. Richard Wagner : his life and works . moment in open-mouthed aston-ishment ; then, recognizing Maurinwhom he had met in Paris, hewelcomed him with open arms,and received them all with a sin-cere joy. They played severalquartets for him, among othersthe 8th, 14th and 15th. Thus theday passed very pleasantly, withentractes for sociability and refresh-ment. In one of these momentsof rest, Wagner proposed twotoasts, one to his royal protector,the other to the greatest ofFrench musicians, Camille Saint-Saens, — the same Saint-Saens who since . . but let uspass. Wagner always preserved the most li
. Richard Wagner : his life and works . moment in open-mouthed aston-ishment ; then, recognizing Maurinwhom he had met in Paris, hewelcomed him with open arms,and received them all with a sin-cere joy. They played severalquartets for him, among othersthe 8th, 14th and 15th. Thus theday passed very pleasantly, withentractes for sociability and refresh-ment. In one of these momentsof rest, Wagner proposed twotoasts, one to his royal protector,the other to the greatest ofFrench musicians, Camille Saint-Saens, — the same Saint-Saens who since . . but let uspass. Wagner always preserved the most lively recollectionof this unexpected fete, and, some years before his death,he said to one of his Paris friends that he had never heardBeethovens last quartets played better than by these fourFrench artists. Meanwhile, this plan of executing different portions ofthe Trilogy year after year, was far enough from conformingto Wagners pet project. To treat them thus as separateand distinct operas, was to class them in the ordinary opera. THE MODERN KNIGHTS OF THEGRAIL. Liszt. Richard Wagner. Biilow. {Der Floh, Vienna, June 30, 1882.) RICHARD WAGNER 255 category, whereas it had been Wagners aim to express inthis grand ensemble the antagonism between his artistictendencies and the existing theatrical institutions; to launcha protestation, almost a challenge, against the condition ofthe opera-theatres; now, from the moment each fragmentof this whole was treated like an ordinary work, there wasno longer any protestation or challenge. Thenceforth, Wag-ner was haunted by a fixed idea : to have a theatre in whichhe should reign as absolute master, where his work mightbe executed under conditions adequate and identical withthose of its conception. From 1867, he had been cherishing this idea, and hisarchitect friend, Gottfried Semper, had drawn at that timeby order of the king, a plan which was displayed at theZurich Exposition ; but this gigantic plan, which took noaccount of difficulties
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