New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-07

to Stuttgart. He hoped here to induce the Court
opera conductor Eckert. to bring out Tristan"
After attending opera performance. however he
concluded that the singers were not up to the re-
quirements OF Tristan" and hence abandoned the
scheme
The miserable Wagner was at his wis end. ana
he telegraphed to Wcisshoimer, who, upon his
arrival the next day. terrified at the message:
Il have reached the end; 60 no further;
I must disappear from the world somewhere. Can
you protect me-" Weissheimer then heard
from Wagncr's lips the story Of his flight from
Vienna and understood In what desperate straits
he was. He considered 1t dangerous TO leave Wag-
ner alone and when The latter asked with tears
in his eyes whether Weissheimer would accompany
him In his disappearance he answered at once
Yes" Whereupon Wagner fell upon his neck In
Joy. They agreed at upon place OF retire
ment In the Rauhe Alb wher, Wagner was to COM
pete the plano OF the first act Of Die
Meistersingcr"
But just here the great turning-point In
Wagners career. Welssheimer. as an eyewitness.
describes this episode with fulness not APP
preached by any other writer. and the story shAu
here be told In his woods:
Just after this We were standing before the hote!
he little suspecting what an incredible stroke OF
fortune was awaiting him. / bad to order q
carriage to take us the next morning to Unertark.
helm, where We We're TO take the train; We then
went up to his room. one flight up. and set about
again Sank far below zero rhen toward evening
Gf 4p yns anqas DE-
s VI. e ROT de Baviere." Wagner was so discour-
Whatevcr. lie stood Therefore rresolate not know:
ing whether to receive Herr Won Pnstermeister or
me-" that he n9s Came me- upon an GRAND from the
King himself and begged earnestly for an inter-
In order not TO be in the way at this undoubtedly
important conference | withdrew. The conference er
continued longer and longer-a good omen. When
the gentleman finally took leave and entered the
showed a
mond rinG from the King and the lattcrs PHOTO ,a1
and added That this should happen g me. and
should happen just at this time Beside him sen
After Wagner had gradually recovered from this
he rected to the following details: The klng
had Informed him that he bo wds w SIM tfss
TO the opinions that he had expressed IN his VIII;
in this case come to Munich. where he take
the highest position IN order 10 werGth ane
that be- n 1 Should be- placed at his disposal
After a sleepless night Wagner was up
and then tears still ran down his cheeks as he
thought during his prosaic work OF his happiness;
this should happen to me- ard should happen Just
at this me AND then ne Would into
the trunk. only to see IT bulge ont again ana men
h. would weep some more,for me, truly. never
to-be-forgotten trunk packing
Then tho two friends vent 10 Eckert's to break.
fast where their mrth was interrupted by tele-
gram from Parts announcing Meyerbeer's DEATH
Returning 10 the hotel 10 settle their bill ana
catch the train. Wagner found himself, OF course.
without the necessary cash. lie therefore handed
the head waiter very valuable snunbox, whicn
had been presented him by high parsonage
in ST Petersburg. The waiter. seeing at a glance
that he had been paid two or three fold more than
The amount Of the bill. profuse with bows to
the poor ard happy Wagner ill he left. Weiss
helmer accompanied him to the train. where tho
II Grc. -ola
partmeut impatien.y awaiting his arrival. Bidding
adeu to Weissheimer jumped into the COM
partment assuming that the secretary had bought
a ticket for him. too. Weissheimer mao tnere-
fore gone only few steps from the car when no
was overtaken by Wagner in GREATNESS haste,
shouting:
For Heavens sake Pfstermeister did not buy me
a ticket. Run quickly and get me one hurrieo
to the tcket-ofice and Sas still able to reacn
The train that was already In motion ana 10 THROW
IN. ticket into Wagners compartment. rortu-
natey for him | had bought him the ticket
Here the more intimate r. latlons between Wagner
and Weissheimer ceased, for Wagner went on 10
Munich TO prosperity busy creative work. 70 ne"
friends and eventually to-a Wife The faithful
bodyguard OF friends who had stuck TO him IN n's
need and had freely shared their purses with MN
were made to feel that they were no longsS OF any
use to him and hence not wanted. Wessheims%
met him. indeed, several times later IN Munich
but only TO be saddened by Wagner's coldness and
iugratitude once in Munich he tried TO interest
Wagner in a new opera that he Weisshemer) had
composed. He writes to his hancee;
think you know how hard It is TO get Wagner
interested in another mans works lie IL JUST tho
opposite Of List. Bulow recently showeo
him in my presence his music TO Julius Cesar
and swore never TO DO the ike again. When. at
opera before him alone without Wagner)i the
servant girl In at once with the commission
70 say that we should stop playing. as the master
wanted TO sleep. II IL O'Clock a. m! buiow
slammed the piano shut with the words: IL Is
high honor TO me to I'VE in the same mouse wlttnn
the great master but often II Is unenduraoie!
Thus all complain or him.
4 few days later he wrote again:
Wagner is already living, as artist and man IN
those remote regions where one admires the arts.
hui can no longer enjoy the man. or, al least ony
bv way of exception: as for example on nne o,ise
that / took with him and Frau Won Bulow ias,
sunday evening 70 Gross Hesselohe. mao dine1
together with him at the Bulows -. A.
US on my way 10 the house Peter Cornehus, VINO
rcomnanied me a part OF the way grew more ana
more serious and finally broke out with the "oruS:
dearest friend to-day you are going 70 yvuss
haneman's rlealh | stopped. astonished. and ASKED
for an explanation. Cornelius said onniS M, vsti
VIII Az OHat Eod
know that one after another OF the OLD guard hao
been dismissed.
Wagner was already under the influence OF FRAU
costma. and her imperious jealousy would brook
M intimate friendships on the part OF the man
she had singled out for herself.