f
a German musical magazine, and in it a letter written by Uhlic
thirty-three years ago, in which he defends the scorned and abused
Wagner against people like me, who found fault with the comprehensive
absence of what our kind regards as singing. Uhlic says Wagner despised
"JENE PLAPPERUDE MUSIC," and therefore "runs, trills, and SCHNORKEL are
discarded by him." I don't know what a SCHNORKEL is, but now that I know
it has been left out of these operas I never have missed so much in
my life. And Uhlic further says that Wagner's song is true: that it
is "simply emphasized intoned speech." That certainly describes it--in
"Parsifal" and some of the operas; and if I understand Uhlic's elaborate
German he apologizes for the beautiful airs in "Tannhauser." Very well;
now that Wagner and I understand each other, perhaps we shall get along
better, and I shall stop calling Waggner, on the American plan, and
thereafter call him Waggner as per German custom, for I feel entirely
friendly now. The minute we get reconciled to a person, how willing
we are to throw aside little needless punctilios and pronounce his name
right!

Of course I came home wondering why people should come from all corners
of America to hear these operas, when we have lately had a season or two
of them in New York with these same singers in the several parts,
and possibly this same orchestra. I resolved to think that out at all
hazards.

TUESDAY.--Yesterday they played the only operatic favorite I have ever
had--an opera which has always driven me mad with ignorant delight
whenever I have heard it--"Tannhauser." I heard it first when I was a
youth; I heard it last in the last German season in New York. I was
busy yesterday and I did not intend to go, knowing I should have another
"Tannhauser" opportunity in a few days; but after five o'clock I found
myself free and walked out to the opera-house and arrived about the
beginning of the second act. My opera ticket admitted me to the grounds
in front, past the policeman and the chain, and I thought I would take a
rest on a bench for an hour and two and wait for the third act.

In a moment or so the first bugles blew, and the multitude began to
crumble apart and melt into the theater. I will explain that this
bugle-call is one of the pretty features here. You see, the theater
is empty, and hundreds of the audience are a good way off in the
feeding-house; the first bugle-call is blown about a quarter of an
hour be