The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29

.Nlbeiung's Ring. By risht oonfsrrsd by
wagner hippeN 10 ell came shout through
ne abandonment Of the schsme 70 build
Wagner 9. theatre about whore the Prince
NJ H. Wasnsr. ads snd s: .na patron as wished
to put 'up tho house. but owing to the hot
court opposition TO the influence Of the
composer the project had to be abandoned.
Waansr. howsvsr, had gone TO Munich
, TO oo4plets .psr Ming d:s Nibelunssn.
had there produced Tristan und Isolde"
and DIE Meietsrsinger. and premature
representations OF .bas Rheingold' and
Die Wsfi<0re' had been given to please
the impatient young King; But the fpal
given In the new theatre At Bsyreuth in
1879. Those performances resulted in a
deficit Of nearly $4,000 and Wagner was ut
his wits' end. At length an arrangement
was made with the intendant Of the Munich
Of p he as shs e be1s
the perfotming rights Of Der Ring Thus
Il happens that Munich does not pay royal
The 6Sfnan copyright law provides that
the Hight ehail exist during the lifetime
work and thirty. years afterward. Nine.
Wagner has already begun fight to have
the copyright extended on some OF her
husbands works. for In 1918 all her copy
shs win sxpr. %.Snsr S dss in i pso
tected by copynghts throughout Germany.
They can be bought, Of course. but they
cannot be performed without permission.
and then only on payment OF the regular
Royalties WHISTLER they can oe protected
Edmund G. Stanton, when he was manager
Of the Metropolitan Opera House. used to
pay royalties 70 Leopold Qoldmark. brother
OF the eminent couiposer. Carl Goldmark'
Maurice Gran has never paid a osnt. and no
one has eyer undertaken to prevent him
from performing sTristan und Isolde
and Der Ring des Nibelunsen.' A music
pubhshep familiar With the copyright law
sag The aSsst.on '1 u % oSpsrish. does not
enter into II at ali. The international
copyright agreement was made in 1891
and oil these works we're published long
before that. The law 81 not retroactive and
q eoe ssDy ss entss into
the matter, The vocal score Ia published
and sold TO the general public, but II carries
no performing rights with IT,. This was
shown In the matter Of Gounod's Redemp-
mob Boston, hon tSs Rcos SORE Ss ne% oT
ohestrd arrangement being made. The
representatives Of Gounod's publishers on
this side Of the ooean had no difficulty in
occurring an injunction
lnO IO1eou " NhaJ Jul Cootto ho NC Nv
cided that thu printing Of the orchestra
scort and pArts does not constitute pub
location In the sense Of carrying with II
performing rights. II 1t is stipulated on
the publication that such rishtss are reserved;
charge . Tee for every performance Of one
OF our sougs2 We could. but We would
not b 10 foolish. But the Philharmonic
Society pays the performing fee for every
PERFORMANCE Of Richard Strauss's later
H0cAvss> hA hal mt fha re-
proyiso on tho score. Both our law and
the German Law recognize that proviso,
and the, Philharmonic's action will make
a good precedent. II the Wagner heirs
Sa &. not :Sor s' g ns hsy
make trouble for Mr.. Conried. However.
let US Aee. have two 'Parsifar scores in
stock. III send for one
The score was soon on the publishers
desk. It had been in stock thirteen years,
at $40 and are not sold every morning.
On the title page and again acroes the
corner Of the hrst page OF the music was
stamped With {. rubber stencil this legend
t6entlichen Aufrdhrunsen henti'z werden. y
~ must not b used for public perform.
| anoe,' on the title page is also found
the the f9 rS, n SsSco Ens.s ,. ee.o5%
ARE aiso pablishsd on the title page Of the
miniature score in three volumes. II Is
not found on the Kleinmichcl piano score.
which could not be protec. ed under pro.
| prietayy laws. Wagner sold the score OF
sPatstfal' 70 3. Schott a. Sons of
Mayenoe for $4,000. They also bought
| der Ring des Nibelunsen' for SI0OOo.
The Latter has been played here often with
out any attempt at interference. The
| question now arisee whether -Parsifal'
can be protected. It may be said that
music publishers believe that II can. But
the question b one which has never been
thoroughly tested. One publisher laughed
and shook his head and said
| @M7. Conricd must know sonnet hing
| Maybe be has got hold OF a COPY Of the
ecore with no 'revers' on il. II he has.
| don't 50 how they can prevent him from
| giving it,