Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 edition. Excerpt: ... alle jar auf sanct thomas tag oder die nechst schuel darfor sol man die Festlider verhoren und die fest singer verornern (verordnen) wie solen singen." This was evidently to prepare for a festival on St. John Evangelist's Day (December 27). According to Schnorr von Carolsf eld 4) there was a festal gathering of the Mastersingers at Wohrd, a suburb of Nuremberg, on the Feast of Trinity. Now Wagner has either mistaken the festival of St. John Evangelist for that of St. John Baptist (June 24) or has arbitrarily changed the festival of Trinity to that of St. John. His reasons for choosing this spring-day, so beautifully celebrated in southern Germany, are obvious. 1) Wagenseil, 546. 2) Uhland: Schriften," II, 297.; 3) Genee, 4i2. 4) Mey, 44, Ranisch, 28, says that the Nuremberg Mastersingers had a festival a week after Pentecostal Sunday at Wohrd--but this was because the expenses of meeting in the church were too great. Wagner has also arbitrarily assumed that there were two Critic's Seats (Gemerke), a smaller and a larger, the first to be used at the Open Singing, the second in the Singing-school (VII, 164). This is a gratuitous invention of his, as is also the marking of the song by Beckmesser as the only critic, instead of the customary three or four. This latter device was however necessary, since only Walther's rival would have criticized his song so severely. Poor Walther is marked, too, according to rules that he has never heard, for from the Leges Tabulaturas have been read to him only the introductory part, and David's glib enumeration of errors contains no real information. There is a curious slip in Hans Sachs' speech immediately after his reception by the apprentices and people in the third act. Sachs informs...