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Show Wagner's Views on Art. In the Italian and French operas, which, until Wagner's day, had been played throughout Germany, the whole stress is laid on the arias which the various vari-ous artists are to sing. People go to such an opera to be amused, and, after hearing hear-ing it, give no thought to the libretto nor to the composer, but talk only of the singer's voices ; the opera itself is of little lit-tle consequence ; theeople are only concerned con-cerned with the singers. The artists themselves look upon the operas simply as opportunities to show their voices to the best possible' advantage. Wagner believed that an opera should have a noble aim. So in everything he has given us there is some divine struggle going on between the characters of right and wrong, in which the right triumphs. As the contest progresses, we ourselves are lost in the characters before us, our noblest feelings are aroused and strengthened. strength-ened. Wagner believed, furthermore, that the subject and words of an opera were not less important than the, music ; and he has expended as much of his own spirit in writing the librettos of his operas as he has poured into his music. No note of the music is for show ; every one interprets inter-prets some word or idea, that is in the words ; and every thought and act of the character is interpreted in the music, even if it be so insignificant a circumstance circum-stance as jumping up a bank or running down a flight of steps. The performers, too, are expected to love their work, and to sink themselves in their parts ; they must cease to be themselves and be the characters they represent. So that in one of Wagner's operas, every one, down to the smallest person connected wilh it, is necessary to its production ; poet, musician, mu-sician, artists, orchestra all are great, for each can say, "but for me this could not be!" Agatha Tunix, in "From Bach to Wagner," St. Nicholas for January. |