The times., 1898-07-17

to and make others Nfeel the nature with
In him.
He was son of poor people-poor in
a poverty we do mot know in this coun-
try-and what edaeation he had was the
endowment of a government that makes
eschoolgo.ng compulsory. Even among
his comrades, his infinite originality
would creep out. and got him many a
harsh word, both from his parents and
| his masters. He iipersevered however,
and grew into the belief that he was a
poet Perhaps he was not far wrong
there, but he certainly tripped up in his
| efforts to convince others of the fact.
| His first endeavor in the line took the
| form of drama with forty-three char
acters. 1t was a bloody drama, too for
| in its first six acts the youthful writer
killed so many of his cast that he was
| forced to bring a portion of it back as
| ghosts in order to have left a sufficient
| number of people to wind up the plot.
! Mayhap If Wagner had lived now he
would have been famous writer of SEN
| sation melodrama-who knows? 1t is not
everyone who can successfully kill off
| an entire company in six acts.
From that time on the composers life
was what that of many another genius
has been. Food was not plenty temp
tations 10 leave his work were many
and yet he stuck not only to that work
after taking to opera his lot did not inn
prove and no one would probably have
heard Of him any more than half our
great men are heard of had 1t not been
for Ludwig. the crazy King of Bavaria.
! This pleasure-seeking monarch was so
pleased with the work of the man that
he waxed madder than before, II such 4
thing were possible. He worshiped the COM
poser. and went into the schemes offer
,,, t,a Gran
characterized him. He loaned the labor
er money built theaters for him, forced
| his oueraS before the public, and, in
| short, rolled the two enthusiasts-genius
and madman-into gigantic stock com
pany composed only of Wagner and
| Ludwig-limited.
Singers and artists who could give the
| deV-Wagner his due were procured, ana
| in a short time the imperial palaces were
| filed with the music and the musicians Of
| the composer. But Ludwig did not stop
there He gave his mind so wholly TO
| the new plays that IN a short time he be-
| gan 10 fancy himself different characters
| belonging to them. In one OF his many
| homes he had constructed an artIhcial
| lake on which he would allow himself
! TO be towed daily by swan in imitation
of Lohengrin. On these occasions ne
| would wear the complete costume OF the
part. and must have appeared as pictur-
! esque figure as ne was a ridiculous one.
| Meanwhile the artist was jumping into
| popular favor with wonderful strides.
| The average German is fearfully and Won
derfully made. Any new theatrical enter
prise that can keep his mind at work for
| five hours each evening Is Immediately in
/ favor with him. When that enterprise
has a real foundation, he Is at your
| mercy.
| Germany first admired Wagner. and
! then followed LudWigis example and went
crazy over him. Grand productions were
al a premium. and If the people did not
| whistle his music they certainly kept 1t
| in their hearts Students went without
dinner to buy room in the galleries and
! sit. with libretto in haud, croning over
| the strains he had written. It became a
! boast to be able. 10 assert that one had
! heard 'Lohengrin' sixty or 'Seigfried'
eighty times. Part OF the continent was
/ soon annexed. France, for political rea-
sons, long a bitter enemy to the German
| art. finally professed to admire it devot-
edly Meanwhile England and America
had followed and italy came into the fold.
The fawn. Verdi, began Dracticing the
pOuderous strides of the elephant Wag-
ner. And just as the craze was vanishing
! everywhere except In the land of the leu
ton the composer died and straightway
his work became immortal.
As a matter OF fact. whether there be
any harmony in his music or not. or
whether liking it is or IS not only a pre-
| tension. there are many wonderful bits
that bear Wagner's seal. Thou Sublime
| Sweet Evening star ''The Pilgrim 9
Chorus" The Forest Song" ''The
Swan Song" and 1.-The Bridal Chorus
are a few of these. AS has been said, ne
was a poet and the verse shines through
his mus.c-it speaks more than any other.
Take. for example. 'Lohengrin an
opera that has served the purposes OF
an example all through this story. The
hero. a fairy knight, rescues and mar
ries Elsa on condition that she never ask
| his name. The music during this period
Mir s0lst du niemals fragen"-is soft
| and sweet enough 10 express the condi-
ton. After the pair ara omitted curiosity
and the influence Of friends make Elsa
resolve to put aside her promise. During
the argument with herself the subnmity
OF effect is reached by a ponderous bass
but one listening intently can hear plain
| " under II the softer strain Of conscience
growing fainter and fainter, but always
clinging TO the text. MIR sOlst du ME
mails fragen"-the work of a musician
and the motive of a poet.
Then, again, Wagner was the first mar
| to bring into play the full strength OF
| his orchestra. To harmonic every in
strument in one burst of sound Is nc
small task. whether it produces an ef-
| feet worthy of the work or not. Wag-
merriam music may be drawing its last
breaths now. and yet. even dying. 1t VII
leave such a corpse as nothing has ever
left before or can again.
Wagner himself prophesied in "Dit
Meistersinger:''
Though holy Rome herself shall pass away.
| Our glorious German art viii ne'er decay.
He was undoubtedly right. The love o
| harmony is the deepest instinct in human
nature. and a nation that has produced
| besides a Wagner. Bach. Meyerbeer
Mozart, Mendelssohn. Beethoven, Liszt
Rubenstein, Schumann, Schubert anC
Haydn. can hardly cease to love the worl
it now worships.
For our own land-who can tell? Prac
! fair at present to destroy in their birtl
all the nobler and gentler works Wha
can be expected of a nation that in it!
greatest rounment to intellectuality-tht
Congressional Library-has carved in i'm
mortal stone the names of sculptors, pub
fishers, painters. scientists mechanics in
venters architects, authors and compos
ers without leaving space for the memor.
| of a single one of those who have laboreC
in behalf of that most glorious of all art
the stage.
BRIEFLY TOLD.