The New York herald., 1922-09-04
The Soul of Bayreuth.

When it was cabled last week that
SIEGFEIED WAGNER would arrive here
soon to collect funds with which to
resume the representations at Bay
reuth, discontinued after the first
year of the war, the news came as
an echo of an almost departed insti-
tuition. Much more important Is the
news OF the serious illness OF the
chatelaine of Wahnfried.
Three years ago the false report
Of Nine. CosIMA WAGNER's death
spread over the world. 1t is quite
conceivable that her actual death
might bring to an end the designs or
SIEGFRIED and his family on the
pockets of American admirers OF
WAGNER. Could Bayreuth, compre-
hending all that the word means to
lovers Of music, exist without the
domination of the woman who has
been its controlling genius ever since
the death Of the great RICHARD?
For it is to her indomitable spirit,
her unceasing energy, her fiery en-
thusiasm, her ambition to shed every
possible ray Of glory on the Wagner
name that the continued existence OF
the Festschauspielhaus is to.be at
tributed. She made her influence
dominating in every department OF
this great theater devoted to the
music dramas of RICHARD WAGNER.
It was she who selected the singers,
her instructors trained them in the
art of acting the heroes Of the Nibe-
lungen trilogy and the other sagas
as she thought they should be acted,
and even the conductors who were
engaged through her favor were said
to listen to her suggestions as to the
tempt of the scores. Nine. CosIMA,
as she came to be known in the world
Of music, was indeed the soul OF
Bayreuth.
Always she was alert to further
the glory of the Wagner family. 1t
was not an easy matter once she had
departed from the memory of RICH
ARD. Yet she made valiant fight
to have the world accept STEGrRrED
as a composer of opera. His work
was never allowed to enter the sacred
portals OF the Schauspielhaus, but
mighty forces were set in motion to
link his name in the history Of music
with that Of his father. Here Nine.
CosTMA inevitably failed. With the
genius of RICHARD back of her, how
ever, she kept the Wagner name fresh
in its greatness until the world war.
She has reigned like a queen at
Wahnfried. Her children could have
made court for her, but other knees
subsequently crooked and the pow
ers Of Bayreuth never lacked follow
ers in various lands. All the world
travelled to this Mecca of the perfect
Wagnerite.
Nine. CosrMA ruled her children
and all those. connected with Wahn-
fried not only absolutely but with
dignity. She was born to the artistic
purple il ever woman was. The
daughter Of FRANZ LIszT and Count
ess p'AGoULT, she was married in her
youth to HANS Won BtjLow. He was
the intimate friend and advocate OF
RIcHAED WAGNER. The transfer which
made her the wife of the composer
was one Of the great love affairs of
the age of the romantics.
Nine. WAGNER is indeed one OF the
few remaining links with the Titans
of the art Of the middle of the last
century. If her illness should turn
out to be mortal one of the most in
teresting figures in the artistic his
tory of Europe would disappear. And
who would take the reins from the
hands that have held them so long
and guided the destinies of her tribe
with such power and wisdom?