The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-12
GREAT VOID
Norwegian Pays an Artists
Tribute to Verdi.
BY THE SIDE OF WAGNER
Grey Thinks Italian the Great
est Artist of Century.

dens Gang Of Christiania, Of whieh the
following Is a condensed version:
You request ne to write something
about the deceased maestro. But when
we read Verdi is dead" do not then.
these few words speak louder than any
newspaper article And. besides. can it
be imagined that verdl's sigiiacance to
me personally could be Of any interest to
your readers? What else is left? Bio
graphical notes? Those you can ind
in any encyclopedia Some few sugges-
tons Of a snapshot view Of Verdi as seen
by a northern ARTISTS eye? But this
requires an effectiveness that I am not
quite sure OF possessing. Still, 7 shall
try it And I have a special reason for
doing so am not unaware Of the iua-
portance Of a daily paper opening its col
umns for a subject Of this kind. 1t ex-
ercises. in doing 50, much good and edu-
eating influence on the musical life of the
home that It becomes the duty Of every
musician to advance this object TO the
best OF his ability.
departed. II artistic greatness could
properly be compared. I would say that
Verdi is greater than Bellini Rossini and
Donizett Yea, I would say that he.
by the side OF Wagner, was the greatest
dramatist OF the century. But great
greater, greatest do not exist in the realm
Of art What is great is great That IS
all we can say. What we all feel at the
departure Of Verdi IS this. a great void
Where do we now find among the young
er genera ton in the world OF music any
thing new. anything characteristic, any
thing strongly personal. Especially in the
dramatic field? Wheree In Germany,
France. England Russia Scandinavia
Nowhere do we see it as yet But there
are visions" indications that it already
exists IN It's swaddl,ng clothes. And II
those visions ara not prophesying auiss.
those big copying Of Wagner
and Verdi, which are now in the height
OF fashion will soon be dedicated 10 eter-
nal oblivion. We are waiting for a per
sonality. That is why Verdrs death
fgs us with such a peculiar sadness.
When Gade, eight years ago. died IN
Copenhagen. there was minister who az
his bier gave expression 20 the foolish
words that his place would be filed By
somebody else. Such a colossal stupid
ity. testtfying to an Incredibly undevel-
Dyed notion Of the importance Of beauty
It was reserved 70 a protestant minister
to utter. A Catholic priest cannot Be
guilty OF such a foOlishness; and least o.
all an italian priest. For in italy all
classes Of the people maintain a 70
markedly direct relation to their great
men. They evince a fond pride IN them,
and 7 can never forget the sacred rev
erence with which IN Rome the common
people mention one Of their great names
This close relation held BY Verdi TO hls
people has characterized his position 70
his country. What he has been 70 his
nation may Be understood from the fact
that the magfstracy OF Milan having re-
ceived the news OF his death. assemblies
at midnight to discusss the manner In
which the deceased is to be honored; that
in Rome. where all the schools have
given their pupils a holiday until after
the funeral. the senate gathers in a meet
ing devoted exclusively 10 the memory
OF Verdi
I mention these things because they
disclose Verdi as the national hero that
ne really was. And he is fully and entirely
a national artist In the first place. be
commenced as such His great triumphs
from ths years Of youth and manhood.
smong them the operas "NUbucco.'' I
Lombardl." now not 50 ve-y wei gnown.
ana ten years later the famous ''Rjgoiet-
TO-" I'll Trovatore" and IA Tray lsta, %
ara al characte-isticall national But
then. something remarkable happens.
Verdi as fully matured man. videns
his horizon 20 striging degree; retain
ing the national feature % his at, nc
becomes a cosmopolitan Even IA Ira
viata" he-ieavlnE out Of view his PER
sonal characterfstics-in many respects.
travels IN paths rroddsn ~ his country
men. He Belongs to a school that was
despised IN the musical country OF our
days. Germany AZ the Conservatory
OF Leipzig there was. n the Hftles and
sixties. nothing hut a sc0-nful smile and
a naughty sbruE FOR ver1L The 'eaTnea
masters considered his music 90 - BAD
because they DID not understand its nat
i5naI character. Neither Ne1dslssohn OF
Schu1nann was abe 70 perceive ths at -
Verli as true expression q the Ea1ti-
mental lie q his people Il WAS Wag-
ner. who not only saw this bit a-so hon
sstly admitted how much n had learned
from ire Italians. particularly Beln-
Since mat time Il has Been generally az
know edged IL Germany that the VERDI
II ms PERIOD must - hoard "a ITALY IN
order 70 fuly appreciate TIE true aa1oa-
a. characte- q hls 49,
TT am no fr1fssakez- t1fre is ar srte--
mission n ve-dfs dramatic prodgct "
AFTER s-T~arfata" Then comes ia 1971.
~A{sa~ what : colossal sereloprertt
want 81 wnG1cans years an TIE ~ q YER
al does Z uot prssgprose1 y yog ask
ne % whsch s-saoi ta.s wax 1e,oasz.
shan - at Z loss fsr an alswer y
stands on ire s17z-5e-s ~ re zaofs Ge1-
nan art Thsh new masters = frsr-e
az wazi as - Germany. nave given hiu
iu.-uisaa Het rothinE u-e ~AIsa~ f.
2 MASTERPIECE where pe-sonsl ~ gfaai'tr +
IS e.a-1.ras wien & g-aad ara 4raas tEes- +
Sc vtew q v-aat $ best 70 c7ntsn5o ran /
eoss lse The EtaAa1 ard the Esra
vera shake ezz1s TIE la1zlzge spezs- +
ey hln Sc ui @-g-age vhh
~. reoessz~y - - 70 tsahsrs eosrtry 4
q ths ARTIST q unseTsrs-E T1-egors 4
rs "As1a. r15rssa7ts o-zrfe al
s-,--s victory - hm Hls t4nas. h.s
ha-uo-ses. rs Treatment = e-sasa
a-5 c.1~us eve-T caax calls s7- 80 saus I
a1z-i--siaa- Ae1 oas thaE so-s fee
T.z-yrsizz ce.o-sg Tas vsctor has ~
seen scsevez merH1T - -=ea~s fs---
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angie zzaT nary uar- -