Chapter 13

You have given me a delightful Easter Sunday, dearest, most unique of friends, by your letter. By the loving "Azymen" which you offer me with so much kindness and friendship, you have given me strength, health, and total oblivion of all other leaven. Receive my most cordial thanks, and let it be a joy to you to have given me so much and such heartfelt joy. That joy shall not be disturbed by a few misprints and omissions. The essential thing is that you love me, and consider my honest efforts as a musician worthy of your sympathy. This you have said in a manner in which no one else could say it. I confess candidly that when I brought my things to you at Zurich, I did not know how you would receive and like them. I have had to hear and read so much about them, that I have really no opinion on the subject, and continue to work only from persistent inner conviction, and without any claim to recognition or approval. Several of my intimate friends- -for example, Joachim, and formerly Schumann and others--have shown themselves strange, doubtful, and unfavourable towards my musical creations. I owe them no grudge on that account, and cannot retaliate, because I continue to take a sincere and comprehensive interest in their works.

Imagine then, dearest Richard, the unspeakable joy which the hours at Zurich and St. Gallen gave me when your beaming glance penetrated my soul and lovingly encompassed it, bringing life and peace.

In a few days I shall write to you at greater length about the Hartel affair, which unfortunately remains in a very unsatisfactory stage. At Altenburg things are looking very sad. The Child has been somewhat seriously ill for the last three weeks, and cannot leave her bed. The Princess also had to doctor herself, and is not yet allowed to leave her room; and I, after having been in bed for quite six weeks, am only just able to hobble about the theatre and the castle. In spite of this, I have better and best hopes for my dear ones and for you, who live in a high place of my heart, and to whom I feel and confess that I wholly belong.

F. LISTZ.

April 19th, 1857.

At the beginning of next season Dingelstedt will take the place of Herr von Beaulieu as our theatrical manager. He has been here for the last fortnight, and his position, although not yet officially announced, has been secured by the necessary signatures.

By your recommendation Frau X. will sing Ortrud next Sunday. Herr A., whom you introduced to me, has also been staying at Weymar for the last month, but I doubt whether I shall be able to serve him in any particular way. His vocal talent is said to be very small as yet. Otherwise he impresses me favourably, and I shall hear him before long.

Once more, my best, best thanks for today, when I did not want to write to you about anything else.

239.

Your "Lohengrin" has once more pervaded my whole soul, and in spite of my absurd indisposition, which compelled me to go to bed immediately after the performance, I am brimful of the sublime and tender charm of the incomparable work. I wish I could sing in F and E major "A wonder!" just as you wrote it.

The performance was the best which we have had so far, and the artists were most enthusiastic. Next Saturday there will be a repetition, for which I shall get up again. With Frau Milde you would be pleased; her singing and acting are full of magnetism. Caspari also gave some passages beautifully, and Milde is always noble and artistically efficient, although he does not quite possess the great volume of voice required for Telramund. Frau X. did not come up to the mark, and Frau Knopp, our former Ortrud, was much more equal to the part. Frau X. had studied it conscientiously, but neither her voice nor her enunciation are particularly adapted to the style. The middle register decidedly lacks strength and fulness, and the declamation moves in prosaic theatrical grooves, without individual and deeper pathos. This is between ourselves, for I do not want to injure a good woman and conscientious artist; but I cannot advise her engagement at the theatre here, and prefer to keep the place open which she would have to fill. I believe I told you already that Dingelstedt will assume his office of general intendant at Weymar on October 1st. Perhaps we shall find, in the course of next season, an Ortrud whom I should like a little younger than Frau X.

From Hanover I have been asked to get the original score of the "Flying Dutchman" for Capellmeister Fischer there, who is recommended to me on good authority as a sincere and energetic admirer of your works. Fischer has the scores of "Tannhauser" and "Lohengrin" in HIS library, and is very desirous not to be without the "Flying Dutchman" any longer. I have been informed by my correspondent that he is in the habit of conducting from HIS OWN scores, and has taken much trouble to get that of the "Flying Dutchman," but so far without success. He would of course prefer the original to a copy, which he could take at any time. Perhaps you will be able to find an original copy for him, for which he would have to send you the price agreed upon. Although I do not like to meddle with similar matters, I thought that one might show special attention to Fischer, who has prepared your three operas at Hanover with every care. Write to me soon what I am to tell him. I do not know him personally.

After many verbal and written discussions of the "Nibelungen" question with Hartel (in which I throughout stuck to the chief point of Hartel's FIRST OFFER, without allowing him to swerve from it on the vague chance of some other and lower proposal), the matter has about reached this point, that I may assume that he will not give a negative answer to a letter from you, in which, making reference to his conversation with me, you should simply and a little politely ask him to carry out his former proposal. On this first proposal, I think, the resumption of the transaction must necessarily be based, and I must tell you candidly that Hartel did not appear very ready to act upon it now, because the turn given by you to the matter in your second letter has almost offended him.

Consider, therefore, whether you will write him to this effect, which I should advise you to do, for it cannot easily be anticipated that a better proposal will be made to you from another quarter, and yet it appears important to me that your work should be published.

Concerning the performance itself, I am still in hopes that the Grand Duke will supply the means to me, or rather to you, for in that case I should only act as your assistant.

Go on with your gigantic work bravely and cheerfully. The rest will be arranged, and I shall be in it.

F. L.

WEYMAR, April 28th, 1857.

240.

ZURICH, May 8th. 1857.

At last I sit down to write to you, dearest Franz. I have had a bad time, which now, it is true, appears to give place to a very pleasant state of things.

Ten days ago we took possession of the little country house next to W.'s villa, which I owe to the great sympathy of that friendly family. At first I had to go through various troubles, for the furnishing of the little house, which has turned out very neat, and, according to my taste, took much time, and we had to move out before there was any possibility of moving in. In addition to this my wife was taken ill, and I had to keep her from all exertion, so that the whole trouble of moving fell upon me alone. For ten days we lived at the hotel, and at last we moved in here in very cold and terrible weather. Only the thought that the change would be definite was able to keep me in a good temper. At last we have got through it all; everything is permanently housed and arranged according to wish and want; everything is in the place where it is to remain. My study has been arranged with the pedantry and elegant comfort known to you. My writing-table stands at the large window, with a splendid view of the lake and the Alps; rest and quiet surround me. A pretty and well-stocked garden offers little walks and resting-places to me, and will enable my wife to occupy herself pleasantly, and to keep herself free from troubling thoughts about me; in particular a large kitchen garden claims her tenderest care. You will see that a very pretty place for my retirement has been gained, and if I consider how long I have been wishing for this, and how difficult it was even to bring it into view, I feel compelled to look upon the excellent W. as one of my greatest benefactors. At the beginning of July the W.'s hope to move into their villa, and their neighbourhood promises many friendly and pleasant things to me. Well, so much has been achieved.

Very soon I hope to resume my long-interrupted work, and I shall certainly not leave my charming refuge even for the shortest trip before Siegfried has settled everything with Brynhild. So far I have only finished the first act, but then it is quite ready, and has turned out stronger and more beautiful than anything. I am astonished myself at having achieved this, for at our last meeting I again appeared to myself a terribly blundering musician. Gradually, however, I gained self-confidence. With a local prima-donna, whom you heard in "La Juive", I studied the great final scene of the "Valkyrie." Kirchner accompanied; I hit the notes famously, and this scene, which gave you so much trouble, realised all my expectations. We performed it three times at my house, and now I am quite satisfied. The fact is, that everything in this scene is so subtle, so deep, so subdued, that the most intellectual, the most tender, the most perfect execution in every direction is necessary to make it understood; if this, however, is achieved, the impression is beyond a doubt. But of course a thing of this kind is always on the verge of being quite misunderstood, unless all concerned approach it in the most perfect, most elevated, most intelligent mood; merely to play it through as we tried, in a hurried way, is impossible. I, at least, lose on such occasions instinctively all power and intelligence; I become perfectly stupid. But now I am quite satisfied, and if you hear the melting and hammering songs of "Siegfried" you will have a new experience of me. The abominable part of it is that I cannot have a thing of this kind played for my own benefit. Even to our next meeting I attach no real hope; I always feel as if we were in a hurry, and that is most detrimental to me. I can be what I am only in a state of perfect concentration; all disturbance is my death.

I am deeply touched to hear that my letter has given you so much pleasure; I am sure you have taken the good will for the deed, for what I wrote cannot mean MUCH to the many, just because it was so difficult to write MUCH that might have been more useful and important to the multitude. A description of your single poems I had to refrain from altogether, for the reason which I candidly state in the letter itself. I cannot and will not attempt such insufficient things again. I had, therefore, to confine myself to showing to INTELLIGENT persons the road which I had discovered for myself. Those who cannot follow in this road and afterwards help themselves further along, I cannot help along either; that is my sincere opinion. Concerning the misprints, I shall send you one of these days a corrected copy, just for the sake of the joke. You will then understand that I might well be annoyed, but the fault seems to lie less with Brendel than with the copyist of my manuscript, who has performed his task in a very perfunctory manner. I do not speak of the intentional omissions, which were your doing, and to which you were fully entitled, but of simple abominations. However, that has been set right now, and will not happen again.

Many thanks also for LOHENGRIN. It must remain a shadow to me, I really have forgotten it; I do not know it. You do all this amongst yourselves, and seem scarcely to think that I too might wish to be present. But I honour the mysterious silence which is so conscientiously preserved on the awkward question of my return by my high and highest patrons. Joking apart, the Emperor of Brazil has invited me to come to him at Rio Janeiro, where I am to have plenty of everything. Therefore if not at Weymar, then at Rio.

Why do I hear so much about Frau X.? I did not specially recommend her for Ortrud. In my introduction I only spoke of an experienced singer of second parts, who, for want of a better, and, if she were taken in hand properly, might perhaps do for Ortrud. In saying this I specially had regard to her agreeable, although perhaps slightly enfeebled, voice, and her well-known industry. But that this unfortunate person should have been engaged specially for the part of Ortrud, which she had never studied, and that she should have been considered as my chosen representative of that part, was a little hard on her and on me. Please do not turn me into the "father" of this DEBUTANTE, whose interest I should have considered better if I had arranged her first appearance in some piece by Verdi or Donizetti, or indeed anything but LOHENGRIN. But enough of such stuff, although I am grieved to see Herr A., the tenor of the future (if well prepared), dwindle into thin air also. May heaven grant that Caspari will keep on, or that a decent tenor may come to you from some other place.

APROPOS, I must ask you to inform the Royal Capellmeister Fischer in Hanover, that he must make a copy of the DUTCHMAN score do for the present. The few autographed copies which were made at the time, not by myself, but by a copyist, have been reduced to so few that I cannot possibly spare another. The first twenty-five copies I scattered about recklessly, before any cock crowed for this opera, and the very few remaining ones are naturally of value to me. Excuse me, therefore, and refer him to the time when the sale of my works will have become so lucrative that the full scores can be engraved. I am, however, very grateful to him for his sympathy. Hanover has become a perfect repository of my scores.

Many thanks also for your hints regarding the Hartel affair. Candidly speaking, the settlement of it is so important to me, that I immediately followed your advice, and wrote to the Hartels in such a manner that they will probably accept my offer, provided that they have been properly informed of the object by you. This, of course, I assume, and thank you cordially for it. Well, we shall see.

I am being continually and painfully interrupted in these sufficiently frivolous lines by the invasions of workmen, especially of a Saxon locksmith. So I had better come to a close, although to my sorrow, for I regret our ill-sustained correspondence, in which at bottom we never express ourselves thoroughly, but, barring a few violent lucubrations, touch each other in a very superficial manner. I do not say anything today on the important point of your failing health. I wrote very seriously about it to the Princess some time ago, and am longing for a conclusive answer. I now hear through you that our magnanimous friend has herself been ill for a long time, and my fears are thus sadly confirmed. So I must ask you, after all, to let me know at least what steps you are going to take for the thorough recovery of your health. Have you really settled to persevere in the musical festival of Aix-la-Chapelle, or have you found a doctor with sufficient courage to prohibit your incessant efforts and sacrifices absolutely, and to withdraw you for a time from the world which spoils you more and more, in order to secure your perfect recovery? Really, dearest Franz, you will cause me the deepest anxiety unless you satisfy me on this point, and every rational person will see that this can be done only by a long and careful cure, together with absolute rest and abstention from every effort and excitement. To speak plainly, you dear people cannot long go on as you do now. Others would be ruined very soon by this kind of thing, which, at last, must become detrimental to you also. Listen, my Franz, come to me. No one shall know of your presence; we will live quite by ourselves, and you must submit to our taking the necessary care of your "cure." You will think this very stupid, and will perhaps scarcely believe that it is absolute despair which inspires this advice; but SOMETHING must be done, and if things appear black to me, the reality of the news which you send me surely does not justify a rosier view. For Heaven's sake, calm my fear, and believe me that no triumphs, not even those gained by yourself for yourself, will give me the least pleasure as long as I know how dearly you pay for them. Well, I must wait for your reply, but please let it not be a superficial, futile one.

Heaven only knows what I have written here; it must be nice stuff.

Finally, I want to thank you for the last three scores received by me; they came to me like old friends. I shall take them in hand thoroughly; they are to consecrate me a musician once more, and fit me for the beginning of my second act, which I shall precede by my study of them.

As I said before, I do not thank you for the sacrifice you have made for me by your last beautiful performance of LOHENGRIN. If you had written to me instead, "I have put LOHENGRIN, you, myself, and everything else on the shelf, in order to get thoroughly well again," I should have thanked you with heartfelt tears. Let me soon know something of the kind, or else I shall never write to you again, and burn YOUNG SIEGFRIED with all his songs of the smithy.

Adieu, you good, wicked Franz. Greet your dear women from the bottom of my soul; they are to love me, and to get well, the dear, wicked women.

Adieu, my good dear Franz.

R. W.

241.

May 19th, 1857.

DEAREST FRIEND,

I received today the enclosed letter from the Hartels. In it they refer to a letter addressed to you, and in case this latter contains any indications as to how the business might be settled, I should like you to send it to me. Otherwise it would be of no use to me.

It is a sad thing that, in order to have a CERTAIN income for the next few years, I am compelled to offer my work for sale in this manner, and in different circumstances I should calmly bide my time in the firm hope that people would come to me. As it is, I am compelled to try everything, so as to tempt the Hartels to this purchase. Above all, I perceive that your time and occupations will not allow you to acquaint those gentlemen thoroughly with my music. I have, therefore, invited them to come here this summer, and to meet Klindworth, who has announced his visit to me. With his aid I shall give them a piece of my "Nibelungen," which will give them some notion of it.

Be good enough, therefore, to return to me for some time the pianoforte score of "Rhinegold," which we shall want for that purpose.

Delight me soon with satisfactory news of you; you know what I mean by this.

Farewell, and be greeted a thousand times.

Your

R. W.

(I want Hartels' letter back again.)

242.

[Here, Wagner illustrates with a 4-bar musical score example.] [Musical score example continued] You wicked friend! Let me know, at least, by some sign, how you are, and whether you forgive me for my anxiety about you.

May 3Oth, early in the morning, after a good night.

R. W.

243.

WEYMAR, June 9th, 1857.

DEAREST RICHARD,

I returned from Aix-la-Chapelle yesterday, and (barring a little pain in both my feet, which requires some care) I feel so well that I can cheerfully go to my work and various occupations. You must forgive me for not having satisfied your friendly anxiety about my health before this; the fact is, I must endure what is destined to me for your sake and my sake. God be thanked, I do not lack either strength or a certain tough equanimity.

H. wrote to you about the Aix Musical Festival, which, upon the whole, was satisfactory, both in arrangement and execution, although OUR FRIEND Hiller may demonstrate in the COLOGNE GAZETTE that I have no talent either as a conductor or a composer. The TANNHAUSER overture went splendidly, and your autogragh "ich lieg und besitze,--lasst mich schlafen" has given me a happy moment.

Owing to the severe illness of the Princess, my frame of mind has been sad and anxious for more than nine weeks. At my return I found her on the way to recovery, but several months may still pass before she is quite well again. At present she can scarcely sit up for half an hour every day.

Forgive me for not having written to you sooner, but I had nothing but sad news to tell you, and the poor Princess caused me so much anxiety that I scarcely knew how to bear it.

At last you have found a comfortable habitation which has been prepared for you by tender friendship, and must be all the more pleasant and beneficial to you on that account. I cordially participate in this essential improvement of your life at Zurich, and am glad that you can give yourself up to your genius, and complete the gigantic mental mountain range of your NIBELUNGEN, without disturbance from neighbouring smiths and pianists. Have the W.'s moved into their villa yet? Convey my humble compliments to the amiable lady, and greet W. most cordially. I hope I shall be able to visit you in the autumn, after the Jubilee of Grand Duke Carl August. It will be celebrated here on September 3rd, 4th, and 5th, on which occasion I shall perform my FAUST symphony and a new symphonic poem THE IDEALS.

In reference to the Hartel affair I enclose his two letters of March 4th and 5th. At the end of February I had a long conversation about the matter at Leipzig with Dr. Hartel, and tried to persuade him to renew his first proposal to you, because that seemed to me the most advantageous thing for you. After a few days' consideration he sent me the letter, dated March 4th, and I replied in the sense of my conversation with him. I tried to show him as clearly as possible that this matter ought to be looked upon as a grand ENTERPRISE rather than as a common COMMERCIAL SPECULATION, and that the firm of Breitkopf and Hartel, which already possessed LOHENGRIN and the three operatic poems, would, in my opinion, be the most eligible for that purpose. I have not kept a copy of my letter, but can assure you that you need not disavow a single word of it. Hartal's letter of March 16th is identical with that addressed to you. As matters stand, I am very doubtful whether the Hartels will make you a new offer of honorarium unless, of course, the immediate impression of your rendering of the work on them should be so powerful as to overcome their commercial timidity. On your part I should not think it advisable to make them a new offer, and you have, no doubt, hit upon the best idea in inviting them to Zurich, so that you may be able to give them at least some previous idea of your work. This, I think, will be your most favourable chance in the circumstances. The intention of the Hartels for the present is, of course, to offer you nothing but an eventual honorarium AFTER the publication of the work, and after the expenses of that publication have been covered. You seem to think that I have not had sufficient time and opportunity for determining the Hartels to a different and better proposal, BUT THERE YOU ARE VERY MUCH MISTAKEN; and you may be quite certain that I should willingly have remained at Leipzig for a month or longer, and should have played and sung the RHINEGOLD to the Hartels several times if I had had the slightest hope that our purpose would in that manner be advanced by a hair's breadth. What I laid particular stress on with Hartel, apart from the intrinsic importance of the whole quality and essence of your work, was the possibility and the all but absolute certainty of its performance, which of course is denied on all sides.