New-York tribune., 1922-05-28
By II. E. krchbiel

Identification or authorization man
uscript essay which he believed to
he a Tagnerian autograph. Such it
proved to be, as was easily seen. 1t
was an essay on Bellinis Norma" "
which, as a product OF his youth and
for reasons which he never took the
trouble to explain, Wagner did not in
clude in his prose writings when he
collected and published them. It was
written while the composer was con-
ductor at Riga, no doubt for the pur-
poss Of interesting the public in an
impending production Of the opera,
and published in the local newspaper
entitled "Der Zuschauer" on December
7 (19), 1887, and reprinted in the
"Bayreuther Blatter" Of December.
1885. Mr.. William Ashton Ellis in
cluded it in the posthumous and dis
carded articles and sketches which
make up Volume VIII Of his "Richard
Wagner's Prose Works. In that
volume appear also translations of
two essays, con German Opera" and
"pasticco," which in his Introductory
notes Mr. Ellis says "constitute all the
prose works hitherto discovered ante
rior to Wagners first Paris period"
We have now to record the discovery
and to print in translation an essay
obviously written in the same period,
as is proved by its callgraphy as we'll
as it's CORES pondence IN thought with
the two essays mentioned. This docu-
lnent-pecularly interesting because Of
it's sound sentiments on the subject of
the vocal art (by which term, as We
translate "Gesang" in this instance,
unlike Mr.. Ellis, we mean singing alone,
and not also the art of composing for
the voice lis the property Of Nine. Mar
celia Sembrich, who received it many
years ago as wifi from Siegfried
Ochs, the eminent choral conductor of
Berlin. The essay on Bellini was signed
co., this is unsigned, but is authenti
Gated not only by It's Handwriting, but
also by its parallelisms In argument
with the two other early essays, par
iicularly by its comparison between tho
styles of Mozart and Weber, between
the singing of Italians and Germans
and the dramatic style Of French COM
posers. We place It In slightly
earlier period than the essays con
German Opera" and "Pasticcio" be-
cause the ideas presented In it are
set forth with greater elaboration in
the more extended arguments. For In
stance, in the first essay (Which Mr..
Ellis thinks was Wagner's first con-
tribution TO the press, he is contending
that the Germans have no German
opera and no national drama) we read:
We are too intellectual and much too
learned to create warm human beings.
Mozart could do it, but it was the
beauty of Italian song that he breathed
into his human beings. Since the time
when we began to despise that beauty
| again we have departed more and more
from tho path which Mozart struck for
the veal of our dramatic music Weber
lever understood the management of
song and Spohr wellnigh as little. But
song, after all, Is the organ whereby
man may musioally express himself.
and so long as it is not fully developed
he Is wanting in true speech. In this
respect the Italians have an immeas
urable advantage over US; vocal beauty
with them is a second nature and their
creations are just as sensuously warm
SIS poor, for the rest, in individual
import"
Compare this with the second para
graph in the essay which is presented
herewith. Whether for the first time
or not we shall not pretend to say; it
must suffice US that diHgent search
hcs not disclosed an earlier publica-
tton, thought it was plainly intended
for print.
Il is also interesting to note in ex-
planation Of the reference to Nine.
'SN.ii4 NNttI !t" ilFIt IildL w aCNcr.
Mr Ellis observes in footnote 70
lis translation of the essay "On Ger
man Opera" from which we have
quoted, had heard her in Bellini's
"Montecchi Capuletti" Gin which che
sang the role Of Romeo) at Leipsc in
March, 1884. It was under the I'm
preston made upon him by that per
formance as we'll "a those of "Fidclio"
and "Euryanthe" that Wagner seems
to have written this essay. The
great artists Partisan engagements
were IN 1881 and 1882. Beethoven
heagd her in November, 1922, in his
opera. Re was so delighted with her
impersonation that che smilingly
patted her cheeks, thanked her and
promised to write an opera FOR her"
So runs the story; but Thayer has cast
d doubt upon it in his biography Of {
Beethoven. She singer was only |
seventeen years old when "Fidelio" /
EBsSa|SsssxSsszy