The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-15
81 HOWARD HALcK,
Formerly Director Of Opera a, osnsruns

PormsHy DIRECTOR of Opera az 0snsruAs.
In q recently published essay, entitled
ssiegfried Wagner and the German Public,
O. FIR. a ascnspp, author Of the STANDARD
compendious life Of Richard Wagner,
exclaims: For every German tho love FOL
eiegfried Wagner-were anything NOR
natural-shoud be the first and most spon'
taneous Of f~eellnes.'
We Americans cannot hope to Vie. with
o Teuton cousins In the reverence and
Nve OF dynasties, nor do we think II fai,
to be asked to renouno u own birth
right Of independent personal judgment
and submit passively TO the authority Of
mere names and titles. OF course, blind
faith In authority is disappearing over ID
Germany, but there remains the dread,
by no means unwarranted, Of Q renewal
81 hereditary. oppression that causes her
citizens to rebel scainst Any assertion Of
power by virtr1 Of mere desc mt whenevez
they q safely do 30.
The advent OF the son Of Richard Wagner
following in his fathers footsteps as a poet
and composer Of music dramas, wa met
with reserve, suspicion and perhaps with
fear, for II must not be forgotten that the
great reformer was unsparing In his de-
nunciationo Of the Incidence and low standard
Of culture Of the ~playgoers Of his own time.
In spite OF the wellnigh universal love and
appreciation OF Wagnerian music II Is to
be feared that the public has missed all
but n part OF the message that Richard
Wagner had to convey.
The music Of the future has become
the music Of to-day. but the Fart work OF
the future which is not, as 10 commonly
conceived. the addition Of music to the
drama, but rather, to Use with a change
q phrase coined by Nietzsohe, the drama
born out ofthe spirit Of music, is as distant
nom popular comprehension as when
Wagner formulated his asthetio tenets
u the well known treatises. "Oper und
Drama and "Das Kdnstwerk der Zu-
hunt 1t must be borne In mind that in
establishing the festival plays Wagner In
tended moro than an adequate production
Of his " works, more than a reform Of
the existing conditions Of operatio per-
formances.
His grandioee conception OF the messa ne
OF art. more nearly Of his own art, led him
10 hope for an entire r%ejuvenation of the
religious, social and artistic life OF the
Germanio races, emanating from Bayreutb.
This hope has not yet been realized. for
Notwithstanding the powerful and varied
influence Wagner has had on contemporary
art and thought the people In whom ha
placed his faith for the contamination ~
his d~esires-witness the dedication OF the
Ring Of the Nibelungen-have Remained
unregenerate and continue to en- low ~.
hollow coloratura Of an Italian nrima
donna and the Good Friday enchantmsnt
OF sacred "Parsifal." Bayreuth, however
remains a M~onsalvat. jealously treasurinq
the grail to which the master con7ded the
living heart blood Of his holy endeavor 70
uplift his. fellow men, transmitting ;ts
inspiration to the pure In heart and send.
ing out emissaries to the inldel with his
message of salvation.
OF these knights Of the grail, to be en-
rolled among whom means to be a brother
IN arms to the posseseors OF the best heads
q ~doughtiest hearts OF contemporary
Germany, siegfried Wagner is predestined
TO be the chief, not merely in fulhlment
OF his fathers expressed wish, but also by
right OF his " natural endowment.
OF documentary evidence of the former
OF. these titles there Is enough material
extant IN letters, published and unpub-
lished, from the hand OF the master to
silence forever the widespread and re-
current fable that the father, failing to dis
cover in his son the talents necessary to
carry on the great work, designated archi-