The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-24
HIS NE|GBB()R' 5 N|FE
Wagner Coveted, and That
Neighbour His Best Friend.
STORY OF TWO TRAITORS
One the MASTER" the Other
His Lifelong WorShipper.
STORY OF TWO TRAITORS


of art and life this century has known.
Frau Won Wagner was the daughte
Of Franz List, and became first wife {
Hans Won BuIow, the most devoted frien
Of Richard Wagner, who married he
while his friend still lived
you are a poet great as Shakespeare
your poetry IS even more wonderful tina
! your music" said Cosima List Won Blu
low to Richard Wagner in 1862. The word
| sounded ike sweetest music to the ear
Of the prosecuted composer, who had me
Europe. Coming as they did from tn
| daughter Of Franz List, the wife of Ham
| Won Bulow, they could not fail TO arous
the interest of Wagner; but il was NOR,
| than interest.
| Is the way to a musicians heart openet
| by the stirring of his vanity? Was Wag
! ner dissatisfied with the wife Of his youth
the actress. Wilhelmina Planer, whom n.
| had welded when he was only twenty
! three years Old? The friends of Wagner
pass this point hastily; his enemies Dc
| not know.
The facts are these: Richard Wagner
the married man, married for almost
thirty years, was in love with the wife OF
his best friend, the daughter Of List
who did more than any other musician
in Europe 10 bring forward the music
Of the future"
She was twenty-nine years old, at the
height of her beauty, and thrilling at the
poetic creations of Wagner His first wife
was old by this time faded, no doubt,
worn out by the worries of living with a
genius, and especially by the worry Of
trying to make both ends meet on nothing
a year.
Wagner was far from being a saint
and one of his chief characteristics was
his selfshness. Here, at last, was a beau
tiful woman and a highly gifted musicion
ready to fall upon her knees and wor-
ship the second Shakespeare" No won
der he recognized in her his affinity
But Frau Wagner was still in the land Of
the living, and Cosima had d pretty
and fellOw-student. Won Bulow was a
most unsuspicious man. According to a
work Just published in German by W.
Weissheimer, which is flied with revela
tons concerning List, Wagner and Won
Bulow, the love-making of Frau Won Blu
low and Wagner went on under his eyes
without the least protest on his part.
The story is told that when Wagner had
a thumb bitten by a dog at this time Qs6g,
Won Bulow used TO amuse Wagner by
playing some of his music, and Cosima
sat worshiping.
1t was the old story Of the trusting hus-
band and the faithless friend, and worse
for the father of the betrayed woman
had saved the life and made the fame
of Wagner. In 1S49. when Wagner was
in mortal danger in Dresden, it was Franz
List who secured a passport for him and
took the political agitator TO Weimar,
where he was rehearsing the opera Tam
hansen - af rvb
dared to take up this revolutionary music.
Perhaps then the young girl of sweet
sixteen was woTshipping from afar, while
deeming herself doomed to perpetual lone
illness, for he was married man. In
her hopelessness she married the devoted
Won Bulow when he came a-wooing, but
the fact that Wagner was already her
idol, though he knew It not, is proved by
the names that she gave to the four
daughters born to her as the wife OF Won
Bulow, for she called them Senta. Eliza
beth, Eva and Isolda, after the heroines
Of Wagner's chief operas.
Wagner writes to Weissheimer, IN a
letter published by the latter under date
Of September 7. 1862: Hans V. 3. IS do
ing his utmost for me by Ioaning me a
couple of hundred gulden." At the very
time he was stealing the heart of the wife
he was borrowing money from the hus-
band. which, according to Weissheimer,
he had no thought Of ever returning. any
more than he thought Of returning the
heart of his beautiful wife to the unself-
ish friend.
Wagner also said at this time: eff I
could I would sell my soul for 5000 gulden,
I am in such fearful need" His friends
wished to get up a fund for his support
by general subscription, and Won Bulow
was most active of all. writing Septem-
Der p. 1852: This is the chief thing after
all; the master must be relieved of all
worries once for all. so that he can fin
ish his art mission" With all the efforts
OF his friends this fund could not be Sc
cured, and for two years longer Wagner
drew upon the purses Of his friends with
out stint. In April. 1854 he said to Weiss
heimer. Il have come to the end of my
rope; I can go no further; I must vanish
from the earth. Can you save me IN any
Uay2' And again bis friends saved him.
\ month later came the turning point
in WaEner's career. King Ludwig H.. Of
Bavaria. sent for him. and thereafter he
did not need 10 borrow money any more
Many an excursion did the friends Wag-
nor and Won Bulow. take together. re-
loicing at The good fortune that had al
last come to the master. But his good for
tune Of Won Bulow
Wagner, CosIma and Hans Buiow were
inseparable. They lived together and
though Frau Wagner was not dead she
was never mentioned II 1865 the news
papers spread the report that Wagner
was no longer in favor ~ the court and
Won Bulow auayed the apprehension Of
We.ssheimCr with q letter which he pre-
fixed with a bar from the laughing chorus
OF the sailors in Wagne~s opera. The +
Flying DutChman' He wrote TO deny he
truth Of the report, and excused the
brevity Of his letter with tie words: Per +
nit me TO express myself briefly. for
am an arranEement machine Tor the mas
ter today"
The next year Fran WAGNER died and
one obstruction was removed. Cos.ma now
became the secretary Of Wagner. IN +
letter written .0 December. $50. she first
answers "A communication ea-- IN WaC- 4
rer and then SAYS: My husband Is very
busy. hUt happy and Jolly" and in the
next paragraph: Wagner IS working
hard on h-s 'Ne-SrarstnE-r- he Is as ss- /
as the third act. Il Is and ISL he h7av- .
eo-N.' 1t Is easy 70 see n WON she was /
more interested.
The friendship Of Won Ru--7c was soon .
70 b. put IN The supreme tes, Freely had +
he given hrs hard-earned money ana Il F..
his precious time 70 whom his followers 4
called master Now he vs. asked n
make the supreme sac-i5Ce-a5s wife ard 4
the mother or his children. He faced the .
situation Dot as ordinary men would have .
done He secured q d.v-rc. So -h4- -
last here should he nothing ~ stand be-
tween the master and ris atff-5-s IT,,
year $50 saw CosiUla List Won SNOW
assume the added name ~ WaE0--. and
the master was satisfied. That ~f. WIS
his inspiration as well as his ears.7n,
assistant i asserted hy Waeee~ himself
A son VINO VAS named SieSf-ls5. after re
IN nr.ras w-s I'm, ~ IL