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Unforgotten Classics
Wagner as I Knew Him by Ferdinand Christian Wilhelm Praeger
Wagner as I Knew Him by Ferdinand Christian Wilhelm Praeger
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CHAPTER I.
1813-1821.
"The child is father to the man"--Musician, poet, and dramatist--Stage reformer--His grandfather a customs officer--His father, Frederick Wagner, an officer of police, student, and amateur actor--Death of Frederick, 1813--His mother--Eldest brother, Albert, a tenor singer--Sisters Rosalie, Louisa, and Clara, actresses of repute--Ludwig Geyer, a Leipzic actor--Marries Widow Wagner--Family removes to Dresden--Affection of his step-father and mother for him--The girls receive piano-forte lessons--Richard receives a few lessons in drawing from Geyer--Beyond this, up to his ninth year, no regular education is attempted with him--Geyer not of a robust constitution--Wagner plays the bridal chorus from "Der Freischütz" by ear--Geyer's prediction and death
CHAPTER II.
1822-1827.
His visit to an uncle Geyer at Eisleben--The Kreuzschule, Dresden--His facility for languages--His modesty--Wagner a small man--Personal appearance described--Wonder of school professors at unusual mental activity of the delicate small boy--A prey to erysipelas--Love of practical joking--Incident of the Kreuzschule roof--An adept in all bodily exercises--His acrobatic feats--Love for his mother--Affection for animals
CHAPTER III.
1822-1827. Continued.
Richard Wagner enters the Kreuzschule, Dresden, December, 1822--Translation of part of the "Odyssey" by private work--Begins to learn English to read Shakespeare--Writes prize elegy in Germany at eleven years of age--Theodore Körner, pupil of the Kreuzschule and poet of freedom--Metrical translation of Romeo's monologue--His first lessons on the piano--Hatred of finger exercises--Berlioz--Up to fourteen his aspirations distinctly musical
CHAPTER IV.
LEIPZIC, 1827-1831.
Return to Leipzic--The Stadttheater; Rosalie and Louise--Jews, their treatment by Leipzic townspeople--Wagner's attitude towards them--His first love a Jewess--At the St. Nicolas school three years, St. Thomas school and the University a few months each--Describes himself during his Leipzic school-days as "wild, negligent, and idle"--Reprehensible gambling of his mother's pension--Crisis of his life--Haydn's symphonies at the theatres and Beethoven's symphonies in the concert-room--Beethoven a pessimist--Haydn and Mozart optimists--Resolve to become a musician--Private study of theory--His first overture, 1830, laughed at--His marvellously neat penmanship--Takes lessons from Cantor Weinlig--Writes a sonata without one original idea or one phrase of more than common interest--Beethoven his daily study--Weber and Beethoven his models--Combines in himself the special gifts of both, the idealism of the former and the reasoned working of the latter
CHAPTER V.
1832-1836.
Revolution and romanticism at the beginning of the nineteenth century--Its effect on Wagner--First grand symphony for orchestra--Mendelssohn and Wagner--Wondrous dual gift of music and poesy--Portion of an opera, "The Wedding," engaged at Würzburg--Albert Wagner--Life at Würzburg--First opera, "The Fairies"--Schroeder-Devrient and "The Novice of Palermo"--Stage manager at Magdeburg, 1834--Views upon German National drama and national life
CHAPTER VI.
1836-1839.
Life and troubles at Magdeburg--Wagner marries--Minna Planer: the woman, her home, her trustful love--Reflections on his life at Magdeburg--His ability as a conductor of the orchestra and singers--Popularity of Auber and Rossini--Renewed trials at Königsberg, 1837--Success of Meyerbeer--Paris the ruler of German taste--Wagner's ambition of going to Paris--Sends sketch of new libretto to Scribe--No answer--Writes an overture on "Rule Britannia," and sends it to Sir George Smart--Not noticed-- Wagner's impressions of stage life after his experience at Würzburg, Magdeburg, and Königsberg--Visit to Dresden and "Rienzi"--Conductor at Riga, 1839--His difficulties increase--Paris the sole hope of relief--Resolves to go to Paris--Sets sail for London--"The Champagne Mill"--Arrival in London
CHAPTER VII.
EIGHT DAYS IN LONDON, 1839.
First impression--Puts up at cheap hotel in Old Compton Street, Soho--Loss and return of t
1813-1821.
"The child is father to the man"--Musician, poet, and dramatist--Stage reformer--His grandfather a customs officer--His father, Frederick Wagner, an officer of police, student, and amateur actor--Death of Frederick, 1813--His mother--Eldest brother, Albert, a tenor singer--Sisters Rosalie, Louisa, and Clara, actresses of repute--Ludwig Geyer, a Leipzic actor--Marries Widow Wagner--Family removes to Dresden--Affection of his step-father and mother for him--The girls receive piano-forte lessons--Richard receives a few lessons in drawing from Geyer--Beyond this, up to his ninth year, no regular education is attempted with him--Geyer not of a robust constitution--Wagner plays the bridal chorus from "Der Freischütz" by ear--Geyer's prediction and death
CHAPTER II.
1822-1827.
His visit to an uncle Geyer at Eisleben--The Kreuzschule, Dresden--His facility for languages--His modesty--Wagner a small man--Personal appearance described--Wonder of school professors at unusual mental activity of the delicate small boy--A prey to erysipelas--Love of practical joking--Incident of the Kreuzschule roof--An adept in all bodily exercises--His acrobatic feats--Love for his mother--Affection for animals
CHAPTER III.
1822-1827. Continued.
Richard Wagner enters the Kreuzschule, Dresden, December, 1822--Translation of part of the "Odyssey" by private work--Begins to learn English to read Shakespeare--Writes prize elegy in Germany at eleven years of age--Theodore Körner, pupil of the Kreuzschule and poet of freedom--Metrical translation of Romeo's monologue--His first lessons on the piano--Hatred of finger exercises--Berlioz--Up to fourteen his aspirations distinctly musical
CHAPTER IV.
LEIPZIC, 1827-1831.
Return to Leipzic--The Stadttheater; Rosalie and Louise--Jews, their treatment by Leipzic townspeople--Wagner's attitude towards them--His first love a Jewess--At the St. Nicolas school three years, St. Thomas school and the University a few months each--Describes himself during his Leipzic school-days as "wild, negligent, and idle"--Reprehensible gambling of his mother's pension--Crisis of his life--Haydn's symphonies at the theatres and Beethoven's symphonies in the concert-room--Beethoven a pessimist--Haydn and Mozart optimists--Resolve to become a musician--Private study of theory--His first overture, 1830, laughed at--His marvellously neat penmanship--Takes lessons from Cantor Weinlig--Writes a sonata without one original idea or one phrase of more than common interest--Beethoven his daily study--Weber and Beethoven his models--Combines in himself the special gifts of both, the idealism of the former and the reasoned working of the latter
CHAPTER V.
1832-1836.
Revolution and romanticism at the beginning of the nineteenth century--Its effect on Wagner--First grand symphony for orchestra--Mendelssohn and Wagner--Wondrous dual gift of music and poesy--Portion of an opera, "The Wedding," engaged at Würzburg--Albert Wagner--Life at Würzburg--First opera, "The Fairies"--Schroeder-Devrient and "The Novice of Palermo"--Stage manager at Magdeburg, 1834--Views upon German National drama and national life
CHAPTER VI.
1836-1839.
Life and troubles at Magdeburg--Wagner marries--Minna Planer: the woman, her home, her trustful love--Reflections on his life at Magdeburg--His ability as a conductor of the orchestra and singers--Popularity of Auber and Rossini--Renewed trials at Königsberg, 1837--Success of Meyerbeer--Paris the ruler of German taste--Wagner's ambition of going to Paris--Sends sketch of new libretto to Scribe--No answer--Writes an overture on "Rule Britannia," and sends it to Sir George Smart--Not noticed-- Wagner's impressions of stage life after his experience at Würzburg, Magdeburg, and Königsberg--Visit to Dresden and "Rienzi"--Conductor at Riga, 1839--His difficulties increase--Paris the sole hope of relief--Resolves to go to Paris--Sets sail for London--"The Champagne Mill"--Arrival in London
CHAPTER VII.
EIGHT DAYS IN LONDON, 1839.
First impression--Puts up at cheap hotel in Old Compton Street, Soho--Loss and return of t
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