Richard Wagner

John F. Runciman (1866-1916) was the author of Old Scores and New Readings (1901), Wagner (1905), Haydn (1908), Purcell (1909) and Richard Wagner (1913). "It is now one hundred years since Richard Wagner was born, thirty since he died. In every land he has his monument in one shape or another; his musicdramas can be heard all the world over; all the ancient controversies as to their merits or demerits have died down. The Bayreuth theatre, the outward and visible sign of his inner greatness, has risen to the point of its most splendid glory and lapsed into the limbo of tenth-rate things. Every one who really cares for the art of music, and especially the art of opera (of which art music is by far the most important factor), has had ample time and opportunity for making up his mind."