The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-05-25
Permanent Greatness of
Wagner's Compositions Is
Emphasized by Centena, y

Last Thursday ma rked the Tooth ami
versary OF Richard Wagner's birth an
In musical cente-s throughout the worl
we're given special programmes devote
entirely TO the works OF the "Shako os
peare of music Some two weeks ag
Herbert Preysen. an eminent music&
critic and SCHOLAR Interestingly dlscusse
the Wagnerlan centenary, writing In PAL
as follows:
The practice of rendering centen-
NAL honors to genius of the tran
scendent order will be found in the
last analysis TO Involve a certain ele-
ment OF paradox. For the loftier the
stature OF the particular genius and
the more lavish the commemorative
pomp and circumstance, the more
emphatIcally is the clearly reasoning
observer likely to be impressed by the
superfluity OF It all. In truth, the
majority Of those whose achievements
worthiest subjects OF conventional
tributes have rela lively little actual
need OF them. That which their cree-
tive faculties have con1ured into be-
ing will be perceived to have leavened
the progress OF humanity SO effec-
tually, so radically to have influenced
some one essential phase OF existence,
so ineStricably TO have become in
grained In part of the very texture
of life that humanity's tinseled en-
are, in manner. impotent and
puerile.
Especially Is this true in the case
OF the master minds Of musical crea-
ton. Their hundredth anniversaries
are observed with more or less zest,
and will, Of course, continue indeh-
nitely to be so celebrated But lit- d.
tie more significance can accrue from
the practice than the awakening OF
a certain amount OF temporary In
- ,cl iy1
terested. or the brief resuscitation of
some inferior work of the composer
the value OF which, as a rule. is his
torical or sentimental or anything
save intrinsic.
Just what the festivities In connec-
ton with the present centenary OF
Richard Wagner are likely to bring
forth, aside from 4 temporarily in
creased number OF performances Of
his operas and fresh crop of critl-
cal dissertations on his work and per-
sonality, is not easy to see. 1t may
be recalled that when the hundredth
anniversary OF the birth OF Chopin
was oommemorated few years ago
aptly-the necessity Of It all. averring
that I'VE celebrate Chopin festivities
every year" Considering the enor-
NOUS vogue OF Chopin's music, It's
perennial popularity and ubiquity. 1t
Is impossible not to recognize the pro-
priety and pertinence of this observa-
ton. For similar reasons 1t must
be acknowledged that neither Schu-
mann nor Diszt centennials were IN
the deeper sense necessary.
Now the proportion OF Wagner's
total output that continues yearly to
receive presentation is considerably
larger than that OF Chopin and Schu
mann or Liszt. Nine out of his
eleven stage works, Zone Is perfectly
justified in disregarding his early
'Llebesverbot' and die Feen."
which never received serious consid
Grafton anywhere). each In the full
America. while neither "Rienzi" nor
the Flying Dutchman" is yet deemed
defunct in Europe. An estimate OF
the total number Of performances
annually given his operas throughout
the musical world will show him to
be the most popular OF all opera
composers, while his vogue when
transplanted to the concert hall is no