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Unit7TheMonsterDeemsTaylor1Hewasanundersizedlittleman,withaheadtoobigforhisbody―asicklylittleman.Hisnerveswerebad.Hehadskintrouble.Itwasagonyforhimtowearanythingnexttohisskincoarserthansilk.Andhehaddelusionsofgrandeur.2Hewasamonsterofconceit.Neverforoneminutedidhelookattheworldoratpeople,exceptinrelationtohimself.Hebelievedhimselftobeoneofthegreatestdramatistsintheworld,oneofthegreatestthinkers,andoneofthegreatestcomposers.Tohearhimtalk,hewasShakespeare,andBeethoven,andPlato,rolledintoone.Hewasoneofthemostexhaustingconversationaliststhateverlived.Sometimeshewasbrilliant;sometimeshewasmaddeninglytiresome.Butwhetherhewasbeingbrilliantordull,hehadonesoletopicofconversation:himself.Whathethoughtandwhathedid.3Hehadamaniaforbeingintheright.Theslightesthintofdisagreement,fromanyone,onthemosttrivialpoint,wasenoughtosethimoffonaharanguethatmightlastforhours,inwhichheprovedhimselfrightinsomanyways,andwithsuchexhaustingvolubility,thatintheendhishearer,stunnedanddeafened,wouldagreewithhim,forthesakeofpeace.4Itneveroccurredtohimthatheandhisdoingwerenotofthemostintenseandfascinatinginteresttoanyonewithwhomhecameincontact.Hehadtheoriesaboutalmostanysubjectunderthesun,includingvegetarianism,thedrama,politics,andmusic;andinsupportofthesetheorieshewrotepamphlets,letters,books...thousandsuponthousandsofwords,hundredsandhundredsofpages.Henotonlywrotethesethings,andpublishedthem―usuallyatsomebodyelse’sexpense―buthewouldsitandreadthemaloud,forhours,tohisfriends,andhisfamily.5Hehadtheemotionalstabilityofasix-year-oldchild.Whenhefeltoutofsorts,hewouldraveandstamp,orsinkintosuicidalgloomandtalkdarklyofgoingtotheEasttoendhisdaysasaBuddhistmonk.Tenminuteslater,whensomethingpleasedhimhewouldrushoutofdoorsandrunaroundthegarden,orjumpupanddownoffthesofa,orstandonhishead.Hecouldbegrief-strickenoverthedeathofapetdog,andcouldbecallousandheartlesstoadegreethatwouldhavemadeaRomanemperorshudder.6Hewasalmostinnocentofanysenseofresponsibility.Hewasconvincedthattheworldowedhimaliving.Insupportofthisbelief,heborrowedmoneyfromeverybodywhowasgoodforaloan―men,women,friends,orstrangers.Hewrotebegginglettersbythescore,sometimesgrovelingwithoutshame,atothersloftilyofferinghisintendedbenefactortheprivilegeofcontributingtohissupport,andbeingmortallyoffendediftherecipientdeclinedthehonor.7WhatmoneyhecouldlayhishandonhespentlikeanIndianrajah.Noonewilleverknow―certainlyheneverknows―howmuchmoneyheowed.Wedoknowthathisgreatestbenefactorgavehim$6,000topaythemostpressingofhisdebtsinonecity,andayearlaterhadtogivehim$16,000toenablehimtoliveinanothercitywithoutbeingthrownintojailfordebt.8Hewasequallyunscrupulousinotherways.Anendlessprocessionofwomenmarchedthroughhislife.Hisfirstwifespenttwentyyearsenduringandforgivinghisinfidelities.Hissecondwifehadbeenthewifeofhismostdevotedfriendandadmirer,fromwhomhestoleher.Andevenwhilehewastryingtopersuadehertoleaveherfirsthusbandhewaswritingtoafriendtoinquirewhetherhecouldsuggestsomewealthywoman―anywealthywoman―whomhecouldmarryforhermoney.9Hehadageniusformakingenemies.Hewouldinsultamanwhodisagreedwithhimabouttheweather.Hewouldpullendlesswiresinordertomeetsomemanwhoadmiredhisworkandwasableandanxioustobeofusetohim―andwouldproceedtomakeamortalenemyofhimwithsomeidioticandwhollyuncalled-forexhibitionofarroganceandbadmanners.Acharacterinoneofhisoperaswasacaricatureofoneofthemostpowerfulmusiccriticsofhisday.Notcontentwithburlesquinghim,heinvitedthecritictohishouseandreadhimthelibrettoaloudinfrontofhisfriends.10ThenameofthismonsterwasRichardWagner.EverythingIhavesaidabouthimyoucanfindonrecord―innewspapers,inpolicereports,inthetestimonyofpeoplewhoknewhim,inhisownletters,betweenthelinesofhisautobiography.Andthecuriousthingaboutthisrecordisthatitdoesn’tmatterintheleast.11Becausethisundersized,sickly,disagreeable,fascinatinglittlemanwasrightallthetime,thejokewasonus.Hewasoneoftheworld’sgreatestdramatists;hewasagreatthinker;hewasoneofthemoststupendousmusicalgeniusesthat,uptonow,theworldhaseverseen.Theworlddidowehimaliving.Whatifhedidtalkabouthimselfallthetime?Ifhetalkedabouthimselffortwenty-fourhourseverydayforthespanofhislifehewouldnothaveutteredhalfthenumberofwordsthatothermenhavespokenandwrittenabouthimsincehisdeath.12Whenyouconsiderwhathewrote―thirteenoperasandmusicdramas,elevenofthemstillholdingthestage,eightofthemunquestionablyworthrankingamongtheworld’sgreatmusico-dramaticmasterpieces―whenyoulistentowhathewrote,thedebtsandheartachesthatpeoplehadtoendurefromhimdon’tseemmuchofaprice.13Whatifhewasfaithlesstohisfriendsandtohiswives?Hehadonemistresstowhomhewasfaithfultothedayofhisdeath:Music.Notforasinglemomentdidheevercompromisewithwhathebelieved,withwhathedreamed.Thereisnotalineofhismusicthatcouldhavebeenconceivedbyalittlemind.Evenwhenheisdull,ordownrightbad,heisdullinthegrandmanner.Listeningtohismusic,onedoesnotforgivehimforwhathemayormaynothavebeen.Itisnotamatterofforgiveness.Itisamatterofbeingdumbwithwonderthathispoorbrainandbodydidn’tburstunderthetormentofthedemonofcreativeenergythatlivedinsidehim,struggling,clawing,scratchingtober