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Date: 09/30/2007

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Question of the Day

Question:
"Dr. Hal, is there anything to Numerology?"
Answer:
Well, I'd probably use scientist Pete Goldie's term to describe this particular superstition-- "Malarkey." Still, History abounds with curious numerical coincidences, and numbers phenomena have been of compelling interest to many in its pages. Take the case of composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883), who was haunted all his life by the number 13. There're 13 letters in Wagner's name, and the sum of the figures in the year of his birth were 13. He made his first public appearance in 1831, the numbers of which year-- add 'em up-- also come to 13. He completed his opera, Tannhauser, on April 13, and it was performed, in Paris, on March 13, 1861. Then on August 13, 1876, he began the first presentation of his epic masterwork the Ring of the Nibelungen. The year he was made Director of the State theater at Riga, this theater opened on-- September 13. Wagner wrote 13 operas in all, was exiled from Saxony for 13 years, and died, still fearing the number 13, on the 13th day of the month in the 13th year of the new German Confederation (the "Second Reich"). What does this all prove? Not much, in my opinion, when put up against all the other numbers in the composer's life that didn't add up to 13. But he wrote some pretty good operas, and his music even provided the inspiration for a Bugs Bunny cartoon, years later ("What's Opera, Doc?" Warner Bros., dir. Chuck Jones, 1957). Yes, answering questions, that's what it's all about... don't knock it, it's a gig...

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