New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-05
MUSICAL COMMENT.
WAGNERISM AT HOME AND ABROAD.
THE KNErI OF BAYREUTH- NoRDrCAs
sUCCEss-NEws NOTES.


sUCCEss-NEws NOTES
The cable week ago brought some significant
quotations from several OF the principal newspapers
OF Germany touching the character OF this years
performances at Bayreuth. To those tamiIiar with
the past history OF the festivals there was nothing
startling I'm the attitude taken by the German
critics The Trlbune's Pilgrim foreshadowed the
situation in his letters from Bayreuth three years
ago and the influences which have brought about
the decadcnce OF the festivals were exhaustNeV
discussed a little later in an article printed In
"Scrbner's Monthly" magazine entitled "Bayreuth
Revisited" dlllgent effort to rehabiltate the fes-
rivals in the good opinion Of the friends OF Nag-
ner's art has been made since then. but the means
employed have not been wise. and 1t may now be
said without fear OF contradiction That the old line
Wagnerltes. at least the majority OF them look
upon the festivals at Bayreuth as robbed OF their
ideal character and "a sunken to The levei or ordi-
nary operate representations They are money-naN-
ing institutions maintained for the benefit OF Bay
reuth and the Wagner family and no longer SUB
more than minimum OF artsuc purpose
Without the support Of the English and American
tourists they would 20 to the wall. The direct t.
sponsbllliy for this state OF affairs rests with
Nine Wagner who. backed by her proprietary
interest in the affairs does with them what she
pleases The singers are Of her choosing and ex-
empty her personal ikings or her appreciation
OF possible benefits to accrue. The same IS true OF
the conductors. Artistic merit goes for nothing as
against the willingness to humor the whims OF the
Frau Meisterin" even to the extent or lying belly
wise in the dust under her feet. SO see an inde-
pendent man Ike Richter having nothing more To do
with the performances. and courtiers Ike Motif ana
Richard Strauss capable men artstically, but spine
less respect Of character. rafting around In the
shoes vacated by Waencr's conductor. and carrying
out the vagarics Of Frau Cosma, who has set her
self up as the fountain-head of Wagneran tradition
Three years ago Tho Tribunc's Pilgrim wrote pro-
phcticay follows.
The ada tlons 20 the Rayreuth list have given Nine
Wagner new powers. TO ex"rci se them as wisely as
woman SuS'rpIiDe 10 me Ihg'nt % sn 80
the simple and direct purposes Of Wagner were
abandoned | do not kno% to what eXt"nt sne has
been swayed 10y those influences. 10 kno" that
one 10y one the artistic props of The early years are
piping from under The b'aulfIi "iince whIch W az
ner reared with the help Of mis- faithful friends
singers grow old and their voices fall Into decay;
In their department change becomes necessary But
executive. IL Efficient As he eyer was le IN, tne
festivals no Longer know him, ne younSS.E MOL o
ing Richard Strauss lying across the conductors
chair IN the mystic abyss
That was in July 1891 The shadow IL become sub
stance IN ls9i and now ono need not be seventh
son Of a seventh son to the coming conductor in
siegfried Wagner II the cable does not report the
fact that this young man. whose only title 70 dstinr
! ,.on 81 any sort Is that ne is his fathers son.
has conducted "Iohougrin' at Bayreuth. II Will be
| n greater wonder than the retirement OF Hans
| Richter Tho outcome was presag"d In his sudden
disclosure as an orchestral conductor few months
ago The circumstance surprised nobody 80 much
! a. those who knew the young man personally-n@n
Ike Mr. Seiil for instance. who labored yinly for
wears to develop a spark 81 musical talent In him
! lie became an architect and accomplished nothing.
| FOR Warncrisu had become extremely profitable
FOR In. family and he Nftcd above the necessity
| OF " ri lie became conductor by IN" operation
| ~ the same forces which made Nine. wagner ar
tisc arcctrcss ~ the festivals ana the court ~ last
| resor, ln all questions ~ Wagneriar tradition He
Will b. carr FOR ID" English and American tour
| isi Tho erec' upon Waguef's WORKS 81 this family
domination may escape me motto" u the ignorant
visitors 20 Bayrcuth but not OF the musicians ana
| those who haV. been privileged 10 hear perform
ancer yltalxcd by the real spirit OF Wagner Few
| Things were more gratifying 10 the Tribunes I'll
| grim three years ago than to meet haf-a-dozer
| women from Ncw-Y0rk Immediately after the first
| representation Of "TannhnufeT' At Hayreuih ana
have them SAY with emphatic sincerity that the
| performances Of the Metropolitan Opera House IN
the previous season better. So they were. and
50 Mr.. s"iifs representations OF Tristan ana
| Isolde" with Lehman. Nemlnn. Gisrla. Standig
and Fischer Ia the cast better than those Of Bay
| rcUth.