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Scan 673
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1928
61 lines. Read by computer on 9 September 2026. Printed page 607. See the scan on archive.org.
1strings necessary to balance the wind instruments employed is given—in the 'Nibelungen' it is 16 first violins, 16 seconds, 12 violas, 12 violoncellos and 8 contrabasses. When the violins or other strings are divided, the number of desks that shall take each part is shown. To secure specially delicate effects the number of single instruments required out of the total is indicated, etc. etc.
3'If I had a chance,' said Wagner in 1877, 'to get up the "Meistersinger" with an intelligent company of young people, I would first ask them to read and act the play; then only would I proceed with the music in the usual way. I am certain we should thus arrive at a satisfactory performance in a very short time.' The desiderata are simple enough. Keep the work apart from the ordinary repertory, clear the stage for at least a week, and during that time let every one concerned give his attention to the task in hand and to nothing else; give the work entire, and aim at reproducing the score exactly as it stands.1
5IV. CHRONOLOGICAL LISTS
6FOR THE STAGE
7Die Hochzeit: fragment of an opera; introduction, chorus and septet.2 Unpublished; autograph copy of the score, 36 pages, dated Mar. 1, 1833, was presented by Wagner to the Musikverein of Würzburg.
8Die Feen: romantische Oper, in 3 acts; 1833. Never performed; the overture only was played at Magdeburg, 1834. Unpublished; original score in possession of the King of Bavaria. Produced in Munich, June 29, 1888; published by Breitkopf.
9Das Liebesverbot: sketched in the summer of 1834, music composed 1835 and 1836. Performed once only, at Magdeburg, Mar. 29, 1836. Original score in the possession of the King of Bavaria. A song from the opera, 'Carnevalslied,' was printed in Lewald's Europa, 1837, p. 240, and pirated at Brunswick and Hanover. Published by Breitkopf.
10Rienzi, der letzte der Tribunen, grosse tragische Oper, in 5 acts. Music begun at Riga, July 26, 1838. Acts 1 and 2 finished 1839 at Riga and Mitau; Acts 3, 4 and 5 at Paris, Nov. 19, 1840. First performed at Dresden, Oct. 20, 1842.
11Der fliegende Holländer: romantische Oper, in 3 acts. Original sketch, 1 act, May 1840: poem, May 1841: completed, Meudon, Paris, Sept. 13, 1841. First performed at Dresden, Jan. 2, 1843. Published in lith., Dresden, 1844, and by Meser, Dresden, in 1861.
12Tannhäuser, und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg: romantische Oper, in 3 acts. First sketches in summer of 1842; poem finished May 22, 1843; score completed Apr. 13, 1845. First performed at Dresden, Oct. 19, 1845. Pub. 1845 in lith.; the Venusberg scene written in Paris, Jan. 1861.
13Lohengrin, romantische Oper, in 3 acts. Poem written at Dresden, 1845; music begun Sept. 9, 1846. Introduction written Aug. 28, 1847; instrumentation of the entire work completed during the ensuing winter and spring. First performed Aug. 28, 1850, at Weimar, under Liszt. Score published by Breitkopf, 1866.
14Das Rheingold. Part I. of 'Der Ring des Nibelungen.' Poem of 'Der Ring' begun at Dresden, 1848, executed in reverse order ('Siegfrieds Tod,' 'Siegfried,' 'Walküre,' 'Rheingold'); finished at Zürich, 1851–52. Music to 'Das Rheingold' begun in the autumn of 1853 at Spezia; score finished in May 1854. First performed at Munich, Sept. 22, 1869. PF. score published 1861; full do. 1873.
15Die Walküre. Part II. of 'Der Ring des Nibelungen,' in 3 acts. Score begun in June 1854; finished at Zürich, 1856. First performed June 25, 1870, at Munich. PF. score published 1865; full do. 1873.
16Tristan und Isolde: in 3 acts. Poem written at Zürich, 1857; music begun 1857. Score of Act 1 finished in the autumn of 1857 at Zürich; Act 2, Mar. 1859 at Venice; Act 3, Aug. 1859 at Lucerne. First performed June 10, 1865, at Munich, under von Bülow. PF. and full score published 1860.
17Siegfried. Part III. of 'Der Ring des Nibelungen,' in 3 acts. Music begun at Zürich, before 'Tristan.' Act 1 finished Apr. 1857; part of Act 2, up to the 'Waldweben,' written in 1857; laid aside in June; Act 2 completed at Munich, June 21, 1865; sketch of Act 3 finished in 1869, score completed Feb. 5, 1871. First performed Aug. 16, 1876, at Bayreuth, under Richter. PF. score published 1871; full do. 1876.
18Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: in 3 acts. Sketch 1845; poem begun winter 1861–62 at Paris, printed as MS. 1862: music begun 1862; score finished Oct. 24, 1867. First performed June 21, 1868, at Munich, under von Bülow. PF. score published 1867; full do. 1868.
19Götterdämmerung. Part IV. of 'Der Ring des Nibelungen.' (The first sketches to 'Siegfrieds Tod' dated June 1848.) Music begun 1870 at Lucerne. Sketch of Introduction and Act 1 completed Jan. 20, 1871. Sketch of full score finished at Bayreuth, June 22, 1872. Instrumentation completed Nov. 21, 1874. First, performed Aug. 17, 1876, at Bayreuth, under Richter. PF. score published 1875; full do. 1876.
20Parsifal: Ein Bühnenweihfestspiel, in 3 acts (the first sketches of Charfreitagszauber belong to the year 1857, Zürich). Poem written at Bayreuth, 1876–77; sketch of music begun at Bayreuth, 1877; completed Apr. 25, 1879. Instrumentation finished Jan. 13, 1882, at Palermo. First performed July 26, 1882, at Bayreuth, under Levi. PF. score published 1882; full do. 1884.
22ORCHESTRAL AND CHORAL WORKS3
23Overture Bb (6-8). ('Paukenschlagouvertüre.') Unpublished. Performed 1830 at Leipzig. Score apparently lost.
24Overture D minor (4-4). Unpublished. Performed Feb. 23, 1832, at the Gewandhaus, at Leipzig. Score at Bayreuth.
25Overture to Raupach's drama: 'König Enzio.' Finished Feb. 3, 1832; performed in the Royal Theatre, Leipzig, Mar. 16, 1832. Score published by Breitkopf, 1907.
26Overture in C ('Konzert-Ouverture — ziemlich fugirt'). Unpublished. Written 1831; performed for the first time at a Euterpe concert at Leipzig, then at the Gewandhaus, Apr. 30, 1832, and May 22, 1873, at Bayreuth.
27Overture 'Polonia.' C major (4-4). Not published until 1904, when it was brought forward with two other overtures. (See Mus. T., 1905, p. 117.) Written 1832 at Leipzig (qu. 1836 at Riga ?). Score at Bayreuth.
28Symphony in C. Unpublished. Written 1832 at Leipzig, and performed at Prague, summer 1832; Dec. 1832 at the Euterpe; and Jan. 10, 1833, at the Gewandhaus, Leipzig; Dec. 24, 1882, at Venice.
29New Year's Cantata. Introduction and two choral pieces. Unpublished. Performed at Magdeburg on New Year's Eve, 1834–35, and at Bayreuth, May 22, 1873.
30Overture 'Columbus.' Unpublished. Written early in 1835 and performed at Leipzig, Apr. 2, 1835; at Magdeburg, May 2, 1835; Leipzig, May 25, 1835; Riga, 1838; and Paris, Feb. 4, 1841. After the last performance score and parts disappeared and were eventually discovered in Paris. Now published by Metzler & Co. (See Mus. T., 1894, p. 50.)
31Incidental music—songs—to a 'Zauberposse,' by Gleich, 'Der Berggeist, oder Die drei Wünsche.' Magdeburg, 1836. (See Ellis's Life, i. 195, where he suggests 1835 as the more likely date.) (Unpublished, MS. probably lost.)
32Overture 'Rule, Britannia.' Written at Königsberg and finished Mar. 15, 1837. Performed there in Mar. 1837. Sent to the London Philharmonic Society in 1840: subsequently lost until the parts were discovered among the papers of C. B. Gamble of Leicester. It was published in 1904. See The Times of May 16, 1904; Mus. T. for 1904, p. 372. The Hon. Mrs. Burrell possessed another set of parts, and a third, with the score, is at Bayreuth.
33'Eine Faust Ouvertüre.' Written in Paris, 1839–40; first performed July 22, 1844, at Dresden; rewritten 1855 in Zürich, and performed there Jan. 23. Published by Breitkopf, 1855.
34Huldigunsmarsch. Written 1864 at Starnberg. Published 1869 (? 1871). The original score, for a military band, remains in MS. The published version for the usual full orchestra was begun by Wagner and finished by Raff in 1871.
35Siegfried Idyll. Written 1870 at Triebschen. First performed there Dec. 25, 1870. Published 1877.
36Kaisermarsch. 1871 at Triebschen. First performed at Berlin, Apr. 14, 1871.
37Grosser Festmarsch (Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia). Sketched at Bayreuth: finished at Berlin, Mar. 17, 1876. First performed at Philadelphia, May 10, 1876.
38Das Liebesmahl der Apostel. Eine biblische Scene für Männerchor und grosses Orchester. First performance, Dresden, July 6, 1843, at a festival of the male voice choirs of Saxony. (See P.W. viii. 277 for sketch of libretto.)
39Gelegenheits Cantate. For unveiling of bronze statue representing King Friedrich August at Dresden, June 7, 1843. Unpublished.
40Gruss an den König, 1844. Published (a) for four male voices; (b) as a song with PF. Performed at Dresden, Aug. 12, 1844, on the King of Saxony's return from England.
41An Webers Grabe. (a) Trauermarsch for wind instruments on motives from 'Euryanthe'; (b) double quartet for voices, 1844. Score of (b) published 1872. Performed Dec. 15, 1844.
43PIANOFORTE PIECES
44Sonata, Bb. Written 1831. Published 1832.
45Polonaise, D. Four hands. Written 1831. Published 1832.
46Fantasie, F# minor. Unpublished. Written 1831.
47Album-Sonate, for Frau Mathilde Wesendonck, in Eb. Written 1853. Albumblatt, 'Ankunft bei den schwarzen Schwänen,' for Countess Pourtalès, in A#. Published 1877.
48Ein Albumblatt, für Fürstin Metternich, in C. Written 1861. Published 1871.
49Albumblatt, for Frau Betty Schott, in Eb. Written Jan. 1, 1875. Published 1876.
51SONGS
52'Carnevalslied,' from 'Das Liebesverbot,' 1835–36. Reprinted at Brunswick, 1885.
53'Dors, mon enfant'; 'Mignonne'; 'Attente,' Paris, 1839–40. Appeared as 'Musikbeilagen' to Lewald's Europa, 1841 and 1842. Republished with a German translation, 1871.
54'Les deux Grenadiers.' (Heine's Die beiden Grenadiere.) Paris, 1839. Dedicated to Heine. Music fits the French version.
55Der Tannenbaum 1838. See Ellis's Life, i. 253. Published 1871.
56Kraft-Liedchen (1871), a little humorous vote of thanks to Herr Kraft of Leipzig. Printed in Müller v. der Werra's Reichscommersbuch.
581 It is perhaps worth while to point out that public taste has decreed the restoration of every note in special performances of the 'Ring,' etc. A new method of bringing the 'Ring' within ordinary theatre hours was tried by the British National Opera Company in 1925, by giving it in six sections instead of four.
592 Not sextet.
603 For details concerning the orchestral works see Müller-Reuter, Lexikon der deutschen Konzertliteratur, 1909, p. 435 et seq.
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