_Bayreuther Blätter_ Year 4: The 1881 Issues
Laon
Some interesting things happened in this year, both in the magazine
itself and in Wagner's reaction to it. But I'll try to finish my
comments on 1880 before moving to 1881.
I'll be reading Constantin Frantz's February-March piece on the
philosophy of militarism, which I would expect, like his previous
piece, to be opposed to militarism: but I'll check this one way or the
other. Wagner's own articles for this year, the so-called
"regeneration writings", are well known and have been much argued
over. I'm therefore likely to focus on other material from 1881.
In the meantime, can anybody help me with this phrase of Hans von
Wolzogen's:
"Von der Sperlingsgasse bis zum Krähenfelde"?
That translates, sort of as "From the Street of Sparrows to the
Crowfield", but I assume that there's an idiom or literary reference,
or something, that I've missed. Can anyone help?
Anyway, the contents of the 1881 issues follow below my signoff.
Cheers!
Laon
First Issue: January 1881, pages 1 - 32
To our Readers
Art and Science (Friedrich von Hausegger)
La Renaissance. Scènes historiques, par le Comte de Gobineau
(discussed by Heinrich von Stein)
A Contribution to Understanding the Characteristics of our Time: V. A
Further Word on "The Decay and Rescue of the German Language" (Martin
Pluddemann)
Business Section: An Explanation by the Bayreuth Executive Committee
to the Patrons Associations
Double Issue: February - March 1881, pages 33 - 88
Further Remarks on Religion and Art: Know Thyself (Richard Wagner)
Richard Wagner's Regeneration Idea I (Robert Springer)
Symphony and Drama (Joseph Rubinstein)
On Partial Repetitions (W Langhans)
A Contribution to Understanding the Characteristics of our Time:
VI: On the Philosophy of militarism (Constantin Frantz)
VII: Open letter to Herr von Hulsen, General Manager of the King's
Prussian Hoftheatre
Historical section: Messages from the present: Music in England
(Edward Dannreuther)
Reports from the Present: The Call for Transvaal
Business Section: Excerpt from the Bayreuth Patrons Association Rules
Supplement: The Scientific Worthlessness of Vivisection (Dr (Med)
Richard Nages), pages 1 - 20
Fourth Issue: April 1881, pages 89 - 120
Some Examples of Staging, from the 1876 Festival: _Die Walküre_ Act I
(Heinrich Porges)
Richard Wagner's Regeneration Idea II (Robert Springer)
A Contribution to Understanding the Characteristics of our Time:
VIII: Scharfenberg Island (Leo Alfieri)
IX. Towards a Criticism of _Parsifal_: 1. (Hans von Wolzogen)
Business Section: Bayreuth Patrons Association, Statement of Assets,
from 1 January 1881
Double issue: May - June 1881, pages 121 - 184
An Opinion on the Current World Situation. An Ethnological Resumé by
Count Gobineau.
Introduced by Richard Wagner
To 2 May 1881 (Ludwig Schemann)
Richard Wagner's Regeneration Idea III (Robert Springer)
Richard Wagner's Harmonies in the Lietmotives of _Tristan und Isolde_
Prelude: Described by Karl Mayrberger
A Contribution to Understanding the Characteristics of our Time:
IX. Towards a Criticism of _Parsifal_: 2. (Hans von Wolzogen)
Supplement: An Announcement by the Leipzig Delegates: A Wagner Bust by
Prof zur Strassen
Seventh Issue: July 1881, pages 185 - 216
Shakespeare as Judge of the Renaissance (Heinrich von Stein)
Some Examples of Staging, from the 1876 Festival: _Die Walküre_ Act I
Scene 2 (Heinrich Porges)
A Contribution to Understanding the Characteristics of our Time:
IX. Towards a Criticism of _Parsifal_ 3. (Hans von Wolzogen)
Historical Section: Messages from the Present
Eighth Issue: August 1881, pages 217 - 248
On Goethe's Wanderjahre (Heinrich von Stein)
Some Examples of Staging, from the 1876 Festival: _Die Walküre_ Act
II, Scenes 3 - 5. (Heinrich Porges)
A Contribution to Understanding the Characteristics of our Time:
X. Towards a Criticism of _Parsifal_ 4. (Hans von Wolzogen)
Historical Section: Messages from the Present
Supplement: Supplement to the History of the Wagner Associations
Ninth Issue: September 1881, pages 249 - 280
Further Remarks on Religion and Art: Heroism and Christianity
(Richard Wagner)
Some Examples of Staging from the 1876 Festival: _Die Walküre_ Act III
(Heinrich Porges)
A Contribution to Understanding the Characteristic of our Time:
Towards a Criticism of _Parsifal_ 5. (Hans von Wolzogen)
Historical Section: Voices from the Past: From ETA Hoffmann's works,
collected by Martin Pluddemann
Messages from the Present
Double Issue: October - November 1881, pages 281 - 344
First Half (pages 281 - 312)
On the first Lustrum ["five year period"] (Heinrich von Stein)
Luther's Pessimism and Optimism (Bruno Bauer)
A Contribution to Understanding the Characteristics of our Time: X:
Glimpses of Light on Contemporary Times. Preface 1. Franz Liszt 1
(Heinrich Porges)
On Tragedy: A sketch (Franz Lemmermeyer)
Historical Section: Voices from the past (Martin Luther)
Messages from the Present
Business Section: The Bayreuth Stage Festival
Second Half (pages 313 - 344)
Art and Artists of the Past, in the Light of the Art of the Future.
General Introduction (Ludwig Schemann)
Historical section: Voices from the past: Heinrich von Kleist (Hans
von Wolzogen)
Messages from the Present. A Public Promise concerning Parsifal
Performances
Twelth Issue: December 1881, pages 345 - 372
On Rousseau's Works and their Consequences (Heinrich von Stein)
A Contribution to Understanding the Characteristics of our Time: XI:
Glimpses of Light on Contemporary Times. 2. From the Sperlingsgasse
[Sparrow lane] to the Krähenfelde [crow field] (Hans von Wolzogen)
Historical section: Karl Brandt, an Obituary
General Purpose Register
Supplements for the Whole Year 1881, for Subscribers
Religion and Art, Together with the Afterword: What Use is this
Knowledge? (Richard Wagner)
For the Delegates: Seasons Greetings from the _Bayreuth Blätter_ to
Franz Liszt (Heinrich von Stein)
For our Colleagues: Program (Report and Requests) from the Editor.
Edward A. Cowan
> In the meantime, can anybody help me with this phrase of Hans von
> Wolzogen's:
> "Von der Sperlingsgasse bis zum Krähenfelde"?
>
> That translates, sort of as "From the Street of Sparrows to the
> Crowfield", but I assume that there's an idiom or literary reference,
> or something, that I've missed. Can anyone help?
"Sperlingsgasse" may refer to a story by Wilhelm Raabe, "Die Chronik der
Sperlingsgasse" (see:
http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/raabe/sperling/sperling.htm). (This is the
full text of the novel at the site "Projekt Gutenberg," a splendid
resource for full texts from German literature.) The novel is part of
the literary realism of the 19th century.
What this has to do with Wagner eludes me. Perhaps it even has *nothing*
to do with Wagner! <g>
Not sure about "Krähenfelde"...
--E.A.C.
Laon
it clear that his attitude to the magazine has soured still further.
He still liked some individual articles, and I'll fairly represent
those positive reactions, but basically, the picture by the end of
1881 is that Wagner wanted the _Blätter_ to shut down. The difficulty
was that the magazine had become Wolzogen's living, and he didn't know
what Wolzogen could do if he didn't have the _Blätter_.
Wagner's positive reactions first. On January 3, he re-read his own
articles and (surprising given Wagner's proverbial modesty) he "was
pleased with them. He still intends to add to them."
On other writers, Wagner praised Rubinstein most: the article on
Schumann came in for mixed praise on January 16, and Rubinstein's
piece on tonality in Mozart was given unalloyed praise on February 28.
A Stein article was praised on September 19, and called "over-ornate"
on November 28. Bruno Bauer's article on Martin Luther "gratifies us
all" (November 28). Wagner is also said to have been depressed by a
vivisection supplement (March 18), which is perhaps a tribute to its
effectiveness.
But that's the lot. Those were Wagner's positive comments on the
_Blätter_ in 1881. More typically, an article by Porges was said to
cause Richard and Cosima as much amusement as concern, "since its lack
of clarity in expression make its good intentions and occasional
judiciousness even more terrible!" (November 28, again.) Wolzogen
himself fared worst. Wagner mocked a Wolzogen article on _Parsifal_
to Wolzogen's face on October 2, and returned to the attack, this time
sans Wolzogen, a couple of days later. And he angrily rubbished
Wolzogen's article on Kleist, the one with the mysterious
"Sperlingsgasse zum Krähenfelde" title, on December 18.
Wolzogen was referred to with less than respect in other contexts as
well. He was called a "serpent", though in a jocular way, on June 8,
and a "bore" on July 14; the "bore" charge was repeated a few other
times, though Wolzogen was always one of a list of bores, not singled
out in particular. On November 27, "a letter from friend Wolz. about
the _Blätter_ arouses his displeasure, and he [Wagner] bemoans all he
has encountered by way of assistance and understanding." [It seems
that Wolzogen - or some other person - tried to obliterate that
passage.]
Despite the steady shrinking of Wagner's respect for Wolzogen (and as
we will see, that respect shrinks still further in 1882), Wagner
remained on good personal terms with Wolzogen; and concerned for his
welfare.
As for the _Blätter_ itself, Wagner spoke of its "superfluity" on
January 25. On March 28, "R. says he would like to set the _B. Bl_
free, like a baby severed from the umbilical cord."
The theme of shutting down the _Blätter_, or disassociating himself
from it recurs in September. On September 16, Cosima says she and
Richard talked of the _Blätter_ in terms of turning it over to a
committee. By September 17 this has become more drastic: close the
magazine, give it an overhaul, and only then re-open it: "The
_Blätter_ and its demise and rebirth are still keeping us occupied."
But a couple of days later Wagner is more resigned, and ready to walk
away. "When we are talking in the palace gardens about ways of
changing the _Blätter_, R. says, 'Let the ghost do what it likes'."
(September 19.)
His last comment for 1881 was on December 6: "We conclude the evening
with a discussion of the _B. Blätter_; R. feels that it should be
allowed to die, though he is concerned about Wolz.'s fate."
So what did Wagner want from the _Blätter_?
Surprisingly, what he said to von Stein on 6 July 1880 seems to be a
consistent theme: Wagner really does seem to have wanted, more than
anything else, more aggressively critical arts coverage in the
_Bayreuther Blätter_. On 6 July 1880 he had said he wanted "much more
criticism in it, reviews of performances, plays, etc., instead of a
lot of drivel."
That continues as a theme in 1881. Thus on January 16 1881, he wanted
Rubinstein's mostly uncomplimentary article about Schumann to be more
detailed: to cover (presumably still in an uncomplimentary manner)
"Schu. as composer of oratorio, as symphonist, opera-composer etc."
On July 15 Richard and Cosima agree that Grillparzer's Sappho is flat,
and absurd. "We wish we could find a critic for the _Blätter_ who
could denounce all this idol worship." On December 7, "he described
the kind of criticism it [the _Blätter_] should have published, eg a
condemnation of the whole piano mentality, etc."
I don't really understand Wagner's mysterious dislike of "the piano
mentality", I'm afraid. Theories are welcome. But what Wagner
repeatedly said was that he wanted more arts commentary and criticism,
that was less "conciliatory" than the articles contributed by the
regular _Blätter_ crew. (It's fair to say, I think, that his own
articles don't really live up to this prescription.)
And Wagner's attitude seems to have hardened (though it has to be said
that he remained inconsistent) on what he _didn't_ want in the
_Blätter_. In 1880 he had previously talked on inviting doctors to
write anti-vivisection material for the _Blätter_. But on February 24
1881 Wagner told Wolzogen "we cannot champion special causes in our
_Blätter_, but must always confine ourselves to defining and
demonstrating the ideal, leaving those outside to fight for their
special cause[s]; for the same reason we cannot join in the Jewish
agitation."
There was an explosion from Wagner in 1882, when Wolzogen didn't
follow Wagner's prescription on this. But we'll come to 1882 shortly.
Finally, for 1881, I mentioned that Constanin Frantz wrote a piece on
"The Philosophy of Militarism". This did indeed turn out to be an
attack on militarism in general, and on General von Molkte in
particular.
Molkte had said that war was sanctioned by God; and in return Frantz
gave him both rhetorical barrels, as it were. In this article, Frantz
did not sully his attack on militarism with antisemitic asides.
Speaking of German militarism and military spending, while following
Wagner's response to _Blätter_ articles, I was struck by Richard's
remark to Cosima, on December 1: "Over coffee I read that a further 20
million marks are to be spent on the army; R. says jokingly, 'Germany
is a beggar armed to the teeth. It is as well not to meet us on the
street.'"
That's it for 1881; and this exercise with the _Blätter_ during
Wagner's lifetime is nearly finished.
Cheers!
Laon
PS: Edward, thanks for your pointing to Raabe, re "Sperlingsgasse".
However on closer inspection Wolzogen's article, "Von der
Sperlingsgasse bis zum Krähenfelde" seems to be about Kleist. Though
as you said, "Sperlingsgasse" would seem to be more Raabe's territory
than Kleist's. Perhaps Raabe's "Die Chronik der Sperlingsgasse" does
figure in the fine print somewhere, but I may never find out. After
confirming that the article is irrelevant to my current purpose, I
haven't given it much more attention.
The "Sparrowlane to the Crowfields" reference in the title seems to be
some sort of metaphor about town and country, and I'm leaving that
there.
Edward A. Cowan
> The "Sparrowlane to the Crowfields" reference in the title seems to be
> some sort of metaphor about town and country, and I'm leaving that
> there.
Your guess there is as good as mine, I should think...
--E.A.C.