Since that time, music has changed very greatly. When Wagner was born, much of the music that was being written had to follow certain patterns or models just as architects follow certain patterns in building a house. Now the composer when he writes music feels a great deal freer as he knows that he can make his own patterns,--that he is not held in by any such hard laws as those which held back such composers as Mozart, Bach, Haydn and Handel. It was Wagner who did much to set music free from the old barriers. This does not mean that music to-day is better than music that was written by Haydn and Beethoven. Indeed it often is not nearly so good, but it is freer, less held down by rule. [Illustration: No. 3 TANNHAEUSER] When Wagner wrote his first opera that had any success (Rienzi) he followed the models of composers of the day, but when he came to write operas that followed, such as Flying Dutchman, Lohengrin and Tannhaeuser, he struck out in new and fresh paths which made him many enemies at first and many friends later. As we read of a great man we must learn to see the world as it was in his day. Today we think of the world as the home of our parents, of ourselves and of our friends; as the world of Mr. Edison, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Roosevelt. In the world of Wagner there was not one of these. Who were the great musicians when he was a boy? Well, here are some of them. Can you tell one fact about each of the men whose pictures come next? [Illustration: No. 4] LISZT [Illustration: No. 5] SCHUMANN [Illustration: No. 6] VERDI [Illustration: No. 7] CHOPIN Wagner's father died when he was only six months old, and the boy was brought up by his mother and his step-father, who was very kind to him. In one way Wagner was unlike most of the other great composers. He did not show any talent for music until he was almost a man. All that he thought of was writing plays. When he did study, he was so bright and worked so hard that he learned in less than a year more than many learn in a lifetime. Here is a picture of Wagner's mother, who cared for him so tenderly. [Illustration: No. 8] WAGNER'S MOTHER When we read the stories of Charles Dickens we make many friends. And they are among the very best we ever have. There are Little Nell, Paul Dombey, Sam Weller, Oliver Twist, and a host of others. Writers like Dickens bring all sorts of people before us. _But few composers can do such a thing._ Yet there are some who do this, and one of the greatest is Richard Wagner. In his operas a host of people live,--people as real and as interesting as those in the stories of Charles Dickens.