Bluebeard
  A　Musical　Fantasy
  by　Kate　Douglas　Wiggin
  Dedication：　To　my　friend　Walter　Damrosch
  Master　of　the　art　form　so　irreverently　treated　in　these　pages。
  Kate　Douglas　Wiggin
  PREFACE
  More　than　a　dozen　years　ago　musical　scholars　and　critics　began　to
  illuminate　the　musical　darkness　of　New　York　with　lecture…recitals
  explanatory　of　the　more　abstruse　German　operas。　Previous　to　this　era　no　one
  had　ever　thought；　for　instance；　of　unfolding　the　story；　or　the　〃_Leit_
  _motive_〃　（if　there　happened　to　be　any！）；　in　〃The　Bohemian　Girl；〃
  〃Maritana；〃　or　〃Martha。〃　These　and　many　other　delightful　but　thoroughly
  third…class　works　unfolded　themselves　as　they　went　along；　to　the　entire
  satisfaction　of　a　public　so　unbelievably　care…free；　happy；　thoughtless；
  childlike；　uninstructed；　that　it　hardly　seems　as　if　they　could　have　been
  our　ancestors。
  Wagner　changed　all　this　at　a　single　blow。　One　could　no　longer　leave　one's
  brains　with　one's　hat　in　the　coat…room　when　the　〃Nibelungen　Ring〃appeared！
  Learned　critics；　pitifully　comprehending　the　fathomless　ignorance　of　the
  people；　began　to　give　lectures　on　the　〃Ring〃　to　large　audiences；　mostly　of
  ladies；　through　whom　in　course　of　time　a　certain　amount　of　information
  percolated　and　reached　the　husbandsthe　somewhat　circuitous；　but　only
  possible　method　by　which　aesthetic　knowledge　can　be　conveyed　to　the
  American　male。　Women　are　hopeless　idealists！　It　is　not　enough　for　them　that
  their　brothers　or　husbands　should　pay　for　the　seats　at　the　opera　and
  accompany　them　there；　clad　in　irreproachable　evening　dress。　Not　at　all！
  They　wish　them　to　sit　erect；　keep　awake；　and　look　intelligent；　and　it　is
  but　just　to　say　that　many　of　them　succeed　in　doing　so。　The　art…form　known
  as　the　lecture…recital；　then；　has　succeeded　in　forcibly　educating　so　large
  a　section　of　the　public　that　immense　audiences　gather　at　the　Metropolitan
  Opera　House；　one…half　of　them　at　least；　in　a　state　of　such　chastened
  susceptibility　and　erudition　that　the　Tetralogy　of　Wagner　has　no　terrors
  for　them。
  The　next　move　was　in　behalf　of　the　more　cryptic；　symbolic；　hectic；　toxic
  works　of　the　ultra…modern　French　school；　which　have　been　so　brilliantly
  illuminated　by　their　protagonists　that　thousands　of　women　in　the　larger
  cities　recognize　a　master's　voice　whenever　one　of　his　themes　is　played　upon
  the　Victrola。
  I　shall　offer　my　practically　priceless　manuscript　of　〃Bluebeard〃　for
  production　in　French　at　the　Metropolitan；　and　in　English　at　the　Century
  Opera　House；　meantime　Mr。　Hammerstein　is　so　impressed　with　its　originality；
  audacity；　and　tragic　power　that　he　is　laying　the　corner…stone　for　a
  magnificent　new　building　and　will　open　and　close　it　with　〃Bluebeard〃　in
  German；　if　no　unforeseen　legal　complications　should　prevent。
  It　is　in　preparation　for　all　this　activity　that　I　issue　this　brief　but
  epoch…making　little　work。
  KATE　DOUGLAS　WIGGIN。　　NEW　YORK；　February；　1914。
  CAST　OF　CHARACTERS
  Bluebeard　（_baritone_）。　Man　of　enormous　wealth　but　dubious　morals。　Pioneer
  of　the　trial…marriage　idea。
  Fatima　（_singing_actress_）。　Innocent；　romantic；　frivolous　blonde　type；　rich
  in　personal　charm；　weak　in　logic　and　a　poor　judge　of　men。
  Sister　Anne　（_soprano_）。　Impulsive；　magnetic；　ambitious；　highly
  marriageable　brunette。
  The　Mother　（_contralto_）。　Impecunious；　mercenary　widow；　determined　to
  settle　her　daughters　in　life　without　any　regard　to　eugenic　principles。
  Mustapha　（_robust_tenor_）。　Elder　brother；　the　one　who　has　the　fat　acting
  part　since　he　rescues　Fatima　and　slays　Bluebeard。
  Other　Brothers　（_falsettos_）。　Of　no　account　save　to　show　the　size　of　the
  family　　to　which　Fatima　belongs　and　her　mother's　sound　convictions　on　the
  subject　of　race　suicide。　The　other　brothers　have　nothing　to　do　except　to
  slay　sheep　（by　accident）　when　attempting　to　destroy　Bluebeard's　tiger　and
  elephant。
  The　　Tiger　（_throaty_baritone_）。　Comic　character。
  The　　Elephant　&　The　Dragon　（_basses_）。　Introduced　simply　as　corroborative
  detail。
  Chorus　of　Bluebeard's　Vassals　（_baritones_and_basses_）。
  Chorus　of　Headless　Wives　（_sopranos_and_contraltos_）。
  Chorus　of　Sheep　（_tenors_）。
  Bluebeard
  （Lecture…Recital）
  WE　are　proceeding　on　the　supposition　that　this　music…drama　of　〃Bluebeard〃
  is　a　posthumous　work　of　Richard　Wagner。　It　is　said　（our　authority　being　a
  late　number　of　the　musical　and　Court　Journal；　_Die_Fliegende_Bla'tter_）
  that　a　housemaid；　while　tidying　one　of　the　rooms　in　a　villa　formerly
  occupied　by　the　Wagner　family　in　summer；　perceived　an　enormous　halo　shining
  persistently　over　a　certain　bedstead　standing　against　the　wall；　the　said
  halo　absolutely　refusing　to　remove　itself　when　attacked　with　a　feather…
  duster。　The　housemaid　thought　at　first　that　it　was　simply　an　effect　of　the
  sunlight；　but　observed　subsequently　that　the　halo　was　just　as　large；　fine
  yellow；　opaque；　and　circular　on　dark　days　as　on　bright　ones；　consequently；
  on　a　certain　morning　when　it　was　so　huge　and　glaring　as　to　be　positively
  offensive　to　the　eye；　inasmuch　as　it　did　not　hang　over　a　Holy　Family；　but
  over　an　ordinary　and　somewhat　uncomfortable　article　of　furniture；　she
  adopted　the　courageous　feminine　expedient　of　looking　underneath　the　bed；
  where　she　found　this　priceless　legacy　of　the　master　reposing　in　a　hat…box
  in　which　it　had　lain　for　nearly　half　a　century；　unsuspected；　undisturbed。
  If　this　incident　is　true　it　is　exquisitely　pretty　and　touching；　if　not；　it
  is　highly　absurd　and　ridiculous；　but　the　same　may　be　said　of　many
  hypothetical　historical　incidents。　At　all　events；　the　financial
  arrangements　which　followed　upon　the　discovery　of　the　MS。　and　the　price
  demanded　for　it　by　the　Wagnerian　housemaid　convinces　me　absolutely　of　its
  authenticity。
  To　me　it　is　not　strange　that　Wagner　should　choose　to　immortalize　the　story
  of　Bluebeard；　for　the　interesting　and　inspiring　myth　has　been　used　in　all
  ages　and　in　all　countries。　It　differs　slightly　in　the　various　versions。　In
  some；　the　shade　of　the　villain's　beard　is　robin's…egg　and　in　others　indigo；
  in　some　the　fatal　key　is　blood…stained　instead　of　broken；　while　in　the
  matter　of　wives　the　myth　varies　according　to　the　customs　of　the　locality
  where　it　appears：　In　monogamous　countries　the　number　of　ladies　slain　is
  generally　six；　but　in　bigamous　and　polygamous　countries　the　interesting
  victims　mount　（they　were　always　hung　high；　you　remember）　to　the　number　of
  one　hundred　and　seventeen。
  I　ought；　perhaps；　to　confess　to　you　that　there　are　critics　who　still　deny
  the　authenticity　of　this　work；　although　they　concede　that　it　is　full　of
  Wagner's　spirit　and　influence　and　may　have　been　produced　by　some　ardent
  follower　or　pupil；　one　steeped　to　the　eyebrows　in　mythologic　lore　and
  capable　of　hurling　titanic　tonal　eccentricities　against　the　uncomprehending
  ear…drum　of　the　dull　and　ignorant　herd。　There　are　those；　too；　who　think
  that　some　disciple　of　Richard　II。；Strauss；　not　Wagner；had　a　hand　in　the
  orchestration；　simply　because　his　〃Sinfonia　Domestica〃　occupies　itself　with
  the　same　sweet　history　of　the　inglenook　which　is　the　basis　of　the　Bluebeard
  libretto。　Strauss's　symphony　is　worked　out　along　more　tranquil　lines；　to　be
  sure；　but　it　is　only　the　history　of　a　single　day　of　married　life　and　a　day
  arbitrarily　chosen　by　the　composer。　It　is　conceivable　that　there　may　have
  been　other　days！
  The　incredulous　ones　urge　that　Wagner　would　never　have　been　drawn　to　the
  Bluebeard　myth　as　a　foundation　for　a　libretto；　but　for　myself　I　regard　its
  selection　as　a　probable　reaction；　violent；　no　doubt；　from　the　composition
  of　Parsifal。　In　Parsifal　the　central　themes　and　the　unavoidable　conclusion
  are　derived　from　outgrown　beliefs　that　have　long　since　ceased　to　influence
  the　heart　of　mankind。　Parsifal　is　medieval；　mystic；　rapt；　devout。　Its
  ideals　are　those　of　celibacy　and　asceticism；　the　products　of　an　age　whose
  theories　and　practices　as　regards　sex…relationships　can　have　no　echo　in
  modern　civilization。　What　more　natural　than　that　Wagner　should　fling
  himself；　for　mental　and　emotional　relief；　into　a　story　throbbing　with　human
  love　and　marriage？　Neither　would　some　calm　domestic　drama　serve；　some　story
  of　the　nursery　or　hearth…stone；　dealing　with　the　relations　of　one　fond
  husband　and　father；　one　doting　mother　and　child。　As　a　contrast　to　the
  asceticism　and　celibacy　of　Parsifal　we　have　in　Bluebeard　rampant　and
  tropical　polygamy；　fervent；　untiring　connubialism。　The　ardent　and
  susceptible　Solomon　might　have　been　a　more　dignified　hero；　one　would　think；
  but；　although　he　could　furnish　wives　enough　to　properly　fill　the　stage；　his
  domestic　life　was　not　nearly　as　varied；　as　thrilling；　and　as　upset　as
  Bluebeard's；　whose　story　makes　a　well…nigh　invincible　appeal　to　manager；
  artists；　and　subscribers　alike；　and；　for　that　matter；　is　as　likely　to　be
  popular　with　box…holders　as　with　the　gallery…gods。
  This　master　work　enunciates　the　world　law　that　Woman　（symbolized　by　Fatima；
  Seventh　Wife；　singing　actress）　is　determined　to　marry　once　at　any　cost；　and
  that　Man　（symbolized　by　Bluebeard；　baritone）　is　determined；　if　he　marries
  at　all；　to　marry　as　thoroughly　and　as　often　as　possible。　It　holds　up　to
  scorn　the　marriage　of　ambition　and　convenience　on　th