New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-17

morbid asceticism. Later the castle was the CEN
tire OF chivalry and mime song; and still later 1t
was the strong fortress that shielded Luther
from his enemies while he translated the Bible into
German. Something of all the influences thus
symbolized and personifed, poetical, religious,
political, moral, physical, found its way into Wag
ner's opera-book. 1t is that something which
made its hero what Wagner himself called him :
a German from head to foot There was no
spot in all Germany in which SO many pregnant
associations were centred.
II is a little singular that it was misconcep-
| ton or too hasty conclusion OF Wagner's that
| led him TO blend the two romances native to the
REGION and thus TO give the ola tale Of the dis
selute and vainly repentant Knight its chief charm
The old folk-song which preserved the story of
| Tannhaeuser knew only of his sojourn with Venus
and his fruitless pilgrimage to Rome The tale Of
the minsrelsy contest in the Wartburg has for its
hero Heinrich Won Afterdngen. His is an oft
repeated name in medieval poetry but
no work known to be his is in existence.
Naturally the mystery fascinated the interest
Of German literary critics. There were great
poems whose authors were unknown and here was
an obviously great author whose poems were un-
known. Thus. in the eyes OF some of these crit
ieal delivers, Heinrich Won Affterdingen was ad.
vanced from dignity TO dignity until he evolved
into the singer of the Nibelungenled A contri-
button made TO the controversy few years before
Wagner hit upon the Tannhaeuser legend identi
fed the hero of the adventure with Venus with him
of the minstrelsy contest. Wagner accepted the
theory as very truth. As his acceptance of
Goerres's false etymology in "Parsifal,7 from the
Arabic "Fal," foolish and "parseh7 pure one
became the keystone Of his ethical arch. so his
blending of Tannhaeuser and Heinrich Won After
1fvro loH f1,o cfn
In the old poem Affterdincen. having forfeited his
life fees for protection 10 the Landgravine Sophia
who shields him with her cloak. The episode as
transformed by Wagner is made the vehicle Of the
cardinal principle of Wacners tragedes-the saliva
ton of humanity through pure womanhood. Tam
haeuser, a type of humanity, goes 20 destruction be-
cause of his fuctuatiOn between sensual love- per-
sonifed in Venus, and pure love, personifed in
Elizabeth. The name Of Hungary's saint, who had
lived in the Wartburg, was borrowed to add its
chaste lustre 10 the episode, and the death Of
Elizabeth through love for him who had sinned
most grievously against her was raised into a
vicarious sacrifice which brought him divine abso-
luton when pitiless Pope had denied 1t. 1t is
thus from this association of the Hoerselberg with
the Wartburg that the transcendant beauty of the
drama Was derived.
Though composed without any intention of de-
stroying the conventional forms" of grand opera.
save the inelastic alienation of recitative and
aria Tannhaeusern is full of dramatic life,
and It's perfect performance demands qualities of
mind and emotion which are not the common prop
erty Of operate artists. 1t was Wagner's fate TO
witness the triumph Of his work because of popu-
lar delight with the lyrical elements of its score
without being privileged 70 the things which
he looked upon as essential in the opera. Wherever
he turned he found his desire fora vital presentation
of the dramatic elements in the principal char
actcr ignored or misunderstood. For the inter
prefer Of Tannhaeuser he wanted, first of all, an
actor; his ability as vocalist was a matter OF
s.dondary consideration. lis first representa-
tive at Dresden, Tichatschek, failed TO meet his
quirements because his voice was deficient in ac-
cents Of woe. In all his life be found but one
man who realized his IDEAL and TO that man,
SchnOrr Won Carosfeld, he was attached with a
devotion which was ONE Of the most amiabe and
pathetic factors in the sum Of his being. 1t was
only intensified by the early death of the artist.
In 1s45 when he brought out the opera In Dres-
den, in 1861 when he had his mournful expert
ence with il in Paris, for the last time in 1875
when he superintendent the production of the
Partisan version in Vienna, Wagner attempted TO
bring the real nature Of the work the conscious
ness of the people In each instance he found
keen delight In some features of the representa-
ton generally the spccta cular; but also in each
instance he was baffled by shortcomings in the
| province which lay nearest his desires. Under
such circumstances l can readily believe that he
sometimes looked forward to a model performance
at Bayreuth with profound emotion, and that IN
this case, as in so many others, what WIS virtu-
ally an Introduction would have been withdrawn
by his own act sooner or later Whether he would
have believed the time ripe now, and whether so
believing he would have contented himself with
performances like the present, is fair subject
for discussion. On these points my convictions
are so strong that think there need be no specua-
ton. II Wagner was honest in his artistic aims.
we can speak with something like poeitiveness.
Had he lived TO produce Tannhaeuser" the repre-
sensations would have differed vastly from those
which the Bayreuth pilgrims of 1891 are attend
ing. OF them, anon III. Il. a.