He was, however, not averse to occasionally
taking a hint from him when it would serve his purpose. It is the
prerogative of genius to take its material wherever it can be found.
"Plato," said Emerson, "plays sad havoc with our originalities."
Beethoven's influence is plainly discernible in the preludes and
overtures of the Wagner dramas, which are symphonic throughout. The
frequent use Wagner makes of the trombones, when he wishes to be
particularly impressive, recalls Beethoven. Each had a high opinion of
the trombone where solemnity was required, and made constant use of it.
Beethoven applied it with peculiar effect in the Benedictus of the Mass
in D, and in the Ninth Symphony, which is paralleled by Wagner's use of
it in Parsifal, and in the Funeral march in Siegfried. The extraordinary
uses to which he puts the pedal-point, as well as the variation form,
are instances which show the influence of the older master.
When, however, he takes an idea from Beethoven, he improves on it,
broadening and amplifying it, in general putting it to a better use than
it was where he found it.
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