Wagnerism In Chicago

Triumphnnt TVagiierism may now be falrly sald to have added Chicago to lts permanent conquests. The series of Wagnerian performances glven Tliere reeeátly and this by Mr. Walter Damrosch, have been, on the who'e, the most worthy and adequate ihat the Chicago public lias known, and have proved a great popular succe.-s. "What is most striking about it all is the serious way in which this season of opera has been taken. Study clase and Ucture recitals have been going on industriously in all sections of the city, and leitmotives have been the order of the day. The time of the witüngs, when it was thought funny tor a man to say that he wou'd rather hear a high cock croiv than a I.oav hen grin or to chuck'e over the profane somil o the vod "Gotterdammevimg," seems to have passed, although some of the newspaper critics, wit-h theír usual sapience, still harp upon Wagner's lack oí melody, or the' immoral character of Xeutonic mytlio'ogy, or the a-wful effects of Germán opera upon the vo'.ce. But these observations have somehow lost their pofrit of lat years, and the public persists In preferring Wagner to Donizetti. although a voca'ist Hke Madame Melba sueceeds now and then in galvanizing "Lucia" into Il.e. It has taken twenty years to muke the Chicago pub ie accept Wagner without reserve, but the work is done, thanks to the ef.orts of Messrs