VI.
It is needless to enlarge upon the hostile criticism evoked by Wagner's theories, for his titanic achievements have remained unscathed in the very face of even such violent attacks as were hurled forth by Nordau and Nietzsche. Nevertheless, the present writer cannot refrain from referring to the petty antagonism Wagner had to endure as a consequence of the narrow-mindedness and non-progressive spirit of many of his most distinguished contemporaries. Even Rheinberger was not exempt from this defect, and his attitude toward Wagner must be regarded as being the more unaccountable since the memory of the Munich master is to be revered not alone for the profound knowledge, the depth of feeling, and the refinement that revealed themselves in his teaching and composition, but for the nobility of his soul and the loftiness of his purpose as well. And the close of Lobe's otherwise unprejudiced treatise on instrumentation displays a glaring inconsistency in its strictures upon Wagner's so-called overloaded orchestration. In his anxiety to decry overzealous Wagner worship, Lobe made laborious efforts to select examples that should support his adverse criticisms. This he openly acknowledges, although he admits that not all of Wagner's "Kraftbilder" are scored in so unfelicitous a manner. One of the two such illustrations cited by him embodies the episodic climax in "Lohengrin" where Elsa's ecstasy is portrayed in
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Lobe claims that the initial tones of Elsa's outburst are overpowered and that further, her succeeding phrases are marred rather than supported by reduplication of oboe and clarinet! No author can convince his readers with such biased and absurd arguments. To deliberately confine one's-self to such trivial points in demonstration of Wagner's scoring is not in keeping with the dignity of what is still a standard treatise. Even though it was published as early as 1864, that was the very year in which Wagner was called to Munich by King Ludwig II. By that time his works had already received sufficient recognition to command the most careful consideration even from pedants. Lobe's entire paragraph will bear repeating in consequence of its very incongruity:—
"In diesem Beispiel sehen wir als Hauptzeichnung die Melodie Elsa's. Ihr Entzücken ist herrlich deklamirt, aber für wen? Kann irgend ein Zuhörer von dem Eintritt dieser Singstimme, und sie ist die wesentliche oder sollte es doch sein, auch nur eine Ahnung bekommen? Drei Flöten, drei Oboen, drei Klarinetten, vier Hörner, drei Fagotte, drei Trompeten, drei Posaunen, Tuba, Pauke, das Streichquartett, der König und der ganze Frauen- und Männerchor schreien fortissimo gegen die einzelne Stimme des zarten Wesens Elsa! Dieser Riesenaccent aller vereinten Orchester- und Chorstimmen verstummt nun zwar und die Folge der Singmelodie Elsa's wird etwas hörbar, aber von einem rein und deutlich hervorglänzenden Gesang kann nicht die Rede sein; den die Mitsprache der ersten Oboe und ersten Klarinette im Einklang—beiläufig bemerkt eine der fatalsten Verbindungen dieser beiden Instrumente—sowie der andern Blasinstrumente verwischen und verzehren den Klang der Singstimme und lassen gleichsam nur einen Schatten derselben vernehmen."
VII.
In summing up the chief characteristics of Wagner's perfect orchestration it is seen that although he was at first susceptible to tone-color as an end to itself, he learned to subordinate it to the demands of the musical and poetic ideas of the immediate dramatic situation. Greatest of masters for the orchestra, Wagner brought that organization to its highest point of evolution. Even though the scores of "Lohengrin" and "Tristan" contain, with the exception of bass-clarinet and bass-tuba, no instruments that had not been employed by Haydn and Mozart, it was Wagner that emphasized solidity, that made the orchestra firm and supple, that increased its melodic as well as harmonic force, and used it for two definite purposes: to render emotion and to portray action and situations. He was fortunate in being aided by the rapid improvements that were taking place in his day in the mechanism of instruments, as well as in the advance in musical education and technical skill of orchestral performers. His orchestration does not deviate from well-established and approved traditions, but the grouping and treatment of instruments are entirely new. The use of deep, sonorous basses never interferes with harmonic clearness or with the outline of melodic and rhythmic movement. The modern extreme development of unsupported wood-wind[59] is entirely due to Wagner. When his predecessors had had occasion to employ an English horn or a bass-clarinet, one of the oboe or clarinet players usually undertook the part, thus depriving the orchestra of possible effects for two oboes and English horn, or two clarinets and bass-clarinet. This defect was remedied by both Berlioz and Wagner in augmenting the wood-wind for the purpose of obtaining harmonies of uniform tone-color. The addition of horns as regular constituents of the second orchestral group[60] lent smoothness and cohesion to the former somewhat thin and uneven quality of the combined wood-wind. Some of the most mournful accents in Wagner's orchestra are those obtained from the velvet harmonies of three flutes in their lowest range. He regarded the clarinet[61] as the most expressive solo wind instrument in the orchestra, and recognized the latent efficiency of the bassoons whether as solo interpreters or in independent harmonies, whether as bass to the wood-wind or together with the horns alone.[62] The most radical changes are those affecting the brass. Nevertheless, the principle of using three or four instruments of the same family is in reality based upon Gluck's and Mozart's euphonious distribution of three-part harmony for trombones. Of incalculable value was the permanent employment of valve-horns and valve-trumpets, the immense development in horn writing, and the discarding of opheicleides. A world of majestic light, as exposed by the homogeneity of trumpets and trombones, is made to stand out in strong relief against the tubas' luxuriant wealth of harmony, or the veiled yet picturesque tonal tints of horns. The introduction of a complete group of tubas was certainly an entirely new idea. Much of Wagner's warm and rich orchestration is due to a substratum of soft brass harmonies that are apparently not audible at all. No composer knew better than he how to obtain the best effects from instruments of percussion without overstepping the bounds of artistic refinement. His use of kettle-drums was more practical than that of Berlioz; but it should not be forgotten that when Meyerbeer or Berlioz needed a numerical variety of tones or rapid changes in pitch, it was necessary to employ a number of drums and several performers, whereas Wagner was able in later years to attain the same object with fewer drums, in consequence of the perfecting of the "machine-drum" which allows of almost instantaneous change of pitch. The art of conducting received also a powerful impetus from Wagner, and his untiring efforts to raise the standard of the dramatic and concert stage were ably seconded by Liszt and subsequently by von Bülow. When exercising the functions of a conductor, one of Wagner's strong principles of interpretation consisted in modifying a tempo in accordance with the momentary character of the dominating melodic themes.
The bitterness of conflict over Wagner's works has expended itself; hostile criticism is now exceptional. To-day Wagner stands forth as the accepted champion of dramatic reforms, as the most eminent composer of the nineteenth century, and as the greatest master of orchestration in the annals of the world.