Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1872-03-02 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

ANECDOTES OF WAGNER.—I have not had the opportunity of hearing the "Master Singers," so that as a whole I shall not venture to refer to it. Portions are, however, familiar, and especially the song of Walther,— " Fanget an, fanget an, rief der Lenz in den Wald,"— a perfect gem of melody, followed and accompanied by the most delicious instrumentation. A joyous greeting of spring, arousing even the birds to unite in it—no wonder the audience on that first night rose in a body to greet with wildest applause the haughty composer looking down from the King's box. It is mentioned as an extraordinary circumstance that Wagner was so surprised by the ovation as actually to bow in return. That the composer is exceedingly disliked personally is well known, and his favour with the King, who is almost inaccessible to nearly every one else, does not add to his popularity. The most absuid stories are told of his pretensions, and so impressed is he with his own extraordinary genius that he scorns the apparel of ordinary human beings. He wears generally upon the street a long green velvet robe-like affair reaching to the knees, and a mantle of the same colour and material, of the style of the• middle ages, over that. There are• slanderous whispers of exceeding lankness of limb, the reason for his detestation of the present fashion. One day he was striding with his melo-dramatic air along the street when a strong gust of wind carried off his mantle and dropped it at the feet of a young lady passing in a carriage. She ordered the driver to stop, and courteously handed it to the bowing musician, who came stately, though panting, to the carriage door. To her consternation, with a gracious wave of the hand he patronisingly exclaimed, "Retain it, my Fraulein !" With his usual distinguished lack of tact, and recklessness of the experience of the past, he has roused a storm of indignation by his " Judaism in Music," which has been wittily said to amount to two propositions,: First, a Jew is incapable of understanding or composing music; secondly, as no one understands or can compose my musie, therefore all mankind are Jews. The new opera" Rheingold" was performed for the first time in Munich on the 27th of August, 1869. As in the case of the "Master Singers" the King donated an extraordinary amount to defray the expense of preparation. Wagner conceived the idea that his Rhine should not be personated by rolling, painted canvas, but that a veritable stream of water must flow across the stage. Then came a dubious thought; as the scene requires a eymph to swim from one iooky shore to the other by the light of a setting sun, who was to do it? The part was to , be taken by Fraulein Mellinger, and Wagner hit upon the brilliant idea of causing the King to order the lady to take swimming lessons.—" Wagner and tile Pianist Biding," in the Atlantic Monthly.  Mr S. Iles, nlio was well known tbrongbont the whole of the North of England as a violinist of mach promise, died on iistlirday at Harrogate, from smalllox. He was born and eatiested in Leeds.  At Sheffield, on Monday, the Coroner's jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Samuel Walker, for killing a policeman named Gibson. Prisoner wai seen to kick and strike deceased in a street fight. On Saturday morning, a fire, which was soon extinguished, broke out in the ship Coquimbo, of Saarborough, lying in Young's dock, South Shields. Some damage was done to the fittings and furniture of the state room.