Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-06-13
WAGNER IN PRIVATE LIFE.
An Employee of the.Great Composer Re-
lates Some Interesting Notes.


lates Some Interesting Notes.
DR.. Hans Richter, the famous conductor,
4 viii be remembered, after fulfilling a
Hong engagement as q horn player at the
Ikartnerthor theater in Vienna was recon-
mended by Esser to Wagner then in need
| Of n copyist and proceeded to Triebschen,
| aear Lucerne, where he spent upward of a
year October, 1sf6, to December, 1867 under
his roof and made the first fair copy OF the
| ''Meistersinger." OF his early experiences
| DR.. Richter speaks rs follows: Il was ia
4 stalled in {; room on the upper story of the
! villa, and during the first three months of
my sojourn lived there absolutely alone,
| taking even my meals in solitude WaS-
/ ner's study was just under my room, and
! there he worked rule all the morning
without interruption. He was then en-
| gagged on the 'Meistersinger,' and when he
| had finished n page of the score he used to
| bring il 10 me himself, often with the ink
| still wet, and | in my turn set TO work to
copy it Immediately.
In the afternoon, after the midday meal,
which was regularly served at 1 o'clock, 1
was with equal regularity expected to ac-
| company Wagner on his walk, which al
| ways lasted several hours. On these walks
Wagner generally appeared to be deeply
absorbed and did not speak L imagine
that he was still engaged in composition.
However, he insisted that l should always
accompany him. At that time l was still
extremely shy and reserved, with little eX-
perience of the ways of society, but as these
walks We're to n certain extent part of my
duty fancied that it was obligatory upon
me to entertain the master who strobe ST.
lently by my side. Goodness knows what
fortunes underwent in my efforts to find
subjects likely to interest him. positive
ly trembled as l started the dialogue on the
spur of the moment.
lone day shortly after my arrival-it
was, / think, our second or third walk-i
thought had hit upon a capital subject
and ventured TO sound Wagner upon his
own works. Can you tell me, Herr Wag
ner, which opera you prefer-"TannhaeUs-
err or "Tristan?"' Wagner burst into a
loud fit of laughter and replied, How can
you ask me such silly question: That
was all his answer, and the conversation
ended there. From that day l never ven
tured to break silence unless Wagner gave
me the lead. so that our walks became more
silent than ever.
Being asked whether Wagner ever con
suited him on the use of the different in
struments, DR.. Richter replied:
NO. On this point Wagner had no need
of advice. He was better informed than
any one else. On one single occasion. how
ever, he came up to my room with page
of his score, still unblotted, and pointing
out n passage said, Do you think this
phrase car be performed on the horn at so
rapid a tempo? Isn't it too difficult The
passage in question is in the finale of the
second act of the 'Meistersinger,' where the
horn takes up the theme of Beckmesser's
'Serenade.' l examined the passage and re
assured him Immediately. Certainly it
can be played, but it will sound very queer
and nasal Capital" cried Wagner. that's
exactly what meant it to be- 1t is sure to
have a comic effect. And accordingly 1
had to take my horn and play the passage
over several times. Wagner was over
joyed; the effect was exactly what he had
Intended / had brought my horn with me
from Vienna, and in the summer evenings
l used to take boat and row off to & little
islet opposite the villa, where enSconced in
the long grass and underground. would
play on my favorite instrument till was
| out of breath. Next day Wagner would
question me:
| - Il say, Richter, what were you playing
yesterday evening"
well, meister,' l would reply, it was
| a passage from the ''MeistereiEcer.' and
Wagner would smile and appear dci!,-.-2t,.
| Finally on Christmas day, ate ,.a,!
| been nearly three months in tbs Lo,--".
was invited for the first time and presented
| to Nine. Cosima Wagner. From that day
| onward | was treated like one OF the house
| hold and diued every day and spent every
| evening in he family circle Every evening
| Wagner used to read aiOld. At that date
| the stories OF Hoffman Were in great favor,
| and Wagner read them incomparabiy with
| the utmost animation. In this connection
1 remember that when Tristan was irso
/ put in rehearsal at Vienna in 1sG2 Wagner
came one day TO read his poem TO the an sts
| in order to enable them to enter into the
| spirit of the work. Some of them after
| ward declared that if Wagner had devoted
| himself to the histrionic career he would
| certainly have become the most remarkable
| actor of his time.
| HE accompanied his reading with n
| wealth of gesture and of facial play which,
| to quote the words of the artists of the
Burg theater, while betraying his complete
| ignorance of the tricks of the trade, never
| theless revealed an extraordinary talent for
diction and representation L have men
| toned that Wagner's workroom, where he
| was engaged on the score of the Meister-
| singer was exactly underneath the room
| which | occupied in his house During the
| Is months which | spent at Triebschen
can positively state that l never once heard
| the sound OF the piano in his room. This
shows that when composing or noting down
| his ideas he was never in the habit of try
| ing how it would sound on the pianoforte'
| Guide Musical.