New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-10-17


OF the NOrthland: but in time # came to be the
noise OF the wild hunt In Thuringia the rout
headed by Frau Holda and the Wild Huntsman
issues IN the Yuetide from the cave in the Horsel
berg which IS the scene OF Tannhauser's adventure
with Venus in Wagners opera, and Holda is the
mother OF many Of the uncanny creatures which
strike 10 the souls of the unlucky huntsmen
who chance 20 espy them.
From the story drawn ON the records OF the
Bohemian law court, the authenticity OF which
need not be questioned. II is plain that to make
a compact with the Wild Huntsman a much
more gTewsome and ceremonious proceeding than
that which took place between Faust and the EVIL
One In the operas OF GOunod and BoitO. IN both
these instance q scratch OF the pen sufflced, and
the deliberations which preceded the agreement
were conducted In decorOus and busnesslike
manner. But to Invoke Samiel and obtain his
gifts a body, mind and nerve rackng bust
ness. In some particulars the details differed
little from those testified 10 by the Bohemian
clerk. In the first place the Devils customer had
10 repair TO crossroads OF Friday when the
moon in eclipse and the in Sagittarius
II in such place and at such time drew a
circle around himself with his hunting spear and
called 'Samiel"' three times between midnight
and o'clock, that worthy would appear, and one
might drive a bargain with him for his wares
which consisted of seven magical bullets ('free
bullets" they were called. which We're then cast
under the eye OF the Evil One and received his
blessing" The course OF six of them rested
with the free shooter" but the seventh belonged
TO Samiel who might direct It wheresoever he
wished The price OF these bullets was the soul
OF the man who moulded them. at the end OF three
years. but II was the privilege OF the bondsman
to purchase his life before the expiration Of the
period by delivering another soul into the clutches
OF the demon.
Weber used all these details in his opera, and
added 10 them the fantastic terrors OF the Wild
Hunt and the VOLTS Glen. OF this favored abode
OF the Evil One Wagner gave a vivid description
in an essay Der Freischutz' which lie wrote
for the Gazette Musicale IN May, 1884, when the
opera was preparing. under the hand OF BerliOz
Cor representation at the Grand Opera IN Paris
Wagners purpose IN writing the essay was to
acqualnt the Parisians with the contents and
spirit OF tho piece. make them understand it's
naive TeutOnism and also to save IL from the
maltreatment and mutation which he knew il
would have 20 suffer IL it were to be made TO
conform 70 the conventions OF the Academic He
wanted &c preserve the spoken dialogue and keen
out the regulation ballet, for the sake of which
he had TO make changes IN his '"Tannhauser'
twenty years later. lie failed IN both efforts and
atterward wrote account OF the performance
for a German newspaper which is one of the
best specimens OF the feullleton style which his
sojonrn in Paris provoked There was no need
or telling his countrymen what the VOLTS Glen
was, FOR II had been the most familiar of all
scenes in the lyric theatres of Germany for a
score OF years but for the Parlsians he pictured
the place in which Weber's hero meets Samie
very graphically indeed:
In the heart of the Bohemian Forest. old as the
World. lies the Wolfsschucht. Its legends fingered
last traces OF German grandeur; but now, like
the folk Even at hat Zine m nes @9d o 9Ef
knew the gulch by hearsay. They would relate
paths through wild untrodden thicEets scarce
66h9'Thg how mad come TO the brink of the VOLTS
! ne ne had there seen; at which the hearer crossed
ever wandering to that region Even on his an
preach the keeper had heard an eerie sound;
though me wind was still, muffied moaning filled
! the branches OF the ancient pines, which bowed
the verge he had looked down into an abyss whose
| oePths ms eye could never plumb. Jagged reefs
terribly distorted faces. Beside them heaps of
R itch, olaek stones In form OF giant toads and
ragged masses; but under them the ground could
rose necessarily and spread pestienfiaI stenrb
around. Here and there they would divide and
human beings with faces all CONFUSED Upon a
gSt sg eek d midst midst of all these horrors
remind y frownins cavern guarded by two
These. Win ali the other seeming life the nhssm
hoIboIed lay IN deathllke sumber and any move
S5e + so that The forester had dsraaI fears OF
/ what he heard A that stirred nothing and
whose gusts he himself could not feel, howled over
the glen. paused suddenly, II listening 10 ITSELF
and then broke out again with added fury. Afro
clous cries thronsed from the pit; then flock of
countless birds OF prey assembled from its bowels.
"A II,
20 the huntsman like the groans OF souls con-
before Never had he heard such cries compared
70 which the cIoak OF ravens was as the song OF
nlgLtinGales. And now again deep silence; all
motion ceased; only in the depths there seemed Z
though 81 a dream The most undauuted hunts
man the best acquainted with the woods noe
agony, and needless where lbs footsteps bore him,
ran oTeaLliess TO me nearest est, hut the nearest
his horrible adventure. yet neer could find words
in which to frame it,
So much for the folklore ana mythology of Der
Frelschdtz.' the element which makes it not only
national but also the choicest Of Romantic on
We are grown careless in our use Of must
cal terms else 1t would not he necessary 10 de-
vote words 10 explanation of what is meant bv
Romantic in this case. we hear great deal
about Romanticism as contradistinguished from
Classicsm but # is seldom that we have the line
OF deTnaTcation between the two drawn for US
Classical composers, ] inclined to think are
composers OF the FIRST rank who have developed
music 10 its highest perfection on its formal side
in obedience TO long and widely accepted laws
preferTng gesthetc beauty over emotional content
or ~ any rate, refusing 10 sacrifice form 10 char
acteT!stic expression. Romantic composers would
then be those VINO have sought their ideals in
other directions and striven to give them express
sion Irrespective OF the restrictions and limitations
of forrn-composeTs who. in short. prefer content
10 manner In the Of these definitions
WaLe.'s opera is a classic work, for In il the
ol5 forms which Wagners influence destroyed are
preserved Nevertheless, der Freischutz' is Ro-
mantle IN q very particular sense, and It is in
this Romarticsrl that its political significance 10
which have referred lies. II is Romantic in sub
iect and tie source OF its inspiration. This
source is the same TO which the creators OF
the Romantic school Of literature went for its
guojscts-the fantastical stories of chivalTy and
klighthood, of which the principal elements
were the marvellous and supernatural The
literary Romanticists did a great deal to en-
courage patriotism among the Germans in the be-