Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-06-04

to misunderstood him, to ridcule him. 10
mallgn bim-some possiblv honestly
enough, but Others certainly with personal
enough motives ia being sneered az az
Phihstines.
Wagner after his escape from Dresden
renamed concealed in Weimar but a few
hours and then escaped TO Switzerland.
WHITTIER 20 go nov but 20 return 10 PARIS
ana II was 10 even more unfortunate mis-
UNDERTAKINGS. dIsappointments. and
open controversies. Tins ia the period Of
ms literary career when he wrote hi, critical
works on - Art and Revolution" Opera
and Drama the notorious Judaism in
Music" and tho autobiocraphic Com
munication 70 My Friends II is need
less TO say that while these arc most valua-
bic as ahording an insight into Wagner's
iheorlcs and convictions and thorough
devotion 10 art much Of H. stated "a 10
was, and falling upon tender feelings,
opened and reopened the harshest crlti-
Cisms and the dire9t aspersions EsDe-
cially the friends OF the Jews. Meyerbeer
ana Mendclssohn. and the older music
and they were many felt themselves out
RACED. On the other hand. We may readily
believe these ESSAYS we're not dictated by
personal motives IN any instance, but
arose from the slncerest convictions as 20
the requirements Of art. and the world to-
day agrees in large part with Wagner.
Once more be escaped from tins Paris
turmoil aud took up long residence IN
Switzerland. 1ucrlch was now his head
quarters. And here amid the mountains
aud the wild scenery Of natures grsndest
aspects, he gradually gives form to tho
Nihclung Ictral0ey. still an exile from
German soil, unable 10 hear a single one of
his immortal creations on the stage.
troubled IN money matters. III poor health,
while tho years were dragging by, tins
man was forging work after work and
forming plan after plan. These were ulti-
mstoly g. bear fruit, bat only in the rigid.
stern -uioring Of "A martyr. The Nlbolung
had grown from a single Siegirled opera
INTO a 1etralogv -" The Rhelpgold.'
The Walkyre Sicgfued.' and The
Dusk Of tho Gods"
Wagner displays his peculiar genus not
only III combining music 10 drama. making
each q coordinate pat and neither subor-
dlngte but principal IN itself but be was
equally happy III his choice OF material.
He was G,rui1n not only IN having pecu-
hAr music fitted for the peculiar genius Of
the German race. Int be saw the posSiblli.
ties of Gr1muic ~ we'll national material
IN tho old sagAs and legends gathered
about the cradle of the German race. Be-
ginning with The Fbing Dutchman.'
Ianuhaeuser," 80" Lohengrin," Tho King
Of the Nlbcungen, Tristan and Isolde
and "Iarsltal.' all take tho gray-wOrn
legends Of the race as subiect-mat-
ter. Wagner j. his own librettist. There
Is poetry "a well "a music, and tho IN
strumentatIon Is adapted 20 the dramatic
action Of the moment. The magnificent
scenic effects call forth all the resources
of the painters and sculptor's art. and
the ideal theatre demands the greatest
architect. II Is IN this com blnation OF al
the art, into ono grand whole that Wac-
ncr's operas have a unique place IN the his
tory 90 art. AMI are epoch-maklng.
Having finished his Tristan score he
once more goes - Paris IN hope he may
produce II there. But every enOrt 10
doomed. The performance of Tristan Is
pronounced everywhere impossible, Even
when the Emueror Napoleon desires 10
hear " 1a1nhaouser,' it's made miserable
fIfIure 10y the fsuJtfsS6 d0rce. who drown IL
with their penny WHISTLE. But, at any
rate. lac was now allowed 20 return 10 Ter
many and his long exile was over. IN
VIENNA he hears lOhengriu tor the first
I time. thirteen years after It's creation. lie
lndulges ~ a concert tour for money, and
It - ~ tins time that he cOmpOseS his
| one humorous opera. The Masterslngers
( of Nuremberg page out of the Uerman
/ Middle Ages, giving picture grouped
/ around Hans Sachs, the cobbler verse
maker. II was a mOmcntDus era IN every
| wav. He separates NJ lost from his wife
! He moets with his future wife, who Is the
daughter Of one friend, Franz lAszt, and
/ already the wife If another. Hans Won
! Pueiow. More far-reaChlng still, the ro-
mantlcaliy-ucllnedy Young Bayarlan Prince
I.oul, comes 10 the throne. calls Wagner
10 him. and a. last the struggling genus
nnds a homo and an income.
Tristan and the Mastor>ngers are both
/ produced IN Munich through Inc munih-
! ceuce OF the King. The Nlbelung operas
were at length finished and awaited only
! pr",ontatlon.
But tho Alumchels would not further
| the means of this presentatlOn-the thea
/ tre could not be- built. and hope again fled.
| II was the happy inspiration ot friend
/ that suggested the means whereby an Ideal
/ M. 0uGI theatre could he erected bv sub
! srr,ptionS of Wagner's friends all over the
! German States. The result was Bayreuth
and ITS summer festivals attended bv the
! Thousands Of every nation. Ihe" NIDeluug'
/ Ring" was AT last heard hv the world III
| 1876. aud "Par-lfal' soon followed. Nag
/ per', death occurred IN 1888 III his 7O;h
| year.
Inere are many questions to which
| Wagucrs life gives rise. To what extent
were his personal hum9rs aud peculiar
! temperament Responsible Tor his nsuu.
| der-tandiugs and quarrels? whether, II
ms life had been more regular, he would not
| have gone more into political discussions
and possibly not accomplished even 50
| nuchy Whether men of genius are 10 he
| excused on the score OF that genius, or
whether struggles and misunderstanding
are not UNAVOIDABLE How much others
uro 10 blame who fail 10 recognize all
| this 20 know who L. crank and who the
Interpreter of truth? But enough.
If we may be permitted a maj word IA
70 the tone of tins biography, wmlo en-
! thu-lastic over It's breadth and complete
ness. We must say We regard II - too We
| heneut. Pageso Of sarcasm and withering
scorn. even when well deserved, grow to-
dious and lose their point Also, the SUD-
| iect Is a hero IN everything, and every
/ snghte-t detail must be justified with CO.
gent arguments. This Is simply 70 cay
that these volumes constitute bril-
llant cr-parf statement, but are
not always written IN the calm, judicial
tone which carries conviction. But TINS Is
rather "a fnult OF style manner OF Thought
and habit of expression. o. the WORK
itself the pains the care. the interest. tue
| love manifest on every page, the sincerity
! of conviction, the intensity OF the nara
| tive the ANALYSIS Of each masterpiece, the
/ discussion upon the comments, OF oil these
QUALITIES we are compelled to speak only
IN the highest terms Ii IL one al the
notable biographies of the times Just be-
cause wrought with the impress OIL the
/ enthusiast
For ,alo by West. Johnston & Co.
/ SlcIV N1riffieFS. 10y lflALMAh AidoNA u b'i =
sLN. New York: CHARLES ScmbNEk'
| SoNs.
Summcrl es0rt literature Is now ripen-
/ ing. This novel will do admirably tor the
/ seaside or mountains. the scene OF the
story IS. IN fact. for the most part iald at
/ an acknowledgements swell re
/ sort on Long Island. The story l. about
( the efforts OF western family who had
struck II rich TO gam Oh entrance INTO
the -Four Hundred III which laudabie
. cnleayOr they were entirely successtul,
ono If the daughters marrying duplicate
of Ward McAihster while another could
have done Just a, we'll If she hai wantei
-. aud did. IN fact, come ycfy near II, nut
came 90 Der senses N time. The love story
of IN. latter and the man she did marry-a
sort OF incipIcnt Robert Elsmere makes
very good reading indeed. but l. seriously
,narred by the supertiuous Introduction OF
a foolish negress. who ~ married 70 the son
of an English duke c. ruined 10y drink.
inns part of the story barely escapes sill
ne., and Is thoroughly disgusting; but
haupily there Il no; much Ot 1t. Inc ma
rital affairs Of this deiect9ble couple form
the preliminary subject OF conversation
whom Ward McAlhster goes to propose to
/ tho milhoualre's daughter. Inc story
/ opeus "A little tedloUsly, owing to the au-
r daSrsfh he his cnArNc-