Roedder-—“Die Meistersinger von Nurriberg.” 113 
new to say, thoughts that breathe, and is possessed of the gift to 
say it beautifully, in words that burn. Even though his poetry 
has about it something dreamlike, visionary, hazy, there is ‘ ‘ clearer 
promise of refulgent day”, and Hans Sachs, who in clearness and 
strength of vision and in luminous clarity of diction is Walter’s 
superior, willingly yields homage to the genius of the younger man. 
And if Beckmesser and his like are afflicted with arteriosclerosis, 
Walter’s blood courses through his veins with leaps and bounds, 
and it will take some time yet before it will flow in the even, warm 
pulse-beat of Hans Sachs. In his make-up the elements of caution 
and expediency are noticeably lacking—to this extent he is the 
image of his creator—-and the sense of humor is entirely absent, 
in which respect he differs widely from Wagner as well as Hans 
Sachs. He presents a wonderfully impressive picture when “in 
shape and gesture proudly eminent”, seeing his attempt at winning 
the master’s title fruitless, he still continues to sing, hurling de¬ 
fiance at the masters’ code of rules, and yielding homage only to 
the eternal laws of poetry—as he feels them. There is here a 
marked contrast between the “young man” of the Marienbad 
sketch and the Walter von Stolzing of the final version; and from 
the former’s “Have mercy, masters!” to the latter’s “Nicht Mei- 
ster, nein! Will ohne Meister selig sein!” seems indeed a far cry. 
True, even in the original draft he finally disdains the distinction 
conferred on him, but here it looks more like the petulant vexa¬ 
tion and self-sufficiency of the youth who exults in his victory over 
old age, and not as the expression of a deep conviction. In refus¬ 
ing the masters’ badge in the final form, however, Walter is con¬ 
sistent, for he has from the beginning regarded his singing before 
the masters in St. Catherine’s as merely instrumental in winning 
the hand of Eva. It cannot be denied that the impression he cre¬ 
ates even in the final version by his blunt refusal is not pleasant 
to the spectator, and is felt as indicating a lack of tact, which only 
Hans Sachs’s grand speech “Veracktet mir die Meister nicht und 
ekrt mir ikre Kunst” succeeds in effacing. Even Walter’s noble 
discontent with his Nuremberg experiences and his burning feel¬ 
ing that “all is dross that is not Helena” should not permit his 
passionate unrestraint to leap forth. For he forgets entirely that 
what won him Eva’s hand and Nuremberg’s approval after all was 
a mastersong, composed with the kindly assistance of his friend 
Hans Sachs—even though he has enriched and ennobled the form 
—and that he did not offer new wine in new vessels, but that it 
8 — S. A. L. 
