Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt, Volume 1

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Well, this is off my heart; he who charges me with insincerity
will have to answer Heaven; he who charges me with arrogance is
silly.

I can write no more; do not be angry; my head is bursting. Only
let me say the warmest farewell that is in my heart. Love me as
before, and write soon to

Your

RICHARD WAGNER

ZURICH, September 8th, 1852

84.

DEAREST FRIEND,

After my last letter you will think that I am quite mad. Lord
knows how I wrote myself into such a fury. Today follows
something very sober, a troublesome thing for you.

Frau Rockel sent me the letter of her poor husband, without
giving me his address. I ask you therefore to forward her the
enclosed letter, also two parcels, which I have posted to you
today--(l) two little pamphlets; (2) a score of "Lohengrin"--both
meant for Rockel, and to be sent through his wife. H. was really
to have the score, but must resign it to the poor prisoner. He
must do this for the love of both of us, and Heaven will find him
another copy sooner or later. As I have once begun asking
favours, I go on. Be kind enough to send me two things:--

1. My "Faust" overture. I hope that, if you want it still, you
have had a copy made. I have a mind to rewrite it a little and to
publish it through H. Perhaps I shall get a little money for it.
B. must do the pianoforte arrangement, according to his promise
to me.

2. My instructions as to the performance of "Lohengrin" which I
sent to you from Thun by letter in the summer of 1850. I want
particularly to have my beautiful designs of the scenery. I
intend to have new designs for the scenery, according to my
indications made by a Dresden friend or through his intercession,
so as to have them in readiness for such theatres as want to
undertake "Lohengrin" in future. If the Weimar management or any
other persons desire to keep my originals, they shall be
faithfully restored to its or their possession.

Have I troubled you enough? When are you going to send me some of
your compositions? I see nothing of them here, and, in fact,
learn scarcely anything about music. Think of me occasionally.

H. also is once again reticent. Uhlig complains of him and of a
hostile feeling on his part. What is the meaning of this? Let
each go his own way without snarling at the other who goes a
different way.

Shall I soon hear from you again? How delighted I should be!

Farewell, and think of me lovingly.

Wholly thine,

RICHARD WAGNER

ZURICH, September 12th, 1852

The parcel will probably arrive a day after this.

At Berlin things now tend towards the non-performance of
"Tannhauser." The performance has been postponed. As, according
to my calculation, it could not have been produced before the end
of January, and as my niece Johanna leaves Berlin at the end of
February, I was compelled to stipulate that ten performances of
the opera should be guaranteed for this winter. Otherwise there
was the danger that this opera too would have disappeared after
three or four performances, as was the case with the "Flying
Dutchman" and "Rienzi," which for that reason were cried down as
failures. If this guarantee is refused, I have given instructions
that the score shall be withdrawn.

85.

DEAREST AND BEST OF FRIENDS,

Set my mind at rest by a few lines telling me that I did not
offend you some time ago. I live at such a distance from my
friends, that I always have a thousand anxieties, especially when
I do not receive news from them for long. Tell me, for heaven's
sake, have I written to you anything about Berlioz or Raff which
you might have misunderstood in the sense that I had something
against them? I have spoken as best I could from a distance; and,
especially with regard to Berlioz, my intentions are the best.
Therefore--a few lines, please! About Berlin everything is now
settled, but "Tannhauser" will not be fully rehearsed till about
December. Considering this delay of the matter, I do not want to
trouble Herr von Hullsen with new conditions just yet; but when
the time comes, I shall ask you to let me know once more whether
you can afford the sacrifice of going to Berlin.

Belloni, as you know, is here; he has again talked much to me
about Paris, and, to my astonishment, I hear that you still have
plans of world-conquest for me in your head. You are
indefatigable indeed! To the translation of Tannhauser I have no
particular objection, especially as in Roger I might expect the
best Tannhauser that I could think of. In addition to this,
Johanna-I confess it would not be amiss. Herwegh also is doing
something for the Paris performance. He proposes to make a richly
coloured prose translation of the poem; however, I cannot yet
think seriously of it.

My instructions as to the performance of Tannhauser have already
induced the Leipzig people to abandon the opera-a very modest
sign of acknowledgment of ill-will on their part. I am pleased to
hear, on the other hand, that Schindelmeisser in Wiesbaden, after
reading my pamphlet, has again begun the rehearsals from the
beginning. Did you like the pamphlet? As you think of studying
Tannhauser again, I assume that it will be useful to you for that
purpose with the stage-manager; the singers also may derive
excellent and much-needed service from it. But why has B. become
silent once more?

Gradually my solitude here is becoming unbearable; and if I can
afford it, I shall go to Paris for the winter. How delighted I
should be to hear something from my Lohengrin played to me by a
good orchestra! Confess that I know how to bear much.

My nerves are not in the best condition, but I have begun again
to work at my poem for an hour or so every day. I can find no
rest till it is ready, and I hope it will be soon.

Farewell, best of all men. Let me hear from you soon, and before
all that you still love me. Farewell.

Wholly thine,

RICHARD WAGNER

ZURICH, October 3rd, 1852

About the "Dutchman" I must write to you at length some day. Have
you forgotten the "Faust" overture and the designs for
"Lohengrin" for which I asked you?

86.

You are quite right, dearest friend, if you attribute the
weakness of Berlioz's mode of working to the poem, and my opinion
perfectly coincides with yours on this point; but you have been
erroneously led to believe that Berlioz is rewriting his
"Cellini." This is not the case; the question at issue is simply
as to a very considerable cut--nearly a whole tableau--which I
have proposed to Berlioz, and which he has approved of, so that
at the next performance "Cellini" will be given in three tableaux
instead of four. If it interests you, I will send you the new
libretto together with the old, and I think you will approve of
the change and of the combination of the two last tableaux in
one. I thank you cordially for your offer to let Berlioz have
"Wiland," and shall talk to him about it on the occasion of his
presence in Weymar. Unfortunately it must be feared that the
Parisians will not relish it, and Henri Blaze is in any case not
the man who could treat such a subject in a poetic manner and do
justice to it. Above all, dearest, best friend, do not imagine
that I could place a bad construction on any utterance of yours
about one man or the other. My sympathy for you and my admiration
of your divine genius are surely too earnest and genuine to let
me overlook their necessary consequences. You can and must not be
different from what you are; and such as you are, I esteem,
understand, and love you with my whole heart.

Your "Faust" overture you will receive by today's post. A copy of
it exists here, and I shall probably give it again in the course
of this winter. The work is quite worthy of you; but if you will
allow me to make a remark, I must confess that I should like
either a second middle part (at letter E or F) or else a quieter
and more agreeably coloured treatment of the present middle
part:--

[score excerpt]

The brass is a little too massive there, and--forgive my opinion-
-the motive in F is not satisfactory; it wants grace in a certain
sense, and is a kind of hybrid thing, neither fish nor flesh,
which stands in no proper relation or contrast to what has gone
before and what follows, and in consequence impedes the interest.
If instead of this you introduced a soft, tender, melodious part,
modulated a la Gretchen, I think I can assure you that your work
would gain very much. Think this over, and do not be angry in
case I have said something stupid. Lohengrin was given last night
in honour of the Prince and Princess of Prussia. The theatre was
again crowded, and Fraulein Fromann, who had been specially
invited by the Princess, has probably written to you about it.
Our further performances of Lohengrin and of "Tannhauser" will
greatly benefit by the influence of our new artistic director,
Herr Marr. I have given him your pamphlet about the performance
of Tannhauser, and we shall both do our best to satisfy your
demands. I am very glad you have published that pamphlet, and
advise you strongly to do the same thing for "Lohengrin" and the
"Flying Dutchman." I have not yet succeeded in discovering your
designs and instructions for "Lohengrin"; I gave them at the time
to Genast, and they made the round of the theatre here. If
possible, I shall send them to you, but I can make no definite
promise, for the rage for autographs may have gone so far that I
shall not be able to get them back again.

Concerning Berlin, I repeat to you what I said before, viz.:-

If you are convinced that I can be of service to the public and
still more to your works by my presence in Berlin, I am prepared
to perform this duty of art and of friendship. My efforts,
however, can lead to a good result only if Herr von Hulsen gives
me his perfect confidence and asks me to settle the necessary
steps for the rehearsals and performance of "Tannhauser." As
mouche du cache I cannot go to Berlin, and should in that
capacity be of little service to you. Your works, it is true, are
above success as at present understood, but I will bet ten to one
that "Tannhauser" or "Lohengrin," rehearsed and placed before the
public in a proper manner, will have the most decided success.
Wherever this does not happen the fault lies exclusively with the
inadequate performance. If, therefore, you wish to send me to
Berlin as your plenipotentiary, I am at your disposal, and give
you my word that the whole world, with the exception of envious
and inimical persons, who will be reduced to a small minority,
shall be content. But before I consent to this it is absolutely
necessary that Herr von Hiilsen should give me an invitation to
Berlin black on white, and also invest me with the powers which
my responsibility will make possible and desirable. In my
opinion, it behoves Berlin to find room for your three works
"Tannhauser," "Lohengrin," and the "Flying Dutchman," and I have
not the slightest doubt of a complete success if the thing is
managed properly. Herr von Hulsen will, no doubt, be of the same
opinion soon; but in the ordinary way and with the old theatrical
routine an extraordinary thing of this kind cannot be done.

Send me soon your instructions for the "Flying Dutchman." I
should like you to write a few lines to Marr, so as to gain his
goodwill completely for your cause and to induce him to undertake
the stage-management of the "Flying Dutchman." Eduard Devrient
paid me a visit last month. We talked a great deal about you, and
I hope he will do something useful in Carlsruhe later on.

You are good enough to ask for some of my compositions, but you
must allow me to delay this communication till we meet. I hope to
visit you, unless you visit Weymar next summer, and shall then
play many things to you. Of my orchestral pieces I might sooner
or later send you "Prometheus," but would rather not think of it
till I have done other things. Unfortunately I have been much
detained from working latterly, but I shall not tell you of my
pains and sorrows; you have more than enough of your own. Let us
stand bolt upright and trust in God. When shall I have your
poems? How long do you think that the four scores will
approximately occupy you? Can you expect to be ready by the end
of 1854?

Of a Paris performance of "Tannhauser" we must not think for the
present; and extraordinary as is my confidence in your
extraordinary work (although personally like "Lohengrin" still
better), I cannot fail to take into account my experience of
operatic performances in Paris and to think that the
incompatibility of "Tannhauser" with the operatic tricks now in
vogue might interfere with its success. Germany, first of all,
must take the lead, for you have the advantage and the misfortune
of being an arch-German poet and composer. As far as I know your
works, I still think that "Rienzi" would be most adapted for a
French version, but do not vainly trouble your mind about it.
Write your "Nibelungen," and care about nothing else. All other
things will arrange themselves of their own accord when the time
comes.

Farewell, and be as happy as I wish you to be with all my heart.

Your

F. LISZT

WEYMAR, October 7th, 1852

87.

MY DEAREST, BEST-BELOVED FRIEND,

For your last letter, and especially for your remark about the
"Faust" overture (which has delighted me!), I owe you a regular
long letter, and must wait till I am in a good mood for it; for I
know that only in that case my answer can give you real pleasure.
Today I write you two hurried lines to say that I have accepted
your generous offer and, relying upon your kindness, have asked
Herr von Hulsen in a decided manner that you should be invited to
Berlin to take my place at the performance of "Tannhauser". I
have, I think, left nothing untried in order to induce Hulsen to
get over any possible difficulties in connection with his own
conductors there; I have made it a matter of personal feeling
between him and me, just as it is between you and me. I hope that
if Hulsen consents, his invitation will find you in a good and
favourable mood. I know how great this new sacrifice is which I
expect of you and how difficult you will find it to make but your
friendship makes me venture upon anything Hulsen, who probably
will not write to me himself, is to answer me through you; and
you also must tell me that you do it willingly for my sake.

Of the great success of "Tannhauser" at Breslau you have probably
heard.

But no more today. Weary as I am, I should only produce halting
things.

Soon I shall write better and more.

My best regards to H. Farewell, and do not lose your temper with

Your old plague,

RlCHARD WAGNER

ZURICH, October 13th, 1852

88.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I have to write to you, and am so annoyed about what I have to
write to you that I would rather not take pen in hand any more.
Hulsen has declined; I enclose his letter. He has no notion of
what the matter is about, and it will never be possible to give
him a notion of it. This Hulsen is personally a well-disposed
man, but without any knowledge of the business under his care. He
treats with me about "Tannhauser" just as he might with Flotow
about "Martha." It is too disgusting. I see fully that I have
made a great mistake. From the beginning I ought to have made it
the first and sole condition that everything concerning the
performance of "Tannhauser" should be left wholly and entirely to
you. I can explain to myself how it happened that I did not hit
upon this simple method: The first news from Berlin about
"Tannhauser" only frightened me. I had no confidence in anything
there, and my instinct advised me to decline the thing
altogether. It is true that you occurred to me at once as my only
guarantee, but I had first to secure your consent to undertake
"Tannhauser" in Berlin. In order, as it were, to gain time, I
sent to Berlin the demand for 1,000 thalers, so as to keep them
going, and at the same time I applied to you, with the urgent,
impetuous question whether you would see to this matter.
Simultaneously with your answer in the affirmative I received
from Berlin the news of the delay and postponement of
"Tannhauser" till the new year. Being under the impression that
my niece would leave Berlin at the beginning of February, I
thought the "Tannhauser" performance would have to be given up
altogether, and instructed my brother to get the score back
unless Hulsen could guarantee me ten performances this winter. I
thought the matter ended, when I was told in reply that my niece
would stay till the end of May and that Hulsen would undertake to
announce the opera six times during the first month. Thus the
possibility of a performance of "Tannhauser" at Berlin, wholly
given up by me, was once more restored.

From all the letters of Hulsen and my brother I could in the
meantime see perfectly well that these people were without any
understanding of what was to me essential and important in this
matter; that in all their views they were so totally incapable of
leaving the grooves of routine that I should have to fear they
would never understand my desire to invite you to Berlin. I
confess that I had some anxiety on the point, but at last I wrote
to Hulsen myself as clearly, warmly, cordially, and persuasively
as was in my power; I at once called his attention to the fact
that the hostility of the very insignificant Berlin conductors
would be as nothing compared with the favourable influence which
you would exercise on every side; in short, I wrote in such a
manner that I could not believe in the possibility of an
unfavourable answer. Read that answer, and take notice that I
have once more met with my usual fate: the fate of calling out to
the world with my whole soul and of having my calls echoed by
walls of leather. I am now discussing with myself what I shall
do. To give up everything and simply demand my score back--that
would be most agreeable to me. As yet I have not replied with a
line to either Hulsen or X. What do you think? Or shall I look on
indifferently, amuse myself when I can make a hundred thalers,
buy champagne, and turn my back upon the world? It is a misery.

I am going from bad to worse every day, and lead an indescribably
worthless life. Of real enjoyment of life I know nothing; to me
"enjoyment of life, of love," is a matter of imagination, not of
experience. In this manner my heart has to go to my brain, and my
life becomes an artificial one; only as an "artist" I can live;
in the artist my whole "man" has been sunk.

If I could visit you in Weimar and see a performance of my operas
now and then, I might perhaps still hope to recover. I should
there find an element of incitement, of attraction for my
artistic being; perhaps a word of love would meet me now and
then;--but here! Here I must perish in the very shortest space of
time, and everything--everything will come too late, too late! So
it will be.

No news can give me pleasure any more; if I were vain and
ambitious, it would be all right; as I am, nothing "written" can
attract me. All this comes--too late!

What shall I do? Shall I implore the King of Saxony, or perhaps
his ministers, for mercy, humble myself, and confess my
repentance? Who can expect that of me?

You, my only one, the dearest whom I have, you who are to me
prince and world, everything together, have mercy on me.

But calm! calm! I must write to you about the "Faust" overture.
You beautifully spotted the lie when I tried to make myself
believe that I had written an "Overture to 'Faust'." You have
felt quite justly what is wanting; the woman is wanting. Perhaps
you would at once understand my tone-poem if I called it "Faust
in Solitude".

At that time I intended to write an entire "Faust" symphony; the
first movement, that which is ready, was this "solitary Faust,"
longing, despairing, cursing. The "feminine" floats around him as
an object of his longing, but not in its divine reality, and it
is just this insufficient image of his longing which he destroys
in his despair. The second movement was to introduce Gretchen,
the woman. I had a theme for her, but it was only a theme. The
whole remained unfinished. I wrote my "Flying Dutchman" instead.
This is the whole explanation. If now, from a last remnant of
weakness and vanity, I hesitate to abandon this "Faust" work
altogether, I shall certainly have to remodel it, but only as
regards instrumental modulation. The theme which you desire I
cannot introduce; this would naturally involve an entirely new
composition, for which I have no inclination. If I publish it, I
shall give it its proper title, "Faust in Solitude", or "The
Solitary Faust", "a tone-poem for orchestra."

My new poems for the two "Siegfrieds" I finished last week, but I
have still to rewrite the two earlier dramas, "Young Siegfried"
and "Siegfried's Death", as very considerable alterations have
become necessary. I shall not have finished entirely before the
end of the year. The complete title will be "The Ring of the
Nibelung", "a festival stage-play in three days and one previous
evening: previous evening, "The Rhinegold"; first day, "The
Valkyrie"; second day, "Young Siegfried"; third day, "Siegfried's
Death." What fate this poem, the poem of my life and of all that
I am and feel, will have I cannot as yet determine. So much,
however, is certain: that if Germany is not very soon opened to
me, and if I am compelled to drag on my artistic existence
without nourishment and attraction, my animal instinct of life
will soon lead me to abandon art altogether. What I shall do then
to support my life I do not know, but I shall not write the music
of the "Nibelungen", and no person with human feelings can ask me
to remain the slave of my art any longer.

Alas! I always relapse into the miserable keynote of this letter.
Perhaps I commit a great brutality in this manner, for perhaps
you are in need of being cheered up by me. Pardon me if today I
bring nothing but sorrow. I can dissemble no longer; and, let who
will despise me, I shall cry out my sorrow to the world, and
shall not conceal my misfortune any longer. What use would it be
if I were to lie to you? But of one thing you must think, if
nothing else is possible: we must see each other next summer.
Consider that this is a necessity; that it must be; that no god
shall prevent you from coming to me, as the police (make a low
bow!) prevent me from coming to you. Promise me for quite certain
in your next letter that you will come. Promise me!

We must see how I shall be able to exist till then. Farewell.
Bear with me. Greet H., and be of good cheer. Perhaps you will
soon be rid of me. Farewell, and write soon to

Your

RICHARD WAGNER

ZURICH, November 9th, 1852

89.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

I wait with great longing for a letter from you.

For today one urgent request. Send at once the scores of the
"Dutchman" after which that of Weimar was corrected to Uhlig at
Dresden. In Breslau they have very long been waiting for a copy
to be arranged in the same manner. Please, please see to this at
once. Next week you will receive my remarks on the performance of
the "Flying Dutchman". Farewell, and remember lovingly

Your

RICHARD WAGNER

December 22nd, 1852

90.

DEAREST FRIEND,

If through any delay the model score of the "Flying Dutchman" has
not yet been sent to Dresden, these lines may serve to inform you
of the great difficulty in which I have today been placed towards
a second theatre--that of Schwerin--because I cannot supply it
with the score which they urgently demand. I am truly sorry that
I have to plague you with such "business matters;" but who else
is there in Weimar?

I wait with indescribable longing for a letter from you.
Farewell.

Wholly thine,

RICHARD WAGNER

December 24th, 1852

91.

December 27th, 1852

Pardon me, dearest friend, for my long silence. That I can be so
little to you and to your interests is a great grief to me. Your
last letter, of about six weeks ago, has made your whole sorrow
and misery clear to me. I have wept bitter tears over your pains
and wounds. Suffering and patience are unfortunately the only
remedies open to you. How sad for a friend to be able to say no
more than this. Of all the sad and disagreeable things which I
have to suffer I shall not speak to you; do not think of them
either. Today I will, before all, tell you something pleasant,
viz., that I shall visit you in the course of next summer,
probably in June. I shall not be able to stay in Zurich long,
where there is nothing but you to attract me. It is possible--but
this must not yet be spoken of--that on my way back I may conduct
a kind of festival at Carlsruhe. Can you by that time prepare an
orchestral work for the purpose?--perhaps your "Faust" overture--
for I should like to produce a new work by you besides the
"Tannhauser" overture.

Eduard Devrient wrote to me some days ago that the Court Marshal,
Count Leiningen, who is a friend of mine, had spoken to him of
the plan for a musical festival, to be conducted by me. It may be
predicted that considerable means will be at hand in Carlsruhe,
but as yet the public and the papers are to know nothing of it.
Write to me when convenient about some pieces which you could
recommend for the programme. I think, amongst other things, of
the "Missa Solemnis" (D major) by Beethoven, but should not like
to have again the ninth symphony, so as not to repeat the
Ballenstedt programme in extenso.

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