The Washington times., 1903-07-26
d. GOSSIP OF THE DRAMA FROM MANY POINTS OF VIEW 80

poser that put him in that continual
state of mind"
Would you. therefore. say that Han
del was not great master?'
NO certainly not"
Wagner's Dramatic Writings.
Then. what about Wagner? Was not
he also theater composer? Did he ever
forget that the ultimate aim Of his music
was to move an audience?"
NE. father, but you forget the organic
union of the arts which he sought in all
his dramatic writing. How is it that
this music makes men mad when 1t is
taken away from the action, the scene.
the voice. the all-persueding human ele-
ment. aud Just poured upon the troubled
air by the many throated orchestral
Spirit Of Nature, here.
In this nterminabe wilderness
OF worlds. az whose immensely
Even soaring fancy staggers,
Here is thy fitting temple.
With this sudden quotation from Shell
ley the aged viola lapsed into a musing
silence. while his eyes wandered far
away through the smoky vistas before
him as II seeking some impalpable yet
vital vision in the murky air The boy
regarded him askance. well knowing
that this dresmful silence brooded some
thing.
Music Most Overwhelming.
Child Of my art" at length the old
= I'll 4.
music wagner's will least endure 10 5e
separated from It's dramatic environ
mcnt, yet Of all operate music II is in
this state the most overwhelming. Had
Wagner lived to come to this land of no
perspective he would have had the dis
lance thrust into his eyes. He would
have seen that what puzzled form hard
ened Europe was no riddle to the babes
of unmusicaI America. Perhaps he could
J have told US why his music was so
/ potent when robbed OF all the aids which
/ he declared were essential to It's elo-
Quence. We should not need him TO toll
us why the wild upheaval OF the VAL
kyrs' ride or the exquisite calculations
of the forest music in 'Siegfried' were
.
with the voice of nature But who will
explain the effect of the prelude to
! 'Parsifal or the Vorspiel and Liebestod
OF Tristan upon minds not acquainted
with the works TO which they belong?
/ Could Wagner do that?''
/ Again the old man became silent and
the boy sat in deep thought. The con-
ductor raised his baton and raped
sharply upon the desk. It was time to
begin a new number. The two viola
Fplayers, old and young. took up their
/ instruments and looked swiftly at the
music before them. It was the ar
rangement of the entrance of the gods
into Walhalla from "Rheingold."
Tumult of Applause.
What can these people know of
this?" asked the old man; yet you will
see
The orchestra played It. and when the
last glowing rainbow chords had span
ned the silver Rhine OF the maidens'
ravishing song the audience burst into
a joyous tumult of applause.
did not tell you?" said the aged
viola. But who can explain it7''
Father" said the boy, knowledge
here is not power. They feel they know
not what. but / think IT must be the
echo in this music OF primordial ener
gies, fused into one great moment
energies such as these nerve-built
Americans feel in themselves. energies
drawn from the sunlight, the soil and
the rivers--nre earth. and water. the
very elements which Wagner himself
has translated into tone in Das Rhine
gold.
"'Out of the mouths OF babes and
sucklings,'" murmured the old man. 1T
may be so. At any rate thou hast fur
nished me with thoughts for-ah! l per-
ceive we arc about to play an encore
What Is it7"
Five Minutes With Blanche Ring
answered the boy.
AT $40 a minute,' said the old man
sadly Alas, poor Wagner!"-W. j
Henderson in New York Sun.