Wagner's influence in operatic reform was largely directed toward suppressing the undue ascendeney of the prima donna. Opera had sunk absolutely to the level of a series of de tached pieces intended wholly for vocal display. The Wagner music-dramas require great singers. but these do nut absolutely dominate everything. Moreover, an intellectual and dramatic grasp of their roles is demanded of them, and it is through their interpretations, viewed from a higher stand point than that of mere solfeggio, that their achievements now are judged. No longer. too, are inane librettos, like those of the old-style operas, tolerated. ("What is too stupid to be spoken is sung."—Voltaire.) The book of the modern mnsical stage work has become, thanks to Wagner, a thing of serious moment. As for the reform wrought through Wagner in the scenic setting, mechanical effects, and staging of opera, that is too obvious to need more than reference. Besides Wagner's stage works there may be mentioned his kitiseraturseh I in evict ration of the forming of the new. German Empire), Hut (flip/arm/m/1.80f (dedicated to King Ludwig), ilarrh (sec below), and Siegfried lle composed some heautiful songs. lit addition to his libretti, he wrote much in de fense of his theories, and among other essays his famous this Judea/um is dcr which caused intense feeling and subjected him to many attacks. It drew oat more than a hundred published replies.
WAC:a ER'S USIC rx AMERICA. Although Wagner never was in this country, the possibility of his coining over here often is referred to in his letters. References occur as early as 1848. In a letter to his friend Wilhelm Fischer, chorus master of the Royal Theatre, Dresden. he speaks of America as a 'possible money source.' In 1555 Ferdinand Praeger emitributed to the Musical published in NeW York by D1nsnn Brothers (sons of Lowell Mason), two letters from London describing Wagner's work with the London Philharmonic Society. His personal characteristies also were intf.restingly set forth and these letters, contributed at this compara tively early date to an American periodical, are noteworthy items in the Wagneriana of those days, In April, 1855, the New York Philharmonic Society, during the first year of Carl Bergmann's conduetorship, and in its thirteenth season, gave its first performance of a Wagner work—the Tannhauser overture, which made a profound im pression. Possibly it was this, coupled with the Praeger letters, which led Mason Ifrothers to make Wagner an offer to come to the United States. The amount offered seems to have been from $10,000 to $12,000, and he was to conduct eon cents in the country for six months. The offer was the subject of some interesting correspond ence between Wagner and Liszt. Though gen erous for the times and a godsend to Wag ner in his unfortunate cireumstanees, his artistic conscience dictated that he s .ould re main closely in touch with .German senti ments and ideals in the working out of his colossal theory of a new type of musieo-dramatic production. in a]] matters at issue between his material needs and his artistic conscience Wagner always decided 'promptly in the latter's favor; and he declined the offer. In 1S73 an offer came to him from Chicago, with promise of ample capital. to produce his Ring of the :Vibe lung there. But again he realized that his mis
sion lay in Germany. In 1880 he put an end to all further offers by stating- that he would not come to America for less than $1.000.000.
Probably Wagner's music was first played in the United States by the traveling Germania Orchestra, which came over in 1848. and whose repertoire included the Tiiet1:4 and Tana/Muser overtures. The first production of a Wagner opera in America occurred at the Stadt Theatre, New York, where, in April. 1859. Bergmann conducted Tannhiiuser with relics of a defunct German opera company as principals and a chorus from the Arion Society. Sporadic per formances of Tannhiiuscr were given at the Stadt Theatre in July, 1861, and of that opera and Lohencp•in in 1870; but Wagner gained his first foothold on the American operatic stage when Strakosch brought out Lohengrin (ill Italian) in March, 1874, in the Academy of Music, with Campanini as Lohengrin, Christine Nilsson as Elsa. Annie Louise Cary as Ortrud. Del Puente as Telramund. Nanetti as King Henry, and Blum as the Herald. In 1884 Dr. Damrosch established German opera at the Opera House. New York, and produced Die M"alhiIrc early in 1885. This was the first performance of a Wag nerian music-drama in America, as the per formances during a so-called 'Wagner Festival' under Adolf Neuendorff at the Academy of Music in the spring of 1877 were so inadequate as to be absolutely harmful to the Wagner cause. Since 1884-85 all the Wagner operas and music-dramas, except Poesiful, have been given repeatedly. Lehmann. Nordica, Ternina, Niemann, Alvary, and Jean he Reszke are the singers, and besides Dr. Dantrosch„ Seidl is the conductor. most closely identified with the establishment of Wagner opera and music-drama in America.
On Christmas Eye, 1903, Parsifal was produced at the Metropolitan Opera House. New York, for the first time outside of Bayreuth.
In 1875 Wagner accepted from Theodore Thomas, who, through his concerts, prepared more than any one else in this country the way for Wagner music-drama, an offer of S5000 for a "Centennial March" for the opening of the Cen tennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Wagner is said to have remarked that the best thing about the march was the money he got for it—a dis criminating judgment.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Among the numerous biogBibliography. Among the numerous biog- raphies of Wagner may be mentioned Glasenapp (Leipzig, 1894-99) ; Tappert (Elberfeld, 1883) ; Gautier (Paris. 1882) ; Nohl, trans. (Chicago, 1884) : Jullien (Paris, 1886) ; Kobbe (New York, 1890) ; Mnneker (Bamberg, 1891) ; Finek, (New York, 1593) : Chamberlain, trans. (Lon don, 1897) ; llende•son (New York, 1901) : Vogel (Leipzig, 1853). For his importance theoretical ly and technically in the field of music, consult: Wolzogcn. Erinn(rongen, on (Vienna, 1883) ; Krehbiel, Studics in the Drain(' (New• York, 1891) : Chalnherlain, Das Drama Ilogners (Leipzig, 1892) ; Ernst, L'urt de Wagner ( Paris, 1893) ; Schuri."., Lc drame music-n1 (3(1 ed., ib., 1895) ; Lavignae, Thc Music Dramas of inigv,T (London, 1898) ; New man, .1 Study of IIugurr (New York, 1S99); Lichtenberger, hI"uqin•, tier Diektcr Denker (Dresden. 1899) : Harmonic ct !odic 1585) ; and the writings of Liszt.