William Ashton Ellis (20 August 1852 – 2 January 1919) was an English doctor and

theosophist Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion ...

. He is remembered for translating the complete prose works of Richard Wagner.

Life

Born in London, the son of the surgeon Robert Ellis (1823–1877), he was originally intended to follow a medical career. His interest in theosophy (he was personally acquainted with Madame Blavatsky) and his devotion to the music of Wagner combined in 1887 to lead him to resign his job as a medical officer, and to become the editor of the journal of the London Wagner Society, "The Meister". Ellis wrote that Wagner's music and ideas would free mankind "from the tightening grip of crushing scientific materialism" of his era: "at no time adthere been such a widespread desire to search all things, and to bring forth some of the hidden secrets of that which is above and beyond matter." Ellis's own articles in "The Meister" included reviews of material by other writers on Wagner, (including the biography by

Houston Stewart Chamberlain Houston Stewart Chamberlain (; 9 September 1855 – 9 January 1927) was a British-German philosopher who wrote works about political philosophy and natural science. His writing promoted German ethnonationalism, antisemitism, and scientific ...

), a review of the letters of Franz Liszt, and an exposé of the mendacious account of Wagner's early life by Ferdinand Praeger. In 1891 the Society commissioned Ellis to translate the biography of Wagner by Carl Friedrich Glasenapp, but after the first volume, dissatisfied with Glasenapp's work, he began to rewrite and expand it, under his own name. Having reached the sixth volume in 1909 (and taking Wagner's life only through his first 46 years, to 1859) he discontinued this project. In the meantime, lacking any regular source of income, thanks to the efforts of

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

, he had been awarded a

Civil List pension Pensions in the United Kingdom, whereby United Kingdom tax payers have some of their wages deducted to save for retirement, can be categorised into three major divisions - state, occupational and personal pensions. The state pension is based on ...

in recognition of his work. In 1915 he was able to return to his work as a medical officer (due to labour shortages during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

). During the War he published articles in ''

The Musical Times ''The Musical Times'' is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom and currently the oldest such journal still being published in the country. It was originally created by Joseph Mainzer in 1842 as ''Mainzer ...

'' seeking to exonerate Wagner from German "Barbarism." He died in London in 1919, possibly as a victim of the 1918-1919 influenza epidemic. In his English translations of Wagner's prose essays, Ellis determined "to do what

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, Dum ...

did for

Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tr ...

". They have remained a standard, even though Ellis's tortuous phrasing (faithful to Wagner's original style) can make them hard work.

Works

Contemporary publication of Ashton's Wagner translations include: * vol. 1 ''

The Artwork of the Future "The Artwork of the Future" (german: Das Kunstwerk der Zukunft) is a long essay written by Richard Wagner, first published in 1849 in Leipzig, in which he sets out some of his ideals on the topics of art in general and music drama in particular. ...

and Other Works'', Lincoln (NE) and London: University of Nebraska Press. . * vol. 2 ''

Opera and Drama Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

'', Lincoln (NE) and London: University of Nebraska Press. . * vol. 3 '' Judaism in Music and Other Essays'', Lincoln (NE) and London: University of Nebraska Press. . * vol. 4 ''Art and Politics'', Lincoln (NE) and London: University of Nebraska Press. . * vol. 5 ''Actors and Singers'', Lincoln (NE) and London: University of Nebraska Press. . * vol. 6 ''Religion and Art'', Lincoln (NE) and London: University of Nebraska Press. . * vol. 7 ''Pilgrimage to Beethoven and Other Essays'', Lincoln (NE) and London: University of Nebraska Press. . * vol. 8 ''Jesus of Nazareth and Other Writings'', Lincoln (NE) and London: University of Nebraska Press. . An enlarged edition of Ashton's translation of "The Family Letters of Richard Wagner", with an introduction by the music historian John Deathridge, was published in 1991. (London:Palgrave Macmillan).

References

Citations

Sources

* *

External link

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, William Ashton 1852 births 1919 deaths English translators English biographers Richard Wagner Writers from London Deaths from the Spanish flu pandemic in England