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Musical Courier 1903-07-01: Vol 47 Iss 1214, 1903
78 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 28. See the scan on archive.org.
1MRS. CHARLES W. RHODES.
3WHILE the calendar pushes ahead toward midsummer, managers and committees are planning their most prospective for the coming season. Many of these alert men and women are negotiating with Mrs. Charles W. Rhodes, who has achieved notable distinction through her illustrated lectures on "Wagner and the Bayreuth Festival." As one of the more discriminating critics aptly wrote:
5"In her lecture Mrs. Rhodes has omitted all that is apt to prove wearisome and retained all that is picturesque and interesting."
7Mrs. Rhodes has delivered her lecture in New York several times, and she has given it at leading colleges and schools, before exclusive literary and social clubs, and in many cities under the best auspices. Illustrated by 120 rarely beautiful colored views and superb music, Mrs. Rhodes gives an entertainment that leaves a deep impression and the longing to hear her again. She is a woman of handsome, magnetic presence, and a rich speaking voice. Her delivery is delightful. From the thorough and beautiful presentation which she gives it is evident that she is a Wagner enthusiast, but her enthusiasm is balanced by culture and knowledge which marks the performance as something akin to grand opera itself. The fair lecturer seems to have absorbed the spiritual essence of Wagner's genius. Not content with her visits to Bayreuth, Mrs. Rhodes made pilgrimages to Switzerland, where the great composer lived in exile for conscience sake, and where he composed parts of his music dramas. Her metaphysical bent inspired her with a fondness for the Norse legends and the Elder Edda, which so strongly influenced Wagner, and her quotations are directly from Wagner's original poems. Her lecture is truly more like a grand picture play than a mere literary effort. To hear her is the best preparation for enjoying the operas and music dramas of the master.
9"Parsifal"—and what a world of discussion that last work has aroused—will be the subject of a special lecture by Mrs. Rhodes this coming season. She is having scenes and slides made in Europe. Her showing of the "Temple of the Holy Grail" is an exact reproduction of that at Bayreuth, and everything is produced in color as in the original. Mrs. Rhodes will give each scene, act and character and the magnificent music.
11During the past two seasons Mrs. Rhodes has delivered her lecture, and the universal opinion has been that no one has ever exhibited pictures more beautiful and more realistic. All of her views are colored in the natural tints, and when reproduced on the screen their beauty excites wonder and admiration. All of the pictures are from the lecturer's own negatives, and are exact copies or reproductions of the Bayreuth stage. Many of Mrs. Rhodes pictures cannot be duplicated.
13To give some idea of Mrs. Rhodes' treatment of her great theme the following outline program is added:
15Motive mania. Ethical import. Old Castle of the Wartburg. Minnesingers. St. Elizabeth. Tannhäuser. Lohengrin. Art ideals and social heresy. Exile. Period of his literary achievement. Despair. Meistersingers. Nuremberg. Hans Sachs. Eva. Beckmesser. Festival scene. Ludwig II, mad King of Bavaria. Together on Lake Starnberg. Royal castles of Oriental magnificence. Munich dream. Protest of the King's counsellors. Again exiled. Bayreuth. Festival crowds. Theatre. Frau Wagner. Call to the play. Enter the theatre. Ring of the Nibelung. Rhinegold. Rhine-daughters. Glitter of the gold. Alberich. Nibelheim. Mime. Loge and Wotan. The King. Curse. Fasolt and Fafner. Walhall. Lament of the Rhinedaughters. Walküre. Home. Hunding. Siegfried and Siegmund. Meeting of the Voloung Twins. Brunhilde is cursed. Wotan's farewell. Siegfried. Cave of Mime. Forging the sword, Poima and plotting Dragon. Bird song. Wanderer. My power holds the maid in sleep. Götterdämmerung. Rhine journey. Hagen Gutrun. Draught of forgetfulness. Siegfried in the forest. Rhinemaidens. The ring ye want, I'll never give. Death of Siegfried. Brunhilde. Burning of Walhall.
17PARSIFAL.
19Opening scene. Death of the Swan. Temple of the Holy Grail. Parsifal begins his world experience. Klingsor. Magic Castle. Kundry summoned from the bottomless pit. The enchanted garden. Holy Spear. Good Friday morning. Return of Parsifal. Again the Knights assemble. Unveil the Cup. Glows with a wondrous light. Redemption to the Redeemer. Villa Wahnfried. Grave of Wagner.
21Mrs. Rhodes has delivered her lecture on "Wagner and the Bayreuth Festival" before many exclusive clubs, societies and at some of the principal leading universities, and all committees with one accord have expressed themselves as highly delighted with her fine work. Mrs. Edward L. Buchwalter, one of the board of directors of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, wrote as follows after hearing the lecture:
23"When I heard Mrs. Charles W. Rhodes lecture on 'Wagner and the Festivals at Bayreuth' at the Cincinnati Women's Club I was filled with the thought of the value of her superbly illustrated lecture as a means of education to those club women who can by no possible chance visit Bayreuth. This feature, added to the picaresque, makes it one of the most desirable entertainments for clubs and State federations."
25Mr. Rhodes delivered the lecture at the biennial of Women's Clubs, held at Los Angeles in the spring of 1932. Mrs. Phillip N. Moore, of 3125 Lafayette avenue, St. Louis, one of the best known club women of the Middle West, in a letter to Mrs. Rhodes said:
27"I remember so delightfully, enthusiastically your work at the biennial of Los Angeles that I only wish it could be given during the next biennial."
29At Harvard University Mrs. Rhodes delivered her lecture, under the auspices of the Cantabrigia Club, for the benefit of the scholarship fund of Radcliffe College.
31The members of the exclusive Minerva Club, of New York city, declared after hearing Mrs. Rhodes lecture at their Delmonico reunion that it was "the finest thing ever given before the club."
33Many other club women and individual and lastly critics have written in praise of this unique and beautiful lecture, commending its educational value and aesthetic charm.
35Extracts from reports in many papers follow:
37Mrs. Charles W. Rhodes delighted a large audience at Plymouth Church last evening with her illustrated lecture on "Wagner and the Bayreuth Festival," given as the fifth lecture of the New Century course.
39Mrs. Rhodes has a charming delivery, a pleasing voice and distinct enunciation.
41She told her story in clear and beautiful language, making it not only entertaining, but instructive as well.
43The illustrations were beautiful in color and selection and as fine as anything similar Minneapolis has had this season.
45WAGNER'S EARLY HISTORY.
47Mrs. Rhodes gave a brief sketch of Wagner's early days, of the intrigues against him; touched briefly upon the scenes of his early operas, and told of the friendship of King Ludwig.
49She gave both exterior and interior pictures of the Bayreuth theatre, telling of the manner in which the master's works are given under the management of his wife, Frau Cosima Wagner.
51She gave a short sketch of Frau Wagner, describing some of her strongest characteristics.
53The story of the "Ring of the Nibelungen" she told in glowing language, and the pictures followed each other so closely upon the canvas that the effect was realistic and striking.—The Times, Minneapolis, Minn.
55Mrs. Charles W. Rhodes delivered her elaborately illustrated lecture on "Wagner and the Bayreuth Festival" at the Odeon last evening for the Schubert Club. The charm of the great master's immortal conceptions rested on the audience like a spell, and the means for mind impressions—the lecturer, the stereopticon and the pianist—were lost sight of completely in the pictured memories of perfect stage pictures, poetry of word and action and sublime production and combination.
57To those who had never seen or heard any of Wagner's music dramas the lecture of necessity came more in the form of a certain enlightenment or suggestion which needed their imagination to complete, but the greater majority, being already familiar with his great masterpieces, heard and saw them again as in a dream. To them the stereopticon thrust aside the stage curtain. The lecturer brought vividly to mind the words of fire and sentiment, while the pianist started the pulse going in rhythm to the music. There was no possible way for a single pianist to reproduce any part of the glory of a full orchestra backed by the most magnificent vocal organs of the world, yet the whole, as represented by pictures, words and music, conveyed to the minds of the audience the spirit and the understanding of grand opera, if not its radiance and glory.
59The lecture began with a sketch of the life of the great composer, from his early failures to his final triumph. The lantern slides were all beautifully colored and showed various scenes connected with Wagner's life, scenes in Bayreuth, and of the operas. The theatre which the composer built for the production of his works and the musical festivals held there were described. Some of the scenes in and about the castle of the mad King Ludwig of Bavaria, Wagner's patron, were wonderfully beautiful.—The Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
61Interesting, artistic and suggestive of the highest culture, both literary and musical, was the lecture given last evening in the assembly hall of the Chamber of Commerce by Mrs. Charles W. Rhodes, of New York. The lecture was on "Recollections of the Last Wagner Festival at Bayreuth," and was given under the auspices of the Teachers' Lecture Course. The audience was a large one and greatly enjoyed the lecture, the stereopticon illustrations and the music.
63Mrs. Rhodes in her talk followed through the "Ring of the Nibelungen" and "Parsifal," and the illustrations were of scenes and costumes of exquisite beauty, most of them colored. But, aside from the music and the illustrations, the lecture by Mrs. Rhodes was enough to hold the interest of the audience. She not only has a clear and distinct voice that could be heard in all parts of the hall, but she interprets her theme with power and enthusiasm.—The Cleveland (Ohio) Leader.
65An interesting and unique lecture was given last evening at the Twentieth Century Hall by Mrs. Charles W. Rhodes, of New York. The subject was Wagner and the Bayreuth Festival, and the charm of the lecture was greatly enhanced by the beautiful illustrations, and by the musical excerpts from Wagner operas, played most delightfully by Adolf Glose, of New York.
67After a brief outline of Wagner's life, and a reference to his early struggles and final success, Mrs. Rhodes told, with much skill of condensation and a grasp of salient points, the stories of the four operas which compose the "Nibelungen Ring" and of "Parsifal." Her lecture showed great research and a thorough acquaintance with the customs and atmosphere of Bayreuth. It contained considerable information for the non-musical and afforded an interesting retrospect for those who have heard these works performed at the Mecca of all Wagnerians.
69The lantern slides were beautiful, all of them being artistically colored. A number of them were copies of paintings by famous artists, others were representations in costume of singers who have been prominent in the Bayreuth productions. Among the latter were Van Rooy as Wotan, Nordica as Brunhilde, Erik Schmedes as Siegfried, Dr. Felix Kraus as Gurnemanz and Marie Wittich as Kundry. There were exquisite views of the Wartburg, the castles of Lindenhorf and Neuschwanhain, of the Starnberg Lake, of the hall of the Gibichungen, of the temple of the Holy Grail, and many other scenes of the operas and the wanderings of Richard Wagner.—The Express, Buffalo, N. Y.
71It is a rare thing to listen to such a finished and artistic performance as was the lecture given last night at the Twentieth Century Club on "Wagner and the Bayreuth Festival," by Mrs. Charles W. Rhodes. The high praise which had preceded Mrs. Rhodes, while it created an impression that required much from the artist, really conveyed only a faint idea of the charming and elevating entertainment given. Wagner has in Mrs. Rhodes a follower who has certainly fathomed his subtlest thought and intention, and has with infinite patience and intelligence and sympathy followed the great master.
73Mrs. Rhodes herself is most charming in her personality, and last night as she came upon the stage she captivated her audience with her grace and fine presence. Her voice is clear and musical and has the quality of carrying so that every word could be heard in the remotest part of the room. Necessarily her language is highly artistic and beautiful. None other could be employed in describing the "Ring of the Nibelungen" and "Parsifal."—Buffalo Evening News.
75Mrs. Rhodes then told the audience to imagine themselves in Bayreuth. The village, festival crowds and the quaint scenery of the place were seen; then the theatre entered where the color scheme was a dull brown and where there were no ushers. First the curtain rises on the first scene of the "Ring of the Nibelungen," which is in four acts, but with only one act.
77The first scene showed a world in chaos, nature music beginning and a breathing world in embryo. Then the music rose, first in a quaint melody, then rising fuller and louder until the world trembled in light. The Rhinedaughters appear and sing sweetly as they admire their gold; the dwarf steals the precious treasure
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