I have refrained from making any quotations about myself. Those who are interested enough to know how a pioneer is treated by his contemporaries will discover many silly, impotent reflections upon me in the musical journals of the period. I will content myself with reproducing a few extracts about Richard Wagner and his music. The principal papers in London, those that directed public opinion in musical matters, were the “Musical World,” “Times,” “Athenæum,” and “Sunday Times.” Four days after Wagner had left, the following sad specimens appeared. The “Musical World,” 30th June, 1855:--
We hold that Herr Richard Wagner _is not a musician at all_ ... this excommunication of pure melody, this utter contempt of time and rhythmic definition, so notorious in Herr Wagner’s compositions (we were about to say Herr Wagner’s music), is also one of the most important points of his system, as developed at great length in the book of “Oper und Drama.” ... It is clear to us that Herr Wagner wants to upset both opera and drama. Let him then avow it without all this mystification of words--this tortuous and sophisticated systematizing.... He is just now cleansing the Augean stables of the musical drama, and meanwhile, with a fierce iconoclasm, is knocking down imaginary images, and levelling temples that are but the creations of his own brain. When he has done this to his own satisfaction, he will have to grope disconsolate among the ruins of his contrivance, like Marius on the crumbled walls of Carthage, and in a brown study begin to reflect, “What next?” For he, Wagner, can build up nothing himself. He can destroy, but not reconstruct. He can kill, but not give life.... What do we find there in the shape of Wagnerian “Art Drama.” So far as music is concerned, nothing better than chaos--“absolute” chaos. The symmetry of form--ignored or else abandoned; the consistency of keys and their relations--overthrown, contemned, demolished; the charm of rhythmic measure, the whole art of phrase and cadence, the true basis of harmony and the indispensable government of modulation, cast away for a reckless, wild, extravagant, and demagogic cacophony, the symbol of profligate libertinage!... Look at “Lohengrin”--that “_best_ piece”; hearken to “Lohengrin”--that “_best_ piece.” Your answer is there written and sung. Cast that book upon the waters; it tastes bitter, as the little volume to the prophet. It is poison--_rank poison_....