New-York tribune., 1901-12-14

Of Wagner's life and told it without wandering
miles a-feld like Glasenapp. or spelling the
continuity of mis- recital by frivolous and i'll
judged commentaries. like Finck. He had set
forth Wagner's artistic aims with lucidity and
succinctness which it would be idle to praise
when adequate appreciation would consume
more space than its eloquent and comprehen-
sive summary, to be reproduced presently. He
has given the history of each of Waener's great
dramas examined its literary sources surveyed
its musical plan and set forth the meaning and
purpose of its principal ideas. He seems to have
consulted all the biographies and critical studies
worth consulting except the revised English ver
sion of Glasenapp with Mr. Ellis's annotations,
or if he did consult it, he to have conclud
ed that it went much too far a-feld to serve his
purposes and with his resume of first perform
ances in Europe and America and casts he has
placed many a reviewer for the newspaper press
under obligations.
The reference to Mr. Ellis's annotations to his
translation of Glasenapp's biography offers The
Tribune an opportunity to correct a statement
which appeared in this journal in a review Of
that work some months ago and to extend the
proper apology to Mr.. Ellis There points
which might be discussed, but, the whole,
Mr. Ellis seems to be right wisely discreet
in his view of the case. and We gladly permit
him to explain. Writing to the editor of this
journal under date of October s. he says:
In your issue of September Is I find Herr
CIasenapp taxed with having "Suppressed' IN
his biography of Richard Wagner certain con-
tents of a letter published in your columhS
1.-TWO years ago" AS regards Herr Glasenapp
himself the charge is a manifest aEachronlsfn
seeing that his first volume dealing with the
period in question: appeared in 1891. 1t is
therefore upon myself alone as his translator,
and to some slight extent his reVlser, that the
accusation falls Of introducing no hint OF the
fact that a few months after his dramatic
courtshp and marriage Wagner had already
come to look upon his wife as hlndrance 10
his artistic progress Certainly, in my English
version published year ago. of the first vol
une of Herr Glasenapps work, there is no hint
of such fast" for it is no fact but mere
hypothesis of yoIr contri butor's. OF Wagners
temporary separation from his newly marrleo
wife however there is a very strong hint, in
deed on my page DO: Wagner has ALREADY
left us for domestic reasons, it is said" quote
from K0nigsberg reporter: From the misery
of modern private life l was waited from the
subject of 'Rienzi' - I quote from Wagner's own
communication; these 1 follow up with com
ment: Those who can read between the HIeS
will recognize the value of thus being waited
from his private worries to a broader held,
and I add TO that page a footnote signed with
my initials, From a recently published letter
dated Dresden, June l., $50 to Louis Scnin-
delmeisser il appears that Wagner was not
accompanied by his newly welded wife, but
STAYED en- garcon for a few weeks in Dresden
with his sister Ottilie and her husband, Her
mann Brockhaus. Minna rejoned him at Riga
in October The Indication OF that four or
five months severance Of the newly welded
pair especially when the husband was paying
his first visit 10 his own relations since the
marriage l consider ample in the absence or
any publishable reason for his application for
a divorce A little knowledge is proVerblally
a dangerous thing and unless can give the
whole Of the facts in such a case 1t is best to
touch on them but lightly. 1t will probably be
long time till Wagner's letters to his first