RICHARD WAGNER ON BEETHOVEN.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1970, 17 June 1880, Page 3

RICHARD WAGNER ON BEETHOVEN.

Considerable interest has been excited in Home musical circles by a translation by Edward Dannreuther of "Bichard Wagner on Beethoven." "Baton," the musical correspondent of the " Weekly Dispatch," thus writes of the work : "This remarkable work was written in 1870, and was intended as Wagner's contribution to the centenary celebrations held in honor of Beethoven in that year. It is well known that Wagner recognizes in the Bonn master not only the greatest of all musicians —that is universally admitted —but the only musician with whom he is in sympathy in his peculiar views and theories on art. Prior to Beethoven, music, according to the Beyrouth reformer, was but a diversion for the ears, and was, moreover, cramped in its utterances by a rigid formalism. Haydn could not free himself from this baneful influence because he was a courtier, and depended for his means of subsistence on the pleasure of princes. Mozart a far greater genius, died too young to'underßtand the true mission of his art, as indeed he confessed on his deathbed. Beethoven on the contrary, with his savage independence and democratic leanings, lived in a world of his own, entirely impervious to outer considerations. This enabled him to give free range to his imagination, and in him we recognise for the first time, a true tone poet. For Wagner's viow is that musio, like poetry, can give us an ideal picture of the world ; but one ifar more vivid than poetry, because music appeals directly to the mind, and not through the medium of words. Thus, the sublime " Leonora " overture of Beethoven paints the inoidents of tho drama in flaming characters, and the subsequent representation on the stage seems weak and unsatisfactory by comparison. The overture to "Coriolan " is quoted as another instance of this marvellous power of music. Wagner insists upon the necessity of closing our eyes and mental perceptions to all surrounding circumstances if we would realise the true significance of musio in its highest sphere. Thus the unmeaning motions of the fiddle-bows and tho ridiculous gestures of the conductor arc so many disturbing influences that we ignore, perhaps, but which it wonid be of great advantage to 'dispense with. Hence the advisability of placing the executants out of sight,

as at Beyrouth. Throughout this eesay we obtain frequent glimpses of that spirit of egotism which prompts Wagner not only to formulate his lofty theories on the power of music, but to advance himself as one capable of carrying out these theories. Of course shallow critics, who cannot understand the questions at issue, at onoe perceive the weak places in Herr Wagner's armour, and make the most of them. This is not the true spirit of oriticism, The judioial mind will pass by with a smile of indifference the evidences of humanity which make thornselves apparent in the works of a great genius, and consider only the material significance of that which is written. I have merely glanced at ono or two of the points in this volume, but there are many other features on which it would be possible to dwell did not the exigencies of space forbid. Mr Dannreuther must bo highly complimented for the successful manner in which he has rendered Wagner's very idiomatic German into intelligible English."