mid the most
impressive pageantry of grief, to the railroad station, and thence
transported by a special funeral train to Baireuth. The public
obsequies were very simple and impressive, consisting only of the
performance of the colossal funeral march from "Siegfried," speeches
by friends and a funeral song by the Liederkranz of Baireuth, after
which the cortege moved to the tolling of bells to the grave which at
his request was prepared behind his favorite villa "Wahnfried," which
had been the scene of his great labors. The Lutheran funeral service
was pronounced and the body of the great master was laid to its final
rest.

The news of his death was received by Angelo Neumann, the director of
the Richard Wagner Theatre, on the 14th, at Aachen, just as a
performance of the "Rheingold" was about to commence. The director
addressed the audience as follows:

"Not only the German people, the German nation, the whole world mourns
to-day by the coffin of one of its greatest sons. All in this assembly
share our grief and pain. But nevertheless we alone can fully measure
the fearful loss which the Richard Wagner Theatre has met with through
this event. The love and care of the master for this institution can
find no better expression than in a letter, written by his own hand,
received by me this evening, which closes with these words:

'May all the blessings of Heaven follow you! My best
greetings, which I beg you to distribute according to
desert.
'Sincerely yours,
'RICHARD WAGNER.
'VENICE, PALAZZO VENDRAMIN, February 11, 1883.'

"Now we are orphaned--in the Master everything is as if dead for us! I
can only add, we shall never cease to labor according to the wishes
and the spirit of this great composer; never shall we forget the
teachings which we were so happy as to receive from his lips and pen."

A correspondent, writing from Leipzig at the time of his death,
contributes some interesting information as to his method of
composition and the literary treasures he had left behind him. He
says:

"Richard Wagner composed, like all great musicians, in his brain, and
not, as is often imagined, at the piano. It is a delight to examine a
manuscript composition from his hand--to see how complete and
well-rounded, how ripe and finished everything sprung from his head.
Changes are very rarely found in such a manuscript; even in the
boldest harmonies and