Chapter I: Preface

The masters of music, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, advanced this art beyond the limits of their predecessors by identifying themselves more closely with the development of active life itself. By their creative power they invested the life of the nation and mankind with profounder thought, culminating at last in the most sublime of our possessions--religion. No artist has followed in their course with more determined energy than Richard Wagner, as well he might, for with equal intellectual capacity, the foundation of his education was broader and deeper than that of the classic masters; while on the other hand the development of our national character during his long active career, became more vigorous and diversified as the ideas of the poets and thinkers were more and more realized and reflected in our life. Wagner's development was as harmonious as that of the three classic masters, and all his struggles, however violent at times, only cleared his way to that high goal where we stand with him to-day and behold the free unfolding of all our powers. This goal is the entire combination of all the phases of art into one great work: the music-drama, in which is mirrored every form of human existence up to the highest ideal life. As this music-drama rests historically upon the opera it is but natural that the second triumvirate of German music should be composed of the founder of German opera, C. M. von Weber, the reformer of the old opera, Christoph Wilibald Gluck, and Richard Wagner. To trace therefore the development of the youngest of these masters, will lead us to consider theirs as well, and in doing this the knowledge of what he is will disclose itself to us.

PUBLISHER'S NOTE.

Just as this volume is going to press the announcement comes from Germany that the prize offered by the Prague Concordia for the best essay on "Wagner's Influence upon the National Art" has been adjudged to Louis Nohl, an honor which will lend additional interest to this little volume.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

WAGNER'S EARLY YOUTH.

His Birth--The Father's Death--His Mother Remarries--Removal to Dresden--Theatre and Music--At School--Translation of Homer--Through Poetry to Music--Returning to Leipzig--Beethoven's Symphonies--Resolution to be a Musician--Conceals this Resolution--Composes Music and Poetry--His Family distrusts his Talent--"Romantic" Influences--Studies of Thoroughbass--Overture in B major--Theodor Weinlig--Full Understanding of Mozart--Beethoven's Influence--The Genius of German Art--Preparatory Studies ended 9-22

CHAPTER II.

STORM AND STRESS.

In Vienna--His Symphony Performed--Modern Ideas--"The Fairies"--"Das Liebesverbot"--Becomes Kapellmeister--Mina Planer--Hard Times--Experiences and Studies--"Rienzi"--Paris--First Disappointments--A Faust Overture--Revival of the German Genius--Struggle for Existence--"The Flying Dutchman"--Historical Studies--Returning to Germany 22-44

CHAPTER III.

REVOLUTION IN LIFE AND ART.

Success and Recognition--Hofkapellmeister to the Saxon Court--New Clouds--"Tannhaeuser" Misunderstood--The Myths of "The Flying Dutchman" and "Tannhaeuser"--Aversion to Meyerbeer--The Religious Element--"Lohengrin"--The Idea of "Lohengrin"--Wagner's Revolutionary Sympathies--The Revolution of 1848--The Poetic Part of "Siegfried's Death"--The Revolt in Dresden--Flight from Dresden--"Siegfried Words." 45-72

CHAPTER IV.

EXILE.

Visit to Liszt--Flight to Foreign Lands--Three Pamphlets--"Lohengrin" Performed--Wagner's Musical Ideas Expressed in Words--Resumption of the Nibelungen Poem--The Idea of the Poem--Its Religious Element--The First Music-Drama--In Zurich--New Art Ideas--Increasing Fame--"Tristan and Isolde"--Analysis of this Work--In Paris Again--The Amnesty--Tannhaeuser at the "Grand Opera"--"Lohengrin" in Vienna--Resurrection of the "Mastersingers of Nuremberg"--Final Return to Germany 73-105

CHAPTER V.

MUNICH.

Successful Concerts--Plans for a New Theatre--Offenbach's Music Preferred--Concerts Again--New Hindrances and Disappointments--King Louis of Bavaria--Rescue and Hope--New Life--Schnorr--"Tannhaeuser" Reproduced--Great Performance of "Tristan"--Enthusiastic Applause--Death of Schnorr--Opposition of the Munich Public--Unfair Attacks upon Wagner--He goes to Switzerland--The "Meistersinger"--The Rehearsals--The Successful Performance--Criticisms 106-131

CHAPTER VI.

BAIREUTH.

A Vienna Critic--"Judaism in Music"--The War of 1870--Wagner's Second Wife--"The Thought of Baireuth"--Wagner-Clubs--The "Kaiser March"--Baireuth--Increasing Progress--Concerts--The Corner-Stone of the New Theatre--The Inaugural Celebration--Lukewarmness of the Nation--The Preliminary Rehearsals--The Summer of 1876--Increasing Devotion of the Artists--The General Rehearsal--The Guests--The Memorable Event--Its Importance--A World-History in Art-Deeds 132-158

CHAPTER VII.

PARSIFAL.

A German Art--Efforts to maintain the Acquired Results--Concerts in London--Recognition Abroad and Lukewarmness at Home--The "Nibelungen" in Vienna--"Parsifal"--Increasing Popularity of Wagner's Music--Judgments--Accounts of the "Parsifal" Representations--The Theatre Building--"Parsifal," a National Drama--Its Significance and Idea--Anti-Semiticism--The Jewish Spirit--Wagner's Standpoint--Synopsis of "Parsifal"--The Legend of the Holy Grail--Its Symbolic Importance--Art in the Service of Religion--Beethoven and Wagner--"Redemption to the Redeemer." 159-197

LAST DAYS AND DEATH OF WAGNER. 197-204

THE LIFE OF WAGNER.