The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-10
Frau Wagner Finds "Parsifal"
a Profitable Investment.
No Need to Pay for High Priced
Singers.
PROFITS OF 100000.
Festivals Bring in Large Sums
to the Treasury.
Manager COnreid Not Only One
commercially Minded"

The following dispatch sent to the
Vienna Zeit from Bayreuth throws light
on the kind of singers Mime. Wagner
engages for her festivals: AT today's
'Parsifal performance the interest CEN
tered in Fritz Remond. who sang the
title role. Remond. who. three years ago
played the parts of lovers at the Munich
Court tneater, once sang Lohengrtn
there, but his reception was SO unfaVor-
able that tee mana cement did not dare
TO repeat the experiment. Today his
Parsiral was much applauded; as an
actor he far surpassed Barry (who is
Bary2) and equallsd him as a singer
though il must be admitted that there
We're weak spots here and there. The
whole perfoEman especially Witticn
AS kundry (has any one outside of Ger
many ever heard of Witch ?)-waS
brilliant the applause extraordinary.
Ticket speculation is running riot; in
credible prices are being paid This
being the case, why should Mime. Wag-
ner waste money on great singers2 says
the New York Post. She is a good bus
mess woman, who probably puts $780,
600 IN the bank after each festival; and
her supplemented satellites announce
TO the world that she is losing money
on these festivals 1T is to laugh, as
would probably have wept could he
have foreseen the policy his widow
would adopt after his DEATH He him
self used TO travel all over Germany to
.
writings ne emphasized the fact innum-
cradle times that what he needed above
all things was great dramatic singers.
How are his ideals carried out now?
Let the most influential of German
critics and one of the most impartial,
DR.. Leopold Schmidt of the Berlin Tage-
blatt. answer: "A satisfactory list of
singers is essential TO the artistic fu-
ture of Bayreuth- More than all other
things the shortcomings in this direc-
ton damaged this summers perform
snces. Surely there can be no lack of
willingness on the part of the artists to
particinaAe.'' Professor Bic of the Ber-
lin Boersen-Courier wrote that the as
signment of the principal roles was un-
fortunate, nay, often betraying a lack
OF judgment" Regarding the scenic
aspect Of Wagner's klst work. Professor
Bic says significantly: " 'ParSifal must
now be attired anew after the New
York example," And Oscar Merz of the
Munich Neueste Nachricnten writes
that the opinion has been expressed in
many quarters that it is high time" to
improve the quality of the singers en-
gagged for Bayreuth.
Frau Wagner's one argument. last win
ter. in behalf OF the Bayreuth monopoly OF
with Wagner's own wishes Why does she
not set good example by following his
gagement of the best singers, or the Civ
ing away of free seats to poor but deserv-
ing students and others. A few weeks ago
attention was called in this column to the
fact that this plan. which Wagner called
ried out in only a very limited way, not
withstanding the overlooking Golfers, and
even these few seats have, Ii
seems, not been given away, but
were = paid for out of the inter-
est on special fund provided
BY Wasner's heirs. During the recent festi-
val subscription lists for this fund (Which
now amounts to about $4,000, but which
il is hoped to increase to S250.OO0) were
submitted to all the visitors. Commenting
on this DR.. Otto Lessman, editor of the
Allegemeine Musik-Zeitung. says: 1t
would be well if, hrst of all, the manage
rnent OF the festivals were to follow the
wishes of Wa gner regarding the eXclu-
siva and perpetual use that should be
made Of the gallery over the royal boxes
He wanted the seats in this gallery to be
given free to needy musicians. but after
his death they We're sold. like all other
seats for s. each" Evidently Mr.. Con-
ried is not the only one who is CONNER
cially minded and does not carry out
Warmers wishes" Wagner'S real wishes,
moreover, as expressed a hundred times
in his letters, were not that the Bayreuth
fheater should be monopolistic institu-
ton but that if should serve as a model
for the performance of his operas else
WI