08-at the shrine of st. wagner-第1章

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AT　THE　SHRINE　OF　ST。　WAGNER





Bayreuth；　Aug。　2d；　1891





It　was　at　Nuremberg　that　we　struck　the　inundation　of　music…

mad　strangers　that　was　rolling　down　upon　Bayreuth。　　It　had　been

long　since　we　had　seen　such　multitudes　of　excited　and　struggling

people。　　It　took　a　good　half…hour　to　pack　them　and　pair　them　into

the　trainand　it　was　the　longest　train　we　have　yet　seen　in

Europe。　　Nuremberg　had　been　witnessing　this　sort　of　experience　a

couple　of　times　a　day　for　about　two　weeks。　　It　gives　one　an

impressive　sense　of　the　magnitude　of　this　biennial　pilgrimage。

For　a　pilgrimage　is　what　it　is。　　The　devotees　come　from　the　very

ends　of　the　earth　to　worship　their　prophet　in　his　own　Kaaba　in

his　own　Mecca。



If　you　are　living　in　New　York　or　San　Francisco　or　Chicago　or

anywhere　else　in　America；　and　you　conclude；　by　the　middle　of　May；

that　you　would　like　to　attend　the　Bayreuth　opera　two　months　and　a

half　later；　you　must　use　the　cable　and　get　about　it　immediately

or　you　will　get　no　seats；　and　you　must　cable　for　lodgings；　too。

Then　if　you　are　lucky　you　will　get　seats　in　the　last　row　and

lodgings　in　the　fringe　of　the　town。　　If　you　stop　to　write　you

will　get　nothing。　　There　were　plenty　of　people　in　Nuremberg　when

we　passed　through　who　had　come　on　pilgrimage　without　first

securing　seats　and　lodgings。　　They　had　found　neither　in　Bayreuth；

they　had　walked　Bayreuth　streets　a　while　in　sorrow；　then　had　gone

to　Nuremberg　and　found　neither　beds　nor　standing　room；　and　had

walked　those　quaint　streets　all　night；　waiting　for　the　hotels　to

open　and　empty　their　guests　into　trains；　and　so　make　room　for

these；　their　defeated　brethren　and　sisters　in　the　faith。　　They

had　endured　from　thirty　to　forty　hours'　railroading　on　the

continent　of　Europewith　all　which　that　implies　of　worry；

fatigue；　and　financial　impoverishmentand　all　they　had　got　and

all　they　were　to　get　for　it　was　handiness　and　accuracy　in　kicking

themselves；　acquired　by　practice　in　the　back　streets　of　the　two

towns　when　other　people　were　in　bed；　for　back　they　must　go　over

that　unspeakable　journey　with　their　pious　mission　unfulfilled。

These　humiliated　outcasts　had　the　frowsy　and　unbrushed　and

apologetic　look　of　wet　cats；　and　their　eyes　were　glazed　with

drowsiness；　their　bodies　were　adroop　from　crown　to　sole；　and　all

kind…hearted　people　refrained　from　asking　them　if　they　had　been

to　Bayreuth　and　failed　to　connect；　as　knowing　they　would　lie。



We　reached　here　（Bayreuth）　about　mid…afternoon　of　a　rainy

Saturday。　　We　were　of　the　wise；　and　had　secured　lodgings　and

opera　seats　months　in　advance。



I　am　not　a　musical　critic；　and　did　not　come　here　to　write

essays　about　the　operas　and　deliver　judgment　upon　their　merits。

The　little　children　of　Bayreuth　could　do　that　with　a　finer

sympathy　and　a　broader　intelligence　than　I。　　I　only　care　to　bring

four　or　five　pilgrims　to　the　operas；　pilgrims　able　to　appreciate

them　and　enjoy　them。　　What　I　write　about　the　performance　to　put

in　my　odd　time　would　be　offered　to　the　public　as　merely　a　cat's

view　of　a　king；　and　not　of　didactic　value。



Next　day；　which　was　Sunday；　we　left　for　the　opera…house

that　is　to　say；　the　Wagner　templea　little　after　the　middle　of

the　afternoon。　　The　great　building　stands　all　by　itself；　grand

and　lonely；　on　a　high　ground　outside　the　town。　　We　were　warned

that　if　we　arrived　after　four　o'clock　we　should　be　obliged　to　pay

two　dollars　and　a　half　extra　by　way　of　fine。　　We　saved　that；　and

it　may　be　remarked　here　that　this　is　the　only　opportunity　that

Europe　offers　of　saving　money。　　There　was　a　big　crowd　in　the

grounds　about　the　building；　and　the　ladies'　dresses　took　the　sun

with　fine　effect。　　I　do　not　mean　to　intimate　that　the　ladies　were

in　full　dress；　for　that　was　not　so。　　The　dresses　were　pretty；　but

neither　sex　was　in　evening　dress。



The　interior　of　the　building　is　simpleseverely　so；　but

there　is　no　occasion　for　color　and　decoration；　since　the　people

sit　in　the　dark。　　The　auditorium　has　the　shape　of　a　keystone；

with　the　stage　at　the　narrow　end。　　There　is　an　aisle　on　each

side；　but　no　aisle　in　the　body　of　the　house。　　Each　row　of　seats

extends　in　an　unbroken　curve　from　one　side　of　the　house　to　the

other。　　There　are　seven　entrance　doors　on　each　side　of　the

theater　and　four　at　the　butt；　eighteen　doors　to　admit　and　emit

1；650　persons。　　The　number　of　the　particular　door　by　which　you

are　to　enter　the　house　or　leave　it　is　printed　on　your　ticket；　and

you　can　use　no　door　but　that　one。　　Thus；　crowding　and　confusion

are　impossible。　　Not　so　many　as　a　hundred　people　use　any　one

door。　　This　is　better　than　having　the　usual　（and　useless）

elaborate　fireproof　arrangements。　　It　is　the　model　theater　of　the

world。　　It　can　be　emptied　while　the　second　hand　of　a　watch　makes

its　circuit。　　It　would　be　entirely　safe；　even　if　it　were　built　of

lucifer　matches。



If　your　seat　is　near　the　center　of　a　row　and　you　enter　late

you　must　work　your　way　along　a　rank　of　about　twenty…five　ladies

and　gentlemen　to　get　to　it。　　Yet　this　causes　no　trouble；　for

everybody　stands　up　until　all　the　seats　are　full；　and　the　filling

is　accomplished　in　a　very　few　minutes。　　Then　all　sit　down；　and

you　have　a　solid　mass　of　fifteen　hundred　heads；　making　a　steep

cellar…door　slant　from　the　rear　of　the　house　down　to　the　stage。



All　the　lights　were　turned　low；　so　low　that　the　congregation

sat　in　a　deep　and　solemn　gloom。　　The　funereal　rustling　of　dresses

and　the　low　buzz　of　conversation　began　to　die　swiftly　down；　and

presently　not　the　ghost　of　a　sound　was　left。　　This　profound　and

increasingly　impressive　stillness　endured　for　some　timethe　best

preparation　for　music；　spectacle；　or　speech　conceivable。　　I　should

think　our　show　people　would　have　invented　or　imported　that　simple

and　impressive　device　for　securing　and　solidifying　the　attention

of　an　audience　long　ago；　instead　of　which　there　continue　to　this

day　to　open　a　performance　against　a　deadly　competition　in　the

form　of　noise；　confusion；　and　a　scattered　interest。



Finally；　out　of　darkness　and　distance　and　mystery　soft　rich

notes　rose　upon　the　stillness；　and　from　his　grave　the　dead

magician　began　to　weave　his　spells　about　his　disciples　and　steep

their　souls　in　his　enchantments。　　There　was　something　strangely

impressive　in　the　fancy　which　kept　intruding　itself　that　the

composer　was　conscious　in　his　grave　of　what　was　going　on　here；

and　that　these　divine　souls　were　the　clothing　of　thoughts　which

were　at　this　moment　passing　through　his　brain；　and　not　recognized

and　familiar　ones　which　had　issued　from　it　at　some　former　time。



The　entire　overture；　long　as　it　was；　was　played　to　a　dark

house　with　the　curtain　down。　　It　was　exquisite；　it　was　delicious。

But　straightway　thereafter；　or　course；　came　the　singing；　and　it

does　seem　to　me　that　nothing　can　make　a　Wagner　opera　absolutely

perfect　and　satisfactory　to　the　untutored　but　to　leave　out　the

vocal　parts。　　I　wish　I　could　see　a　Wagner　opera　done　in　pantomime

once。　　Then　one　would　have　the　lovely　orchestration　unvexed　to

listen　to　and　bathe　his　spirit　in；　and　the　bewildering　beautiful

scenery　to　intoxicate　his　eyes　with；　and　the　dumb　acting　couldn't

mar　these　pleasures；　because　there　isn't　often　anything　in　the

Wagner　opera　that　one　would　call　by　such　a　violent　name　as

acting；　as　a　rule　all　you　would　see　would　be　a　couple　of　silent

people；　one　of　them　standing　still；　the　other　catching　flies。　　Of

course　I　do　not　really　mean　that　he　would　be　catching　flies；　I

only　mean　that　the　usual　operatic　gestures　which　consist　in

reaching　first　one　hand　out　into　the　air　and　then　the　other　might

suggest　the　sport　I　speak　of　if　the　operator　attended　strictly　to

business　and　uttered　no　sound。



This　present　opera　was　〃Parsifal。〃　　Madame　Wagner　does　not

permit　its　representation　anywhere　but　in　Bayreuth。　　The　first

act　of　the　three　occupied　two　hours；　and　I　enjoyed　that　in　spite

of　the　singing。



I　trust　that　I　know　as　well　as　anybody　that