Reproduction of a portrait painted by himself. Original now in
possession of the Brockhaus family in Leipsic.
]
“Rienzi” was produced on Oct. 20, 1842, with the following cast: Rienzi,
Tichatschek; Irene, Frl. Wüst; Stefano, Dettmer; Adriano, Mme.
Schroeder-Devrient; Paolo, Wachter; Raimondo, Rheinhold; Baroncelli,
Vestri; Cecco, Risse; Messenger, Frl. Thiele. The opera achieved an
immediate and emphatic success, which fifty years of popularity have
approved. “Der Fliegende Holländer” was now hurried upon the stage, and
produced at Dresden, Jan. 2, 1843, with Schroeder-Devrient as Senta, and
Mitterwurzer as Vanderdecken. The great change in style from “Rienzi,”
the sombreness of the story, the simplicity of the action, and the
originality of the music surprised and disappointed the public. Only
Spohr seemed to perceive its real value. He said, “Among composers for
the stage _pro tem._, Wagner is the most gifted.” Spohr produced the
“Holländer” at Cassel on June 5, 1843, and was to the end an admirer of
Wagner.
Immediately after finishing this work in Paris, Wagner cast about for
new material. He read a new version of the story of “Tannhäuser,” which
set him to work to trace to its source the connection of this tale with
that of the Wartburg song contest. Thus he came to read “Der
Wartburgkrieg,” which introduces the story of “Lohengrin,” and Wolfram
von Eschenbach’s “Parzival”; “and thus,” as he says, “an entirely new
world of poetical matter suddenly opened before me.” Before the
rehearsals of “Rienzi” he began the book of “Tannhäuser.” He completed
the opera (though he afterwards made some changes) on April 13, 1844. In
the mean time (January, 1843) he was made court conductor at Dresden,
where he served seven years, producing the masterpieces of Gluck,
Mozart, Weber, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Spontini, and even Palestrina in
the most artistic manner. He produced “Tannhäuser” at Dresden, Oct. 19,
1845, with Tichatschek in the title rôle; Schroeder-Devrient as Venus;
his niece, Johanna Wagner, as Elizabeth; and Mitterwurzer, as Wolfram.
The work pleased neither the public nor the critics. The music, except
the simple broad march and chorus of Act. II., was pronounced ugly. Even
the mellifluous “Evening Star” song was disliked; Tannhäuser’s dramatic
story of his pilgrimage was called “a pointless and empty recitation,”
and Wagner was blamed for not marrying his hero and heroine. Even Spohr,
though he saw much that was “new and beautiful,” was troubled. Schumann
alone declared of the work: “It contains deeper, more original, and
altogether an hundred-fold better things than his previous operas; at
the same time, a good deal that is musically trivial.” Wagner was
discouraged, but instead of losing faith in his ideals, he decided on a
course of literary propagandism: “to induce the public to understand and
participate in my aims as an artist.” From this resolve sprang his
subsequent theoretical writings: “Art and Revolution” (1849), “The Art
Work of the Future” (1850), “Opera and Drama” (1851), etc.
[Illustration: