Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-28
THE CRITIC TALKS
TO MUSIC LOVERS
Weckly Comment on Things
Musical in Discriminat.
ing Philadelphia

FT,HE reported death of Nine. Cosima
4 Bayreuth villa of her famous husband
f Richard Wagner, brings to mind one OF
the most Interesting figures of the world
Of music. The daughter Of one great
musician, Franz List, and the wife OF
two others. Hans Won Bulow and Rich
ard Wagner, she saw the growth of
modern music from standpoint OF in
fimacy with two, IL not three, of its
greatest leaders that was not given to
any other person of her own generation.
She was one of that interesting group
OF women who exerted a strong personal
or musical influence upon the great COM
posers with whom they we're in close
relation. In some few cases. hotably that
OF Klara Schumann, this influence was
both personal and musical; in others,
such as the relationship of George Sand
and Chopin, the influence was purely
personal, but II was none the less strong
for this reason.
To what extent. IL at ALL Cosima WaE-
ner Influenced Richard Wagner mus-
caily, there is considerable doubt. De-
spite the high degree of artistic talent
possessed by both her parents (for her
mother was the Countess dAgoult,
French woman of more than ordinary
literary ability and well-known under
her pen name, Daniel Sternl, Cosima
Wagner never displayed any eXtraordl
nary talent either for music or for lit
ernture. That she was a woman Of the
strongest personality. however, there
can be no doubt, and this Is shown
among other ways by the force OF her
attraction for two men of such high in
YoI iatt In
Won Bulow and Richard wagner.
TT is therefore likely that her influence
u over Wagner was in a great degree per-
. sonal rather than musical. Unlike Klara
Schumann, who was a fine musician.
ono Of the best women pianists who has
ever lived, and, indeed a far better per-
former than her great husband, Cosina
Wagner did not have the actual musical
ability to exert the same strong musical
influence upon her husband that Nine.
Schumann did upon Robert Schumann.
Like Nine. Schumann. however. she was
devoted to her husband and both spent
most OF their lives after the deaths of
their respective spouses, in furthering
the cause OF the music that each had
composed.
The task of Nine. Wagner was more
dificult In some respects than that of
Nine. Schumann, on account of certain
restrictions that her husband made re-
garding some of his works. The prin-
.cipal one Of these was that the opera
'Parsifar' should be performed only
at Bayreuth and the proposal to
give It in New York about seven
teen years ago brought Mime. Wag-
ner and the Metropolitan Opera
Company into violent conflict The
Metropolitan was successful however
and the first performance of "Parsifal'
ever given outside of Germany took
place In this country. Few Of the officers
Of the opera company at that time were
left In doubt as to the strength OF char
acter Of the opponent of their plans.
FTHE recent appearances Of Alfred
A cortot. the French pianist, has
aroused much interest among the
musicians Of the city, partly on account
Of his high rank as a performer and
partly because we have not heard, per-
haps. 80 many great French pianists IS
those OF some other nationalities. NJ
Cortot showed himself to be a player OF
intense individuality. perhaps as great
as Is possessed by any performer now
before the public. 1t seems TO be an in
of style in piano-playIng