New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-14
MUSICAL COMMENT.
A BOOK ON BAYREUTH-MR- WILSON'S YEAH
BooK-THE TANNHAEUsER LEGEND.

A
BOoK-THE TANNHAEUsER LEGEND.
A little book entitled "The Bayreuth Of wagner
and published By the John W. Lowell Company MSS
appeared as one Of scid Society Series" Inc en-
tertanng character of Its contents the reputation Oh
its author and the achievements Of the rather sn-
guarly constituted Brooklyn society which seems "
have lent It's sanction to the publishers enterprise
combine TO a regret that the book was no1
printed with greater regard for the tastes OF booh
lovers. 1t is cheap In paper and typographical style.
But it appears most OPPORTUNITY. Visitors To Bay
rcuth this summer use IL as o guide. Though u
does not take long TO all that is noteworthy about
the residence city Of the old Margravlae, its HISTORICAL
literary and artistic associations delightful ana
Mr. Jackson discourses about them in chatty unos-
tentatiOus unpedantic that invites an afec-
onate interest IN them. He sketches the history OF
the town. descrte s the Hermitage, that quaint two
penny imitation OF Versailles which Frederick the Great
thought surpassed his sanssouc tells Of the gaudy old
opera house. Jean Pnuls home and the Roiwurzel
House he did Of his writing. pictures the
Fantafsc discourses on wagners theatre and the DO
votion OF Ludwig II, OF whose arlove and Intelligence
he cershes greatest respect and in fact makes tho
reader feel that out OF the way as Bayeuth Is, IL
still worthy Of visit independently OF the loahstohe
which attracts the biennial pilgnmages tmtherwaro.
few trAing errors should be corrected In future
editions. King Ludwg,died on Whit Sunday, not Whit
Monday, 1885, The inscription on Wagncr's house
mein Waehnen,n etc.
Mr. G. II. Wilson, Of Boston, has Just issued the
eighth volume of his Musical Book OF the United
States The industry, and shin employed In tho
compilation OF this handbook have been often praised
in this Journal and the value Of the record TO all VINO
wish to keep informed the progress Of music In this
country often set forth that The Trbunes readers
Will appreciate the fact that mention Of ia these
columns has all the force Of a recommendation DIT.
Wilson has this year filed 102 pages with record OF
musical dongs in the chief cities Of the United States
and Canada and to them has appended tables OF new
compositions by American musicians, performed he7H
and abroad, as also those which have been
printed, list of standard choral works per
formed In America, with the names OF the solo
singers, and important works in the larger forms pro-
duced Europe. He also casts a retrospective view
on musical progress in this country In a conpacty
written chapter in which NewYork figures follows
The record Of the metropolis Of the country Ia
proud one; every OF the art OF music was uphed,
although the preponderance Of opera, which Is nos
the highest form, perhaps at the elevation from
which Wagner viewed It, made the general result I'M
balanced The Of the last three years OF the
Metropolitan Opera House is less notable IN point
of novelties presented than is that Of the four years
preceding The Wagner repertory having been COM
pleted with the performance Of Rheingod' In 1889,
there remained no equally poe ana b src ms5 @
language. and the repertory shows the prominence
b SeR woT ea az WagPer Stand FIST The ensemble Of
the institution has been maintained with care ana
with those OF the first opera houses Of Europe sym.
phony concerts have become fever In humber taan
high character have increased, change OF nesumaoe
remained the same as when the field was last scanned
and their programmes quite as gratifying ip
point S Of S T the T4 pa Of
Of choral works occupying the middle grana 9e'% ce
Timed viii tend to invest choral happenings with
proper dignity today the achievement in this depart
syGent in ne SsE Of the singing which
for voices and orchestra The cosmopolitan charscter
Of the % SSss' v6h IN Boston
TO an enthusiasm. Unclassined concerts within our
ken are those which ryS to thee e quo
names is large: Frs1ght with influence upon mnSc
masie ha and the passing to another city where
need Of him is great Of the man Who more tnsn a1E
the great instrumental composers
a1be MesterD is q quarterly publication and tho
organ Of the Wagner Society in London 1t prints
mich that is amateurish in style and spirit much
also that is mystical, but largely gives up
&c naces TO TRANSACTIONS Of Wagners poiemica
writings. In way or another IL doubtless does
great deal 10 enlighten the English mind on sub1ecs
ON which that mind certainly needs enlightenment.
r last number is preparatory TO Bsyreuth and begins
an ANALYSIS Of the Tannhaeuser drama. largo
norton of an essay by Dr. Golther in the Bayreuther
Taschen Kaender' dealing with the sources OF Wagnerf
drama Its conclusions, far from novel to those
ta1;ar with German nediaevnl literature that
the contest Of mnstrelsy in the wartb1rg never took
place but is the invention Of some unknown mime
Finger and that there Is foundation IN history TOT
the ANAL amA.ion Of Heinrich Won Onteruhgen, tas
hero of the Martburg story, and Tannhaeuser' W
course the controversy which long ago ceased among
literary critics these points has no bearing on
Wacners use Of the dramatic themes which he found
and blended together In Tannhaeuser II is little
amusing. however, TO find Dr. Golther SAYING: The
SAGA is the sheer invention Of some Minstrel CON
cuson evident enough from the opposition OF VOL
fran bv KlingesOr. a figure taken from his own ep,c
Parzival." Klngsohr the magician. is as Little an
Invention Of Wolfram Eschenbach as he Is or Dr.
Golther. He a famous character OF mediaeval story
and was dignihed by Wolfram and probably by MS
French mode by being called a nephew OF Virgil OF
Naples a designation which points TO the intimate
association In the popular mind between literature ana
the black arts Virgil, too magician ana
necromancer Of tremendous puissance. book on the
Master singers written by Cyriacus spangenborg,
noted theOOdan and scholar In 1898, tells many
anecdotes Klngsohr that neither Wolfram nor tho
author Of the mnstresy contest knew anyt thing about