Richard Wagner, his life and dramas; a biographical study of the man and an explanation of his work

Front matter

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Preface

The purpose of this book is to supply Wagner lovers with a single work which shall meet all their needs. The author has told the story of Wagner's life, explained his artistic aims, given the history of each of his great works, examined its literary sources, shown how Wagner utilised them, surveyed the musical plan of each drama, and set forth the meaning and purpose of its principal ideas. The work is not intended to be critical, but is designed to be expository. It aims to help the Wagner lover to a thorough knowledge and understanding of the man and his works.

The author has consulted all the leading biographies, and for guidance in the direction of absolute trustworthiness he is directly indebted to Mme. Cosima Wagner, whose suggestions have been carefully observed. He is also under a large, but not heavy, burden of obligation to Mr. Henry Edward Krehbiel, musical critic of The New York Tribune, who carefully read the manuscript of this work and pointed out its errors. The value of Mr. Krehbiel's revision and his hints cannot be over-estimated. Thanks are also due to Mr. Emil Paur, conductor of the Philharmonic Society, of New York, for certain inquiries made in Europe.

The records of first performances have been prepared with great care and with no little labour. For vi Preface

the dates of those at most of the European cities the author is indebted to an elaborate article by E. Kastner, published in the Allgemeine Musih. Zeitung, of Berlin, for July and August, 1S96. The original casts have been secured, as far as possible, from the programmes. For that of the " Flying Dutchman " at Dresden — in- ■ correctly given in many books on Wagner — the author is indebted to Hofkapellmeister Ernst von Schuch, who obtained it from the records of the Hoftheater. The name of the singer of the Herald in the first cast of "Lohengrin," missing in all the published histories, was supplied by Hermann Wolff, of Berlin, from the records of Weimar. The casts of first performances in this country are not quite complete, simply because the journalists of twenty-five years ago did not realise their obligations to posterity. The casts were not published in fiill. The records have disappeared. The theatres in some cases — as in that of the Stadt — have long ago gone out of existence and nothing can be done. As far as given the casts are, the author believes, perfectly correct

PART l-THE LIFE OF WAGNER

I — The Boyhood of a Genius . . . i II — The First Operas 14

III — KdNtGSBERG AND RiGA . . . ■ 2^

IV — " The End of a Musician in Paris" . 38

V — Beginning of Fame and Hostility 50

VI — "Lohengrin" and "Die Meistersinger" . 64

.VII — " Art AND Revolution " . ... 73

[ IX— A Stranger in a Strange Land . . 96

\ X — A Second End in Paris . . . .105

XI — A Monarch to the Rescue . . .117

XII — Some Ideals Realised . . . .127

XIV— The Last Drama 146

XV — ^Tke Character of the Man . . - i ^4

Part Ii— The Artistic Aims Of Wagner

I — The Lyric Drama AS HE Found it . .167 II — ^The Reforms of Wagner . . .178 III— The Musical System .... 189 IV— The System as Completed ... 300 viii Contents

PART III-THE GREAT MUSIC DRAMAS Der Fliegende Hollander 254

Tannhauser und der Sangerkrieg auf Wartburg 2^0

1 — The Book 272

11 — ^The Music 283

1 — Sources of the Story .... 294

II — Wagnm's Dramatic Poem . . . 300

111 — The Musical Exposition . . • ^15

Die Meistersinger von NOrnberg . . . ^8

I — The Sources of the Poems . . , . ^4

II— The Story as Told by Wagnhi . . j88

III— The Music of the Trilogy . . . 422

I — The Original Legends .... 447 II — The Drama of Wagner . . . .461

III— The Musical Plan 473 '

Appendix A — ^The Youthful Symphony . . 48 1

Appendix B — ^Wagner and the Ballet . . 487

Index 491