i . په . من . ن " : ن ! ؟ و ... زوا - احی ثمر تا ن ماه مهر جمهور و مدل - جه . بيبة مل ا ج ربه و . " :" 4 ۰۹ مه وه یه مردم نامی و - ق یمت 1 مر :: و واوا n و " م } : هوا ا . ن : جم جز : : الله : 5 1 : ما تلا : MUSIC نه ترین : ن : ب ع دمغنیمت بها من مديننننه نه معلمه ، و .. بتعهم للمعسعسععععععننننمههعمهعتهفهمتاد، فطنهن تنهن . سهند تمتد لعام " ریلی تاه 1 م دام ب امر با ما بالا ل یم اعلام 15 تعلن معنا "جو اا وه : ویس م، ( !اء فلم ساز نی نی ناتا . ا ":r MI ا برنا ا ن طا ارد لا خرداد ارد وم ,204,095 ب ادامه داد را 7 " 3 ز خم از هارلی غ .* اند جها 4 اخ منیر ٹیکن م ون عالم تاز زر .4 ا * ش نیده وا - هو ا* :::::: : م ام * م جموعه 11 و م وت * - عادت 1 دان : . دنده یا * بده مه ده . . ا مانا بار . رد و " * .... . . ر بيان موسوع ا ممم م دت اج ..؟ * : در -- جای ما | به . : : ما أو و بع ن خبر داد: .. - نجود تو * * اليمنية ** ، ته شم جواد جامعة . :برند * او و 3 . از ادر ر ند . شبکه :دا , " . اله م * ولا . . ان :: پرداخته اند = لی . کرد اط ميس هید شد روسیه خدم هه مدم وه بهمن ها . من ته . * ح امد : واسه همان اش مرد -- و - ا نوا - نيك بنات به امام ا یم یمن مهمت ... نامه ت مالی مان با و برای د ما بیت و : :من:: :: :: ... نمونه متن ام اتوبز : لا : م جار مخاقا :اا . ما ا و " امت ا :: دن * او اتها ومن ا : میل د اد دندان م به حسام و مستند : رو جنتظر الت ا وم بر . 11 و مرد و از و * کابل نام : ت عه و ها 1 م و ا جام ب ، و دم . موزه ی . وبس 3 با مر . . ته تک او ودم) انا ا خ ود را ** ه بهم مورد .ادر الان 1 * وزیر « مت : 4 در م م نام . .و و باسمه تنها. : م مهم مد مام هم ها را :است : : نار A 1 رم زم : ارد و ... میفته * کاک واهم نواز می • ومن مه ''اور می امی ن دهم نم Y .. :1::1::1:: بی على الزمان هو * نم :: ناهار م ه مه و ا مرا سو من زانا تومان . :: ریم * . و . داره و و را الم . زخم :::: مولانا ترامب مير .1 سهمیه : . ان من : دان ۰۹ و با وجود من . و رما ، ... : امه : . : مدل 15 بالا مر . سنه ماه وف ی ، . . مت جمع و سرامج مد هذا وتی یان نتم و 1 * رمز را :- ال خ دمة تی در جناب جی • مع . و و :نو مد شیر " امانت مبسم مر . مردن n وقت منار" ج-ج : هههههه وم: من به برنامه هسته ، معتمدي معشوقبضت عمدہ بادنجفی: موضه ور : به لا يدفع 18 اور ! مواد نو فر با پایه فر ما ن تنقسم.م. : با مجبور زيت لا لاه الر والبهتابی سی دیجیتال * * ز از مو به در رقم هاتف یر " و کرد بخ میم نه استان له : م ادر و میشه ودة امه : مداحی . ستاد نام های از نوع دس ت همواره متن . هم . خشت میم * د . .و بدر مه ارت Y از S * هاا اند بنا .م" : . جا . مه نتان الخ 1 : : مس امن و اما م خمل مباشرة می خانه من زدن به ٹی نامه 1 گیا بينما : اهم ناوه مو، کم باب : و" همون زو "" "" من هنا ولا و له وه ده يم از ۱۰ دست ایمان ادم وال : متر سرت ir و بنده درمدره ماب 13 " . * . د زم . عی یت من نات خلا ار ملح ادام نف الم !ا ست ر ** ز شت تیر ۰۰ م * . F و متر سا جمله باز زنان . i . * . - نم ل . افران * ور دن ITY وم T اج د ان * مهمة ة م و هه می 5 ما دا * گفته : هما اا 54 1 و 15 ونود ۲ مدا جمله - ام . حرف 1 و عدنيه 5 او 1 و وه * با نام ار مت ا ست الاقوام . : : . انت و ,ام ولا انت تماس با ما . " وم در ہ : }" - خم کنیم , من وفا مافی 1 به . و بو زه با ما فين دور اور . - ت ا م ر . . . . . 1 ه . - تور ا / :: :, با ما د ان 1 1 .. ارد : ممم دک بوو " ما : . ونز اج 4 تار :ک اگ ان: ما . ا امام خوش برای تو یا ہے ل مان . تمر 111 تا * . * ها 72 ! PRESENTED TO THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN By Prof. A. a. Stanley . Mar. 1892 mesmo 1.00 Music Net. MT 100 .W3 H473 The Master - singers of Nuremberg by Richard Wagner. www. Attempt at a musical explanation by Albert Heintz. With 84 examples in notes accompanying the text. Translated from the 2d German Edition by J. H. Cornell. New York: G. Schirmer. Copyright 1890. by G. Schirmer. N. B. All references in this work to the Pianoforte Edition of “The Master-singers" apply to the simplified arrangement, in 4to form, by R. Kleinmichel (G. Schirmer, New York). 8081. Transfer to Muric la 10-07 YI . recat.o 4.21 Zz Sale The German is angular and awkward when he attempts to play the courtier; but he is sublime and superior to all others when he takes fire." In this saying of Richard Wagner the artistic fundamental idea of his "Master-singers” is essentially concealed. The contrast between the ideal and the cramping actuality is nowhere more emphatically expressed than in the life and nature of the German. But the above-named music-drama describes, in a charming picture of manners of the period of the Reformation, the struggle between these opposites and the reconciliation of them in the harmonious development of life by means of art. The Prelude. * The Prelude itself unfolds in a compact picture the fundamental thought already indicated. The very first theme, the Master-singers' motive: *. I have made use, for the present work, of an excellent and more detailed treatise by H. Porges upon this Prelude (see the Musikalisches Wochenblatt, 1871, Nos. 30, 31). A. H. 1* - - 4 lol i MV lo . TOOL marks the pithy, but also gnarled mind of the stanch German burgher in a manner which excludes all appearance of gracefulness, but is sustained by strength and a well - founded self-esteem. After the measures given in Ex. 1 follows an organ-point on the dominant, upon which the motive-fragment of measure 7 (10) makes a lively figuration; the principal motive is then repeated in the subdominant, and to this is joined a thematic working up of measures 2-4, which ends with a joyful trill in the dominant. Now follows a new motive, which is pervaded by the expression of an enthusiastic mental emotion: IT 2. (a) (b) - -- 5 cresc. 1 TFT f I call it the lyrical motive, because its office in the drama is, above everything else, to denote the inward yearning on the part of Squire Walther for the attempt at master - song, and throughout the drama it accompanies every indication of lyrical sentiments, finding application also even in the two stanzas of the prize-song. This motive receives here – at b and c — an ardently supplicating, — at d — a joyously upsoaring development. In the first five notes of 2c is already exhibited the germ of the Eva-motive to be noticed farther on, and in 2d we. recognise a variant of the 2d measure of the prize- song (76), which is to be interpreted as an extatic expression of love. The violiņs take up this figure in ever higher flight and finally dash with it, in de- scending staccato run, into the pompously resound- ing master - singers' march: 3. (a) il - - 6 . This gives, with its solemnly uniform melodic progression — at a – a striking picture of the benevolent true-heartedness of the German character, while the subsequent, livelier figure — at b — char- acterises also its childlike unaffected cheerfulness. For the rest, the motive za is certainly intentionally copied by Wagner from a master - tone which is found noted down in the book — printed in 1697, now become rare – of the learned Nuremberger J. C. Wagenseil: "von der Meistersinger holdseligen Kunst” (of the master-singers’ lovely art): L : To the march-theme above indicated is joined a transformation of the master-singers' theme (copied from measures 2, 6 and 7 of the latter, while the middle voice imitates measures 1 and 2), which transformation is likewise animated by a benignant expression: that of readiness to sacrifice for the . general good, and is applied in the drama especially for indicating the fellowship of art, or the union among artists: LU - - 7 PD Here also Wagner has borrowed the motive - frag- ment of the first measure from one of the prize- crowned master-tones in Wagenseil's book, contract- ing, to be sure, the progression from the 3d to the 4th tone to a semitone; only the 14th measure of the Prelude gives once the variant of the whole-tone progression as in the original: The theme 4 finds its close in a cadence which may be regarded as expressing the most complete surrender to the ideal: on 5. (a) ATO - - 8 The struggling after the ideal, however, always powerfully stirs up our soul, and with this strug- gling also grows involuntarily man's impulse to love, here expressively reproduced by the motive of love- longing: 6. LO In painfully sweet modulation it leads from the previous principal key of C-major by way of E-flat major into the passionately breathing B-major (as dominant of E), then annexing hereto the melody of the after-song of the prize-song from the third act: "like a secretly whispered declaration of love" (Wagner's own designation): 7. (a) _ _ (b) AF To this is joined a passionate movement, character- ised by intermingled doublets and triplets of eighths, the motive of the passion of love: - - 9 # which is developed from the spring-motive: cresc. it Y Here this motive attains, in ever more impetuous modulation, to the organ-point on G, where it meets with the ideal-motive (5), but in the struggle with the latter is suddenly interrupted by the master-singers' theme in altogether altered form. The latter theme has entirely stripped off its solemn character, and now appears in rhythmical diminution, executed by the wood-wind choir, quite in jocular raiment. Here is accomplished a change from the tragi- cal into the facetious mood. The blind rule of feeling must not attain to the dominion; for this reason the master - singers' motive brings about in this species of scherzo a sobering down, in that it depicts the life of the German commoner, as it places itself, in almost childlike merriment, in contrast with the original serious mind of him who aims at the high- est ideal. Yet this childlike merry feeling is imme- - - 10 diately intermingled -- in a variant of the motive of passion (8a) — with a painfully struggling element, giving the intimation how, in the battle of life, childlike simplicity often finds itself seized and over- powered by inimical and boundless forces, when the confirmed strength of character is lacking for resisting them. In a fugal movement, which works up the motive of art-union (4) with the bantering - motive asso- ciated with it as counter-subject: (this bantering - motive is derived from the people's exclamation of surprise: "Seems to me this cannot be the right wooer”, at Beckmesser's breaking down in singing in the 3d act), the tone - poet gives a representation of the energy of direct vitality (with which a good-natured banter is often associated). - - 11 In its dramatically stirred up farther development, which carries out the contest between the two themes to the point of the extremest confusion, it is shown that the purely elementary feeling of life is likewise unable, without circumspect limitation, to bring about the adjustment of the antitheses of ideal- ity and reality. Hence now interposes – like a word of com- mand enjoining quiet and order – the original master - singers' theme energetically and solemnly with sound of trumpet upon the organ-point G, and the violins play away exultantly upon it with a trans- formation of the lyrical and the martial motives (36, last measure). By degrees the fire of power dies out in both themes; in soothing diminuendo and with the expression of calm joy they lead back into the principal key; and now appear, in beautiful and artistic connection, the motive of the declaration of love (7), along with it the master - singers' theme (1) as bass, while the middle voices employ the first part of the master - singers' march (3 a) in rhythmical dimi- nution as accompanying figure, and the violins fashion its second, jubilant part (36) — likewise in diminution -- into a splendid festal strain which sets upon the euphonious combination a bright crown. At the farther development of the love- song the motive of art-union (4) unites with it as LL MAT VO - - 12 "Pon the acclamented counterpoint in the bass, while the violins apply as transition the bantering - motive (9). As it were in increasing jubilation this combination of melodies extends itself farther and farther in dynamic climax, and at last introduces the master-singers' march in the fullest splendor of the orchestra. The basses accom- pany it in ponderous scalar passages, and even appropriate to themselves — as it were in the most rollicking humor – the bantering - motive; upon the entrance, however, of the augmented triad on A, indicating most joyful acclamation, they move in stately triplet-passage to the organ-point G, upon which now the ideal-motive (5) in double augmentation played by the trombones, and embellished by joyful trills of the violins, indicates the climax of sublime enthusiasm. The harmony between the ideal and real is now sealed, and with the master-singers' motive broadly and powerfully drawing near, as the image of the free man who combines depth of feeling with hardiness and steadfastness of character, the tone-picture closes satisfactorily, and retaining its cheerful mood in the very concluding passage of the violins, seeing that the latter is borrowed from the bantering -motive. - - 13 First Act. At the last measures of the Prelude the curtain rises. We see the congregation assembled in St. Catharine's church at Nuremberg, and hear them singing, accompanied by the organ, the closing hymn of the afternoon service, which they attack precisely after the concluding chord of the Prelude beginning with the words: “When to thee the Saviour went To receive thy Sacrament”; the bap- tism-motive runs thus: 10. (a) to 110 AG The relationship of the motive roa to that of ra (up to measure 4) is unmistakable. – Eva"and Magdalena are sitting among the wor- shippers in the last rows of the pews visible to the audience; Squire Walther stands alongside, and endeavors by means of signs and gestures to come to an understanding with Eva. This purely mimic - - 14 conversation is accompanied by the orchestra with expressive interludes, which connect the separate verses (lines) of the congregational hymn. of In regard to these interludes Franz Müller very beautifully says in his monograph: “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" (Munich, 1869): "On the very threshold we are received by the copious world of motives — the dominion of tone-poetry over heart and mind, – into which we now ever farther and more deeply enter. It embraces and warms us more and more, it attracts us within its orbits and forsakes us not; it discloses man to us, the life of his inner kingdom, into which we at first enter with foreboding, in which we afterwards with the growth of clear con- sciousness take the warmest interest, so that it be- comes ours. The wonderfully beautiful plasticity of Wagner's work lies before us precisely in the build- ing up and completion of the world of motives." After the first line of the hymn the lyrical motive (2) appears as interlude, expressing a lan- guishing question of Walther's to Eva; after the second, the same motive, starting out from the chord of the dominant. Eva endeavors here to answer by means of glance and gesture, but bash- fully casts her eyes down; this latter is very beauti- fully indicated by the carrying out of the lyrical motive (up to 26), which is sounded in the clarinet 1NA - -- 15 (accompanied by horn and bassoon), but at last, forsaken by all accompaniment, staggering alone wishes to lead to the dominant triad of C, and at the same time is surprised by the attack, in a-minor, of the following line of the hymn. Walther now becomes more urgent, as is clearly expressed by a variant of the motive of passion (8 a), which here plays round the sigh of longing of the spring -motive (86, measure 2). The motive of passion accompanies also Eva's bashful disclaimer which now follows, here, however, in plaintive minor, inasmuch as her heart, in opposition to her gesture, in truth speaks consent; hence too the maiden immediately directs a penitent glance pathetically to the cavalier, and this glance is indicated by the oboe with an exquisite variant, in augmentation, of that development of the lyrical motive (2b) or of the Eva-motive indicated in 2c. In the subsequent interlude, which also con- tinues to accompany the next choral-line, the same motive predominates and, as expressing the cavalier's hope and rapturous protestation, is rhythmically very effectively expressed through the frequent appli- cation of two sixteenths and one quarter-note at the beginning of the measure in the obbligato violon- cello part. Then follows, executed by oboe, horn and bassoon only, the motive of the declaration of love (prize-song 7) in the bright key of C-major: signi- - - 16 fying Eva's blissful smile, whilst her bashful casting down of the eyes is charmingly illustrated by means of a minor-scale melody, on the dominant chord, as it were embarrassed, mounting to its fundamental tone, then breaking off. Again is heard the sigh of the spring-motive with portions of the lyrical motive in the solo of the violoncello, for denoting Walther's renewed importunity. This musical thought is strik- ingly like Walther's song at the words: “My sacred trove's, The banner of love” (Pianoforte Edition, page 103). To the closing line of the choral is then attached a violin-passage, impetuously mounting up through two octaves from the motive of passion; as if the lovers, freed from the constraint of the church-ceremony, were now impatiently looking for- ward to a personal meeting. Upon the organ - point on the tonic (C) the lyrical motive then moves most artistically, performed fortissimo by organ and orchestra, as if both were again celebrating with all splendor the spiritual elevation of the congregation quitting the house of God. After the basses have also taken up the lyrical motive and the violins have interwoven with it the motive of passion, begins now the alternative song between the cavalier and the two women. First of all, Magdalena is several times sent back to the pew, to search for something left be- - - 17 hind - of course intentionally -- by Eva; here a striking search-motive makes its appearance: 11. There is seen also in Magdalena's melody a droll, skipping, spinster-like sounding way of singing: 159 p q Dad The cavalier in his song varies mostly the spring- motive (86) or the St. John's - day motive akin to it (see 24a), while Eva appropriates to herself the lyrical motive. Magdalena now urges the return homeward; but here David appears in the background, to make preparations there for the meeting of the master- singers, and at the same time the orchestra executes, on the organ-point G, the same movement that the Prelude introduced in its eighth measure as tran- sition from the C-major movement of the master- singers' theme into its second part, beginning in the subdominant. It has the look as if the composer wished thereby to render quite perceptible the con- - - 18 . trast between the poetry of the love - scene just passed through and the prosiness of the affairs of the guild, which are brought upon the stage with David's appearance. The passage is, however, here written out in sixteenths, and in this way assimilates to the apprentices' motive soon following it (see 14). Magdalena explains to Walther that Eva is betrothed, to be sure, but does not herself yet know the bride- groom, because he has to be chosen according to the verdict of the masters. Here the motive of art- union and that of the master - singers form the accom- paniment, and the latter appears at the words: “The bride's own hand his bay-wreath ties” – exactly identical with that instrumental movement of the Prelude which follows the above-mentioned tran- sitional movement with the second part of the master-singers' theme, at measure 14, and which inter- weaves in a most particularly artistic manner the individual motive - fragments of the latter theme, notably its 2d, 3d and 4th measures. In answer to Walther's question: "The bride will choose – ?” Eva indiscreetly exclaims: “You, or else no one!” Hereupon Magdalena takes her to task with a delicately conceived variant of the cobbler's or kneestrap - motive, which does not enter till later, and is meant to depict a coarse, rude nature: - - 19 13. (a) L 1 821 (at a is the variant). When Eva compares Walther with the picture of David overcoming Goliath, the melody modulates from G-major into the brilliant and bold E-flat-major, which then changes twice in bold modulation also with A-flat-major (viz: from the dominant chord of E-flat-major to the A-flat- major triad). David now advances to the personages engaged in conversation, and hereupon the apprentices' motive resounds in its characteristic, merrily skipping manner: 14. The farther course of the conversation is accom- panied by the motives with which we have already become acquainted, in expression always conformable to the sense. The harmonies at Magdalena's advice 2* - - 20 to the chevalier: ' "Let David supply all the facts of the trial", have a strange sound; twice in suc- cession the chord of the fifth-and-sixth on C-sharp changes here with the chord of the second on D-flat. The parting words of the lovers are introduced by the motive of longing (6) in the same modulation as in the Prelude, with the difference, that here the setting is continued from E-major to C-major, where the motive of the prize-song appears united in short but beautifully canonically worked out terzetto- movement with the ideal motive (5). The orchestra takes up the former theme at the departure of the women, but leads it over with a climax into the lyrical motive, which, gradually softening down, does not belie its characteristic relation to the following scene. At the very outset appears in the second scene, when the apprentices, now advancing, call out to David: “The Marker's platform help us place!" — the platform-motive: 911 - - 21 which is made up, as it were, from the separate us to hear on his marker's blackboard. Afterwards comes the exceedingly merry melody with which the apprentices give utterance to their roguish fun at David's expense, viz: the quizzing song: 16. T EU LLLLL To this melody – among many others – we would refer those who persuade themselves that Wagner introduced the prize-song so frequently in this work "because his melodic invention was not rich, and here he rejoices in having attained beauti- ful melody!" These infatuated people only ignore the merit of the melodies remaining concealed, be- cause the drama does not require their repetition, as it does in the case of the prize-song, and because - - 22 for this reason they have not been retained in their memory: "To memorise them is perplexing, A thing that's to our masters vexing." Would that such fault-finders might once try to invent a melody so beautiful and so simple as that do they imagine this to be so easy a matter? David now advances to the young knight and cries, in the words of the marker: "Now begin”! This takes on here a somewhat satirical cast by reason of the accompanying augmented major triad. Walther declares that he was never present at a trial of singing at which the judges were mechanics ; hereupon is sounded the guild - motive with the felicitous trill: 17. (a) tr tre US to which is added later an harmonic sequence – so-called “rosalia” - (as in Ex. 17 at b), in which the assiduous scholastic labor of the pupils is dis- played. David's song about "shoemaking and poetising"; up to “How far, think you, have I got on in it?”. exhibits again a pretty and more extended melody, - - 23 which merits notice for its pertness in conformity with the meaning of the words (Ex. 18 gives this melody in its essential portions only). Worthy of notice is the immediate succession of triads – at a - on the 1st, 3d and 20 degrees of the scale, at the words: "Have I the leather beaten smooth”, in which succession is represented the "hearty - kick- strain" of which the apprentices afterwards make mention, in speaking of David's punishment at the hands of Sachs: 1 18. etc. Walther remarks derisively, that David, with all his industry, has not got beyond the making of a pair of good shoes, — and David misunderstands "pair” for “bar”*: at this the orchestra accompanies his * In the German: “Paar” for “Bar"; a play upon words that cannot be strictly turned into English. . Transl. - - 24 answer with the lyrical and the platform motives. At David's words: “The right stitch and the right thread”, the above mentioned pert melody (18) is continued in changing meter up to the exclamation: "Who marks all this, and knows it pat, Is not yet master, for all that” (Pianoforte Edition, page 40). David now explains the art of the “singer”; here is formed from the lyrical motive and that of the declaration of love (prize-song, at 7c), a beautiful melody - the motive of the art of singing: 19. Then follows a series of names of tunes, which in easy characterisation and pleasant melody illustrates the music, more through change of rhythm and suitable instrumentation than through sharply defined melodic features. It is not until David acknowledges how Master Sachs often accompanied the failure of his attempts at singing with the "knee-strap-whack- tune”, that the cobbler-motive, already given at 13b, comes forward in its sturdier setting. Meantime David notices that the apprentices have put up the marker's platform amiss; during a ludicrous canon-like performance of the apprentices' motive in the orchestra he reproves them, whereupon - - 25 the boys, singing the same. tune, make fun of their director, praising him as "the cleverest of all”. The apprentices now put up the platform according to David's instructions, while the aforesaid canon is repeated in the orchestra; David then again ad- vances to the young knight, to explain the meaning and office of the “marker": here appears the marker- motive" for the first time (fragmentarily) in the rhythm of 6 meter: 1 20. AF its precise form will be exhibited farther on. At the close of his discourse David strikes up, with the words: “God speed your master-singing!” – the beautiful melody of the wreath of flowers, as the sign of the success of the master-song: 21. SIVT dim. AL - - 26 cresc. - - - - - più f and the apprentices repeat the same melody in chorus, making use of the "rosalia” given at 176, as closing refrain. - Such a melody would hardly occur to a tone-poet tied down to the doctrine of the schools! And yet the unusual harmonic modulations contained in it are perfectly correct: they are taken from the mixo-lydian church-mode, whose seventh degree forms a whole tone with the eighth, and thus becomes the subdominant of the subdominant. In the third scene the masters appear. The apprentices, who in their irrepressibility were dan- cing in rows during the above song, disperse af- frighted, and this is illustrated by the orchestra with a rapid descent of the apprentices' motive down the scale, to which is joined the marker-motive, indicating Beckmesser, immediately appearing with Pogner. In this scene predominates (principally in F-major) the motive of the guild-consultation: - 27 OM (b) 11 -27 . cresc. Tilla- 1 which at first appears as fundamental bass to Pogner's song: “Trust me, my friendship is un- shaken”, and whose first motive-fragment (at a) unites itself for the most part with the equally short be- ginning of 7c (at b). When Pogner joyfully presents Walther as suitor, this motive appears in the upper voice played very sonorously by the clarinet, horn and bassoon, as shown in Ex. 22, and here the violoncelli take up (see 22 at b) the motive-fragment from the prize-song, resembling a finical embellish- ment. At c we see also the art-union motive joined TS ! – - 28 with the guild-consultation motive, and when Pogner consentingly exclaims: "Into the Guild I gladly enter you at once" – the lyrical motive is united with it. Kothner's calling out the names of the masters who are present is accompanied by the motive under consideration at first in the basses only, and not till later do the horns and wood-wind join them, quite at the last the violins, which bring about a charm- ing association of the motive of art - union, that of the declaration of love and the lyrical motive, therewith crowning the guild-consultation motive brought prom- inently forward by the 'celli. The symphonic share of the orchestra is developed more and more joy- ously at this movement, until at last the wood-wind instruments in union with the horns and trumpets peal out the initial motive (22a), and lead to a magnificent close, with the addition of the trom- bones, in the key of F-major, just after the masters have taken their seats for the consultation. Pogner now asks permission to speak, and makes the strange proposition of offering his daugh- ter Eva in marriage to the victor in master-song. We call attention to the application of the initial motive of the theme of the guild-consultation, in con- junction with a double close of the dominant and tonic harmonies, performed by the wood - wind instruments) in eighth-notes, and to the repetition - - 29 immediately after of this variant at a higher pitch with inversion of that chord-succession, etc.: mf cresc. 7 This denotes the expectant acquiescence of the assem- bly in the permission granted Pogner to speak; the chords in eighth-notes mark almost visibly the masters nodding assent. The St. John's-day motive (Ex. 24, at a in brackets) now developes itself into a glorious song- melody, as is seen abridged, but in its most essential parts, in the following example: Cresc. - S At Pogner's allusion to German art, with this new motive is united that of art-union, and, at the words: “The singer to whose lyric skill The public voice the prize shall will” – that of the guild-consultation also. The same themes also accompany the sub- sequent chorus of the masters. When, however, Pogner farther declares that the bride may be al- - - 30 lowed to reject the one who is chosen, from the art - union motive is formed a charming, innocently playful melody in sixteenth-notes by the violins, to which the oboe or clarinet executes a somewhat more sustained counterpoint of equally cheerful character: I 并 ​This is the motive of artless judgment, such as pre- dominates in the mind both of the common people and of children: for Sachs' subsequent speech in favor of such judgment is accompanied by the or- chestra to the same melody. On the occasion of this speech appears also at first the motive of maidenly feeling: 26. poco cresc. in which a peculiar effect, denoting bashfulness, is attained through the circumstance that the antithesis - - 31 of the musical period repeats in the minor mode the same thought that the thesis had presented in the major. In the third act we shall become acquainted with a motive of like signification, in the case of which the change of mode produces a similar effect. - Here the motive of the wreath of flowers also is repeated; the first time, when the apprentices ap- plaud Sachs for favoring the popular judgment, – the second time at Beckmesser's hateful accusation: “Clap-trap stuff he (Sachs) writes for the crowd”. Pogner now calls Squire Walther to him; with the latter the knightly motive at once makes its ap- pearance: 27. (a) P marc. mf - the continuation of which (at b) is striķingly like the Eva-motive indicated at 2c, and thus points to the congeniality of soul between the lovers. A variant of this beginning (see c) will be considered later on. Walther now sings the song of his sing- ing-master; no other than the lyric motive could - - 32 here introduce the answer to Kothner's inquiry as to his name. In the song itself: 28. (a) (b) rall. a tempo. riten. a lempo 11 11 (e) - - - 33 we find - from a to e, inclusively - five essential motive-fragments. Part a (see 2d measure) is derived from the lyrical motive, and finds in c an unmistak- able variant; b and d are new, and have a special charm; in e is seen that which essentially deviates in the melody of the after-song, which begins in the key of the subdominant. The interlude (tran- sition) between the first and second stanzas applies the motives b and d, that from the second stanza to the after-song makes use of the same motives in contrary order. The after-song gives the previous motives again at the close, with slightly altered construction. Most capitally expressed is the bewilderment of the masters at Walther's song, so far above their comprehension, by the application of a fragment of the master-singers' theme, - 3d measure with the pre- ceding three eighth-notes-, which is performed by the bassoon and the basses in union with the unisonous tremolo of the violins and violas on the tonic d in the minor mode: pl Pret?? ?? The town-clerk now goes to the marker's box and his by no means favorably presaging words in ex- - - mo 34 34 planation of the office of marker are accompanied by a blending of the knightly and the marker - notives, drastically depicting the particularly jealous dis- affection of Beckmesser towards Walther: . 30. (a) u .. TE (b) In this modification (compare Ex. 20) the marker- motive henceforth for the most part makes its ap- pearance. The thematic working up of it, however, at this short speech of Beckmesser's is of the great- est artistic significance in regard to the comic ele- ment of the musical expression implied by the drama; among other things is formed at the same time a short leap - protive (300) of most peculiarly hypocritical expression. Now Kothner begins reading off the rules of singing, in the form of strophe and antistrophe; as introduction to this the leap - figure just mentioned unites in the orchestra with the master-singers' theme, though comically distorted in the minor key, be- - - 35 ginning with the chord of five-six: a capital satire on the mummification of the rules! Kothner's song begins in a psalmodizing tone in the same key and rhythm (with the peculiar alternation between 4, and 5/4 time) as is taken up later by Sachs in the third act for the "christening” of the “morning-dream's true story” – with the delivery and bearing (so to speak) of an old-time messenger charged with an invitation to a prospective sponsor: 31. LIY It should be noticed, moreover, how delicately the Master Wagner feels the rhythmical effect in choos- ing such metrical changes, and how precisely this choice follows only a genial stroke of dramatic expression. How striking in effect is the ex- pression of solemn energy which the measure acquires on immediately following after the preced- ing 5/4 measure*; and the conventional element of -- * Compare the already cited parallel passage (Pianoforte Edition, page 374) in which this effect is of course still more obvious. 3* - 36 Y 1 17 solemnity finds most suitable expression in the melisma of the ornately descending major scale; with which the first stanza closes. The second stanza ends on the dominant with a similarly orna- mented run, which, there as here, the orchestra vigorously repeats, after the manner of a refrain. The farther extended after-song closes its first part in like manner in e-minor, the second in C-major, and employs in the vocal part the motive of art-union and that of the prize-song (7c), as if the tone-poet wished in passing to indicate the free flight of genuine artistic phantasy from which even under the pressure of dried up art-rules the adherents of the latter cannot withdraw themselves. With repugnance Walther complies with the summons to seat himself on the singer's stool, and clarinet and bassoon give utterance to his frame of mind by the morose sounding marker - motive (29a). Kothner now calls out to the marker: “The singer is seated”; he does this with the descending fifth d-g, whereupon Beckmesser utters from out of the marker's box the cry: “Now begin”, in the contrari- wise ascending fifth a-e, which has an exceedingly ludicrous effect. Hereupon follows in the orchestra. a magnificent dominant - septimachord in the key of F, to which is joined a brilliant ascending run of the violins, and then Walther begins his wooing-song 37 - with the identical words of Beckmesser's cry, which here opens into a splendid and broad F-major triad in the orchestra. This triad gradually dying away brings in with the motive of passion (8a) an accom- paniment-figure for the song, characteristically de- picting the approaching swelling of the spring-wave. The first stanza of the wooing-song begins with a melody very like the song: “By silent hearth” (see Ex. 28), although in 4 measure. The follow- ing example: 32. (a) din. Cresc. ས TT CYCSC. - - in f gives its first part; the melody afterwards continues with a farther working up of the spring-motive (86) up to the close. The second stanza begins - strictly speaking, contrarily to the direction - with a new melody, which, however, conveys the most speaking expression of ill-humored spite at the words: “There, like a hiding craven, with hate and envy torn”, etc.: - 38 - - | IT CON_ YE 7 # \ – – 39 VET It 1 cresc. foot But then a fiery violin - passage leads (here the singer rises to his feet) with the emotional inflection of the lyrical motive (as noted at 2b) back into the beginning of the first stanza, and now the melody of this latter is again heard, with slight alterations, up to the close. Beckmesser here interrupts the young knight, and to the laughter of the Masters holds outside of the marker's box the blackboard covered over with chalk-marks. To this is sounded the knightly motive in caricatured harmonic coloring: 10 NOU 1) SUL TOBO Cresc. - - - - - - - - - - - - * and with an appendix bearing the decided ex- pression of derision (see at a); to the latter corre- sponds likewise the phrase -- beginning at b - of frisking eighth-notes, which, accompanied by sharply dissonant harmony, moves up and down in semi- tone-progressions, and especially deserves the name of the scornful - laughter motive. The variant – at c – formed from this (through alternation of doublets and triplets of eighths) likewise tends to spreading the merriment still farther. Worthy of notice is also the passage where Beckmesser cries out: “Could sense be more nonsensical, say?” – and the Masters (always with the exception of Sachs) with one voice make the admission: “We were not wise.” What a degree of humor is developed here in the music: 35. cresc. - 41 - 7 7 Even the moving of the melody from f-minor into G - flat major has a characteristic effect. The un- favorable criticism now following of Walther's song on the part of the Masters is accompanied by the scornful-laughter motive (346 and c) up to Beckmesser's words: “And not a trace of melody!” (The melody hereto applied is derisively recited, in addition to that of the subsequent passage: "Let in the streets the rabble holloa! Here must we at least some discipline follow!" by Sachs in the second act, when he is informing Eva of the young knight's defeat at the trial of singing. (Pianoforte Edition, page 189.) The increasing wrath of the envious masters exhibits itself in the application of the motive of passion (8 a), which is here worked up in a regularly screaming manner until Sachs cries out in the middle of it: “My Masters! pray now give o’er!" From the or- chestra resounds to him here a new motive, that of envy: UT 36. (a) poco rallent. :IN C || - 42 the antithesis of the Eva - motive, which expresses affectionate kindness (see the latter at 366). To this is at once joined Sachs's friendship-theme in the simplest form: 37. (a) (at b is seen the subsequent development), in order to make known his resolute interposition in behalf of Walther. The words: “One way you measure solely a work that your rules do not fit“, are again accompanied by a pleasantly sounding "rosalia”; the continuation of them: “Resign your own views wholly. Some other rules apply to it!" is supported by the motive of envy (36 a) with scenic significance. Beckmesser now answers back with the scornful- laughter motive in the allied readings of 346 and c, and also with the motive of envy. Sachs's answer: “A riper judgment you might utter, If better heed you'd pay", is treated more in the manner of reci- tative,' but composed with the finest humor. - - 43 ET If the zealous antagonists of Wagner's dramatic melody would but once closely examine this typical model (Pianoforte Edition, page 126), they would recognize therein the truth of Wagner's remark: “The determining coherence of melody lies in the sensuous expression of the verbal phrase, which expression again was first determined from the sense of this phrase.” If these opponents could acquire the insight: “how here speech itself, accord- ing to its most sentimental subject-matter, was to be rendered in such a way that not the melodic ex- pression per se, but the sentiment expressed, should excite the interest of the hearer”*, they would have to acknowledge that the difficult task which Wagner's music-drama proposes to itself in this regard could not have been accomplished with greater art! In similar instances of exemplary conformity between poetry and composition (and, indeed, to the greater advantage of both) precisely the opera of “The Master-singers" is, because of the humor pervading · it, rich to overflowing: The farther address of Sachs confirms what has just been said. Sachs's innuendo upon the jealousy of the town - clerk is introduced by his friendship- motive, the song itself is supported by the St. John's * See Wagner's writings, Vol. IV, p. 396. -- 44 day motive in wonderfully beautiful harmonization in 4/measure; the latter motive assumes with the combat of the two masters an ever livelier character and passes over, as Walther also flames up with anger, into the measure, where it leads over with a shrill augmented chord of the sixth on B-flat into the chord of the third and fourth on B-natural. Here begins now a deliciously humorous melody by Beckmesser (we recommend it to the inspection of those who find fault with Wagner!): “Hey! What needs Master Sachs to mention which way my steps may be turned?" 38. (a) cresc. (The example gives only isolated characteristic principal passages of this melody.) The change of mode (A-major and a-minor at a), the skip from high e to the major seventh f (at b), the septima- chord following it (at d) unresolved, at least in the vocal part, finally the transition with the trill into F-major (at e) — these things are all features so masterfully characteristic, not resulting from re- flection, but poured out from the most abundant source of artistic inspiration, that only the grace of the entire melodic development remains to set the crown upon them. – Hans Sachs, acknowledging his neglect, scratches his head, while the cobbler. motive with the harsh augmented triad is heard in the orchestra; but he retorts upon the town-clerk the very ironical excuse, that he has not yet found for the soles of his (Beckmesser's) shoes the motto such as he deserves. The melody of his song is just about as waggish as that of Beckmesser's cited shortly before, but more in keeping with Sachs's good-nature. The following example E A reproduces it, as it returns from F-major to the key of a-minor struck up by Beckmesser. Sachs thinks - - 46 he shall find the motto for the latter after he shall have heard the knight's song to the end. Here knightly motive, master - singer's' motive and cobbler - motive are strung together, while Sachs summons the young knight to go on singing in spite of the marker, and the other Masters put in a protest against it. Walther does not allow himself to be put out, and begins to sing the after-song of his interrupted strophe: “My lady's praise to ring”, at first to the melody of the second stanza (“From gloomy thicket breaking Behold the screechowl swoop"); afterwards, however, making use with drastic effect of the motive of envy: 40. (a) -O- om_E ni VI cresc. - - f 1 - - 47 which is followed, in most vivid contrast (at b), by the beautiful cantilena: “Up then soars, By golden pinions stirr'd, A wondrous lovely bird", and by the melodies we have become familiar with in the two stanzas (see. 32b) with the spring-motive (86). During his song the Masters continue debating with scorn- ful expressions against Walther. The art with which their every word, characteristic of the individual Masters, is set to music and organically fitted into the grand ensemble-movement of this finale, cannot be described, - it must be specially studied in the full score. After a lively gradation of the spring- motive appears the Vogelweide-motive indicated at 28 d, wonderfully united with the first part of the motive of the wreath of flowers (which the apprentices perform in derision with the song: “God speed your master- singing", see 21 a); and after its repetition the lads sing the song of the ureath of flowers entire up to its joyful closing refrain, while Walther intones along with it — in motival analogy to the counter- point at 40C — with a variant of 7 the closing verse of his song: “Up shall soar My noble loving lay!” in a glow of enthusiasm, resounding distinctly above . - - 48 the polyphonic chorus of the ensemble-voices. Lead- ing, with the augmented triad on the third and the septimachord on the second degree, into the chord of the dominant and therewith to the complete close (see 40d), this glorious final movement ends; the Masters -- with the exception of Sachs – just as much rejoicing, with the sentence: "Rejected and outsung!" in their external, seeming victory, as Walther in his moral one, inasmuch as the latter, leaving the singer's stool with a gesture of contempt, cries out to them: “Farewell, ye Masters, for aye!" The uproar of the breaking up of the Masters. and apprentices is accompanied by the orchestra with the tumultuously applied wreath-of-flowers motive, which, shortly before its termination, is interrupted by the expressive sounds of the spring - motive (at which Sachs, who alone has remained in the fore- ground, turns away with a humorous gesture of dis- couragement, and follows the others). After the subsequent repetition - diminuendo in / measure – of the initial measure of the wreath-motive, at last enters, on the organ-point of the tonic, the master- singers' motive (played by bassoon and 'cello in al- most grotesque style), which the chords of the sen- tence passed on Walther: “Rejected and outsung! (see 40d), bring to a close. L- womurovano - 49 - Second Act. The orchestral introduction to the 2" act begins at once very briskly with a jubilant trill upon the fifth of the nonachord, to which afterwards is joined the short St. John's day motive (24a) in diminution, and with the expression of youthful hilarity. This expression is still enhanced in that the St. John's day motive unites to itself a descending and an ascending scale-passage, which sounds like a cheerful burst of laughter. After this sprightly music has sounded through 14 measures on the same nonachord, there enters more gently the melody of the quizzing-song with which in the following scene the apprentices greet David and make fun of him on account of his love-affair with the “old maid": 41. (a) en HT - - 50 COS Here the first part only of the melody (at a) is utilized, and a waywardly sounding passage formed from its motive-fragment b leads thence back to the initial trill, during which the curtain rises. It is evening, and on the stage we see David and his companions closing the window - shutters of their dwelling-houses. The lads begin with the roguish song: “Midsummer day! Midsummer day! Flowers and ribbons, goodly display!” (41 a), and immediately David joins to it the "wreath-of-flower's" song; he also applies its motive in recitative, at the words: “Whom are you calling?” The apprentices again sing, to the nonachord: “David, what cheer?” – and then repeat the beginning of the song. Now appears Magdalena with the basket of provisions, and at the same time is heard in the orchestra a sixteenth - note figure formed from the apprentices' motive, depicting as it were the tripping motion of Magdalena: 42. P which entirely passes over into that figuration from the master - singers' theme, which was seen in the 1 2 th measure of the first prelude and at David's first appearance. To this is joined, when David is regret- - 51 - PY fully recounting the misfortune of the knight at the trial, the cobbler - motive in the more delicate con- ception exhibited at 13a, yet with the melancholy appendix of 13b; and the alternation of these two motives is repeated at Magdalena's exclamations of pity. If now we admire the expressive characteri- zation of the aforesaid motives in the orchestra, on the one hand, we shall not be able to deny, on the other, that the leading of the vocal parts in the dialogue between David and Magdalena is in an equally masterly manner adapted to the words and moods of the singers, and brings out with extra- ordinary emphasis the humor of the situation, After Magdalena's disconsolate exit, the lads continue to tease David with: “Hail to the 'Prentice and his bride!" (see 41c), which they soon follow up with the initial theme (41 a) in broader develop- ment. It should be noticed, moreover, how at 410 this melody modulates into the sub-dominant of the sub-dominant, just as daringly as had been the case through the adjunction of the wreath-of-flowers motive after 41a, or in the original melody at 215. Here is exhibited, in the application of triads not proper to the scale, but entitled through relationship, a hitherto scarcely foreseen, important effect for dran- atic expression; and from the homogeneity of its application in the case of similar dramatic situations TT VIII 4* - - 52 in this work, we may conclude that Wagner's delicacy of feeling had a clear consciousness of this effect in composing the drama. In the conversation now beginning between Sachs and David the cobbler - motive (136), with its chromatically descending augmented triads gives expression to Sachs's anger at the unmannerliness of David and his companions. The same motive unites itself conformably to the sense with the guild- motive (17) and that of the hearty-kick-strain (18a); for, “As punishment for to-day's offending", David is not to have a singing - lesson. The guild-motive now leads over to the wonderfully tender and thoughtful conversation between Pogner and Eva (scene 2), in which the tone-master discloses to our view the whole depth of his teeming mind. Where has ever any other composition availed to represent the tender feeling of affection between father and daughter so purely and cordially as is done here, on the return of the pair from a walk together? The scene is a masterpiece of genre - painting in tone-art; that is surpassed only by the subsequent scene between Eva and Sachs. Pogner, in doubt whether he shall make a call upon Sachs, or not, loses himself in thought, whether he has done right to offer his daughter as prize for the master - song; hereupon appears the TYY - - 53 anotive of maidenly feeling (26) connected with a variant of the Eva-motive (see later 46a and b). The former enters, in rhythmical inversion, at Pogner's question: “And you, my child, your thoughts are hid?" The musing of the anxious father is suitably painted by the singular harmonies of the chords ac- companying his monologue, and the clarinet charm- ingly reproduces in its triplet-run the chills of the cool of the evening. When Pogner with his daughter, seated under the linden-tree in front of his house, is thinking of the burghers of Nurem- berg, before whom assembled in great number Eva has on the morrow to award the prize to the Mas- ter of her choice, for the first time is heard the Nuremberg-motive: 43. IV 54 - in its festively sociable sonority. This motive is formed from an inflection of the lyrical motive (2), in that the first melodic progressions of the latter, translated into dotted eighth-notes with sixteenths, acquire somewhat of a limping character, which may be referred to the town - clerk as one of the re- presentatives of the city. Yet this variant acquires in its farther carrying out, but especially later on, in the third act, through the accession of a very noble melody (436) contrapuntally united with it, an imposingly festal expression, which causes the re- ference to Beckmesser almost entirely to disappear, and on the contrary much more points to the prosperous well-being of the honorable German burgher. At the mention of the award of the wreath, however, the original — the lyrical motive – also unites with this variant; then follows, upon Magdalena's appearance, her tripping-motive (42) and a longer passage, more in recitative style, until Eva, in her anxiety to learn the particulars of the fate of the young knight, remembers Sachs's affection for her and therefore determines to question him in confidence. Here for the first time enters the real Eva-motive, for indicating the reciprocal attachment between Sachs and Pogner's daughter; we shall directly speak of it more in detail. – When Mag- dalena cautions Eva not to let her father notice - - 55 CU that she is expecting the knight, the propriety-motive (136) is again heard, and as soon as the former has delivered Beckmesser's errand we hear in the or- chestra at first the envy - motive (36a), and then a harsh transformation of the guild-motive (augmented triad and chord of the augmented sixth), plainly characterizing the malevolent master of the guild and Eva's aversion to him. In most striking con- trast to this is sounded at Sachs's appearance with David (in the now following third scene) the original guild - motive (17) with the addition of the motive- fragment – given at 70 — of the prize-song. Sachs's anger at the saucy apprentices is abundantly ex- pressed in the application of the cobbler -motive (13b), whose second part of the measure is repeated, at the question: "Why d'ye wait?” with drastic effect. Sachs is now alone, and seats himself in medi- tation at the half-open door of his shop, in the mild summer night inhaling the scent of the lilac-tree. The monologue, musically so significant, is intro- duced by the spring - motive in the wood-wind instru- ments (see it at 8b); to this are united above the 1 the wooing-song (326), which direct Sachs's remem- brance to the striking song of the young knight and here again issue into the spring - motive. Angered at the stupidity of his associates of the guild, Sachs - - 56 impetuously betakes himself to his work of cobbling, and the orchestra accompanies this with the loudly sounding cobbler - motive, to which is joined a frag- ment of the lyrical motive (first half of the 2d mea- sure, as it were the inversion of 7c), treated in harmonic sequence: as it is afterwards applied at the noisy beginning of the cobbler's song: 1 With the gradual assuagement of Sachs's ill-humor the cobbler - motive dies away by degrees, and Sachs's remembrance of Walther's song again introduces the spring - motive with its cry awakening ardent desire, now in two-part, now in three-part measure. At first it resounds more and more broadly; then it is noticeably enlivened and at last passes over into the more passionate setting at 8a. At the words: “Like songs of birds in sweet May-time” the horn and 'cello strike up the love-song (7, measure 1): then that motive of passion describes in strangely digressive harmonization the ridicule which he would deserve, who should "seek to imitate the bird”; and now enters in all its breadth the simple spring-motive at the words: “Spring's command And gentle hand - 57 - His soul with this did entrust”, softly leading over into the motive of the Vogelweide (28d). In wonder- fully beautiful melody resound Sachs's words: “The bird who sang to-day Has got a throat that rightly waxes": 45. 1 1 Beginning above the organ-point of the dominant, the melody leads with a full close into the following (fourth) scene. Eva now draws near to Sachs, with a friendly greeting, accompanied by the motive from Walther's first song (28), - and this is the place to elucidate the various formations of the Eva-motive: 46. (a) HI # TE - - 58 ta! | . NOT Eva represents in the drama the good principle, the pure feeling of love, both towards mankind and for all that is good and noble; for this reason we also find her motive frequently applied for the ex- pression of this sentiment, and Hans Sachs, who is of the same mind, may likewise make use of it, as the expression of his goodness of heart; this applies especially to the forms noted at a, b and c. — In 61 - - 59 1 opposition to Eva stands the principle of envy as represented by Beckmesser and the like of him; hence is formed from c by means of altered har- monization the motive of envy, d, conveying the con- trary expression, as we have already seen it (at 36a). From 466 is formed by means of rhythmical inversion of the long and shorter notes the variant e, which perhaps is intended specially to denote the element of elegance in Eva's manner and appear- ance; but this variant also acquires a characteristic contrast in a significantly applied enlargement at f. When Sachs looks up in surprise at Eva's ap- pearance at so late an hour, the series of Eva-motives begins with the one noted at 46e, which the variant at b follows more broadly carried out. Then appears, at the mention of the more elegant work on Eva's new shoes, e again with the addition of f; the latter, when Sachs alludes to the coarser work for the town-clerk, in contrast with the former. With the same bearing on the dialogue this is again repeated, until Eva gives her friend to understand, that she would rather have a widower for her hus- band than the old bachelor! The naïve roguishness of Eva's avowal could not have been more happily represented musically than in the unexpected pro- gression of the dominant septimachord on C, with the augmented fifth as passing-note, to the chord of ~ - 60 the third and fourth on B - flat, where the Eva- motive b now comes forward pianissimo and shyly; noteworthy is also the melodic leading of the upper voice at this transition, inasmuch as it corresponds perfectly with the love - motive in “Tristan and Isolda" (g, g-sharp, a, b-flat); and this allusion is seen to be no accident, for, as we know, Sachs boasts, in the third act, of his prudence: “Hans Sachs had prudent dread of The fate of poor King Mark!” Motive e again follows the sister-motive, in a form somewhat altered through eighth-note move- ment, and with an harmonic climax. The harmonies become especially intricate, when Eva thinks Sachs is mocking her, and the latter acknowledges: "I've been annoyed and vexed to-day”. Full of curiosity, Eva now draws closer to him, to ask about the singing - school, whereupon the motive of envy (d) comes up for the second time it appeared the first time in the first act, in treating of which I quoted it as an example under No. 36a), played by violin and viola above the dissonant triad in the 'celli and bassoons. At Sachs's mention of the “quite un- taught” knight it is repeated reinforced by the clarinets, and here follows the knightly motive (27 a), which passes over into Beckmesser's quarrel - motive (346), as soon as the narration touches upon the dispute of the Masters about the young knight's - 61 - song. Eva's anxiety on Walther's account is indi- cated through the close connection of the Eva- motive (6), the knightly motive and the marker-motive, likewise in the somewhat chromatically obscured melody of her motive c, which is here heard first (Pianoforte Edition, page 186). The same motive shows itself, at Sachs's seemingly unfriendly remarks about the young knight, still more rugged in the harmony, after the analogy of the motive of envy (d). The expression turns about wonderfully at the renewed bringing forward by Eva of the motive 46b (page 188): we feel that tears are coming into her eyes. Sachs takes up, besides the motive of envy at the utterance: "-- Friend could we call One before whom we all felt so small?” now also the same morosely sounding harmonic leading, trav- estied, which Beckmesser made use of in the first act at the remark: "Sachs opes a gap for fools that way”, etc. (Pianoforte Edition, page 125). And just so mockingly he repeats, after manifold use of the quarrel-motive (as was observed before), the Beck- messer - phrase at the words: “Here must we at least some discipline follow" (Pianoforte Edition, page 126), and: “Not one trace of melody" (page 122). The orchestra, too, again brings in the wild phrasing of the knightly motive with the quarrel-motive sequence (34 a and b) for accompanying Eva's scold- .- 62 - ing words; but afterwards the spring-motive resounds gloriously at Eva's words: “Yes, elsewhere it (Wal- ther's fortune) will shine, I know, Some place where hearts still warmly glow!" Eva's indignation is extremely effectively illustrated at the close of her speech (“It smells of pitch, Heav'n keep us whole!") by the cobbler-motive, which, chromatically descending, at last stops short at D, the dominant of the key of G-major, where -- Sachs sympathetic- ally exclaiming: “Now then, they'll prate” — the beautiful Eva-motive 46c appears entire in its noble structure. Sachs now withdraws into the interior of his house. Eva and Magdalena are talking about Beck- messer and his intended serenade, about the ex- pected coming of Walther: especially cleverly are mingled here d and 6 of the Eva-themes (Pianoforte Edition, page 192), or, these with Beckmesser's quarrel - motive (34c) and this last with the cobbler- motive. Finally steps are heard advancing from afar (marked by the uniform strokes of the basses): the young knight comes forward, and a passionately ascending sixteenth-note figure in the violins leads over into the knightly motive (27a), which, however, when Walther and Eva joyfully hasten to meet each other, gives way to the same violin - figure somewhat altered, which now, harmonically cul- - - 63 1 minating, passes over into the Eva-notive with which the maiden gives utterance to her rejoicing at the entrance of the beloved one: “'Tis my true love! Hero-Poet And my only friend!" Walther answers in passionately and restlessly modulating song, that there is no hope for the desires of the lovers to be found among the Masters. His song is continuously accompanied by restlessly undulating violin-passages aud in part by the motive of envy (46d). Once his narration brings in also the master - singers' theme and the spring - motive. Afterwards, however, his anger waxes against the "rhymesters” (measure 4 of the master - singers' theme): he desires to go “forth into freedom” (motive of the Vogelweide, 28d), where he is “master in the house” – and thither shall Eva follow him! Once more he is seized with fury at the malicious Masters, who like "evil spirits" seem to conspire against him. The music depicts his fantastic enthusiasm by a transformation of Beck- messer's quarrel-motive in 3. measure: . 47. * 12F 8 ! and by the union of the art-motive (4) and of the short sixteenth - note figure from 7c, in chromatic - - 64 Y TY Y shiftings, which represent a perfect whirl of the momentary ideas of the young knight, in consequence of which the sound of a night - watchman's horn (entering with g-flat upon the diminished septima- chord of A) has the effect of terrifying him. The g-flat of the horn is enharmonically changed into f-sharp, which the horns in the orchestra take up, and upon the septimachord of which note the string- quartet (con sordini) now begins to sound that won- derfully tender variant from the Eva-motives b and c, representing the magic stillness of the summer-night as the paradise of lovers, to which variant is joined, upon Eva's returning into the house, the motive of the love-song with the beautiful closing cadence of the awarding of the wreath (at 6): HET _ _ MIT The night-watchman's song on duty seems to enter, with c in the dominant chord of the key of F, to the f-sharp sustained in the basses, in- - - 65 correctly; but the basses turn the f-sharp into a retardation of the fifth, inasmuch as they move it up to g. The melody of this song is evidently copied after the night-watchman's songs which were still in vogue in the cities of Germany at the beginning of this century, and it characterizes strikingly the good-natured comic figure of the popular municipal functionary: 1 After the termination of the song the watchman's horn again resounds in f-sharp, and to it is joined the cobbler - motive: inasmuch as Sachs has overheard the conversation of the lovers from behind his door, and wishes to prevent the elopement, which is again indicated by the beautiful night-motive (48, this time in the horns and bassoons). The cobbler - motive accompanies this melody, as it were rumbling in the background, softly in the violoncelli: it points to the persevering watchfulness of Hans Sachs. Eva now enters again, in Magdalena's dress; simulta- neously is sounded the motive of the declaration of love 1 - - 66 (7a and b) in 3/4 measure accompanied by violin- arpeggios, with rich harmonic development of the first half-measure of b, which development has here, as also afterwards in the third act, the object of representing musically the utmost feeling of love. When Walther and Eva are making ready to escape through the alley, Sachs opens a window-shutter, and at the same moment the night-watchman's horn is heard in the distance. The lovers are frightened at it, and while they are deliberating, the cobbler- notive and the summer - night - motive are heard, the latter played by the tremolo of the violins and the sustained tones of the wood-wind instruments. Here the entrance of Beckmesser with his lute brings about an additional Obstacle to the escape of the lovers. The town - clerk, coming up the alley, is strumming on the open strings of the lute, which are tuned in the fourths e, a, d, g, then in b and e; the first - named three tones correspond with the dominant chord of D, with suspension of the third; the violins accompany these lute-tones conformably to this, tremolando, and resolve the suspension-note d into c-sharp: . - 67 - A similar chord-resolution (from the augmented triad into the nonachord) is multifariously repeated in the subsequent tremolo - accompaniment of the violins, which appears to be worthy of notice: 51. here: It has reference in any case to Beckmesser's embar- rassment and anxiety in view of the doubtful issue of his serenade; with it are united once (when Eva draws the young knight into the lurking-place under the linden-tree) the lute-motive and the cobbler -motive. On his recognizing the town - clerk the feeling of vengeance is awakened in Walther: "The fool shall rue this hour!” he sings, but is restrained by Eva. The instrumental accompaniment exhibits here just so passionate a violin-figure as at the beginning, upon Walther's appearance, and afterwards at the narration of his failure in singing; in order that we may recognize the wealth of nuances standing at Wagner's disposal in inventing such figures, even when they — as here — can all be derived from : 5* - - 68 one single motive (the lyrical), I place the three transformations indicated side by side: 52. (a) o cresc. cresc. - 1 - - - - - - Sachs now begins to sing the cobbler's song, treat- ing of the biblical Eve, for whom God the Lord has shoes made by an angel. The boisterous “Tooral looral!" of the opening has already, on occasion of Ex. 44, been alluded to; the melody itself belongs to the most precious pearls of musical invention: 53. (a) 7 - – 69 I DS Cresc. - - (e) 29.6. And now let us note, how, at the third verse of the song, that characteristically beautiful melody is associated as counterpoint in the horns, clarinets and bassoons, which gives to the Introduction to the third act its stamp of deep emotion: the melody of the delusion-motive (des Wahnmotives): TTT Y - 70 - of dim. - - - - - - - - - - - of which we shall speak in the following act. Com- pare Pianoforte Edition, page 221. The relation just touched upon between the delusion - motive and that song whose object is to represent the poetic spirit of the simple artisan Sachs in the drama, seems to me calculated to obviate the error of those who still imagine that Richard Wagner created his art - works with the strength of the l'eflective mind. Here, it seems to me, doubters must needs be convinced of the direct crea- tive power of the master, who was able to construct, from out of the grand idea of the art-work, every parti- cular in conformity with this idea. Wagner himself says: “The natural, really inspired artist dashes with enthusiastic carelessness into his art-work, and it is only when this is finished, when it presents itself to him in its reality, that he acquires from his ex- periences the genuine power of reflection, which generally guards him against illusions, but in the particular case, thus when he feels himself incited T - --- 71 VUU again through enthusiasm to art-work, nevertheless again utterly loses its power over him.” In the colloquy between Beckmesser and Sachs are exhibited, charmingly caricatured by Sachs, the songs of the former from the wooing-scene, when he reproached the shoemaker with neglecting his business. As Sachs does not discontinue his loud singing the town-clerk becomes furious and abuses him enviously or rancorously. Here is seen along- side of the motives already known a new one with a strong tinge of humor: 55. .... Perhaps it denotes the teasing thought just enter- tained by Sachs, “to strike the sole upon the welts” during Beckmesser's song, and “to pass master- judgment with the hammer upon the last”. An equally waggish effect is produced by the application of the art-union motive, when Sachs feigns that he wishes to learn the art of the marker from the town-clerk: - = 72 UN 9 1 At the place where Sachs gives the assurance that he will faithfully mark the faults with the hammer, the cudgel-motive (59) casts its shadow before in the oboe and flute). Beckmesser now gets ready to begin the sere- nade, and tunes the lute (upon the open strings of which the chord of the fifth and sixth on the second degree of G-major is sounded), letting the d-string, wrongly giving e, down to d, through e-flat, so that the chord of the third and fourth now arises, on which directly follows the extremely comical ritornello of his song with the obstinately thumping progressions of fourths: - - - 73 At the beginning of his song Beckmesser is inter- rupted and blamed by Sachs on account of false accentuation. The former does not perceive his mistakes, and continues to sing regardless of the shoemaker-marker's knocks. The example: 58. (a) 1 mf cites only some of the principal parts of the song; we easily recognize, both in the ritornello for the lute and in the embellishments of the song (at 0) the intentional parody of the lyrical motive, as of the nobler antitype of this ludicrous song. In the second part of the melody, at c, we again meet with the modulation already mentioned — with humorous effect – into the triad on the lowered seventh. - The first verse of the serenade is ac- companied only by the lute and occasional pizzicati se - - 74 or also strokes of the bow of the violas and 'celli, at the second verse the wood- wind instruments are added; at the third, which the vexed town-clerk bawls out in breathless haste, the melody is crowded together in 24. measure utterly without rests and with reinforced instrumental accompaniment. Here Sachs has finished with the shoes (the beginning of the cobbler's song here sounds in the orchestra), and, while Beckmesser continues his ridiculous vociferation, introduces in a comical manner his “marker's maxim”. This reads thus: “Good songs must scan. On any man, Ev’n the town-clerk, who'd transgress it, The cobbler's strap shall impress it.” At this moment some of the neighbors, then more and more of them, throw open their windows and impatiently demand that there should be quiet; David, however, stung by jealousy against the serenader, jumps out of window and falls upon the town-clerk with a cudgel. Now begins the clever cudgeling-scene, about which so many absurd opinions are circulated in Germany, because, on account of its difficulty for ordinary operatic choruses, a model performance of it is so seldom heard. It is introduced by the little motive of disorder from 70, which mounts up above ponderous eighth - note progressions of the basses on the organ - point of the dominant; thereupon follows the fugal theme proper: Y Y - - 75 bal which is accompanied by the disorder - figure, some- what enlarged, as counter-subject. The fugue, in its characteristic theme, is formed from the scrim- mage of fourths of the lute-motive (50 and 57), and not only is completely carried out up to stretto and organ - point, but, in addition, as cantus firmus the song is subjoined which gave occasion to the disorder (58) which it is intended to depict. With delightful humor and strict adaptation to the dramatic situation, the separate parts of the fugue (often put together out of the exclamations of different per- sonages on the stage) are distributed among the brawling apprentices and journeymen, the women shrieking with terror and the Masters vainly calling for quiet, and I cite only one example among many, - - 76 WYL how extremely drastically the Masters bring in their curse: "If you don't leave off and go your way), there'll be the very deuce and all to pay!” to the melody of 58c! After the cantus firmus of Beckmesser's song has, in its principal theme, been three times repeated at a higher pitch, and has thereby given to the entire structure a more vehement intensification, the latter ends with the nonachord on the dominant of B-major, in which the night - motive (48 a) appears with full orchestra, and united with the cobbler -motive and the cudgeling -motive. The latter, combined with the dis- order - figure (70), resounds above the organ - point F-sharp at first in the major nonachord, then dimi- nuendo in the minor septimachord (here the trumpets add the serenade - motive), finally once more in the major nonachord with suspension of the third. And now the disorder-motive, more and more softly and quietly whirring in violin and flute, leads down into the diminished fifth upon which, as before, the song of the night-watchman, now returning, begins in its second verse: this time, however, accompanied by the graceful running passages of the flute in its solitary continuation of the disorder - figure. Immedi- ately after the ending of the song the watchman's horn sounds on f-sharp, the night-motive appears once more, played pianissimo by the violins con sordini, and - - 77 this time leading over to the major nonachord on the dominant of E, when also the cudgeling-motive in the flute and afterwards the serenade-motive in the clarinet elfishly play around it. The latter motive is heard once more at the close pianissimo in inter- rupted tones, played intermittently by the bassoon (the official representative of the burlesque in the symphonic orchestra); there follows one more heavy chord with kettle-drum, and the nocturnal uproar is ended! Third Act. “The work of the noblest art is a work of that man-redeeming illusion which performs its miracles everywhere where the normal intuitive method of the individual is put to the last shift; Art must exercise its most especial power precisely by sub- stituting the known illusion for the reality." . If we bring this maxim of Richard Wagner's in closer relation to his statement, that, in composing “The Master-singers”, he "conceived Hans Sachs as the last phenomenon of the artistically productive national mind, and contrasted him, in this capacity, with the philistinism of the Master-singers” — we see at once the appropriateness of the selection of the motives LVIU :- 78.- applied in the Prelude to the last act. Out of the illusion-motive, the jovial cobbler's song and the "Awake!"- song of the populace overflowing with the expression of noble human feeling (the hymn to the dawn breaking upon the German nation in the Refor- mation), the Master has created one of the most inspired tone-works that ever flowed from his pen. It begins with the illusion-motive in fugal form, played by the 'celli in g-minor, and, with the addition of the violas, then of the violins, brought to a close in the string-quartet; thereupon resounds in the horns and bassoons, temporarily reinforced by trombones and tuba, the first part of the hymn “Awake! draws nigh the break of day", in the solemn and devotional key of G-major: 60. (a) ✓ Cresc. - - - - - - SLE) • - - f 1 Cresc. - - - - - 79 the i thote 73 P LL L The violoncelli then form in a syncopated descend- ing scale-run a deeply emotional transition into the cobbler's song (53), whose motive c enters quite deli- cately in the violins. After a similarly expressive passage of the 'celli, the violins repeat their motive a fourth higher and its continuation (at d) follows, being repeated by the flutes and clarinets. A part of d, rhythmically somewhat altered, is now carried out farther, in canon-form, pianissimo* by violins and violas: 61. H until the wind-instruments begin with the second part of the festal hymn “Awake!" etc. (606), and * The author remembers, from the general rehearsal at Munich in the year 1868, that the Master wished this place to be performed with the utmost possible clelicacy, and evenly, without prominent nuances of delivery. - 80:- OILU terminate it at the moment when the string-choir, in union with the wood-wind instruments and trom- bones, sounds fortissimo the illusion-motive in a minor septimachord (hence with the expression of a noble sorrow), and brings it to an end with wonderfully ardent expression, diminuendo, fugally treated allo stretto, with the application also of 536. In a study published in 1873, Dr. Julius Stinde expresses himself very beautifully concerning this inspired Introduction; I cannot help repeating his words here: "The Prelude to the third act leads us into Sachs's innermost recesses, into his poetical way of thinking and acting -- into the poet's laboratory of ideas. Everywhere in annals of city and universe Hans Sachs found illusion - the little and great desires of men, which create misery; – but his special grief on account of this misery lifts itself up to the bright thought of hope: ‘Awake! draws nigh the break of day! - and with one powerful chord the poet soars up on high, and pours out the devotion of his soul in the stanzas of the wonderful choral. But the poet is a philosopher – Hans Sachs was a sturdy philosopher – and he asks himself: How happens it to thee, poor, simple man, that thy thoughts carry thee away above all sorrow and suffering of the earth?' – The choral of the HEN - - 81 Prelude — Hans Sachs's poem – passes over to the musical thoughts which interpret the words of his song in the 2d act): AY “Did not an angel bring For such work comforting, And call me oft to Heaven's gate ~ - - - - -- - - - But when he takes me up on high, The world beneath my feet doth lie!" and consequently the Prelude shows the poet's soul freed from its earthly burden, and makes even pro- saic men surmise that there is something nobler, more beautiful, than the pretended treasures which the dust brings forth.” – Upon the rising of the curtain at the last measures of the Prelude we see Sachs in his work- shop, sitting in an arm-chair and reading in a large folio. David enters at the shop-door, and therefore. the Prelude ends exactly upon the entrance of the apprentices' motive (14), which is developed in its full breadth, while David, apparently unnoticed by Sachs, rummages, partly on the table, the basket of flowers, ribbons and eatables given him by Magda- lena. When Sachs noisily turns over one of the large leaves of the book, David is startled and hides the eatables; in the orchestra here follows after the chord of the dominant on F the chord of the second on C-flat, into which tone the basses plunge with a - 82" - boisterous run, then roughly, but diminuendo, sound the illusion-motive, around which, during David's timid words to Sachs, the apprentices' motive is gently and sportively played. In this connection we call atten- tion to an inflexion of this motive in the oboe) expressing tenderness, when David is boasting of his beloved 'Lena: 62. When he makes mention of the tumult of the previous evening the harsh Beckmesser - phrase of the augmented triad and dominant chord with suspension of the third (51) is heard, after which latter com- bination the lute-motive (50) is sounded; this is followed by the cudgeling-motive (59) at the words "I gave him all the stick I had” – and now returns the lively strain of the apprentices' motive, to which is joined the illusion-motive, when Sachs closes the folio and, casting a friendly glance upon David, begins to speak. The apprentices' motive is sounded here ten- derly and sweetly in clarinets and horns, and this effect is enhanced by the entrance of the Eva-motive (46a), which is taken up now by the oboe, now by the bassoon, and finally by the violins also. - - 83 V David is told to sing his "verses”, and makes a mistake in the melody, selecting that of Beckmesser's serenade (58a). Admonished by Sachs, he collects his thoughts: during which time the orchestra strikes up the cudgeling-motive in the wood-wind choir) and breaks it off on the chord of the dominant. David now begins anew, and sings the song, charmingly composed in the popular style: “Saint John stood on the Jordan's strand": 63. etc. TINT VIII the second line of which is copied from the first line of the choral in the first act (10), in which we have also seen the Baptist glorified. In the accom- paniment of the song the motives of the art-union (4) and of the declaration of love (7c) in part make their appearance. When David has finished the song, he recognises that to-day is Sachs's name-day*, and offers the Master flowers and ribbons, nay, even the sausage, in his childlike joy; hereupon in the or- chestra the apprentices' motive merrily frisks forward. Yet Sachs now discloses to the youth his entire goodwill, while the beautiful Eva-motive (46c), played * In Catholic countries one's name-day is the festival of the Saint, after whom one was named at baptism. (Translator.) 6* - - 84 by horn and clarinet, accompanies his affectionate words. At the declaration: “As my herald you are to act this day” – the Master-singers' march resounds in the wind-instruments, and there is developed from it (especially from measure 2 of 3a, and measure 2 of 36) a particularly lovely melody, when David asks: "Should I not rather your groomsman be?” SIF 11 etc. How simply this melody follows from the funda- mental theme, and how beautifully its expression corresponds with the mood of the familiar colloquy between David and his kind-hearted master! - David mentions Beckmesser as a rival whom Sachs “sang down”; here the cudgeling - motive is introduced for a moment, but is soon supplanted by the cheerful apprentices' motive, during whose sounds David with- draws in the happiest frame of mind into the chamber. – - 85 Sachs, buried in thought, leans his head on his arm over the folio, which he has all the time kept on his lap; the illusion-motive resounds at first in the basses, then in the bass-trombone, played very deli- cately; and here Sachs begins the thoughtful mono- logue: “Illusion! everywhere illusion!"* – To the illusion-motive is soon added the spring-motive also, indicating that art-creation, in particular, does not thrive without the special illusion. While Sachs is making mention of his native city of Nuremberg, the Nuremberg-motive (43a) resounds in solemnly ex- panded rhythm, and therefore also accompanied by a broadly extended counter - melody (43b) in the 'celli and bassoons, then in the clarinets, oboe and horns. Only when Sachs, after this part of the dis- course, enthusiastically gazes before him, does the orchestra repeat the motives, thus united, in closer rhythmical arrangement, as in the example above cited (43, at b). The more Sachs's discourse comes to touch upon the tumult of the evening before, so much the more vehemently does the Nuremberg- * It is interesting, especially in regard to the close of this monologue, to draw a parallel between the latter and Luther's saying concerning his labors: "God led me into them as if I had been a horse whose eyes are blinded. It is seldom that a good work is undertaken with wisdom or circumspection; it must all be done in ignorance.” — Is this not the illusion without which great things seldom meet with success? - 86" - motive crowd together in rhythm and modulation; it changes from F-major to d-minor, in which latter key it rages above the organ-point of the dominant with ever greater vivacity and passionateness, and finally passes over into the tumultuous introduction to the cudgeling-fugue, the theme of which in chro- matically ascending progression dashes impetuously into the chord of the diminished seventh upon D-sharp, where it breaks off precisely before Sachs's exclamation: “God knows how this befel!” After a longer pause, now enters most delicately, played by violins and harp, the beautiful summer - night motive (48a); in the fourth measure the clarinet adds the motive of Beckmesser's serenade: “Twas like some impish spell! Some glow - worm could not find his mate.” The cudgeling-motive is then played in the clarinets above the familiar counterpoint of the violins, in staccato; it passes from B-major into A-flat major, when the harp takes up the principal theme, over against the oboe and clarinets. At the words: “The elder's charm” – the harmony makes a bold change (the measure being also changed) to E-major, in the chord of four-six of which key the flute now carries on the theme, accompanied first by violins, then by oboe and clarinet, and causes it, becoming gradually softer and slower, to lead into the dominant of C-major. In this key now makes its appearance, - -- 87 powerfully orchestrated, the St. John's day motive (at the words: "But now has dawned Midsummer-day!"), and is developed broadly and pleasingly in union with the lyrical and the Nuremberg motives. It is evident that the junction of these motives points to the achievement, cherished by Sachs, on Nurem- berg's soil, of the final victory of art and love joined together. This C-major movement ends with a major nonachord (on G), followed by the dominant chord of the third and fourth in the key of E-flat about which the harp plays in broad arpeggios. At the same moment Walther enters from the chamber (Scene II). Sachs greets the young knight pleasantly, and straightway the violoncelli take up the beautiful friendship-motive (376), which gives to the duet now following its chief character, inasmuch as it very multifariously modulates in extremely interesting symphonic working up, and only seldom alternates with the lyrical motive. We must, however, take notice of a singular chord-succession at Walther's utterance: "I had such a wondrous lovely dream!” With wierd dreaminess the chord of the third and fourth (dominant) of C modulates into the the triad of E-major and this into the A-flat major triad (sextachord), which finally introduces the major triad of E-flat: - 88 65. (a) O NOS 00010 The motive (beginning at a) will frequently appear again, whenever in the drama the knight's dream is alluded to. When Walther jocularly observes that since last night he has learned the tunes for "happy wedlock's state” also, and Sachs replies, laughing: “Aye, aye! that's true! My beat also doubtless you heard!” – the first motive of Beckmesser's serenade makes its appearance in the clarinet (58a), joined with the short figure 7c from the motive of the declaration of love, which is executed in charming setting with contrary motion by the string-quartet and the bassoons (amid faint gleams of light in the flute and oboe): 66. ::.. etc. Sachs now calls upon the knight to forget all the adverse experiences of the day before, and to bend his mind to frame a master-song. Walther asks: “A master-song, and one that's fine! How shall I make the two combine?” – hereupon is heard the lyrical motive with the amplification in Ex. 19, the - 89- motive of the art of singing; and Sachs informs him “that only those are to be called Masters who, not only in the spring - time of young love, but also under the stress of the later fateful life preserve in their hearts the poetic feeling, and that to this the rules of the Masters faithfully contribute”. This dis- course introduces a new motive, formed from the lyrical motive in the inflection of Ex. 28a, measures 1 and 2, omitting the first three notes, and with a variant of the third measure: Cresc. - Cresc. dim. - - - - - - We recognize how completely this motive is Wagner's property, no matter whether or no some other person before him invented a similar one: it blossomed of its own accord from the beautiful vital germ of Walther's song, and precisely the farther development from this beautifies it also. As did pre- viously the friendship-motive, this artist - motive forms - 90 the basis of the following movement, beautifully worked up in the orchestra, which is only tempo- rarily interrupted by the spring - motive, the master- singers' and friendship - motives; at the close of the movement (when Sachs is already taking up paper and pen for writing down Walther's attempt), the artist-theme and the friendship-theme unite in the closest embrace, as if celebrating the victory of Sachs's persuasive art. The lyrical motive and that of the declaration of love (prize-song) form the transition to Walther's question: "What rule will my commence- ment fit?” Sachs replies: “First make your rule, then follow it”; – while wood - wind instruments, horns and harp delicately and etherially sound the dream-motive (65); a few short chords lead over into C-major, in which key the first stanza of the prize- song (7) is sung by Walther and accompanied by the orchestra. Directly after a short song in re- citative follows the second stanza, with the accom- paniment of wood-wind instruments and horns, which closes in the dominant. In the following recitative, in which Sachs institutes a comparison between the after-song and a marriage properly contracted, we have the short initial-member of the Eva-motive. The after - song is introduced by the lyrical motive, in canon-form, played by clarinet and oboe; it is ac- companied more copiously by the string-choir, wood- - - 91 ine UITO wind choir and horns, and closes with the illusion- motive, solemnly resounding in the horns and bassoons, indicating Hans Sachs's joyful emotion. At Sachs's remark: “To catch it right though's perplexing, To our Masters that is vexing" - there sounds roguishly in the oboe the first measure of Ex. 55 twice in succession: it marks the scapegrace in Master Sachs! The second stanza, which the young knight brings to an end in the same melody without interruption, is more richly instrumentated in the orchestra, especially also through the addition of the harp; this stanza too ends with the illusion-motive, to which the lyrical motive and the dream - motive are joined, on Walther's being called upon by Sachs to. invent a third stanza in addition, “To show the vision's meaning completely". Walther, however, has now enough of words: a brisk violin-passage (motive of passion, 8a) presses forward to the chord of the dominant-seventh of D with the expression of a firm resolve, and thereupon the friendship-motive introduces, in characteristically resolute setting, Sachs's words: “Then we will rhyme some fitter time!" While Sachs is admonishing Walther to retain well the tune and the dream, the Nuremberg-motive, and the motives of friendship and of the declaration of love are joined together, in order to illustrate the festal mood growing more and more in intensity. When Sachs LI TTTT - 92 - is telling about the young knight's servant who carried his master's traveling - luggage, and whom "some bird, sure, must have shewn the nest Where- in the young knight lay” – there takes place a combination of the love-motive, the knightly motive, and the Eva-motive (46 a), the knightly motive with the cheerful inflection of 270, which seems so closely related to the Eva-motive. The dream-motive also appears once more at the right place; but after- wards the Nuremberg-motive in magnificent instrumen- tal arrangement (enhanced by the festal scale-pas- sages of the violins) diffuses the most joyful antici- pations of the festival, and on the departure of the two friends, in alliance with the love-motive (prize- song) evaporates upon the organ-point of the tonic (E-flat) to pianissimo, when, on the chord of the diminished seventh on this tonic, the motive of Beck- messer's serenade resounds in the deep clarinet, pre- paring us for the appearance of the town-clerk. On the organ-point E-flat there are afterwards formed the sextachord upon the flatted second with repe- tition of the aforesaid motive, and finally the chord of the diminished seventh on the seventh degree, on which chord the bassoon and clarinet, first in alternation, then in union with the oboe and violins, execute the cudgeling - motive, which in accelerated tempo ascends higher and higher above the same - - 93 organ-point, and upon Beckmesser's entrance breaks off with a shriek on the dominant septimachord of the key of A. Then follows the illusion - motive, entering forte in the violoncelli, and afterwards the envy-motive (36 a) in the wood-wind instruments with similar abrupt chord breaking off sforzato, denot- ing the convulsive pain in the bruised members of the town-clerk. With the application of the cobbler's- motive, the lute - motive and the serenade - motive the orchestra here paints with exquisite humor the pain of annoying remembrances which are to be expressed in the looks and gestures of the representative of the aforesaid rôle. Once more the frantic hubbub of yesterday night passes by before us in the tone- picture, and is worked up to the expression of violent passionateness: when the cudgeling-motive above the organ-point E, almost with full orchestra, chromati- cally rages upward, and the trumpet peals it forth above the chord of the minor seventh (in three-four position) on G, suddenly breaking off on it. This expression of pain and fury is, after a pause, echoed in the horns, yet in a lower octave and above the diminished septimachord raised a half-tone, followed by a similar pause; and then, for denoting Beck- messer's despair, the envy-motive softly enters on the minor nonachord on F. This place in the orchestral movement has fre- - 94- TIT quently been attacked on the ground of assumptive- ly harsh discord; to an ear practiced in chord- connections the dissonances, on the other hand, are resolved with ease, as soon as the harmonies that are separated by rests are brought into closer relation with one another. It is the business of the conductor, while leading, to take care that the effect of the dissonant passages should not be spoiled through special harshness in the performance. The envy-motive enters very faintly in the violins, then in the flutes, and continues in the clarinets and horn to creep on in an extremely peevish sounding manner, until it is relieved by the melody of the after-song of the serenade (58c) and the knightly-motive (27a), at the moment when the town-clerk is think- ing of his rival. His jealousy is drastically illustrated by means of the restless modulation of the two united motives, and at the moment when he fancies he hears the scoffs of the women and children in the alley, the cudgeling-motive sounds in the wood- wind instruments sharply and disputatiously to the minor septimachord in five-six position, and descends chromatically to the diminished septimachord of C-sharp (three-four position, on g), when it abruptly breaks off, and Beckmesser, much put out, turns towards the work - bench. Here the illusion - motive again comes to the front, played by the D-horn, -- - 95 clarinet and violin alternate with the serenade-motives 58 a and c, the five-six position of the minor septima- chord being resolved into the principal septimachord on the same fundamental. When the town - clerk casts his eyes on the poem copied by Sachs, that minor septimachord on A is regularly resolved into B-flat major, in which key the love-song now sounds, delicately played by violins con sordini. Immediately afterwards this passes over into the confusion-theme (from 70): for Beckmesser's head is turning round and he bursts out wrathfully into the exclamation: “A trial - song! by Sachs? – is't so? Ha! – now everything I know!" Sachs now enters, and Beckmesser hurriedly puts the manuscript in his pocket, while in the orchestra, after a suggestion of the envy-motive, is heard the limping gait of the Nuremberg- motive (43a), pointing to the town-clerk; this leads into the cobbler -motive, which alternates with the envy - motive and a jocular transformation of the cudgeling - motive: 68. List The latter appears, while Sachs is alluding to the hubbub of folly-evening, also in its original shape; . - . 96 now, however, follows Beckmesser's outburst of rage against the “cobbler full of cunning”, which the noisy motive from Ex. 44 accompanies. At the words: “You hoary-headed reprobate! Attempting to appropriate The maiden who alone Is destined for my own!" – the jealousy - motive of the town- clerk: 69. appears for the first time. It is formed from the last measure of Ex. 53C (belonging to the cobbler's song), and is occasionally united with the teasing motive (55) (here contracted into 44 measure); but it afterwards alternates in sprightly play with the envy - motive, the cobbler's and cudgeling motives, once even with the first theme of the cobbler's song. The symphonic share of the orchestra is notable here for sparkling humor; yet the jocular mood comes into prominence in the vocal parts also through the characteristic leading of the dramatic melody, and the adaptation of the latter to the verbal contents. When Sachs is explaining that he has not the remotest idea of wooing Eva, the music gradually becomes quieter, and the jealousy - motive (69) passes - - 97 W over almost imperceptibly into the transformation of the master - singers' march which was mentioned in connection with Ex. 64, as accompanying the thought that Sachs would have once more to take a wife. Beckmesser puts no faith in the protestation of the poetical shoemaker; he searches in his pocket for the song (at this the envy-motive is sounded hesi- tatingly), while Sachs is looking in vain for the poem on the table (the love-song then sounds, like- wise broken off abruptly). · At that passage of the discourse, the effect of which is extremely droll, when Sachs asks: “Well, and what then?” - there advances in the orchestra lightly and roguishly the first attack of the friendship-motive (37), from which is developed more and more a new melody of face- · tious gracefulness: 70. 1 TI: 1. - 98 It denotes the waggish thought dawning in Sachs, of making the town-clerk a present of Walther's poem which he had picked up, in order that he might make use of it for testing his proficiency in singing. Beckmesser, who is afraid of Hans Sachs as of a rival at the contest of singers, is still hesitating in making up his mind to slip into the trap laid for him, and his hesitation is strikingly portrayed by means of the sharply dissonant chords of the envy- motive. He sings, however: “What! a song? A song by Sachs?”; he thus regards Sachs as the author of the poem, and his doubts disappear more and more. Beckmesser's song, in keeping with his vain hope, becomes more and more arrogant; thus, for instance, at the words: "Ah, now in truth your talk is more pleasant!" the melody moves facetiously capering in / measure: Rehe 9 HOE 9999 but soon afterwards leads into the 6% measure, which brings the roguish motive of Ex. 70 into closest - - 99 contact with the envy-theme and the theme of the serenade (586). We would mention, in addition, as a characteristic feature, the manner in which the flutes in the orchestra mark the whistle by which the personator of the rôle, after the words: “A song by Sachs?”, has to express as it were his surprise. The melody of the measure is repeated soon after- wards, but passes over just as quickly into a passage in / measure resembling the motive of the wreath-of- flowers, which is repeated once more at the close of the scene (Pianoforte Edition, page 350), and then is actually followed by the motive aforesaid. Now follows a farther, throughout interesting and peculiar interweaving of the motives indicated, till Beckmesser, with the words: “What more re- mains? I'm joyful.- hearted!” - repeats the same melody (here in short-winded 3/measure) that he applied in the first act (38 a) when scolding the dilatory shoemaker. The lively 3s measure is now retained in alternation with the homogenous ?. mea- sure, and the motives of the serenade, of disorder, of the cudgeling and the wreath-of-flowers bustle in motley confusion, which through the frequent alternation of two kinds of measure has a peculiarly drastic effect. At the same time there again appears in Beck- messer's song: “I'll buy all your works, you know, You shall as Marker show” – a charming melody, n - .- 100 most happily reflecting the poor simpleton's blissful mood: 72. HEL Cresc. Inn After Beckmesser's departure the quiet 3/4 mea- sure again enters, in which the disorder - figure unites itself with the cobbler-motive, and in wonderful modu- lation leads over from D-major into A-flat major. Very pretty is also the melody at Sachs's words: "I ne'er met with so evil a man: He'll come to grief one of these days”: 73. Rp But who would imagine, that the intractable cobbler-- motive could form so graceful an accompaniment to this as is the case here? That motive directly ac- quires a suggestion of home, and thereby imparts to the cobbler's workshop a cheery warmth. The envy - motive points to the “weak moments that all discover”; but afterwards appears, on the organ-point - 101: - of the dominant, the Nuremberg-motive. (43a), united with the lyrical and the St. John's day motives, and even the love-motive (7 a) as well. When Sachs descries Eva, just entering, the orchestra modulates from the nonachord on the dominant of F-major to the dominant septimachord of A - flat, in which with arpeggio accompaniment of the violins the Eva-motive (46e) with the carrying out of 46f, now enters. This passes over soothingly, however, into a new trans- formation of the Eva-motive, which quite strikingly denotes the bashfulness of the maiden, in which she hardly dares to acknowledge to Sachs what it really is that troubles her: 74. (a) por etc. Taken up by the wood-wind instruments this motive at first advances delicately and shyly; afterwards, when Eva places her foot upon the stool, the cobbler- motive is joined with it. At Walther's appearance, however, it assumes features from the formation of the Eva-motive 46f, and passes over into the sweet summer -night motive (48a), when Eva, with a cry of ecstacy, recognizes her lover and, gazing fixedly at him, remains standing as if spell - bound. While Sachs, seemingly unconcerned about the lovers, goes -· 102 - on working and chatting (“Cobbling always! That is my fate”), the bashful Eva-motive (74) is heard in the most multifarious modulations, until Sachs, who cannot get Eva to speak, cries out: “All right! You say, “Stick to your shoes! Won't some one give us a song to amuse?” Thereupon enters, at first in the oboe, the motive formed from the theme of love's longing from “Tristan and Isolda”, with which Eva later on sings the praises of her noble friend and teacher Sachs: “Bereft of thy great kindness, How helpless should I be!" 75. This is followed by the lyrical motive, on the organ- point of the dominant, forming the introduction to the third stanza, which Walther now sings, of his prize-song and love-song, and which is now profusely accompanied by the harp also in the orchestra. At the close of this song the illusion - notive is unfolded in the orchestra, adorned by copious accompaniment- figures in the violins; it paints wonderfully the emotion with which Eva sinks upon the breast of her generous friend Sachs. The latter tears himself away, and endeavors through jocose remarks about the troubles of the cobbler, as also of the poet, to - - 103 master his feelings: hereupon the cobbler's song is heard once more, amplified by means of profuse modulation and frequently filigreed with Eva's bash- fulness-motive (74); the real Eva-motive also (46b) and the jovial Beckmesser - phrase from Ex. 34C, are heard at the same time. At length, however, the deeply affected maiden recovers speech and sings the won- derfully enthusiastic song in praise of her fatherly friend (Pianoforte Edition, page 367). For this song she makes use at first of the illusion - motive, with briskly figurated accompaniment of the violins; then follows the theme given in Ex. 75, derived from the love's longing motive from “Tristan and Isolda”, and which here takes an accompaniment in alternation of doublets and triplets of eighth-notes, marking the throbs of the profoundly agitated heart. (The a in brackets shows the original motive.) If we admire the beauty and the touching expression of this song by Eva, must we at the same time not wonder also, how the Master, in spite of being tied down to the motives afforded by the drama, has created here an art - work which, leaving out of the question, the difference of form, can be put on a par, as being altogether its peer in richness and variety of mood, with the noble song of Leonora “Komm, Hoffnung”, in Beethoven's “Fidelio”? And how expressively is not everything severally composed; note, for example, - 104 LOW the characteristic modulation at the words: “But now I am a prey To never dreamed - of ill”, etc.! - J. Stinde characterises this thanksgiving - psalm of Eva's quite correctly “as the expression of reciprocal action between genius (Hans Sachs) and the heart of the people (here, of the simple plebeian maiden). Eva recognizes how free from envy Sachs, a high- priest of art, stands before her, who himself renounces the prize, in order to help the genius of higher selection to gain it”. Hans Sachs will none of poor Mark's luck: hence the words concerned are accompanied by a second motive from “Tristan and Isolda” – that of King Mark. The observation: “'Twas time the right man did appear, Or I should have been caught, I fear” – is with great sagacity clothed in the same ironical melodic phrase that Beckmesser employed in the first act (“And not a trace of melody'), and Sachs in the second act at: “So let his fortune shine elsewhere!" David and Magdalena now enter; Sachs calls upon all to be sponsors at the baptism of the new melody, while Eva's bashfulness - motive is sounded powerfully in the orchestra, but stops short at the moment when Sachs begins the baptismal address: “A child here was created”, which over and over again utilizes the first and second lines of the choral - - 105 in the first act (100 and b). The words “So let me tell all you here What 'tis we have to do here" introduce in the orchestra the singular mingling of the master - singers' theme with the marker's skipping motive. This mingling of the same motives preceded Kothner's rehearsal of the rules in the first act, and was on that occasion denoted by me as being an intentional satire on the pedantic application of the rules; it is followed here also by the song in reci- tative style already illustrated (31), which, in the tone of a person inviting the sponsors, alternates between 5/4 and 44 measure, and by the repeated application of the two lines of the choral. David, kneeling according to the ancient German custom, receives a box on the ear in token of journeymanship, and his sensation of pain is ex- pressed with capital humor by the orchestra by means of the suspension, a-flat in the horn, of the tone 9, belonging to two septimachords (c-sharp, e, g, b-flat, and d, f, g, b). – Upon David's rising to his feet a happy journeyman, the art-union motive (4) appears in the orchestra joined with the christening- motive (10a); the orchestra breaks off suddenly, how- ever, on the chord of the dominant of C, and now the wind-instruments bring in the dream-motive (65 a), with which Sachs christens the new melody as “The glorious morning-dream's true story”. Eva's bashful- IC - 106 by the famous quina ness - motive (74) then leads over in pretty modulation into G-flat major, in which key the famous quintet opens with Eva's song: “Dazzling as the dawn That smiles upon my glee”, etc. (766): 76. (a) 26 76 a restores to this motive the thematic germ which soon after, at the real beginning of the ensemble- movement, at the words: “That divine and tender strain With its tones of gladness”, is applied inde- pendently. We immediately recognize in this germ the theme of the prize - song, the glorification of which is here in question. The beauty and masterly workmanship of this piece of music is acknowledged even by Wagner's opponents; nevertheless they raise the objection: “According to his own theory several persons ought not to utter, in the drama, each one a particular idea”.* This error concerning Wagner's artistic . * Short-sighted critics of this kind make out of this maxim of a master of art a pattern, such as is conformable to their one- sided way of looking at things, without having regard to the special requirements of each art-work. No person was freer from such one-sidedness than R. Wagner, the champion of freedom of action in art, that is: of unity in diversity of creating. . - - 107 intentions unfortunately is reiterated in the organs of public opinion just as intolerantly as the other one, viz: that the Master rejects every chorus in the music-drama, whereas he only wishes to see abol- ished the chorus-pattern of the old opera which had no connection with the organism of the drama! Upon this point Wagner himself says as follows (Collected Works, IV, 204): “Only when utterly deprived of the office of making announcements in a large body, is also the chorus in the drama of actively convincing effect. A multitude can never interest us, but only bewilder us: strictly distinguish- able individuals can alone engage our sympathy. To ascribe to the numerous persons about one also, . where they are necessary, the character of individual interest in the motives and actions of the drama, is the indispensable care of the poet who everywhere strives after the clearest intelligibility of his appoint- ments. He does not wish to conceal anything, but to unveil everything. In the bloom of the lyrical effusion, the participation of all the acting persons in a common expression of feeling being fully postu- lated, to the tone-poet alone is offered the polyphonic vocal mass, to which he may assign the task of making the harmony perceptible; nevertheless, even here it will remain the necessary task of the tone- poet not to exhibit the share of the dramatic indi- - - 108 022ce vidualities in the effusion of feeling as mere harmonic support of the melody, but precisely also in the harmonic ensemble to cause the individuality of the parties concerned to make itself distinguishable in definite, again harmonic manifestation; and it is precisely in this that his highest ability, bestowed upon him through the stand-point of our musical art, will have to be authenticated.” I ask the nobler, truth - loving portion of our people, if it does not here recognize the unity be- tween the earnest artistic will and the vigorous ability of our great modern Master, and if it must not despise those who, without feeling the need of being better instructed, constantly repeat the old slanderous errors, which are calculated to trample under foot the artistic ideas of the poet-composer? The orchestral postlude of the quintet is also treated in a masterly manner, gently leading down- wards its two fundamental themes on the organ- point of the tonic, until Eva and Magdalena, at the call of Sachs: “Quick! to the fields all go your ways!" – have left the chamber. The G - flat of the aforementioned organ - point is enharmonically changed into F-sharp, upon which the principal part of the Nuremberg-motive (43a), rhythmically extended, moves in B-major, when Sachs utters the last words before the general breaking up. The harmony then 109 - suddenly turns towards E-major, in which key the broad counter-motive of the Nuremberg-theme (436) be- gins in the horns with the fifth 6. While this is being carried on, the stage is shut off by a curtain, and now begins the remarkable interlude which always makes on me the impression of aiming to depict the hurly-burly in which, in making prepara- tions for a public festival, men and objects so frequently find themselves at sixes and sevens; the erection of scaffolds for seeing the sights, the raising of flag-staffs adorned with streamers, the bringing forward of wreaths and festoons, and other labor of the same kind performed in the midst of shouting and crowding, seems, on hearing this intermezzo, to pass by before our inner eye; for the interlinking of the motives has here something apparently dis- orderly, as if wildly thrown together pell-mell. After the horns have finished with the Nuren- berg - theme, the basses take up its first mensural member, modulating with it to F-sharp minor and A-major; when it has here descended in the chord of the dominant to E, the basses sustain this tone during 18 measures as organ-point, and after 2 mea- sures filled up by the skipping Nuremberg-motive, there is sounded over this organ-point the flourish of trumpets of the town -musicians in A-major, executed by horns on the stage with accompaniment of the big drum: 1 - 1.10 TIT Along with it a sextuplet-figure in the violoncelli rumbles around the low E, vividly recalling the moving of tables or other heavy objects. Now come again two measures of the skipping Nuremberg-passage in A-major, then trumpets with the flourish in E-major and the rumbling 'cello-accompaniment on the tone B; next, the nonachord through 2 measures as at the beginning of the second act, with the violin-runs and wind-instrument trills of the St. John's eve glad- ness. Now are alternated several times, accompanied by repeated rumbling of the 'celli, the Nuremberg- motive and the St. John's eve trills; then, however, the basses forsake the organ-point and move in the art-union motive (4) upwards, while the wind-instru- ments execute joyous trills, the violins and trombone — think of it! -- the short St. John's day motive (24a), and the trumpets on the stage the fanfare of the town - musicians (77). When the basses in the fifth measure begin the art-motive once more in the higher octave with the dominant in A-major and in the sixth measure reach to f-sharp, the trumpets on the stage suddenly give out forte a shrill c, which peals through two measures and now compels the basses, — - 111 inn WITUU mi 1 U unconcernedly going on their way, to carry on their theme in the chord of the dominant of G-major (the rumbling is taken care of by the violins and violas). In the tenth measure the basses begin with the art- motive in G-major, while the flourish of trumpets, the trill, the runs and the St. John's motive stumble away over it. Finally, the basses lower the C-major scale, from g onward, by two octaves and bring in on that pitch an organ-point of 12 measures, which at first works up the motive of the quizzing-song of the apprentices (41 a) and makes it descend chromatically in fortissimo; the 'celli accompany it with their sextuplet-figure. Kettle-drum and side-drum then take up the tone g of the organ-point, while the string-quartet with the bassoons resume the carrying out of the master - singers' theme ib, with which we became acquainted in the grand Prelude. Here the curtain has again been raised; the stage represents the place of the festival in the meadow: there is a large assemblage of people, and the tradesmen, received on their arrival in the boat by the apprentices, are marching in procession. Just now the cobblers with flying banners are advancing and singing their comical song of St. Crispin, who stole the leather to make shoes for the poor. It begins in sharp dissonance with the augmented triad c-sharp, f, a, in which the c-sharp of the bass forms - 112 the retardation of d in the minor triad on that tone; the basses sound with that retardation the cobbler- motive (136) with its additional blustering passage (44); then follows in F-major a pleasant popular melody at the words: “That was a fine time for the poor" — the principal parts of which are here given: 78. (a) < fp and after which the afore-mentioned cobbler - motives, partly in the voices also, return again. The town- watchmen, town-pipers and lute-makers with trum- pets and drums now enter, and execute their fanfare on the stage, accompanied by the rumbling of the 'celli and double-basses. Leading into C-major they then bring in, with triangle and cymbals and almost full orchestra, a simple festively sounding march- melody (with only tonic, dominant and subdominant harmonies), the trio of which introduces in diminu- tive form the wreath-of-flowers motive (216), in a lively variant played by toy-instruments. The instrumen- tation in the orchestra attains the effect of toy- instruments especially by means of piccolos, a chime of bells, trumpets (con sordini with forced intonation), - - 113 and of arpeggiated chords in the violins, which are played with the stick of the bow; the effect is striking, and very comical. At the repetition of the principal part of the march are sounded also the trumpets of the town-watchmen and military trum- peters on the stage in the familiar fanfare (77). A rapid transition to a- minor introduces the song of the tailors: 010 . @ LET T which (at a) tells of the famine during the siege of Nuremberg, and (at b) adds the droll legend, how a tailor had sewed himself up in a goat's skin and by means of his caperings on the wall filled the super- stitious foe with dismay. The last division utilizes Rossini's melody "Di tanti palpiti”, for giving a satyrical hit at sweetish melodies meaning nothing; the melody is even ornamented with so-called goat- trills (imitations of a goat bleating), which also - ". 114'- signalize the subsequent onomatope “me-ey me-ey" (or, as the Germans put it, "meck - meck"). The slurring vocal figure indicated at ċ is applied for a specially comical effect, until it closes with the repetition of the goat-trill. Simultaneously with the final chord the bakers strike up their song of the horrors of famine, likewise in a-minor: 80. F and when chanting the praise of the health-giving baker's business lead gayly into C-major. At the moment of the final chord of their song the cob- blers, meeting them, strike up their “Hey! hey!", then the tailors their "me-ey, me-ey"; and thereupon ap- pears on the shore a boat with young girls from Fuerth, at the sight of whom the legs of the ap- prentices itch for a dance; the trills and runs, with the frisky St. John's eve motive and the exuberant figure cited at 416, sufficiently indicate this. "Town- piper, play!” the apprentices cry out, and a impetuous triplet-passage in the violins playing in unison de- picts the couples merrily skipping forward to the front, there to gratify their desire. O 115 – 81. (a) sempre staccato - - - - - - f cresc. - - - - - - DlHD IH 1 MOOL - -- . VW cresc. - - etc. - -** 116 1 The waltz begins with the melody (81a) repeat- ing itself in a singular manner, first in the tonic triad, then in the nonachord, in the triad of the sub-dominant, and finally once more in the chord of the tonic. Each of these four movement-periods of the waltz has but 7 instead of 8 measures; the same is the case with the continuation of the melody at c, whilst the period beginning at d, which superadds an enchanting melody in the violoncelli and violas to the theme briskly skipping onward in the violins and wood - wind instruments, contains 9 measures. At the return of 81a the harmonic leading at f enters over in the horns on the organ-point of the tonic to the theme; the period becomes one of eight measures, inasmuch as its second half is formed from d; three measures later the principal theme once more returns in seven measures, and, with the utmost intensification in the vehemence of the dance, finally leads the nine-measure closing period shown at e into its regular eight-measure repetition on the organ-point of the dominant. The irregularity of the structure of the periods in this piece of dance - music is based on good reasons; a thing which, unfortunately, is lost sight of by many an orchestral director and stage-manager to whom Wagner's dramatic intention in this respect is un- known, or who are too indolent to carry it out. Wagner VIEW Y 1 - - 117 L prescribes in the stage-directions the following: “The characteristic of this dance consists in this, that the apprentices only seemingly wish to bring the girls to the open place; but every time the journeymen try to get hold of the girls, the apprentices always draw the latter away as if they wished to conduct them to another place, and in this way they make the tour of the whole stage, and consequently keep putting off, in a pleasant and frolicsome way, the carrying out of their apparent intention. Afterwards” - when David, who is dancing with a pretty girl, is falsely told by the teasing apprentices that Magda- lena is looking at him, and, discovering the sell, returns to his girl — "the apprentices try to play the same game with him that the journeymen played before with them”. Nowhere again has the intention of the poet-composer in the carrying out of this scene been so clearly realized as at the model per- formance of “The Master-singers” at Munich (June, 1868) with Wagner's coöperation in the scenic management. On that occasion the Master of the ballet had precisely adjusted the snatching at the couples and their slipping away each time to the be- ginning of a new movement - period of the waltz; inas- much as the new period enters — not after the eighth, but – after the seventh measure of the previous period, thus apparently too soon, the music - . 118 - in its conformity with the scenic movement quite wonderfully intensified the dramatic effect aimed at.* The dance-music breaks off suddenly, only the unison trill of the string-quartet is sustained on the dominant f, when all exclaim: “The Master-singers!" The trill is shifted to a, in the nonachord on the dominant of G-major, and here appears, as at the beginning of the second act, the bright trill of the wind-instruments with the scale-passages of the vio- lins. The apprentices have forsaken the girls, and are hastening to the bank of the river to receive the master - singers. The basses, strengthened by bassoons, strike up the art-union motive (4), at first breaking off from it twice, but in such a way that in the second measure (to the chord of three-four – a, c, d, f-sharp) the flourish of trumpets in C on the stage (77), and in the third measure the first mem- ber of the master - singers' motive (1a, in the wind- instruments) may be joined with it. The basses then completely unfold their motive, while the vi- olins sound individual familiar festive passages (for instance from 2d), the wind-instruments continually * I should be pleased to receive information, from wheresoever it might be, that stage - managers and orchestra - directors seriously take pains to realize the Master's idea in performance. Surely, Wagner's dramatic intention in this composition and scene ought not to be forgotten! - - 119 TUU VIU the short master - singers' motive, and even, once, the trombones the latter in augmentation. Finally, the basses descend, through two measures, down the scale into the tonic, when the complete master-singers' theme, as at the beginning of the Prelude, enters in the full orchestra. To it is joined the master-singers' march, likewise complete, with the brilliant ending as in the Prelude, here embellished in addition by the trumpets on the stage with their joyful fanfare. The initial tones of the march-theme are repeated in dimi- nuendo, whereupon the apprentices sing their “Silen- tium!" but are interrupted by the triumphant shout of the crowd: "See! Master Sachs!" This shout is accompanied by festal passages in the violins, which modulate from A-fiat major by way of E-major into D-major and then, with a more pompous run, into G - major; and here follows the people's song of homage to Sachs in the beautiful – partly six- voiced - choral: “Awake! draws nigh the break of day! a poem by the historic Hans Sachs, from the song of the Reformation: “The nightingale of Wit- tenberg”. Of the masterly composition of this chorus and its noble expression of devotion and goodness of heart we have already spoken in treating of the prelude to the third act. At its close the people break out into shouts of “Hail!" addressed to "Nu- remberg's darling Sachs”, using as song-melody the - - 120 J art-union motive, while up to the last cry of “Hail!” the master - singers' march resounds, passing over dimi- nuendo into the illusion-theme, played with delicacy and deep feeling by the string - quartet. This theme points to the heartfelt emotion with which Sachs gives, in the subsequent beautiful address, modest utterance to his gratitude, and in enthusiastic lan- guage directs the attention of all present to the event, "full of high honors”, which the proposed awarding of the prize (at which he is about to officiate as adjudicator) will bring to an issue. In its musical conception also this address affords a masterpiece of Wagnerian art, since in it the motives of illusion, of friendship, of the guild- and art-union, the short St. John's day motive, the lyrical and the Nuremberg motive, are constantly employed in rich variety of modulation. Whoever is acquainted with Wagner's artistic faculty of imparting to his motives — often by means of a slight change in modulation, figuration or instrumentation – another, character- istic coloring suitable in mood to the dramatic situa- tion, such a one knows that his application of musical motives, in the case of such vocal pieces as are treated more in the manner of recitative, never ex- hibits the rigid mosaic work of a mere stringing together of musical themes, but that these latter are organically bound up with the essential subject-matter II T I - - 121 AN DAVO LIV of the symphonic accompaniment, and seem to shoot forth as natural members from the musical setting. Pogner thanks his friend with a warm pressure of the hand, and at this also the guild-motive is heard in conjunction with the motives of art-union and of St. John's day. But when Beckmesser is now invited to sing, and gives utterance to the complaint about the song given up to him by Sachs and which he does not comprehend, his envy-motive enters combined with those previously named. At the comical set- ting up of the town-clerk upon the mound of turf arranged for the singer, we hear the facetious modi- fication of the master - singers' theme from the Prelude of the drama, and now the people begin, with their chaffing remarks about the ridiculous wooer, the fugal song with the bantering - motive (9), which brings on as counterpoint in the orchestra the art - union motive (for the most part in the wind- instruments, finally in the violoncelli and bas- soons). The “Silentium!” of the apprentices, with the master-singers' inarch in the horns and wood-wind instruments, finally brings the people to silence; and while Beckmesser is making his bows to the Masters and the people, the guild-motive is sounded with the trill (17 a) in a mournfully sounding variant. It is followed by a figure formed from the lute- motive (57), which is heard disjointedly first in the TTY 1 - - 122 violins, then in the oboe, and, with the envy-motive uniting with it, played by bassoon and clarinet, capitally illustrates the town-clerk's anxiety. The lute-motive, as in the second act, here, how- ever, in measure, now introduces Beckmesser's song; the song itself is sounded dolefully in e-minor, at the beginning as in the following example: 82. . etc. afterwards with the familiar application of the fioriture in fourths, as at a. The cry of the thunderstruck people: "Is he insane?" resounds in a union of the motive of envy and that of the popular judgment (30 and 25). Beckmesser sings the after - song of his stave to the melody of the after-song of the serenade (58c) in 24 measure: and it is brought to a close in the same way as before. At the last tone of his song the ringing laughter of all present bursts upon Beckmesser, and the orchestra accompanies this with the laughter - motive: 83. - - 123 Beckmesser, infuriated, rushes towards Sachs: "Ac- cursed cobbler! This is through you!" – and declares that the wretched song was palmed off by Sachs upon him! Hereupon are heard the jealousy-motive (69) and the variant of the cudgeling-motive (68), both in 3/4 measure. Beckmesser disappears in the crowd, and the people, unwilling to believe that such a song was by Sachs, sing their: “Why! How can that be?" etc., to the laughter - motive. Hans Sachs now declares that the song was not written by him, but is very beautiful; and here again appears the charmingly facetious melody denoting the rogue in Sachs (70), which is followed by a suggestion of the motive of the popular judgment (25), as Sachs is at this moment appealing to this latter. The Masters and the people think that Sachs is making fun, and ex- press their amazement through a union of the motive of envy with that of the popular judgment. At Sachs's reply: "I swear, though, you will like the song, When someone here rehearses The proper tune and verses”, – there is heard the same melody that he employed when explaining to the young knight (Pianoforte Edition, page 319) the purpose of the after-song; this reminiscence is strikingly appropriate to the thought of the correct union of tone and word. The unrestricted application of the melody of the popular judgment (25) soon follows; and when 2012 UDIO - - 124 . - OU Sachs summons the witness for his assertion we hear the short initial motive of the love-song (7.a), modulating from E-major into A and D-major, until upon Walther's entrance the knightly motive (27) is sounded, which is followed by the cheerfully festal closing inflection of 270, united with the motive of the Vogelweide (28d). The little quintet movement of the Master - singers which is now sounded, expressing almost against their will their approbation of Sachs: “Ah Sachs! You're very sly indeed!”, makes use, to be sure, of the envy-motive, although this time in the friendly key of C-major. Thereupon the people ap- plaud, to the melody of the knightly motive (the bright counter-theme of the envy-motive), likewise in five- voiced setting. Sachs now calls upon Walther, to the sound of a combination of the Vogelweide-motive and the Eva-motive (poetry and the feeling of love), to sing his song. The apprentices sing, to the motive of the morning-dream-tune (65). their: "All are intent, hushed is the hum; So we need not call out Silentium!", and the lyrical motive uniting with it, now leads over into the third stave of Walther's prize- song. Here for the first time is adequately expressed the full symbolism of the idea of the blending of the earthly and the divine (Eva in Paradise and the Muse of Parnassus as emblem of art) which appeared before only by way of suggestion, and the after-song - - 125 celebrates the victory with the closing words: “By might of music gaining Parnassus and Paradise!" Hence both the two stanzas and the after - song undergo here an extension of several measures; this extension is formed, in the case of the two stanzas, from the following motive: 84. DV and at the after-song it is the fractional motive 76 (first half of the measure) that in rich modulation leads the prize-song to its enthusiastic close. With profound feeling Master-singers and people take up this closing melody for expressing their heartfelt ... emotion, vary it in still richer manner, until they lead into the expressive cantilena noted at 486, - a variant of the motive indicated at 5 a for the sur- render to the ideal, which is again repeated by Eva, softly accompanied by the chorus, to the words: “None else could woo in such a noble wise!", and concludes with a trill gently dying away. The illusion-motive leads over to Sachs's remark: “My witness answered not amiss!" and the people exultantly reply to him: “Your tact you've once more exercised!”, applying the laughter - motive (83) and at the close the ideal motive (5 a) mentioned immediately above. - .. 126 - At the sound of the master-singers' march Pogner is now called upon by the Masters to announce to the young knight the mastership and to decorate him with the golden chain (here are several times disconnectedly interchanged in the orchestra the master- singers' march and the lyrical motive); - Walther, however, refuses to accept the chain: “I'll find reward some other way!" Hereupon is heard the christening song for the new melody (quintet, 766), first delicately in the wood-wind instruments, then mounting up threateningly in the basses; for all are taken by surprise and are looking with embarassment up to Sachs. The latter now delivers his glorious address in honor of the ancient Masters, during which is applied the wonderful union of the master - singer themes with the prize-song, as at the close of the Prelude. At the admonition: “Beware! Bad times are nigh at hand!” – the song is treated more in the style of recitative, but with profoundly serious expression, until, at the words: “Honor your German Masters”, etc., horns and violoncello take up at first the broad Nuremberg-motive, to which then, however, is once more joined the afore-mentioned union of themes from the Prelude. Here follows also the entire conclusion of the Prelude, with few alterations, all the people meanwhile repeating the words of Hans Sachs: in - - 127 CUL anno MINIU IND UUUU II “Honor your German Masters If you would stay disasters! For while they dwell in every heart, Though should depart The pride of holy Rome, Still thrives at home Our sacred German Art!” Thus ends the drama, whose aim it was to de- pict the struggle of Genius with the external cir- cumstances of life, the strife between Ideality and Reality: — with the harmonious reconciliation of these antagonistic principles by means of sublime art. – May all we who feel ourselves affected by the noble subject-matter of this master-piece of Wagner's, once more take to heart Franz Müller's admonition: “Wagner's work has freed us from a nightmare that for a long time pressed heavily upon our artistic conditions. We have only to interrogate the genuine artists and friends of art. They will answer us unani- mously. Do they not breathe free, away from the mephitic air of a formalism which frequently em- bitters their efforts and labors, breathe free in the noble liberty of intellectual thought, of mental development? Wagner has struggled for this twofold freedom, achieved it with the simplest power in the world: as it were in play and involuntary, and yet with his heart's blood; he has struggled for it with that sentiment that is indispensable to the artist and his art-work, that makes both 'lasting'! - - 128 ne “Around the banner of this aggressive and nevertheless compensative victory of German heart- life and intellectual life, with its depth, energy and gentleness, its dignity, beauty and cheerfulness, with the qualities which are summed up in the words 'truthfulness, education and cultivation', the real cultural and humanitarian idea in the ethical and artistic sense, – around this banner will the artists of German race joyfully rally, and continue to do their part, according to the Master's wish, for the advancement and utilization of 'sacred German art.” “The stage, which signifies the world, will not in vain have spoken and resounded in honor of this art. This speech and this song are productive of advantage to art in general! “The ruddy dawn of day Thro' lowering clouds is coming on its way." DATE DUE MAY 21 70 TUM. Ora 77 . 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