Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10
NJ u S l c.
BY HELEN FETTER.


Bayreuth. The packed
audiences, who have
made reservations to hear this
final of the famous ring" tetrol-
ogy in the performances of the
festival at the shrine of Wagner
this Summer, will carry away a
double meaning to that most i'm
pressive scene and muSic-"The
Death March for Siegfried." Wag-
ner'S own son, Siegfried, named
for the legendary hero of his
fathers operas, died on the very
eve of the festival. He followed
his mother, Cosima, Queen of
Bayreuth, within a few months to
whatever Valhalla it may have
been the fate of the Wagners to
ascend. To be sure, he leaves a
sturdy young son, but until this
child grows up, who is to carry
on" with the famous festivals? No
announcement has been made as
vet. Both Elmendorff and Karl
Muck have been right-hand in
Spiration to Frau Wagner and her
son. Doubtless the community
heads of Bayreuth, who have
shown by their complete CO.
operation with the Wagners their
appreciation of the great asset
that the festivals are to their
town, WIN assist in organizing a
group and backing a selected
leader to perpetuate these festi-
walls.
There were many who criticized
the methods of Frau Wagner in
particular in conducting these
performances so as to hold to the
letter, rather than what many
musicians felt was the spirit OF
Wagner's own ideas for these Bay
reuth performances. There were
frequently similar but not so many
criticisms of the direction of the
festivals by Siegfried Wagner.
However, 1t can never be forgot
ten that 1t was Siegfried Wagner
who refreshed and revolutinized
many traditions this year. He did
so by bringing Arturo ToScanini,
the first Latin conductor ever to
lead a performance of a Wag-
merriam opera in Bayreuth, this
year; instituting new and very
different scenery for all the
operas; and working out many
smaller but equally untraditional
details for the comfort of the
thousands of pilgrims who regis
tered to attend the festivals.
The day that Siegfried Wagner
succumbed to a serious break
down, which was to result in his
death a few days later, saw the
flrst of the trains bearing tourists
to attend the first festival per-
Torrance unloading at Bayreuth.
Also, that day saw the sold out"
sign hung up, indicating that
there were no tickets left for any
of the several cycles of operas
planned for July and August.
ALTHOUGH the world gives spe-
cial and most dazzling acclaim
to the great musical geniuses-
composers, prima donnaS, virtuosi
of piano, violin or other inStru-
ment-these most gifted individ-
uals do not more truly serve the
cause of music than do many
others who never achieve the
limelight because their talents
may none of them be of genius
proportions.
Siegfried Wagner was one of
these. He was gifted, with a def
mite talent for composing. Yet,
even so, his talent was so inferior
a thing to the genius that was his
fathers, he soon realized his lirli-
tations. It is no easy handicap to
be born the son Of such a man as
Richard Wagner and the grand
son Of Franz List. Perhaps be-
cause he realized this, Richard
Wagner wished to make an archi-
tect Of his son. Accordingly Sieg-
fried was educated at Carlsruhe
University and the Polytechnic
Institute of Berlin. However,
even small stream Of water must
follow its course, just as the ocean
does its obeisance to the laws of
nature. When his father died in
1883, Siegfried Immediately stop
ped all other studies and studied
music under Engelbert Humper-
dinck. He wrote some operas and
they were fairly successful. 1t is
significant, however, that the
judgment that is infallible-that
known as "the test of time
swept aside these sincere but
temperate efforts. 1t was as the
guardian of these festivals which
honor his fathers genius that
Siegfried Wagner found the great
est and most satisfactory outlet
for his service to the Muse that
he so earnestly worshipped. OF
course his efforts met with some
criticism from certain quarters.
But this Is true of every one who
tries to do something that is of
such wide interest that it attracts
the notice Of many people; espe-
cially people of such impetuouS
temperaments as musicians. Ger
tain 1t Is that, although his
mother lived to the spectacular
age of SO, it was Siegfried who,
ever since his fathers death, en-
couraged the Wagner societies
that had been formed from one
end of the world to the other and
other groups in contributing to
the cause of making these festi-
walls an institution of worldwide
interest. Siegfried it was who
bridged that intangible gulf of
hatred and miStrust which hung
the possibility of German festivals
in allegiance from 1914-1924, and
placed these events on such a
basis again that it was possible
this year to have them sold out"
for the entire season.
To such a loyal disciple OF the
cause of music belong the heav-
lest and everlasting laurels.
y