a, or even refer their historical development. I aspire only to show that the [legends] underlying the musical dramas of Richard Wagner (1813-1883), there are matters entirely away from the tradition of our people, nor have they ceased to be known and loved by him in times more or less remote. Because nothing
often hear, not the antiwagnerianos (class of people who go much scarcer), but non-Wagnerian or indifferent, that apart from the sustained attention of the previous study, and other nuisances a performance of Wagner imposed on who takes the art, not a lofty view of life, but as a minor accessory, in these works repugnant nature of the arguments, oblivious to our history, And even the names of the characters, exotic and unheard. Although many already know what to expect on such matters, not loose that I pick at the moment, as soon as possible to avoid excessive strain to your kind attention, which has been investigated to date about the legends Echo Wagner has had in Spain. No longer, in fact, extremely curious, check that the Huguenots literary themes of Rlgoletto, de Lucia, and so many operas in the Italian or French, are far more than a hundred times our literary tradition, popular or erudite, which constitute the fabric of the Wagnerian dramas. This will be my object, and I hope that, in large part, it must be proved beyond all doubt, whichwill also serve to encourage us to study the productions of eminent genius in whose honor we celebrate this holiday.
In this quick investigation, I will leave aside little-known works of Wagner, such as Las Hadas, the prohibition of love, Falun Mine, Frederick I, Jesus of Nazareth, The Victors, The happy family of bears, Saracens, Giuseppe White (1), not to stop but in the creations of universal fame and success, Rienzi, The Flying Dutchman, Tannhäuser, Die Meistersinger, Lohengrin, the Tetralogy, Tristan and Parsifal. Even on these, but try not to omit anything essential for transcendence in Spain of the respective legends, I shall proceed with all possible brevity. I will not fix the attention even inthe history and origins of these legends, general topic, among others, by Chamberlain, Miss Weston, and Schuré Kufferath, especially by many researchers and patients, because I could not say anything new about those ends, and my purpose is another, as I said, that summarize what you have found on the tracks of such legends in the English tradition.
(*) Lecture given at the Theatre of Comedy for the Wagnerian Association in Madrid on March 12, 1913.
I "During the days, full of care," wrote Wagner in his memoirs (2) - Blasewitz my stage in Minna, Colà Rienzi I had read the novel of Bulwer Lytton. Sintiend reborn my strength in the middle of my comforter, I was the project of writing a grand opera about that argument, I was delighted. "The opera was not finally completed until 1840, and was, indeed, the first work Wagner represented in Madrid (3). Being a purely Italian historical tradition, there is little that Spain could find about it. It is good to remember, however, that Bulwer Lytton Rienzi was already well known to our public beforethe the representation n of the tragic opera of Wagner, as he ran translated the novel in serialized in The News, a newspaper widely read in Spain 1850 until after 1870 (4). May be quoted on the same subject, the modern tragic drama in two accough and an epilogue, Rosario Acuña: the Tribune Rienzi, premiered with success at the Teatro del Circo, 1876 (5). Very little is also what I found about The Flying Dutchman (Ghost Ship), popular maritime legend, to which Wagner joined some of his memories of sailing Pillau to London. I do not know if some collection of maritime traditions, similar to those formed by Araquistain and Fernandez Duro, you will find some echo of this legend in Spain. For now I can not quote another text that the novel of Captain Marryat (1792-1848), The Flying Dutchman, translated into Castilian (6) several years before the first representation of Wagner's n our Teatro Real. II The Leye
nda of Lohengrin (work that Wagner had already written in 1847, but not shown until August 28, 1850, and which mainly used Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach, and the so-called Bavarian Lohengrin, an anonymous thirteenth-century published by Goerner in 1813), responds English history of the Knight of the Swan, beautiful narrative contained in Chapters 47 to 185 inclusive of Book I of the Gran Conquista de Ultramar, a work translated from French into Castilian in late or early thirteenth century of XIV (7), if not the compiler English also had before it several French poems of the cycle of the Crusades, which engages in his book.
's argument under Castilian, which is surely the most poetic texts litEnglish eratura, matched by very few in beauty of diction and greatness of thought, is as follows:
Isonberta Infanta, daughter of King Popleo (or Ponpeo) and Queen Gisanca (or genes), not wanting to enter the desire his parents, that have gripped to marry, run away from them, and entering a boat that is stranded, navigate several days to arrive at a desert, where he disembarked and where about to be devoured by dogs hunting that freedom of Count Eustace, which is the land. The Count of Inf anta love and marries her against the will of his mother, who, taking advantage of the absence of his son, named by King Liconberte (or Riconberte) Bravo for assistance in certain war, do it believe,cancer in all the battles that were made against innocent owner, and that his brother remained swan, to guide you all the places where these battles were to take effect. So the boy has since taken the name of the Swan Knight. Rainer
Duke of Saxony was occupied at the time the lands of the Duchess of Bouillon, and no one dared to ask, because it was so bold in arms, contending that none wanted him. But in time the Emperor Otto held Nimeya cuts, he appeared before the duchess, Rainer quarrels by force made him. Remitióse the matter to the trial of God, and, when everyone thought no one would be so bold that dare to deal with the Duke, it's the son of Eustace oflions and richly jeweled, and the rope was hanging otrosí fresh gold. That horn was ringing when the swan knight walked a vegada unless another; and after that I heard the voice of the horn, it was very clear and very tasty ears, the heart and walked cresciale dostanto that before ........ ......... ......... .... ... Everyone in the cibdad and started running to see that such great wonder ... While much rescibió ENPER when it came to him, and with great joy ... and it became a knight against the Swan and said to him: "Go your way, I entrust to God, and every time you need hobiere, Traimer my boat." And the swan, after what he heard, it became a place for that do veniera; So little time lost sight of all who cataban.the clothes he had, and others dressed like that he brought the first that failed in the small boat that brought him there the swan. E desyciñó santiguose sword and three times, and then took leave of ENPER and of all who were there, and made him ruler over God, and went into his skiff, and started to swim with him swan ea go very happily, so in some of time, they lost sight of, never could never of the party know. " The main foundation of the Great Conquest (which is part of the Knight of the Swan) is the History rerum in partibus transmarinis Gestarum, William of Tyre (d. 1184), written in Latin and translated into French soon after the title of Roman d 'Eracle, but the legend of the KnightJérusalem, Les Chetifs, and introduced the episodes of the Knight of the Swan, Berta and Mainetes, reminiscent of White Flowers and flower.
With regard to the history of the Knight of the Swan, it is doubtful that the arranger Castilian immediately took advantage of the poems in the cycle of the First Crusade. More verisimilar is, as I thought Fontanals Milà, taking into account a compilation in French prose, and this tilt the similarities between the English language and the text of manuscripts 781 and 12558 of the French National Library in Paris, cited by Puymaigre Count. In the manuscript version of 12558, Count Eustace is Lothair, king of a country situated close to Hungary, and Isonberta is Elioxa, the details vary, butepisodes are essentially the same as in the English version. At any rate, in the long episode of the Great Conquest can clearly two parts, as Gaston Paris has noted: the first (Chapters 47 to 68) meets a French chanson de geste, now lost, which gives Paris Isomberte title to distinguish it from other three versions of the same subject (one of the tales of Dolopathos of Juan de Haute-Seille, writing in 1190, the poem that called Elioxe Paris, and Mr. A. Todd in its edition published in Baltimore, in 1889, La Naissance du Chevalier au Cygne [ms. 12558 of the Bibl French. Nationale], and the poem he calls Béatrix and forms the first part of the Chevalier au Cygne published Hippeau). The second pairI (chapters 68 to 185) "is an exact translation of the two songs of Chevalier au Cygne and Enfances of Godefroi de Bouillon, published by Hippeau 'poems in a separate principle, but inseparable, and in that ms. 12558. The first of these two sides was probably composed after the second, to serve as his introduction (9).
The Knight of the Swan (which in its ancient origin, appears to have been a Solar god) made important memories in our literary tradition. Gayango has noted certain similarities in language between Knight and Amadis of Gaul Menéndez y Pelayo recalls, as related to several issues that the romance of the Chronicle Infantino and Rodrigo de Pedro de Corral, and it would be difficult an iESEARCH careful to point out other similarities of interest (10).
III
In biographical memories, Wagner tells how in his mind arose the idea of Tannhäuser, rather, the Venusberg, which is labeled as first thought the drama. It was late 1841, when pondering the plan of Manfredo. "Another issue, he says, suddenly seduced me. Tell them found in the popular book Venusberg, which by chance fell into my hands. Obeying the unconscious impulse that drew me towards anything that seemed Germanic, not penetrated all the charm of this slope until you have read the simple story of the old legend of Tannhäuser. I already knew, indeed, the various elements of these episodes, he had found in the PhanTannhäuser ion until flourish supporting staff in his hand. This legend, as demonstrated by Gaston Paris in a beautiful study (15), it is not German, but Italian. The location lacks Venusberg own in Germany, and is arbitrary to identify Hörselberg of Thuringia. Venus has replaced the Sibyl, and the enchanted mountain of Venus is not simply the Mount of the Sibyl, the Italian tradition refers to one of the peaks of the central Apennines, between Norcia, on the Mediterranean side, and Ascoli, on the slope of the Adriatic. The Legend of Paradise Queen Sibylla, collected by the Provencal Antonio de la Salle in 1420, in Montemonaco, and told by him in the fourth book of his Salade, forms the background of the famous book of prose, labeled Guerino il Meschino, and written by Andrea da Barberino in 1391. Tradition (which has a link originating with the Sibyl of the Aeneid) probably went to Germany as suspected Gastón Paris, through Switzerland. As for the union's name to the legend Tannhäuser cryptic, it should perhaps be written in the so-called "long tone Tannhäuser" the oldest poems in German that the legend is contained.
2. º The tradition verisimilar historical background, contained in a German poem of the late thirteenth century (16), that there was a poetic tournament six singers in the court of Landgrave Hermann of Thuringia, having to die by the hand of the executioner, the troubadour who lost the case. Involved in this struggle betweenothers, the Vogelweide Walther and Wolfram von Eschenbach, against Henry of Novalis. After this, he called to his aid to the magical Klingsor. Such is the tradition gathered by Hoffmann in his novel: Henry of Novalis (part of the series: The Serapion Brothers, whose various volumes were the spotlight for the years 1819, 1820 and 1821), where Wolfram and Henry appear love with the same lady, Matilda, niece of the Landgrave, which captivate the passionate and sensual songs of Enrique, but eventually forget him, returning to Wolfram, when it disappears the influence of the arts of Klingsor.
I need to remind you, even as per summa capita, these notions about the elements of the legend of Tannhäuser, to study, immediatelyincreasing, which of them has been known in Spain. Moreover, the spirit of the legend of the composer Wagner is personal and belongs only to him. It is the idea of salvation by love, taken in the mystical and supernatural Isabel embodied in the poem.
of the Sibyl, who by tradition attributed medieval prophecies about the birth of Jesus Christ, there are important memories in our literature: the most curious of these is undoubtedly the famous Song of the Sibyl, of which there are versions Provence ( XIV century?), Catalan and Valencian (XV and XVI), studied by Mila and Fontanals (17). Sybil also appears as one of the characters in the farce of the game of canes, Diego Sánchez de Badajoz, in the sixteenth century. But I do not knowor allusion to the legend of Mons Veneris, prior to that contained in the growing repertoire: Disquisitiones magicae, our Martín del Río (Louvain, 1599), also cited by my dear friend D. Manuel Manrique de Lara, a major study on this subject (18).
Instead data are very interesting, in our literature, about the legend of the magician or charming, the Circe that attracts men and makes them forget the world with its joys and deceptions. Apart from others, cite the narrative contained in the curious book entitled The Crotalón, consisting of the sixteenth century humanist adventurer Cristóbal de Villalón (19). One of the speakersman who guided him to an inn, whose owner, after very attentive, gave him a servant to accompany him to a castle where dwelt a niece, who was accustomed to the Knights host. Our young man stood up, and before that she would adopt the sun, came to a small and very peaceful valley, "seemed to be increased over the forest with many tall and very funny jasmine orange, that in that time communicating their fragrant blossoms , and other soft and gentle flower scent, in the valley through which, was a strong and graceful castle, which was considered the earthly paradise. " Into it, began to see all sorts of magnificence and splendor, the main highlight were some cute and beautiful ladies, "dressed in green and other lovessmall, sharp nose, that nature was his perfection. Samples, under two small valleys, the girl mouth, very fine coral, and within it, the blink of an angel lip, there are two strings of pearls brings oriental teeth ... His neck round luengo and removed, and the broad chest, full, and as white as snow ... "and I'm not recalling more words, because the author descends into excessive detail, and because his beautiful description, probably inspired the Tristan read Castilian, can and should be read in the original. Suffice to know that the gentleman is caught in the nets of his beautiful sweet hostess, not leaving until he sees his charm to become his squire high and fresh myrtle for the arts of the magician and exheyes of a Esparver,
the shrill tits that want to break brial;
So what I have concealed, "is what amazed to see.
-Ni but more you have, madam, "I can not stop."
is not, certainly, the legend of Tannhäuser, but if the same atmosphere of flesh and scorching heat that permeates the first act of the poem (22) .
The legend of the queen's palace Seville was also popular among us, from the version made in the early sixteenth century (23) of the Crown of the noble knight Mesquino Guarino. In the qual is the exploits and adventures that take place all over the world, and the purgatory of Sant Patrick, and Norza Mount, where the Sibyl. The severe authorNews of the author of his days. Norcia reaches and penetrates, against the advice of the country, in an enchanted cave. Flame in a metal door, after passing through dark and frightening corridors, and is received by the Sibyl and her ladies in a garden-like paradise. For a year, seeks to conquer the Sibyl Guarino, and he in turn, wrest the coveted secret, but, on reaching the last day, Guarino, hopeless, says goodbye to the Sybil and return to the world, marching to Rome, where Pope absolves him of his reckless journey.
Throughout the sixteenth century, the legend was well known Mesquino Guarino of our people. Probably released in book form of string, and perhaps romances, came news of all. If then hubiese composed and performed the Tannhäuser, contemporaries of Charles V and Philip II had recognized him as much as they were familiar.
addition, we were also in Spain our mysterious cave where he spent something like what the Mons Veneris (25). I refer to the famous cave of Salamanca, which gave the case to a farce of a comedy of Cervantes and Don Juan Ruiz de Alarcón. "We said that the devil allowed only seven pupils, staying with one of them at the end ... And you added have fit such a misfortune to the famous Marquis de Villena, D. Enrique of Aragon, as a student, but mocked his hellish master escapándosele of his hands and letting his shadow industry that might suggest to Hoffmann and one of its mostEi such underground grotto was correspondence with the City of any castle that there was, as another strength in the door that she retains the name of S. Gate Juan d 'Alcazar. Or fuesse mine where the city on occasion of some assedio, water traxesse d 'the river, if the ducts cut their sources, they all come from outside. I who fails in the field (which then must have been as high as the hill), the cave was discovered in the interior of those precipices are occulta. But all these conjectures are then disarmed me. I went home. He asked the mistress of the inn where he had been. I tell you as I put both hands on my head, I sigh, I said: 'Lord, one God, do not get v. thanks to that cave! Itcathedrático is the Devil, i for wages a student gets out of seven entrants. Marqués de Villena only deceived him, dexándole the shadow instead of body. But the poor Marquis suffered the trabaxo not have shade from that time, something that shakes your meat. The mode of teaching, is also possessed, then, on a chair in there hell have only seen an arm that looks like a man, the speech qual i bob without cessar; I assi i explained all evil witchcraft. The cave is sealed, as v. market has seen, but not by esso dexan entering the school by other paths. From other people, no one has dared not dare to approach that mouth d 'Hell. "
As you see, Botello de Moraes dare not reo? What would you say, knowing that the singers struggle Wartburg was the work of popular reading in Spain, in 1843?
Well it was, and, on that date was printed in Madrid a little book of 133 pages at 16. º, labeled Meistersinger Koffmaun ETA night story (sic) is nothing but a version (28 ) of the story included in The Serapion Brothers, referred to Wagner in his memoirs. There is talk of Juan Cristóbal Wagenseil, the collector of the history of Nuremberg (29); of Klingsor, "a man deeply versed in the occult", that "calculates the course of the stars and recognizes the wonderful relationships with his departure of our destiny ", who" knows the secrets of metals, plants, minerals,ndo a day trip, I drew the outline of the three acts in which enclose the action thought that argument. In the last act, I made an episode that eliminated later: Parsifal was the visit, wandering in search of the Grail, to sad, dying in his bed. Tristan, mortally wounded and I can not breathe, my spirit is identified with the character of the novel Amfortas Grail. " The work was completed in August 1859 (30).
Although Wagner was inspired, no doubt was Tristan und Isolde (1200-1220) Godfrey of Strasbourg, addressed the argument, as usual, in a very free. Deleted, and rightly, the useless role of the white hands Iseo, and reduced the drama to its most simple. The love potion (31in times of Alfonso II of Aragon. In that poem, written around 1170 and addressed to the minstrel Cabra, censoring it by playing the viola evil "and worse singing from beginning to end, and not knowing how to end the cadence used by musicians from Brittany." There is also taunts because he knows nothing
"vilan Ni, Ni
Tristan,
C 'Amavida Yceut to Lairon."
Allusions occur in Catalan literature of the XII, XIII, XIV and XV, with sure in the last of these centuries, at least, there was a Catalan version of Tristan (French), now lost. It became so popular that it did mock her story public holidays (as in the solemn act of the entry of King Martin in Valencia,year 1402.)
There are also many allusions to Tristan in Galician and Portuguese literature from the Middle Ages, one of the oldest of the King Alfonso X the Wise (1252-1284), in a rude one reads in the Coloccia-Brancuti Songbook, in which are also five Lays of Bretanha, of which the first four refer to Tristan. All these Lays are absolutely free versions of French but I do not argue the knowledge of the French novel in prose, or at least the full translation of this Galician-Portuguese language. If at the time that the Lays of Bretanha were written, there was a prose novel Galician-Portuguese, this novel was not the same today retain the text in Castilian, for the adventures that rubricsLays ace allude not appear in the Tristan we now know, even if contained in the cyclic French version (with the exception of the episode concerning the composition number II). I find no cause to strictly ensure that the prose Tristan Portuguese existed, but could not find him to deny it, but rather, it seems likely, therefore there was a Castilian Tristan, and the Marqués de Santillana, in his letter to Constable Portugal (written before 1449) says that "non long ago, any of these parts makers or troubadours, agora were Castilians, Andalusians or of Extremadura, all his works composed in Galician or Portuguese." As Castilla, the oldest reference to Tristan hallams, recorded in the Book of Good Love (completed 1343) of the immortal Archpriest of Hita. It says in the song 1703, at the end of his work: 
"never been so loyal Ca Blanca Flores-Flores, nin
agora Tristan is all love." Agora
The adverb clearly implies that Juan Ruiz, Tristan was new at that time. Indeed, had not one, but two Spaniards Tristano in the first half of the fourteenth century and were of the most read during that century and the whole XV, decreasing its vogue after the first third of the century, when the wicked and unbearable fashion Palmerins the Amadises and replaced the old and solemn simplicity of the novels of Britain (32).
In my opinion, the legend penetratedtir, were combined two elements: a brief Tristan far more cyclical texts called first part of the French novel, and the compilation of Rusticiano of Pisa, written around the year 1270. I do not think of any way in an Italian source. Castilian
editor did write a book readable, simple and poetic language. Not satisfied with having beautifully narrated the death of the lovers, added a final chapter, written with great eloquence, which speaks of the "beauties" Iseo "beginning of the head and pump unless mienbros by other." His work was an unparalleled success, and continued to be widely read in the XV and XVI, the last of which she made five editions (beginning with theValladolid, in the year 1501). (33).
The conflict that was his subject, has always existed, and their solutions are also always identical. For some, Tristan, and all similar characters are types of immorality, for others, love should not recognize any other law than their own, and nobody has the right to oppose it. The first call upon the oath and the principle of social order and the latter, the sanctity of Love "father of gods and men." And between the two appears the popular instinct, from the time of the Decameron to the present day, placing the deceived husband in sick disgusting and ridiculous situation, as if it were his fault for his misfortune. The same legend of Tristan, King Mark attributed the horse's ears.
PFortunately for the defense or enforcement, such as love of Tristan and Isolde are quite unique and rare. For the passion of two lovers is not like ordinary, in possession mitigates her strength and even eventually annulled. It is precisely the opposite, and therein lies the secret of "brew" magical legend. Godfrey of Strasbourg understood in a way admirable in his poem: "the two lovers," says another parecíanse increasingly beautiful: .. if love remains the same, soon would eventually disappear. "
.... continued ....
