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THE: M U S I C
TRADE:
RE:VI£:W
"I was sincerely shocked. A modest artist, reuth, I saw Wagner in a most characteristic
the first I had ever met in all my long experi- situation. At the rehearsal of "Parsifal" the gar-
den scene had just been sung and danced giori-
ence as an interviewer!
The Famous Pianist Who Visits These Shores
" 'I remember one incident above all others,' ously, and Wagner, in his exuberant joy, hugged
Next Season Chats of the Great Masters and
said Reisenauer, reminiscently, 'when Liszt and and kissed the artists, and the stage manager,
Other Matters.
a few of his pupils were invited by Wagner to and then, quite beside himself, got down on al!
fours, barked like a aog, bit at Cosima Wagner's
Search through the types of long-haired and go over from Bayreuth to Weimar, to see one of
languorous geniuses, from Rembrandt and Ary the final rehearsals of "Parsifal." We spent skirts, and finally ended up by throwing his legs
Scheffer, to Christy, Gibson, and other "wash" several hours in that delightful manner, and in the air and balancing himself on his head and
painters of our own period, and you will not find when Wagner's work was over we all adjourned hands. At that moment Liszt, I, and the other
•one face or one figure which suggests in the re- to the Hotel Sonne, where our host had ordered pupils walked on to the stage. Quick as a flash,
motest degree the outward personality of Alfred supper for our party and for several friends of Liszt (who always played the role of Wagner's
Heisenauer, the great pianist. Far more likely his own. Eating, drinking, and smoking, we self-constituted defender), said to us: "If that's
are you to see his replica among the portentous were exceedingly merry, when the conversation a pose, too, then, by thunder, it's one of the hard-
bankers of Wall street, or among the pillars of drifted to musical improvisation and its expo- est in the world to hold."
" 'Wagner could never stand a joke when the
the judicial bench. Alfred Reisenauer looks sane nents, past and present. I offered a hypothesis
and businesslike, and does not wear the cus- which was rejected by every one present except point was turned against him, unless he told it
tomary extraneous badges of his profession. No Liszt. I explained in part what I thought any himself, and at such times he would laugh louder
sinister black capes for him, no Manfred-like thorough musician should be able to do. A lively than any of his listeners. A story which he once
gloom about his eyes, no locks like weeping wil- debate ensued, which was interrupted by Liszt, related to- me and several others of the inner
lows, and no hints of suicide, and sonatas com- who exclaimed: "Why talk so much? Alfred circle of his intimates, dealt with an experience
posed by pallid moonlight. There is nothing in will argue it out on the piano. He uses his fin- in London, when he gave several orchestral con-
Reisenauer's rugged features, well-trimmed hair gers better than his tongue. Come!" And we certs there, for the purpose of raising tunds with
which to carry out the.Bayreuth project. At a
of modern cut, keen, lively eyes, and heavy mus- followed Liszt to the music room.
tache of the "baseball" type, to suggest the tra-
" 'To play for the greatest pianist of his day dinner given to Wagner several days before the
ditional musician of the lady fictionist's story- was at any time a trying ordeal for me. But to concert, which was to take place in St. James
book. And to cap it all, there is never a sign play at this moment seemed almost cataclysmal, Hall, a number of musical celebrities were pres-
between Reisenauer's lips of that ubiquitous for Wagner's friends, of whom I spoke before, ent, but the composer was also compelled to rub
cigarette which artists are supposed to "puff were Bulow, Lassen, Raff, Cornelius, and Klind- elbows with a score or so of noblemen and bank-
nervously," or to "roll with slim fingers." Rei- worth, all musical celebrities of the highest ers who had been invited because of their wealth
senauer prefers infinitely to solace himself with rank. You can well imagine that I was, ah—a and influence, and were wanted for the propa-
ganda of the Bayreuth Theatre. Wagner was
the succulent cigar, and the largest and blackest little nervous.
examples of the Havana weed are exactly to the
" 'I asked for half a dozen themes.
These told to be especially amiable to Lord Pitkin, a
taste of the valiant pianist.
were written down on a piece of paper passed most unmusical man, but one high in the social
and financial counsels of the land.
"Reisenauer was smoking precisely such a around by Liszt, who said: "I predict something
" 'Where is your entertainment to be?' asked
cigar, about the size of a young torpedo," says interesting. Young Reisenauer is a born impro-
his
lordship, after being introduced to Wagner.
visator.
You
have,
each
of
you,
given
him
a
Leonard Leibling, "when I presented myself on
" 'At St. James' Hall,' replied the latter, 'the
the veranda of his modest yet beautiful little theme, and he will bind them into a musical
villa not far from the pretty town of Schechen, bouquet, sprayed with the fountain of his imag- day after to-morrow. I hope your lordship will
be able to come.'
ination."
near Lake Constance, in the southern part of
" 'I may, I may,' replied the great personage,
" 'The task that had been set to me was to
Germany. I had passed through acres and acres
of beautiful rolling country, dotted here and make a fantasy on themes from Liszt's second 'if my engagements do not prevent."
"The concert took place as scheduled, and a
there with drowsy hamlets and slow-moving rhapsody (not as familiar then as it is now),
windmills, and stretches of fragrant forest, and Wagner's "Parsifal," Strauss' "Blue Danube" week or so later a rich patron of Wagner cele-
yellow meadows big with ripening crops. Then, waltz, "Lorelei," the old German folk-song, a brated the success of the venture by giving a
at a spot where the nearby Swiss mountains manuscript suite for orchestra, by Bulow, and soiree in honor of the composer. Lord Pitkin
seemed to separate for a moment in order to Cornelius' "Barber of Bagdad." And the compos- was prominent among the guests, and after the
form a cradle for the most enchanting valley I ers of four of those works sat opposite me, wait- ladies had retired and left the gentlemen alone
have ever seen, my driver pointed with his whip ing to hear me improvise on their melodies! Can at table, that polite noble walked over to Wag-
at the fairy vision and said, 'That is Herr Rei- you imagine a situation more trying for a young ner's place and congratulated hhn heartily.
" 'I was at your entertainment,' said Lord Pit-
senauer's estate.' And as I gazed at the magic artist?'
scene, it was not difficult for me to divine where
" 'I rejected for the moment the glass of cham- kin, 'and I don't know when I've enjoyed any-
the great artist becomes imbued with some of pagne offered me by Wagner for a good cigar thing more than I did your part of it. By Jove!
the inspiration that falls from his finger tips tendered me by Liszt. And then I began, and I laughed till I cried. You are very funny, Herr
when he plays the piano in public.
played on and on for nearly an hour, feeling Wagner.'
"The company stopped talking, and an amazed
"Seated on the spacious piazza of Reisenauer's inspired by the mere presence of my illustrious
wonderland villa, several moments passed before auditors, and emboldened by their interested look spread over Wagner's face.
" 'But you know,' continued the amiable and
I was able to descend to earth and speak of ordi- silence. I confess I was at times in rather tight
places. The transition from the "Blue Danube" innocent Lord Pitkin, 'it was almost half an hour
nary matters.
" 'I could drink in this scene all day, Herr to "Parsifal" presented a yawning gap that before I recognized you, with your black face
Reisenauer,' I sai< ] at last. 'You had better drink rather awed me for a moment, but—I made it. and crinkly hair.'
"When Lord Pitkin stopped laughing at the
in some of this rare old Moselle first,' replied my I paraphrased all the themes as a beginning, then
host, taking a bottle and glasses from a servant I wove in counter melodies, then I drove the reminiscence he saw that he was alone in his
•who had appeared. 'It is beautiful, I know,' he subjects tandem, then I set them against one an- merriment.
" 'Why—what—I hope I haven't—it was St.
•continued quickly, 'and I love it. I spend all my other, then I sent them up into the thin musical
'
summers here in work—oftentimes serious, fre- blue so far that they were almost unrecogniz- James' Hall, wasn't it—I—er
able, then I brought them back with a few pulls
"Some one then explained to Lord Pitkin that
quently recreative.'
"Entrancing as were the surroundings, I knew, at the harmonic guiding lines, and made them St. James' Hall consisted of a lower and an
however, that the new Wagner stories which I dance, and prance, and show all the musical upper hall, and that his lordship had evidently
had come after were more important to the paces which aptitude and instinct of the moment wandered by mistake into the one where on that
American newspapers than pen pictures of an suggested. Finally, I reached what I had same evening there was a jubilee entertainment
artist's bungalow, beautiful though it might be. heard Americans call "the girand-stand play," by the Moore and Burgess Minstrels.
"But Lord Pitkin was not the only nobleman
Therefore, 'exit Swiss geography, and enter Wag- when I tossed three distinct melodies into the
air, and had them all disporting themselves mer- who succeeded in wounding Wagner's exquisite
ner atmosphere,' I said to myself.
rily at the same time, dressed in iridiscent har- sensibilities. There was the Grand Duke of Wei-
"Knowing that the great pianist had not only
monic hues, and shot through with all the bril- mar, for instance, who used to patronize Liszt,
been a favorite pupil but a boon companion of
liant technical tracery that my youthful daring because it was the fashion to do so, but who
Franz Liszt, Wagner's father-in-law, I asked
allowed me to employ. It was great spore, I can knew no more about music than he did about the
Reisenauer to tell me some characteristic stories
tell you, and I learned then and there that the identity of the Delphic oracle. At one of the
of the composer of 'Parsifal,' some little happen-
great ones in music like a pryotechnical display Liszt soirees, Wagner was present to hear some
ings of human interest, that would reveal the
sometimes as well as the ordinary mortals. Yes, of the pupils, including myself, play a few ex-
real man under the outward veneer of proud
I finished, and that was something.
cerpts from his operas, arranged for piano by
greatness, which Wagner loved so well to show
" 'Wagner was always more or less self-con- Liszt and Tausig. During the little concert the
the world. Reisenauer seemed to be embarrassed
by the request, and replied: 'The only unpub- scious,' said Reisenauer, gracefully ignoring fur- Grand Duke of Weimar entered quietly, without
lished stories which I know about Wagner, con- ther questioning, and diverging of his own ac- being announced, and heard me play the beauti-
cern the days when I was studying at Weimar cord to another subject, 'and many persons in- ful Liszt setting of the "Liebestod' from 'Tristan
und Isolde.' On finishing, I was congratulated
with Liszt, and spent many happy and never-to- sisted that he never quite dropped his pose. Of
be-forgotten hours with that great man and his course, his intimate friends saw him at rare in- by Liszt and by the Grand Duke. His Grace did
greater friend, Richard Wagner. If I tell you tervals in moods that could be called anything not know the 'Liebestod' melody from a Strauss
about him, I shall perforce be obliged to tell you but premeditated. For instance, on the same waltz, but he judged that I had played well be-
day that I had my improvising adventure in Bay- cause I was applauded.
something about myself.'
REISENAUER ON WAGNER.