Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1899 edition. Excerpt: ...do I think the kind of theatre you use for these favourite works of your honourable selves is quite the thing for my work. Please may I explain what I think I mean? "--would the Jockey Clubs, etc., have said, . " Speak out your mind fearlessly, openly, in the Press "? Our anti-Wagnerians have no objections to prove the wrongness of Wagner and Wagnerians in presenting their case by means of the free Press, while they reserve the right to misrepresent that case in the servile Press. However, even that resource must fail. The Press is not altogether corrupted and dead to the beauties of Wagner's theories and prose. As to the charges of a " savage outburst " and " personal animosity," we have now Wagner's Prose Works translated into English. Produce from them proof to corroborate your statement. I challenge you. I defy you, and laugh your chances all the time to scorn. This is my humble opinion of Wagner's writings as far as they regard treatment of others. No man in this world, who ever came on to a polemical field with sincere conviction to champion a cause whose theoretical justification was only possible after showing up the shortcomings and falseness of what it opposed, was more scrupulous than Wagner. Honour and respect for those he had to make mention of, a conspicuous desire not to give cause for personal ill-feeling, a careful limitation of his trenchant criticism to matters only where they touch on Art, pervade his writings. The reason for the irritation and subsequent misrepresentation lay in the fact that it is too obviously true. The British public has long been deluded by the falsehoods spread around concerning Wagner's treatment of his fellow-composers. He ignored many certainly. Things in this world have to be judged...
