Identifier: moderncomposerso00elso (find matches)
Title: Modern composers of Europe : being an account of the most recent musical progress in the various European nations, with some notes on their history, and critical and biographical sketches of the contemporary musical leaders in each country
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors: Elson, Arthur, 1873-1940
Subjects: Composers
Publisher: Boston : L.C. Page
Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University

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effort to do so. He was bornat Triebschen, near Lucerne, on June 6, 1869. Theworld will certainly envy him the musical atmos-phere of his home; yet his early efforts weredevoted to architecture. The net result of hisyouthful studies in that line is a rather commonplacemonument to his father at Bayreuth. But theyoung Siegfried soon began to aspire for his musicalheritage, and took lessons of Kniese and Humper-dinck. His first laurels were won as a conductor,and although his energetic methods were criticizedon his first appearance at the Wagnerverein mBerlin, his later efforts have been crowned withsuccess. He conducts with his left hand, and putsdecided aggressiveness into his movements. Hehas appeared in Austria, Italy, and England, aswell as his native country; and a trip to Pariswas the signal for much adulation, as a tardyrecompense for the coldness of his fathers recep-tion in that capital. Der Barenhauter, his first opera, is in theromantic style, with decided leanings toward the
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SIEGFRIED WAGNER. GERMAN OPERA COMPOSERS 81 comic. Hans Kraft, the hero, is a soldier in theThirty Years War, but returns to his native villageto find himself an orphan and in poverty. He yieldsto temptation, and sells his soul to the devil, thoughhis ultimate salvation is assured by Peter, whowins his soul at dice. Meanwhile he wanders aboutin his bearskin, with his magic food-sack and purse,awaiting redemption through the faith of somemaid who will remain true three years. At theinn near Kulmbach, the youngest daughter of thehost brings him release, after her two elder sistershave failed. Hans must be baptized in the Rhineto be rid of his bear-hide, and is again temptedby the devil and the water-nixies, but he remainsfirm, and is saved. Herzog Wildfang, the second opera, is anotherexample of the Meistersinger influence. Theduke, who is made unpopular by the craft of hisadviser, Matthias Blank, is led by the latter tomistake the beautiful Osterlind for a wild animalin his game-preser

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