now be opened. The city was found willing enough
to provide a building site. Applications of other cities having in
view their material interests could therefore be ignored. Wagner then
in order to clearly state the definite purpose to be accomplished,
published the "Report to the German Wagner-Verein," which reveals to
us so deeply the soul-processes that were connected with the
completion of his stage-festival-play. "I have now to my intense
pleasure only to unite the propitious elements under the same banner
which floats so auspiciously over the resurrected German empire, and
at once I can build up my structure out of the constituent parts of a
real German culture; nay more, I need only to unveil the prepared
edifice, so long unrecognized, by withdrawing from it the false
drapery which will soon like a perforated veil disappear in the air."
Thus he closes with joyous hope. And now the necessary steps were
taken in Baireuth. The city donated the building site. The laying of
the corner-stone of the temporary building was to be celebrated May
22, 1872, with Beethoven's Ninth symphony. Wagner took up his
permanent residence in Baireuth. The King had sent his secretary to
meet him while en-route through Augsburg and to assure him that
whatever the outcome might be he would be responsible for any deficit.

A paragraph in the prospectus of the Mannheim society had held out
the prospect of concerts under the master's own direction. This led
to a number of journeys that gave him an opportunity to make the
acquaintance of his "friends" and especially of the artistic "forces"
of Germany. The first journey, as was proper, was to Mannheim "where
men are at home." They had there, as he said, strengthened his faith
in the realization of his plans and demonstrated that the artist's
real ground was in the heart of the nation! Thus he interpreted the
meaning of the celebration there. Vienna also heard classical music,
as well as his own, under the direction of his magical baton. It
happened that at "Wotan's Departure," and "the Banishment of the
fire-god, Loge," in the "Walkuere," a tremendous thunder-storm broke
forth. "When the Greeks contemplated a great work, they called upon
Zeus to send them a flash of lightning as an omen. May all of us who
have united to found a home for German art interpret this lightning
also as favorable to our work, and as a sign of approval from above,"
he said amidst indescribable sensation, and then to