The morning call., 1894-11-29
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS.

Hans Sachs was elm schumacher und poet
daZu" says an old verse, which could be trans
lated by Que not much worse, Hans Sachs
was shoemaker and poeT, too" At this Time,
when the old town OF Nuremberg is busy cele-
bratlng the lour-hundI edith anniversary Of The
man who was, with Albert DHrer, its most
illuStriouS child IL Is not without interest, even
for an Am rican puolic. TO sketch in d few
words the venerable German master. singer Ii
was Wagner who made Hans Sachs Tie fashion
In really little Is known of the actual lie of
the pOet-Shoemaker. His contemporaries did
not write much about him. and YET he eXer-
clSed during the sixteenth century an influence
as great, II not greater. than fnal OF Martin
Luther himself But the genial cobber did not
know Latin, and the clerks. who then alone
guided the pen and occupied themselves with
dispensing glory, scOrned 10 mix the name of
man who could not write Latin in their
learned theological discussions. Almost the
sole source OF information that we have OF his
life Is sorI of rhymed chronicle that the poet
on the ST of January. SCI, felt The need of
composing, he being 10 years of age at the
time. This recaptulates the chief events of
his career.
1t would take too long 10 explain the famous
rules" OF the master. singers, which Wagner
parodied In his comic opera. To glance into
one OF heir schools would be more Interesting.
The one at Nuremberg, wh-re Hans Sachs
grouped more than 200 poets round him. was a
simple hall Of wood, annexed 10 church
which served for grand assemblies The daily
exercises and the examinations took place in a
small room. The poets, when addressing the
audience, stood in a pulpit, dressed in black
robes. and round green ia Bile, silent and at
tentlve, sat the four observers" charged with
examining Ihe declaiming poet. one from the
point of view of his "deDth," another for
form" the third for "metre" and the fourth
for music" Farther back were The auditors"
all poets, into whose ranks no profane outsider
couid slip. The student who did not possess
the liable of rules" was a pupil, the one who
did was companion, The one who could de-
composed them were poets. Those who had
composed the new ton" or melody had reached
the grade OF "master-singer," title honored
by all.
1t is quite decided that Wagner's complete
'Triology" will be represented in the course of
the season 1896 at Bayreuth. Nine. Cosima
wagner has engaged Jean and Edward de
Reszke Tor the performances. In spite OF the
complaints at he engagement OF artists accus.
Toned 10 the French repertory, the queen of
Wagnerdom was forced TO this step by the
artistic superiority OF the De ResZkes The
brothers are diligently studying the German
New York by declaring that he will certainly
appear there this season as the hero of Wag-
net's Tristan and Isolde" using the original
text. This statement, as far as he himself is
concerned, need not surprise any one, but
where is the rest OF the cast TO come from?
Nordica might at a pinch sing Isolde. and
brother Edward Is no doubt preparing to aid
and abet brother Jean by essayiug The role OF
King Mark. But the questions still arise.
hnr fha. El,at,
Huryenal? Certainly not i'll the prospectus of
Abbey, Schoeffel and Grau.
Hans Sachs was born In November, 1894. al
Nuremberg In the year OF terrible epidemic of
the plague. The little Lain he learnt az an
ecclesiastical school he soon forgot, ana at Is
was apprentlced to shoemaker who gave him
his first lessons 10 Misunderstanding" At the
end OF his apprenticeship he made his tour of
Germany" and settling at home, trade pros.
Dered with him. Sachs was one OF the first 10
yield to The charm of the Nightingale of Wit
temberg," as he himself chrisIened Martin
Luther. The propagation OF Luther's doctrines
ana the restoration or the singing school of
Nuremberg. which HAD fallen into decadence.
were the Two aims OF his lite Just what mas.
ter-siuging" was has remained obscure Till the
last few years, when German savants have
found out Dy searching the Libraries of Dresden
>AN
Not the least mysterious thing about these ola
musician-poets was their eagerness 10 keen
their works unpublished, and Of the 4275 of the
maSter-SOngs of Hans Sachs very few have
been printed TO this day.
Durand & Sons she French music publishers.
appear 10 attend more 10 their rights than to
their business, to judge from an Incident that
occurred during the last rehearsal at a recent
Ia ri
chestra, to the number OF 100 performers were
practclng some fragments OF the second and
thifd acts of Wagner's "Tannhauser," when a
Sheriff, accompanied by policeman, walked in
and began TO seize the printed music. NJ Har-
court at once stepped down from the con-
ddctors desk, and finding that they had been
sent at the instance of NJ. Durand, who owns
the French rights of "Tannhasser." he showed
the officers Of the law the following note:
Paris. July 81. 1894: Received from M. Har-
court the sum of 300 francs for the right to
play 'Tannhauser' during the season OF 1894
80 7. Durand q Sons" HarcOurU observed
that he had personally paid the money to Du-
rand pere, and the officers. convinced that the
firm had made a careless mistake, al once
withdrew.
Siegfried Wagner. the son of the Bavreuth
master, has been In London, where he grace
fully submitted himself TO the interviewing
process. He admitted that he had written a
symphony, but added: Everybody writes a
symphony now, but il proves nothing at all; at
least do not intend TO devote myself 10 COM
positlon-I know better. Only, when | came
out as a conductor my unexpected appearance
startled good many people, who were kind
enough 20 say knew nothing about music. so
wrote symphony and had it performed TO
show that do know. l have studied with
hese and the best coDtrapuntist We have in
Germany now, Humperdinck. and my course OF