Wagner

(vakh’-nér), (1) K. Jakob, Darmstadt, 1772—1822; — horn virtuoso, concert-conductor;__c. operas. (2) Ernst David, Dramburg, Pomerania, 1806—Berlin, 1883; cantor, organist, mus.-director and composer; pub. e ays. (3) (Wm.) Richard, Leipzig, May 22, 1813—-Venice, Feb. 13, 1883; eminent opera composer; son of a clerk in the city police-court, who died K6nigsberg, and m. (1836) an actre Wilhelmine Planer, who d. 1866, after they had separated in 1861. He c. an overture “Rule Brit an when W. was six months old; the mother m. an actor and playwright, Dresden. attended the Dresden Kreuzschule until 1827; he transl. 12 books of the Ody ey, and at 14 wrote a bombastic and bloody Shakespeare an tragedy; 1827, he studied at the Nikolai Gymnasium, Leipzig, where the family lived while his sister there. at the pelled music-ward by hearing a Beethoven symph. and took up Logir’s ‘‘Thoroughba .” He then studied theory with the organist Gottlieb Miiller and c. a string-quartet, a sonata and an aria. 1830, after matriculation at Leipzig Univ., he studied six months with Th. Weinlig (comp.) and c. a pf.-sonata, and a 4hand polonaise. He studied Beethoven’s symphs. very thoroughly. 39 he c. a symph. in 4 movements, troupe, 1836. Th.-cond. nia.” 1837 cond. Riga opera. by Meyer beer’s triumphs at the Gr. Opéra at Paris, W. went there, July, 1839, by sea. The voyage lasted 3} weeks and was very stormy; the experience suggested to him the opera “Flying Dutchman.” gave him letters to musicians and pubs. in Paris; here he suffered poverty and supported himself by songwriting, arranging dances for piano and cornet, preparing the pf.-score of Halévy’s “Reine de Chypre,” and writing articles. His operas were scornfully rejectedvand he could get no hearing till the v. succ. ‘‘ Rienzi’ was prod., Dresden, 1842, and “Der Fliegende Hollinder,” Jan. 2, 1843. The novelties in this work provoked a furious opposition that never ceased. 1843-49 he was cond. of Dresden Opera, also cond. Dresden Liedertafel, for which he wrote a biblical scene, “Das Liebesmahl der A postel,”’ for 3 choirs, a cappella, later with full orch. ‘Tannhduser’ prod., Dresden, 1845, with succ. in spite of bitter opposition. In 1848 ‘“Lokengrin” was finished; but the mgr. of the Opera did not care to risk the work. He now wrote out a little sketch ‘“‘Die Nibelungen, Weligeschichte aus der Sage’; a prose study on “Der Entwurf zu einem Drama’ (1848), and a 3-act drama with Prologue, written in alliterative verse, “Seg jried’s Tod,’ preparations for the great work to follow. A rashly expre ed sympathy with the revolutionary cause (1849) made flight nece ary; he went to Weimar with Liszt, but had to go on to Paris to escape the order for his arrest. 1849 he proceeded to Zurich, were he wrote a series of remarkable e ays: “‘Die Kunst und die Revolution” (1849), “Das der Zukunft,” “Kunst und Klima,” “Das Judenthum in der Musik” (1850), “Oper Drama,” ‘‘Erinnerungen Spontini,” a prose drama “Wiel and der Schmiedt,” and the 3 poems of the Niebelungentrilogy (privately printed 1853). The music of “Das Rheingold” was finished 1854, ‘“‘Die Walkiire,”’ 1856. Hecond. orch. concerts with much succ., lectured on the mus. drama,’ prod. ‘‘Tannhduser’”’ (Zurich, 1855); 1855 he cond. 8 concerts of the London Philh. Soc. 1857 he left “Siegfried” unfinished and c. “Tristan und Isolde.” 1860 he gave concerts of his own works, winning many enthusiastic enemies and some valuable friends. The French Emperor ordered ‘‘Tannhiuser” to be prod. at the Gr. Opéra, March 13, 1861. It provoked such an elaborate and violent opposition (for omitting the ballet) that it was withdrawn after the third performance. W. was now permitted to return to Germany; “Tristan’’ was accepted at the Vienna ct.-opera, but after 57 rehearsals the singers declared it impo ible to learn. In 1863, he pub. text of the “ Nibelung Ring’ despairing of ever completing the mus. When his financial state was most desperate, King Ludwig II. of Bavaria (1864) invited him to Munich and summoned von Biilow as cond. to prod. “Tristan und Isolde’ (June 10, 1865); but opposition was so bitter that W. settled at Triebschen, Lucerne, and completed the scores of “Die Meister singer’’ (prod. Munich, 1868) and ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen,” “Siegfried” (1869) and “Gotterdimmerung” (1874). Though King Ludwig’s scheme for a special Wagner Theatre in Munich was given up, there were by now enough Wagner-lovers and societies throughout the world, to subscribe funds for a theatre at Bayreuth, where the corner-stone was laid in 1872, on his 60th birthday. August, 1876, complete performances of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” were given there under most splendid auspices, but with a deficit of $37,500, paid off by a partially succ. festival in London, 1877, and by the setting aside of the royalties from performances at Munich. He now set to work on the “Bzuhnenwethfests piel” (Stage - consecrating - festival - play) “Parsifal,” finished, and prod. in 1882. The same year ill-health sent him to Venice, where he d. suddenly. His writings (extravagantly praised and condemned) are pub. in various eds. There is an English translation in 8 volumes, by Wm. Ashton Ellis. m. Cosima, von Biilow of Liszt the divorced and natural (she d. 1930). After his death she had charge of the Festivals for a number years, but 1909 yielded the direction to her son, Siegfried. Since his death, 1930, his widow, Winifred has been in charge. ~ In the half century since W.’s death his music has been universally accepted as the corner-stone of modern operatic repertoires. Concerning his personal character there has been writing, ranging from actual vilification to the most veneration. about his autobiography, controversy centred, that his life history was altered somewhat after a few privately printed copies of the original edition were struck off. It was therefore of sensational interest when, in 1929, the so-called “Burrell Collection” of Wagner i an a, ‘made by an English woman of that name, who wrote a biog. of his earlier years, was discovered in a strongbox in Great Britain after her death. This collection was bought by Mrs. Mary Louise Curtis Bok and now i3 housed at the Curtis Inst. of Music, Phila. But the “revelations” it was supposed to contain, as thus far made public, only in minor details altered the impre ions contained in his book, ‘Mein Leben.” Besides his operas and the other works mentioned he c. a symph. (1832); 6 overtures, incl. “ Konzertouvertiire ziemlich fugirt,” ‘Polonia,” “Columbus,” “Rule Britannia’; “New Year’s Cantata”; incid. mus. to Gleich’s farce “Der Berggeist’’ (Magdeburg, 1836); “ Huldigungsmarsch” (1864, finished by Raff); “Siegfried Idyll’? (1870, for his son then a year old), ‘‘ Kaisermarsch” (2870), “Festival March’ (for the Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia, 1876), ‘“Gelegenheits-Cantata” (for unveiling a statue of King Fried rich, August, 1843), “Gru an den Konig” (1843, pf.), “An Weber’s Grabe” (Funeral for wind-instrs. on motives from Weber’s ‘Eu_ryan the,’ and double quartet for voices, 1844). Pr.: sonata; polonaise, for four hands; fantaisie, ** Albums on ate, fiir Frau Mathilde Wesendonck” (1853); “Ankunft bet den Schwarzen Schwanen” (1861); “Ein Albumblatt fiir Fiirstin Metternich” (1861), “Albumblatt fiir Frau Betty Schott” (1875). Sones: ‘‘Car nav als lied”’ from ‘Das Liebesverbot’’ (1835-36); ‘‘Dors, enfant,” “Mignonne,” “‘Attente’’ (1839-40), “Tes deux Grenadiers’ (1839); ‘“‘Der Tannenbaum’ (1840); ‘‘ Kraft lied chen” (1871), ‘‘Fiinf Gedichte’; 1, “Der “Im Engel”; 2, “Stehe still’; 3, Treibhaus”’; 4, “‘Schmerzen’, 5, ‘‘Tréume’’ (1862). Biog. by C. F. Glasenapp (1876); F. Hueffer (1881); R. Pohl (1883); W. Tappert (1883); H. v. Wolzogen (1883); Ad. Jullien (1886); H. T. Finck (1893); H. S. Chamberlain (1897); E. Dannreuther, F. Prager (1893); G. Kobbé; Glasenapp and Ellis (1900). There are many treatises on his works. His letters have also been published in various forms. Among the vast number of other studies of his life and music are works by Torchi, Lidgey, Henderson, Kienzl, Newman, Mrs. Burrell, Adler, Buerkner, Koch, Schjelderup, Lichtenberger, E. Schmitz, Hadden, Kapp, Pfohl, Batka, Runciman, Huckel, Aldrich, Becker, Black burn, Bue t, Heintz, Krehbiel, Lavignac, McSpadden, Neumann, Pourtalés, Shaw, and_ Wallace. “Wagner-Lexikons” have been published by Tappert and Stein, a “Wagner-Encyclopedia” by Glasenapp, while a comprehensive list of more than 10,000 books and e ays on his life and music is contained in Oesteilein’s “‘ Katalog einer Wagner- Bibliothek.” There is also a “WagnerJ ahrouch” and much material has been i ued in the “‘Bayreuther Blitter,” ed. by Wolzogen. (See articles, page 538.) (4) Siegfried, Triebschen, Lucerne, June 6, 1869—Bayreuth, Aug. 4, 1930; only son of above; attended a polytechnic sch., but took up mus. as pupil of Kniese and Humperdinck; 1893, concert-cond. in Germany, Austria, Italy and England; from 1898 he was teacher in Vienna; 1901 cond. Acad. Singing Society, and Orch.; 1012, cond. special concert of the London Symph. orch.; from 1896 he cond. at Bayreuth; later co-director with his mother, and 1909 both artistic and mus. dir.; in 1924 he visited the U. S. as cond. to raise funds for resumption of the fests. (discontinued 1914); m. Winifred Klindworth, who since his death has had charge at Bayreuth; c. operas “Der Kobold’? (Hamburg, 1904), ‘‘Bruder Lustig’ (do., 1905), “‘Das Sternengebot” (do., 1908), ‘‘Ban a diet rich” (Elberfeld, 1910) and ‘“‘Schwarzschwanenreich” (Black-swan Country), “‘Sonne nfl am men,” “Der Heidenkinig,” ‘Der Fri eden sen gel,” also male and female choruses; a symph. poem “‘Sehnsucht’’ (Schiller), text and music of mod. succ. comic romantic opera “‘Der Bédrenhéduter” (Munich Ct. Th., 1899), unsucc., “ Herzog Wildfang”’ (1901). (5) (Jachmann-Wagner), Johanna, near Hanover, Oct. 13, 1828—Wiirzburg, Oct. 16, 1894; niece of (1); dram. soprano; created ‘‘Elizabeth,” 1845; m. a Judge Jachmann. (vis’-sél), (Wai e’lius) Matthias, b. Bar ten stein, Pru ia; lutenist and composer at Frankfort, 1573- Walcker (vil’-kér), (x) Eberhard Fr., Cannstadt, 1794—Ludwigsburg, 1872; son of a skilled org.-builder; org.-builder; ceeded by his five sons, (2) H. (b. Oct. 10, 1828), (3) Fr. (b. Sept. 17, 1829), (4) K. (b. March 6, 1845), (s) Paul (b. May 31, 1846), and (6) Eberhard (b. April 8, 1850).