Wagner : The Story of the Boy Who Wrote Little Plays
Part 1
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Ernest Schaal, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (including the Music Team) at http://www.pgdp.net
CHILD'S OWN BOOK _of Great Musicians_ WAGNER
By THOMAS TAPPER
THEODORE PRESSER CO. 1712 CHESTNUT STREET PHILADELPHIA
Directions for Binding
Enclosed in this envelope is the cord and the needle with which to bind this book. Start in from the outside as shown on the diagram here. Pass the needle and thread through the center of the book, leaving an end extend outside, then through to the outside, about 2 inches from the center; then from the outside to inside 2 inches from the center at the other end of the book, bringing the thread finally again through the center, and tie the two ends in a knot, one each side of the cord on the outside.
THEO. PRESSER CO., Pub's., Phila., Pa.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
This book is one of a series known as the CHILD'S OWN BOOK OF GREAT MUSICIANS, written by Thomas Tapper, author of "Pictures from the Lives of the Great Composers for Children," "Music Talks with Children," "First Studies in Music Biography," and others.
The sheet of illustrations included herewith is to be cut apart by the child, and each illustration is to be inserted in its proper place throughout the book, pasted in the space containing the same number as will be found under each picture on the sheet. It is not necessary to cover the entire back of a picture with paste. Put it only on the corners and place neatly within the lines you will find printed around each space. Use photographic paste, if possible.
After this play-work is completed there will be found at the back of the book blank pages upon which the child is to write his own story of the great musician, based upon the facts and questions found on the previous pages.
The book is then to be sewed by the child through the center with the cord found in the enclosed envelope. The book thus becomes the child's own book.
This series will be found not only to furnish a pleasing and interesting task for the children, but will teach them the main facts with regard to the life of each of the great musicians--an educational feature worth while.
* * * * *
This series of the Child's Own Book of Great Musicians includes at present a book on each of the following:
Bach MacDowell Beethoven Mendelssohn Brahms Mozart Chopin Schubert Grieg Schumann Handel Tschaikowsky Haydn Verdi Liszt Wagner
Printed in U. S. A.
RICHARD WAGNER
The Story of the Boy Who Wrote Little Plays
This Book was made by
..........................
Philadelphia Theodore Presser Co. 1712 Chestnut Str.
Copyright, 1918, by Theodore Presser Co. British Copyright Secured Printed in U. S. A.
BORN
..................................
DIED
..................................
The Story of the Boy Who Wrote Little Plays
A very odd house used to stand in the quaint old Saxon City of Leipzig. This house was called the Red and White Lion. I suppose no one ever really saw a lion that was red and white, but nevertheless that was the name of the house. There, was born Richard Wagner, who was one day to write the wonderful opera scenes of which we will soon read.
Richard Wagner's day of birth was May 22, 1813. That was more than a century ago! More than twelve hundred months!
Since that time, music has changed very greatly. When Wagner was born, much of the music that was being written had to follow certain patterns or models just as architects follow certain patterns in building a house. Now the composer when he writes music feels a great deal freer as he knows that he can make his own patterns,--that he is not held in by any such hard laws as those which held back such composers as Mozart, Bach, Haydn and Handel. It was Wagner who did much to set music free from the old barriers. This does not mean that music to-day is better than music that was written by Haydn and Beethoven. Indeed it often is not nearly so good, but it is freer, less held down by rule.
When Wagner wrote his first opera that had any success (Rienzi) he followed the models of composers of the day, but when he came to write operas that followed, such as Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin and Tannhaeuser, he struck out in new and fresh paths which made him many enemies at first and many friends later.
As we read of a great man we must learn to see the world as it was in his day.
Today we think of the world as the home of our parents, of ourselves and of our friends; as the world of Mr. Edison, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Roosevelt. In the world of Wagner there was not one of these.
Who were the great musicians when he was a boy? Well, here are some of them. Can you tell one fact about each of the men whose pictures come next?
Here is a list of the operas by Richard Wagner, with their names pronounced:--
_The Fairies_ (1833). _Das Liebesverbot_ (1836) leebes-fehr-bote. _Rienzi_ (1842) ree-ent'-see. _The Flying Dutchman_ (1842). _Tannhaeuser_ (1845) tan'-hoy-ser. _Lohengrin_ (1847) lo'-en-green. _Das Rheingold_ (1869) rhine-gold. _Die Walkuere_ (1870) dee val-kee-reh. _Siegfried_ (1869) seeg'-freed. _Tristan and Isolde_ (1865) e-sol'-deh. _Die Meistersinger_ (1867). _Die Goetterdaemmerung_ (1876) dee getter-day-meh-roongk. _Parsifal_ (1882) par'-se-fal.
Wagner also wrote symphonies and a few works for chorus and orchestra, but he is so much greater as a composer of music dramas that he is known mostly for his works for the stage.
SOME FACTS ABOUT RICHARD WAGNER
Read these facts about Richard Wagner and try to write his story out of them, using your own words. When your story is finished, ask your mother or your teacher to read it. When you have made it, copy it on pages 14, 15 and 16.
1. Richard Wagner wrote operas.
2. He was born May 22nd, 1813.
3. How long did Wagner study music?
4. His operas, like the novels of Charles Dickens, are full of wonderful characters.
5. Besides people of every day kind there are gods and goddesses, and giants, and other strange beings in his operas.
6. As a boy Richard Wagner went to a classical school.
7. He was always fond of music.
8. He could translate Greek when he was only thirteen years old.
9. Even as a little boy he said: I intend to become a poet.
10. He wrote plays and he read the plays of Shakespeare in English.
11. As a boy he studied the piano and was fond of the music of Von Weber.
12. Among the books that Richard Wagner read as a boy were the story of _Die Meistersinger_ and the story of _Tannhaeuser_.
13. He always kept these stories in mind.
14. When he became a composer he wrote an opera upon each of these stories.
15. Tell something about Wagner and animals.
16. Richard Wagner died at Venice on Feb. 13, 1883.
SOME QUESTIONS
1. What kind of music did Richard Wagner compose?
2. When was he born?
3. Can you name some of the musicians who lived when Richard Wagner was a boy?
4. How many characters from the Dickens' novel can you name from memory?
5. In what opera by Richard Wagner is _The Prize Song_?
6. Who sings it?
7. Tell what kind of a man Beckmesser is.
8. Who was the jolly cobbler singer?
9. What happened to Beckmesser in the contest with Walter?
10. What sort of characters occur in the operas?
11. See if you can describe each of these: Donner, Fafner, Mime, Freia, Wotan.
12. What is the name of the house in which Richard Wagner was born?
13. Tell some of the things he did when he was a boy.
14. Who composed _Oberon_?
15. What other opera did this composer write?
16. What should we remember about childhood thoughts?
THE STORY OF WAGNER
Written by ..................................
On date ..................................
Write a short story about Wagner and copy it on these pages.
Transcriber's Notes:
On page 9, "Odessy" was replaced with "Odyssey".
On page 11, "Die" and "Parsifal" were italicized.
The music depicted in the illustration is not from Walter's Prize Song in Die Meistersinger, but is instead the opening of the overture to that opera.