The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-04
NEWS OF THE DAY IN SOCIETY WORLD
The Music Study Club Meeting
 Notable Event Yesterday
NOTES HERE AND THERE
Mrs. MaiOne's Informal Luncheon, Miss WeiscI's Tea for Visitor. Other Eyents-Personal
 Mention
By MYRTLE MILES

One Ol the most interesting meetings In the history of the Music Study club took place yesterday morning at the home of Mrs. B. A. Pepperman. This was the sec ond in series of Wagnerian programmes and like the first was instructive and generally beneficial. Four of the operas were discussed. one given as topic to each of four members of the club. Mrs. Charles Sharp, Miss Monetta Stribling, Miss Annie Ward and Mrs. John c. Pugh. The club has never had a group of papers more valuable presented to it. Mrs. Sharp gave hers in the form of an address, and it was like all of this brilliant woman's efforts, an exqusitely graceful and thoughtful discourse.
 Miss stribling's excellent paper is given in full:
 Americans take art lightly" she said. Tt is with them fad or a pastime rather than question of vital importance, and for this reason 1t is with a feeling of re- moteness and unreality that many of us read Of the controversy which Wagner aroused by his innovations in opera.
 The ferceness of this musical warfare, the way it made and unmade friends and
 
 the way it divided all Germany, from the very servant to the nobility, can only be equalled by our political campaigns. say It IS difficult for us to realize that such state of affairs could have been brought about merely by a difference of opinion about that most harmonious of arts one of which is supposed to have the power to soothe the savage beast But as a story Of battle told by an old soldier sxtfll oft h,.f,, -l. Of war more wildly before us than a whole textbook, so a little chat with A famous German composer who was student In those days, brought home to me In a measure the spirit that was rife l refer to Hugo kann, whose reminiscent words were always a source of pleasure
 Oh, yes.' he said in reply to a question, I was much interested in Wagner when was a boy. But the hochschule where l studied was very conservative. The more the students became interested In the rising composer the stricter the old professors became. Finally an edict was declared forbidding any of the students to hear Wagnerian production or to be found with any of his scores in their pos- session. Could any greater incentive to youthful investigation be imagined? or course, we deprived ourselves in order to purchase scores and practiced diligently in secret
 remember one evening triumphant " brought home the score of Lohengrin
 Late that night high up in the attic of another enthusiast. and with the assist ance of four kindred spirits, we tried | II over. The solemn stiffness of the night made more beautiful the ravishing har- monies which greeted our bewitched ears
 and opened to us new open world In
 the midst of Elsa's exquisite dream, a
 thunderous knocking was heard at the | door, which presently was burst open, and
 there stood one of the old professors
 purple with indignation. "So" he snort
 ed, you think you will sneak off up here | and play that trash? I'll not have it,'' | and seizing the precious score he ground
 it under foot tearing 1t to pieces. And I
 hate him yet added Kann
 | The reason of the old professor s point of view is not hard to find. l Wagner was indeed an innovation.
 Instead of using the words of his | librettos as so many pegs upon which to hang pretty tunes he conceived the Idea of intensifying the dramatic sit- uation by means of the music and portraying them in the characteristics | of his. stage people as well as their emotions. The closing cadence (2g) which had always been used at the end of solos. duets, cts. he abh orred bccduSt IL tne continuity of the whole opera and divided it into many numbers. Just when you think | he's going to do it he doesn't and | you feel like Alice in Wonderland and wonder what next. The characteristic ic bits of melody which Wagner uses to portray the personality of his charac- ters are wonderfully expressive and | these motives are woven together in a counter point not less wonderful though more free.
 | The pastoral pictures, too, are won derful. He makes us see with our ears | the blue of the sky, the rustlng leaf, | the manifold charms Of spring. I It is with such magic as this tha t | he charms our senses in the opening act of "Das Rheingold" for the curtain | rises on the rocky bed of the Rhine wrapped in twilight. We both see and hear the smoothly flowing waters in which sport the Rhine daughters guarding the gold which reposes in these peaceful depths. The motive of l the Rhine daughters Is a swlmmin g movement given by the viollns and It runs through this entire scene. Quite different in character Is the musical portrait of the squatty and toad-llke dwarf Alberich, who would fain join | the maidens In this graceful flight | through the water but only succeeds in akwardly hopping along the river bed. An especially charming effect is pro duced when the sunlight falling through the waters lights up the gold. This shimmering refulgence is DOT trayed by the harps in the orch estra The dwarf Alberich learns that this same gold may be fashioned into a ring which will make its wearer omnpot ent. Since the gold can only be gaiitd by one who forswears love. Alberich talk S the dreadful oath, seizes the gold and disappears into his cavern while dark ness falls.
 The Rhine daughters pursue the rob ber with despairing cries that mlngle with his fiendish laughter. There in his cavern under the earth where he is lord of the dwarfs the Nibelings, he plans to have welded the ring which will enable him to conquer not only the people on the surface of the earth but even the very gods in Walhalla. In the next scene Watan, the chief of the gods, and Fricka his wife, are discovered upon the fowery sward of a mountain plateau.
 Awak ening from deep sleep Prick Is surprised and alarmed to behold across the valley on the other side of the Rhine the outlines of a splendid castle which had seemingly sprung into ex- istence during the night.
 Indeed, Watan had had this mag nifcent dwelling place fashioned by