Excerpt from Stories From Wagner Richard Wagner's career extended over the bet ter part of the last century. He was born at Leip zig, May 22, 1813; he died at Venice, February 13, 1883. His whole life was a struggle, for his musi cal ideas were unlike any that had gone before. But he lived to witness a splendid triumph; and to-day his operas are produced more often than those of any other composer. The following is the order in which the operas were first given. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Wagner Opera Stories Stories hold the same relative position in the development of children that liter ature does in the life of the adult. They give to the child a broader glimpse of life than his own little world can afford him. They bring to him richer and more varied experiences than it is possible for him to pass through personally. In the right kind of stories are made possible all those splendid might be's which like giants battle down the prison walls of fear and give to the soul the courage to bring to light its fair ideals and beautiful dreams and thus change life from dull prose to glorious poetry. One does not need a lengthy conversation with a man or woman to discover whether his or her childhood has been passed in the common. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Stories of the Wagner Opera Naturally a scholar and a dreamer, Rienzi would probably never have seen the necessity of such a thing, or ventured to attempt it, had he not seen his own little brother wantonly slain during one of the usual frays between the Orsini and Colonna factions. The murderer, a scion of the Colonna family, considered the mat ter as so trivial that he never even condescended to excuse himself, or to offer any redress to the injured parties, thus filling Rienzi's heart with a bitter hatred against all the patrician race. Secretly and in silence the young enthusiast matured his revolutionary plans, winning many adherents by his irresistible eloquence, and patiently bided his time until a suitable oppor tunity occurred to rally his partisans, openly, defy the all-powerful barons, and restore the old freedom and prosperity to Rome. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Wonder Tales From Wagner: Told for Young People Richard wagner, in constructing his music dramas, found his materials in the legends of all lands. The source, or more correctly the sources, of The Flying Dutchman essentially a sea-myth are to be traced to many countries. Tannhauser, the mediaeval tale of which has been recorded in poetry, and thus handed down to us from the past, is distinctly German. So, too, is Lohengrin, though the story of Cupid and Psyche, from which Wagner obtained part of the plot of this opera, is Greek. Tristan and Isolde is Celtic; and The Mastersingers has an historical foundation, and is peopled with real, not legendary, personages. It is my purpose to show, as simply as I can, the origin of the stories incorporated in the Master's works. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Opera Stories From Wagner: A Reader for Primary Grades This little book will give to the pupil the real delight of acquaintance with another of the world's great masterpieces. The conversational style of the stories will be found a valuable aid in the teaching of expression. The author has endeavored to make the stories complete, with only those parts of the original tale which are strong and sweet. All that was thought inappropriate for chil dren has been left out. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Wagner Stories: Retold From the Music-Dramas Of initiation is generally made far too-formidable. The unfortunate novice is plied with information about leading motives and musical characteriza tion till he goes to the Opera like a nervous schoolboy trying to remember his lesson, and has his mind so concentrated on details that the work as a whole too Often produces no intelligible effect upon him. I would like to assure the amateur who is as yet unacquainted with these masterpieces that all this semi-masonic mystery Of initiation is quite unnecessary. All that is necessary is that he should know what the Operas are about. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from Wagner's Heroes These stories are for little people, and are not written for Wagnerites or any other learned persons. So if any such should chance to open this little book, let them be warned at once that it is not for them. These are just simple tales about men and women who once really lived on the earth, and about whom the greatest of poet-musicians wrote in that wonderful music-language of his which speaks straight to the heart. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.