A journey through time with Richard Wagner
The anniversary year 1913 as reflected in the regional press
Richard Wagner! His name is the programme this year. Music houses, museums, cultural media - everyone is celebrating the 200th birthday of the controversial but undoubtedly great genius with a flood of anniversary offers that seems almost overwhelming. This begs the question as to whether opera lovers already went into a similar frenzy of joy on the 100th anniversary of his birth. And one can say: yes, they did. The daily newspapers of the time, the Radebeuler Tageblatt and the Kötzschenbrodaer Generalanzeiger, bear eloquent witness to this. So let's take a short journey back in time to the newspapers of May 1913.
Firstly, the reader learns something about Wagner's eventful career. He was born in Leipzig on 22 May 1813, but the family settled in Dresden just one year later. From then on, the Elbe residence would play an important role in his life. It was here that he received active encouragement for many of his works or at least found initial inspiration for later works. He also maintained close contact with the influential Carl Maria von Weber; the 'Freischütz' was to act as a moment of revelation for the young Wagner. In Dresden, the budding musical talent attended the Kreuzschule and the course was set for his talent. At the age of 15, he returned to Leipzig.1 Here he studied music, but it was his close contact with St Thomas's cantor Weinlig that enabled him to unlock even more secrets from the world of sound. With success, as Wagner published notable sonatas at the age of 18 and his first opera at 20. However, despite these achievements and employment as a theatre conductor in Königsberg and Riga, economic independence and recognition were a long time coming - on the contrary, years of wandering, hunger and flight from his creditors followed. This must have been an ordeal, especially for his wife Minna. It is not surprising that marital bliss would not last forever under these conditions. "However, a message of victory rang out at a time of severe mental depression: 'Rienzi' had been accepted for première in Dresden. A glittering success rewarded the master, who had become famous overnight."2 Wagner's heyday in the royal capital was ultimately continued with his appointment as Royal Saxon Court Kapellmeister and the equally celebrated premiere of his opera 'The Flying Dutchman'. In addition, the works 'Tannhäuser' and 'Lohengrin' were created here, which contributed not a little to Wagner's glory. But "nothing is more deceptive than the waves of success of young fame."2 The politically revolting musician joined the May Uprising in 1849, was subsequently wanted on a warrant and had to flee again. It was not until 13 years later that he was allowed to return to Saxony.
In the meantime, Wagner had become a widely acclaimed composer with his outstanding musical creations. What must it have looked like when he produced the creations that brought him world fame? The General-Anzeiger knows exactly. Wagner once wrote, for the perfect working conditions "(I) must somehow feel flattered if my spirit is to succeed in the bloody task of creating an unprecedented world." In plain language, this means that a certain degree of cosiness must not be lacking. "Then he wrapped himself in his silk dressing gown", for it was his duty to receive "his muse in festive garb". Artistic production was for him "a priestly act". Woe betide him if a troublemaker knocked on his door. Once he was back on the street, he was likely to hear an ecstatic "Don't disturb me now, I'm in heat" shouted after him from the balcony. But even such a musical genius was not free of fears. Expectation and self-doubt were his constant companions, but he was also driven by the fear "that death could take him by surprise and cut off his creativity."3
When Richard Wagner died in 1883, he left the world a significant musical legacy that has endured through the ages. In the anniversary year of 1913, a whole week of commemorations was organised in Dresden. In addition to many musical events and ceremonial speeches, a plaque of honour was placed on the former commercial building in Ostra-Allee. There was also a large celebration in Munich with a royal presence, during which the Wagner monument was unveiled. Festive articles were published in London. Finally, Richard Wagner was commemorated in Bayreuth with the unveiling of a precious marble bust. In addition, almost "all major German cities commemorated the artist (with) the laying of foundation stones, ceremonial acts and anniversary performances". Not least in Radebeul, where a lecture was dedicated to him in the auditorium of the Lößnitzgymnasium.4
One hundred years later, the Wagner Year 2013 is in no way inferior to the wide-ranging performances of honour.
Maren Gündel, City Archive
(1) Richard Wagner in Dresden (Dresdner Hefte, No. 112, 4/2012); (2) Kötzschenbrodaer Generalanzeiger of 21 May 1913; (3) Kötzschenbrodaer Generalanzeiger of 20 May 1913; (4) Radebeuler Tageblatt of 22 May 1913.
Published in: Radebeul official gazette in May 2013