, but il was due, not TO his 2ur-
pcsc but TO his genius, which was broad enough
and intense enough 10 make itself felt through
ont the whole realm OF art AS gifted musician
he was the legitimate successor of Bach. Haydn
Gluck, Mozart, beethoven and Schumann, put
never a rebel against their authority. Ills
achievement was the reform Of the opera, and his
purpose was as far-reaching as that which Dante
profcssed 10 aim at in the ;" Divina ComInedr'
There is, indeed, a parallesm between the aspira-
- nv of M
alteration Dante declared that he had meditatcd
on an impcrishabe monument TO Beatrice, to which
should contribute sll the cogntions of the intellect
whether theological philosophical or scientific all
the elements of life historical political, religious
all the forms Of art, lyric epic, dramatic; all the
kinds of versiffcation-hymn, satire, tragedy
conedy: a monument perfected by architecture
with its orders sculpture with its rcliefs, painting
with coler and poesy with sound. so In the
opera as Wagner contemplated IT, poetry, mu-
nc, pontomime, painting and the plastic arts were
10 cooperate on - basis of mutual dependence
or better, perhaps, interdependence-and common
elm, the inspiring purpose OF all being dramatic
expression Thus he was not merely the sue
cesscr Of the great musicians OF the preceding age
hut In this view Of the case he was also heir TO
the traditions OF the Greek tragic stage and OF
the Italian art-reformers in the sixteenth century.
Krehhel dwells with convincing earnestness But
aside from form. considering only the innermost
thought. he is near TO Dante, with whose ideal
of Beatrice might well be associated the ethical
theme vital In those OF Wagner's dramas, which,
alike the Greek tragedies, are based on legendary
or mythical tales-that salvation comes TO hu-
manity through the self-sacrifcing love OF
woman
II Is from this inner side that the true inter
pretation is TO be sought for Der Ring des
Nibelungen,7 the scope and method of which are
those of Greek trloey. The real plot is divine
not human and the real hero is Wotan no matter
what mortal may be the immediate object of
interest Wotan's error is the of the
tragedy. To his successive attempts at repairing
the wrong he has done are due the successive
catsstrophrs. Weary of the useless struggle, he
gives up himself and the world which he rules TO
destruction and the curse is removed from the earth
not by the power of the gods but by the love and
selfsacriice of a woman. Whether we imagine
that tho antique, heather North thought out for
itself the downfall Of the world and the gods, or
began in the Viking period TO mediate upon dis
torted of the new religion which had
already spread over the civilized world TO the
south, IL is certain that the narrative is wholly in
the Northern spirit, and marks for all ages the
highest fight of the pagan imagination and the
pagan conscience. 1t has all the harshness tho
impiacabe. unrelenting severity of the Northern
climate, the pitiless horror Of a Morse massacre.
Mr.. Krehbel has wrought out with care and
skill the contrast between the Greek conception
embodied in the Prometheus of Aeschylus, and the
Wotan of Tcutonic myth. and while readers may
symathze with the hopefulness that sweetened
infinite woe in the case, they must feel the
sublime despair depicted in The other. AS the
Northern Imagination couh! take no higher flight
so one must think that the genius of fWagner, so
thoroughly Teutonic, here reached its Climax. But
he essayed also an Interpretation of Christianity.
Apparently he no longer cared for his early
rationalsm At all events the ascetic mysticism