New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-20
MUSICAL COMMENT.
,1oxs ON MUsT-wAGNER's LEGENDS
= AND MENDELssOHN's "ELIJAH'-
WORK OF THE BOSTON SYM
pHONT ORCHESTRA

AM NENDELSSOHN'S "ELIJAH'-
WORK OF THE BOSTON SYM
PHONT ORCHESTRA.
,u,,s, literature appertainine to the wagneran
- e No, so overcrowded that an addition to II
d no carelessly greeted. On the contrary. when
" J., rossibe to recognize so serious Il purpose In a
80, ne distinguishes Miss Jessie l.. Weston's THE
oras OF the Wagner Drama" (New-York,
Tiles scribner's Sons). II ought to be welcomed
,,,,, The book its subtitle states, is
~, o. mythology and romance. Miss Weston has
,a, tho stories Of THE Ring Of the Nibeung."
.porsifal" Tristan and Isolde "Lohengrin' and
.ra,phAuser' as her text The plots OF these
,.r,os are retold briefly at the heads of as many
,,ers and their relation TO the medieval leg
s from which they were borrowed is discussed
~, .,,,c,srn In the volume Is limited TO Wagner's
,r,ent Of the old material. the musical setting
..,rc ignored while the ethical and Philosophical
o,-noscs Of the poet-composer come In Tor thor-
,sh study From this statement IL VIII be gain
"a that the particular value of the book Hes In
,e fact that It serves in measure as an introduce
,,on 10 the original sources OF Wagners lnspira-
w., ouch as the German Nibelungen-lied Vol
s,rss-sara Din the use of which Miss Weston relies
= ~, admirable English version OF Morris ana
Narnusson, Thidrek-saga. Ragnar 1odbrok saga
,,os,amskvida and the epics of Wolfram Won Els
chenbach and Gottfried Won Strassours Inc
..parz,,.al" of the former of these two famous
,as,rgors Miss Weston had already done into
English.
,,os been indicated. Miss Weston's study is lit
- not musical and whatever fault is 10 be found
.cn &, will we fancy. spring from a conviction
,ho, Wagner is best treated as a dramatist who
49, oxor,ised a dramatists privilege in remonlding
Tho ancient material which came 10 his hand ana
,,h, no, 10 be fauted because he chose occasion
euv 10 do things which are inconsistent with the
rsa,aoval legends or the prehistoric myths on
~ Of ~ nypna
~ Miss Weston's objections become amusing as
,sr discussing the origin OF Brunnhildes horse
he Identifies II with the horse of the sun god and
,Aa s,eed Of Frcyr, and then complains that Wag-
nor DESTROYS the meaning OF this really character
,,ic feature Of the story by placing the gift of
,ha horse after the awakening or Brunnhiue'
Since there no Siegfried in existence when
p-nnnbilie went TO sleep II is a little puzzng TO
determine bow she could have given her morse 10
,he hero before he awakened her. which was on
their first meeting Miss Weston frequently goes
TOO far aNcld in this manner when comparing me
elements Of Wagner's dramas with those of the Old
legends lie has exercised dramatisis privilege
IN annlv,rc these elements and probably gave him
self ls.s concern about them than his commentator
does. 80 long they served his poeucal ahe
dramatic purposes their relation TO the more or less
fantastcal interpretations which writer's ike sim
rock Rassmann Won der Hagen and others nave
given 10 the old myths and legends did not par
ticuarly concern him
Among the recent publications Of Novelo. Ever
& Co. G.ondon and New-Yorl0 is a History OF
Mendessohn's Oratorio. Elijah by F. G. Ed
wards to which Sir George Grove has prenNeo
few words Of appreciation II Is an interesting
narrative and an appropriate memorial cf the
dftieth anniversary Of tho original OF work which
IS second only 10 Handles messiah in the adj
niration of English-speaking peoples. Elijah
had it's first performance al Birmingham on A"-
gust S 1876 and is commonly spoken OF as haNiue
haen written for the festival OF which II was the
brightest ornament but Mr.. Edwards shows that
the idea of writing an oratorio dealing with the
great prophet was in Memberships nina zen
years before In letter dated August T. 1886
written TO his friend Klngemann. he suggests thar
thai gentleman write him book for a new oratorio
instead OF busyng himself with the preparations
for a performance Of st. Paul at the LiVerpoo'
festival and as subjects he submits Eillah 81
Peter "or even an Og Of Bashan Ihat ne was
not ioking in the matter he proved six months
later when he wrote again to Klngenann and
asked for the text as a wedding present
If you do not care for either Of these two SUP
jects St Peter or Elijah, then am Wiling 10 ,aN
think Elijah and his gong up 10 neaVe nd II yo
think of using Bible words read up isaiah *. ana
xiii TO the end Of the Prophet. and also CnaP,G
xl and Lamentations. and al me rssIHS, WIN ig
YOU have done this YOU Will easily ma the rls"'
language.
In the fall Of the year the two friends lald
out the plan Of an oratorio on the SUBJECT OF
Elijah" but Klngemann never did more win IT,
though urgently requested by Mendelssohn. whose
interest in the matter greatly stimulated by
the recelpt about New Years Day. 1888. Of an Eng
lish Elijah text written by clergyman named
lanes Barry who the time was curate or
Bratton Clovelly. Devonshire. Mendelssohn seems
10 have returned the manuscript book 10 the au-
thor with the announcement that ne was already
hat ole O,ivh
.qt possessed both literary and poetical merit 1t
u,as IN his opinion too long for oratorio. but
might well be published a metrical hbretto
In this form II was published too, but not until
1853 after the death of the author klingemanns
interest which does not appear ever 10 nave been
great having died out Mendelssohn got the sketch
from him and turned for help TO his old friend.
Pastor Schubring Of Dessau, who had been MS
collaborator on the oratoro st. Paul two years
hefore Mr. Edwards's translation Of the CORE
snondence between the two men while the book was
preparing is one of the most Interesting portions
OF the present volume. though unlike the com
uoser's correspondence with the English translator
bartholomew il is not new. In all these letters
Mendelssohn's nice sense of poetical and dramatic
nrnr,etv and his reverence for the language Of the
phle stand prominently in the foreground The
ortorio was very thoroughly revised after It's hrst
performance and all Of Mendelssohns letters on
the subject Of the English text are REPRODUCED 'he
longes, and most interesting one in fac-simile
One OF the entertaining incidents or the original
performance the memory Of which is revived by
this history relates TO the arioso for con'rai'o
Pes, in the Lord" When Mr. Bartholome" re-
ceived the music he was struck by "ha' ne '"o"e''
a likeness between the beginning and end OF the
melody and the old Scotch air Aud ROBIN Gray.
Very dfidentiy and gently he drew Mendelssoh"s
attention 10 the fact and added.
Other distinct features may be traced ou, unese
two are enough TO give II the stamp OF az Fasl an
imitation which II YOU intend II 10 De, nave