uched upon the
Baireuth festival, and the Ninth symphony, in which the German soul
appears so deep and rich in meaning. What a world of thoughts, what
germs of future forms lie concealed in this symphony! He himself
stands upon this great work, and from this vantage strives to advance
further. During this period the ill-omened raven, Professor Hanslick,
uttered his silly words about Wagner's "luck." But the victory was
this time with the right.

In Baireuth meanwhile all was being prepared for the celebration. The
Riedel and the Rebling singing-societies constituted the nucleus of
the chorus while the orchestra was formed of musicians from all parts
of Germany, Wilhelmi at their head. There the master for the first
time was really among "his artists." "We give no concert, we make
music for ourselves and desire simply to show the world how Beethoven
is performed--the devil take him who criticises us," he said to them
with humorous seriousness. The laying of the corner-stone on the
beautiful hill overlooking the city, where the edifice stands to-day,
took place May 22, 1872, to the strains of the "Huldigungs March,"
composed for his King in 1864. "Blessing upon thee, my stone, stand
long and firm!" were the words with which Wagner himself gave the
first three blows with the hammer. The King had sent a telegram: "From
my inmost soul, I convey to you, my dearest friend, on this day so
important for all Germany, my warmest and sincerest congratulations.
May the great undertaking prosper and be blessed! I am to-day more
than ever united with you in spirit." Wagner himself had written the
verse:

Here I enclose a mystery;
For centuries it here may rest.
So long as here preserved it be,
It shall to all be manifest.

Both telegram and verse with the Mannheim and Bayreuth documents lie
beneath the stone. Wagner returned with his friends to the city in a
deeply earnest mood. On this his sixtieth birthday his eyes for the
first time beheld the goal of his life!

At the celebration, which then took place in the Opera-house, he
addressed the following words to his friends and patrons: "It is the
nature of the German mind to build from within. The eternal God
actually dwells therein before the temple is erected to His glory. The
stone has already been placed which is to bear the proud edifice,
whenever the German people for their own honor shall desire to enter
into possession with you. Thus then may it