Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt, Volume 2

F >> Francis Hueffer (translator) >> Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt, Volume 2

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"APROPOS", your "X." is a perfect madman, and I should certainly
not advise you to have anything to do with a man like him. He
asked me to attend a vocal practice of his pupils, when the poor
people had to shout nothing but four or five notes do, de, da!
"X." has entirely surrendered himself to his monomania of method,
which to him has become a kind of *dram*-drinking. His
circumstances are in a very bad way, and I am told that he keeps
himself alive chiefly by acting as clerk in a tailor's business
here. This, of course, is by no means to his discredit, and I
think, on the contrary, that he would do much better to give up
his method, and take to tailoring EX PROFESSO.

Our concert at St. Gallen has not been without an echo at Munich,
and Lachner, with whom I lived on friendly terms, proposed to me
soon after my arrival to write for the parts of the two Symphonic
Poems to St. Gallen, so as to have them played during my stay at
the subscription concerts. I thanked him politely for the
distinction intended for me, and reserved to myself the
permission of making use of it another time. At the theatre I
heard CLEMENZA DI TITO (the festival opera on the King's
birthday), JESSONDA, THE PROPHET, and TANNHAUSER; at the
subscription concert the D minor symphony by "Lachner", his
fourth, if I am not mistaken. LOHENGRIN is promised--that is,
they are talking about it; but amongst the present artists one
would have to search for "Ortrud" with a lantern. The Munich
public is more or less neutral, more observing and listening than
sympathetic. The Court does not take the slightest interest in
music, but "H.M." the King spoke to me about TANNHAUSER as
something that had PLEASED him. "Dingelstedt" complains of the
impossibility of giving importance to the drama, and gives two or
three operas every week for the sake of the receipts.

"Kaulbach" and I have become sincere friends. He is the right
sort of fellow who will please you too, for the very reason that
many people call him intolerable. As lately as yesterday I roared
to him:

[Here, Liszt illustrates with a 2 1/2 bar musical score example
with the words, "He - da! He - da! He - do!"]

His designs for Shakespeare's "Tempest" (Ariel as Capellmeister
in the air) are splendid. He must paint your portrait for me
later on.

Farewell, dearest Richard. I must take care that we meet soon.

Your

F. L.

230.

ZURICH, December 16th, 1856.

Several times, dearest friend, I made an attempt to write to you
on serious, and to me important, matters, but I had many things
to settle in my own mind first. At last I feel sufficiently
mature, and will tell you in plain words what is in my heart.
Your last visit, much disturbed as was our intercourse, has left
a decisive impression on me, which is this: your friendship is
the most important and most significant event of my life. If I
can enjoy your conversation frequently and quietly, and in my own
way, I shall have all that I desire, and the rest will be of
subordinate value. You cannot have a similar feeling, because
your life is just the opposite of mine. You love diversion, and
live in it, and your desire of self-concentration is therefore
temporary. I, on the contrary, live in the most absolute
solitude, and therefore want occasional diversion, which,
however, in my meaning, is nothing but artistic stimulus. That
stimulus the musical world cannot give me; you alone can. All
that I lack, especially as a musician, owing to nature and
insufficient education, my intercourse with you and no one else
can alone give me. Without this stimulus my limited musical
capacity loses its fertility; I become discontented, laborious,
heavy, and producing becomes torture to me. I never had this
feeling more vividly than since our last meeting.

I have therefore but one desire, that of being able to visit you
when I wish, and of living with you periodically.

Well, seriously speaking, how does this matter stand? This letter
will find you at Weimar. What news have you to give me from the
Grand Duke? I ask you urgently, let me have conclusive and
definite information soon. Much depends upon it. Let me explain
about Weimar. I want to come to the Altenburg, not to Weimar; and
if it were possible I should be quite willing to live there
incognito. As this will be impossible, my existence might be
noticed by the Court. If the Court wants anything of me, I am
prepared to appear there in person, either reading my poems, or
performing fragments of my music, such as the first act of the
"Valkyrie," in conjunction with you, and after our fashion. I do
not want to go before the public at all. Can this be arranged,
and can the possibility of my visit to Weimar be accelerated?

Concerning my income and my recent hopes of a pension from the
Weimar Court separately, or in conjunction with others, you have
given me some important hints, which I have not left unnoticed or
unconsidered. I should prefer to remain without subvention from
that quarter which would make any subsequent relation to the
Weimar Court much easier to me, because it is my nature to give
rather than receive.

I do not deny it would be very desirable if you could soon make
an arrangement with the Hartels about the "Nibelungen," for which
object, in accordance with your kind offer, I gave you
discretionary power. If you should succeed in this, it would
certainly be advisable to interest the Weimar Court in my work,
to the extent that it might for some time grant me certain
advantages on account of the honorarium which I should receive
for the publication.

If you could not ask this without loss of dignity, my only way
would be to give up the "Nibelungen," and begin a simple work
such as "Tristan" instead, which would have the advantage that I
could presumably dispose of it to the theatres at once, and
receive royalties in return, although, as you know, the music
trade would give me nothing for it.

Let me express my sincere regret at giving you again care and
anxiety. If you decline to meddle with what I ask you, I shall
think it quite natural on your part; but more depends upon your
decision, and especially upon your success, than you may perhaps
imagine. I cannot drag on like this.

Since my return from St. Gallen I have not seen a soul except
Herwegh. Solitary walks, a little work and reading, constitute my
whole existence, in addition to which there were some unpleasant
attacks on the little rest I have, which did not allow me to
breathe freely, and impaired my health to an unbearable extent.
The correspondencebetween Goethe and Schiller alone pleased me
much; it reminded me of our relation, and showed me the precious
fruits which, in favourable circumstances, might spring from our
working together.

Your Munich news showed you to me in your ever serene artistic
element, which I cordially enjoyed with you. Your encounter with
X. I regret. All I told you of the man was, that at one time I
was pleased with his voice and manner, but could form no judgment
whatever of his method. As you were no longer able to hear him
sing, and as none of his pupils was sufficiently advanced to let
you hear some real thing, I can well understand that the poor man
must have bored you terribly with his theory; but I thank you for
the trouble you have taken, and shall make use of your hint. I
thought you would have been able to let me know something about
Dingelstedt, and his conduct towards "Tannhauser," etc. Probably
there was nothing pleasant to tell, and you remained silent in
consequence. A thousand thanks to the most excellent Princess for
the most astonishing cushion, and especially for the famous
German letter. I sent her a short answer to Munich, but it
probably did not reach you.

To the good Child I shall write shortly; continue to love me all
three of you. I need it. Best remembrances from my wife.
Farewell, and let me soon hear something comforting.

Yours longingly,

R. W. 231.

DEAREST FRANZ,

I must think of protecting myself against any conceivable
unpleasantness in connection with the impending warlike troubles
in Switzerland.

Could not the Grand Duke get me from the Prince of Prussia, as
chief of the army, a safe conduct against any possible ill-
treatment or imprisonment on the part of the Prussian
authorities? If this is impossible, I should have to fly to
France in case of a Prussian occupation, which would be
unpleasant to me. I am sure you will be good enough to do all in
your power to set my mind at rest.

Of course the best thing would be if I could soon come to Weimar;
but it appears that none of the difficulties of my position will
be spared me.

Shall I hear from you soon?

A thousand loving and longing greetings.

232.

January lst, 1857.

DEAREST RICHARD,

I am in bed once more, covered with the whole flora of my Zurich
ills. Unfortunately I am no longer near you, and must be content
to celebrate the New Year with you by letter. You could not meet
with better luck than I wish you from the bottom of my heart. The
hope of serving you and, perhaps, of living together with you
soon for some time, keeps me active and cheerful, although the
external aspects are not of the most favourable kind. At
Carlsruhe, where I stayed a day three weeks ago, the Grand Duke
and Grand Duchess spoke with the warmest interest of your works.
("Lohengrin" was being studied for production at Christmas.) Our
Grand Duke here did the same at my arrival, adding, however, his
apprehension, that for the present nothing could be done for you,
and that I must have patience. How sick I am of this patience you
may easily imagine.

I wrote to the Prince of Prussia the day before yesterday
explaining your business at some length to him. I shall probably
have a reply, which I will communicate to you in due course. The
warlike dangers in Switzerland do not appear to me of a very
urgent kind, but I thought this a good opportunity for calling
the attention of the Prince to your miserable fate, which is in
such glaring contrast to your fame and artistic activity. The
Prince is an honourable character, and it may be expected that
his intercession will be of service to you later on. In the
meantime, you ought, I think, to take no further step, nor waste
a single word, because this would lead only to useless
humiliation for you.

As soon as the favourable moment arrives which I expect, I shall
write to you. On the occasion of the performance of "Lohengrin"
for the wedding of the son of the Prince of Prussia, I advise you
again to write to the young Prince in the sense previously
discussed by us. Probably your affair will have entered a
different stage by then.

"Tannhauser" was given here on Boxing-day with great success, and
"Lohengrin" will follow soon. For the latter we shall have to get
Frau Stager from Prague, because amongst our local artists there
is none who could undertake Ortrud. Otherwise everything here is
very much in the old groove, and there is little to please me.

I long very much for my work. As soon as I am quite recovered I
shall shut myself up in it, and you will be always present to my
mind, until we may at last live together in the body.

Your

F. L.

233.

January 6th, 1857.

Is not this a miserable thing, dearest Franz? I had been looking
forward to your letter as to a Christmas present, and now it
brings me nothing but sad and comfortless news. That you are once
more confined to your bed is the crown of my sorrow.

Ah, heavens! Why do we not give in altogether?

It seems to me that you have not received my long letter, which I
sent you at Weimar on the supposition that you would go there
straight from Munich, and the same has, I fear, been the case
with my letter to M., or else she would have surely sent me a few
lines in reply. Concerning my letter to YOU, it touches upon a
point to which I must urgently return once more, because I want
your definite reply as soon as possible. Since you left me an
important change has taken place in my situation; I have
absolutely given up the annual allowance which the R.'s made me.
In such circumstances, my only hope is the speedy success of the
Hartel affair in connection with the "Nibelungen," which had been
broken off. In accordance with your kind offer, I gave you
unlimited power with regard to it. But now you are again tied to
your bed, and cannot, in any case for the present, pay the visit
to Leipzig which would be necessary for the settlement of such an
affair. Consider, therefore, whether you are quite confident that
the bargain will be completed after all, provided that I declare
myself willing, as I do herewith, to accept any offer, knowing
well that, however small the result may be, I could not get more
in any other way. If you are quite sure of a final success, the
further question would be, how it would be possible to raise some
money on account at once. In any case, I ask you, and authorise
you, and request you, as soon as possible, to come to a distinct
understanding with the Grand Duke as to whether he would be
inclined to confirm his favourable opinion of me by granting me a
pension, or, at least, a sufficient annual subsidy for the three
years which it will take me to complete my "Nibelungen." In the
eventuality of a pension for life I should, of course, accept the
obligation of staying every year some time at Weimar, and give
him my services according to his wish, as soon as the return to
Germany is opened to me. You no doubt remember our discussion of
this point, and of the possible concurrence of other princes well
inclined towards me. But what I particularly care for is SPEEDY
AND ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY. At this moment, when I am most in need of
help, I want to know DEFINITELY how matters stand. This
uncertainty places me in a wavering position of hoping,
expecting, wishing, and desiring, which involves my circumstances
more and more, apart from demoralising me. In short, I want to
know WHERE to look for my friends. Therefore, much-tried friend,
look upon this as your last attempt at intercession between me
and a world, my position towards which I must know exactly.
Patience of any kind is no longer in question. My amnesty will be
granted no sooner than at the moment when Saxony herself
considers that the time has come; those gentlemen like to appear
independent.

Farewell for today. I shall very soon write to you about other
matters, which, I hope, will be pleasanter to both of us.

Your

R. W.

234

January 27th, 1857.

DEAREST FRANZ,

Wretched and helpless as I am, I must once more trouble you with
something which this time will not be altogether without interest
to you. I enclose the letter of the person concerned, so that you
may be AU FAIT at once. (The enthusiasm displayed for me will, I
hope, not excite you.) B. A., according to the testimony of my
wife, is a young, very handsome, slender fellow, as, ndeed, you
may have guessed by the liking of X. for him.

Arrange, therefore, that he may make his DEBUT as "Tannhauser"
and "Lohengrin" at Weimar under your direction. In that manner I
shall know that he will be under the surest guidance, and that I
shall have the best information as to the value of the young man.
Perhaps you will be kind enough to send for him previously.

I have not yet got back to the mood for writing to the kind
Princess and the good Child. I am annoyed at being always in a
state of lamentation, and must therefore wait for a favourable
hour, for I do not like absolutely to deceive you. You yourself
are used to my laments, and expect nothing else. My health, too,
is once more so bad, that for ten days, after I had finished the
sketch for the first act of "Siegfried," I was literally not able
to write a single bar without being driven away from my work by a
most alarming headache. Every morning I sit down, stare at the
paper, and am glad enough when I get as far as reading Walter
Scott. The fact is, I have once more over-taxed myself, and how
am I to recover my strength? With "Rhinegold" I got on well
enough, considering my circumstances, but the "Valkyrie" caused
me much pain. At present my nervous system resembles a pianoforte
very much out of tune, and on that instrument I am expected to
produce "Siegfried." Well, I fancy the strings will break at
last, and then there will be an end. WE cannot alter it; this is
a life fit for a dog.

I hope you are out of bed again. I wish I were a little more like
you. Can you not let me have the "Mountain Symphony?" Do not
forget to send it to me.

Adieu, my good, dear Franz. You are my only comfort.

A thousand greetings to all at Altenburg.

235.

January 27th, 1857.

Your sympathy with me makes me hope that you are at present
employed in giving the necessary helpful turn to my affairs, and
I therefore think it advisable to describe to you, in a few
words, my situation as it has lately shaped itself, so that you
may know accurately upon what I reckon, and may take steps
accordingly.

W. has bought the little country house after all, and offers me a
perpetual lease of it.

As I have given up the allowance of the R.'s, it is important for
me to settle my income on an INDEPENDENT basis. It would be
foolish if I tried to arrange my future definitely at this
moment, which will probably bring my provisional position to a
close. I am certain that my amnesty will be granted in the course
of 1858 at the latest, and I hope that this will suddenly change
my situation, to the extent, at least, that it will depend upon
myself to find a solid basis for my social existence. All I can
rationally care for, considering that I have no chance of success
in any other direction, must be to secure for myself a free,
unencumbered, and not too limited income for the next few years,
until my great work is completed and produced. Nothing appears
more adapted to the achievement of this purpose than the sale of
my "Nibelungen" to Hartel, whom I have asked to settle with me
according to his own judgment. It is most important to me that
this should come to pass, and I hope, in any case, that if Hartel
accepts the offer I shall receive all that is required. I think
they ought to pay me 1,000 thalers for each score, in each case
on delivery of the manuscript--that is, for the "Rhinegold," and
perhaps for the "Valkyrie" also, now at once. "Siegfried" will be
in their hands by the end of this year. However, as I remarked
before, I must be satisfied even if they give me a little less.
In any case, it will be enough to keep me going for several
years; and if I once know what I have, I shall make arrangements
accordingly, being resolved, in any case, to leave the management
of my income in future to my wife.

I need not tell you that if you come to terms with the Hartels
other things ought to be LEFT ALONE ALTOGETHER, for I have made
up my mind henceforth to preserve my independence as much as
possible.

You now have the complete synopsis of my situation; let me
commend it to your well-tried sympathy.

I hear with great delight that you are well again. I have
finished the composition of my first act, and, as soon as I have
recovered a little strength, hope to score it before leaving my
present house. Of resuming composition proper I cannot think
here; I have suffered too much of late by the musical and
unmusical noisiness of my lodging.

Tell the dear Child that she will soon receive one of those
letters from me which she likes, but not about "Indian poetry"
(droll idea!), but about that of which my heart is full, and
which I can call by no other name, than "Orpheus." But I must
wait for a favourable mood. You may tell the Child, however, that
the "white rose" is now red and in full bloom, and that the
"slender stem of the lily" looks right robust, and inspires
confidence. The Princess is angry with me--I feel it--but I know
that I shall conciliate her. A thousand greetings to her.

Farewell, dearest, dear Orpheus!

Your R. W.

236.

You could not possibly be forgotten, dearest friend, and the next
few days will give me an opportunity of looking after your
affairs most carefully. On the 22nd I go to Leipzig to stay there
for a whole week. On Thursday, the 26th, "Les Preludes" and
"Mazeppa" will be given at the Gewandhaus for the benefit of the
pension fund of the orchestra, and on the 28th I am to conduct a
performance of "Tannhauser" in Leipzig for the benefit of Herr
Behr (the Landgrave), the Mildes singing Elizabeth and Wolfram
respectively. In the interval I hope I shall succeed in getting a
little "Rhine copper" for the "Rhinegold" from the Hartels, and
shall write to you at once.

Frau X. is announced to sing Ortrud on the 8th of March. She is
to sing the part twice, and then appear as Antonina in
"Belisario." If she pleases her engagement is very probable.

I shall write very soon to Herr A., who sent me your letter by
way of introduction, and I have in the meantime asked Herr von
Beaulieu to let him make his debut as Lohengrin or Tannhauser.

Today, 16th February (the anniversary of the first performance of
"Tannhauser," in the year 1849), we shall have a gala performance
of Gluck's "Armida," with Frau Koster of Berlin. A new opera,
never yet performed, by a Belgian composer, M. Lassen, "Landgraf
Ludwig's Brautfahrt," will be put in rehearsal soon. As far as I
am concerned, while

[Musical Notation" He - da! He - do!

is hammering in my head I can enjoy nothing else, either old or
new, and dream only of the "Ring of the Nibelung," which God's
grace may soon vouchsafe to me.

Your F. L.

WEYMAR, February 16th, 1857.

The three last numbers of my Symphonic Poems will appear by the
end of this month, and I shall send them to you at once. A
similar thing, "Die Hunnenschlacht," I completed last week. The
Princess of Prussia has commanded "Tannhauser" for next Sunday.

237.

Please forward the enclosed proof to Brendel, so that the good
man may get a notion of his bad editorship.

(TO BRENDEL.) ZURICH, April 15TH, 1857. DEAR FRIEND,

The somewhat tardy publication of my letter about Liszt I
recently read in your paper, and saw, to my regret, that it was
very incorrect, and even showed several omissions, disfiguring
the sense, owing to the inattention of the printer. At first I
thought of forwarding you a list of errata, but considered, on
reflection, that such corrections are never read in context with
the article, and therefore made up my mind to send a revised
version to Zellner at Vienna, asking him to print it at once in
his paper. My intention is by no means to punish you for the
neglect shown to me, but to induce those interested in the matter
to read the corrected letter once again. In case you
intentionally made such changes as "PURER form of art" into
"NEWER," etc., you have certainly misunderstood me very much, and
in that case you must look upon my correction as a demonstration
against yourself, although only in private. But I presume that
most of the mistakes were caused by the fact that instead of my
manuscript you received a copy, which you should not have
accepted.

Shall I soon see you? I live in the greatest retirement, and do
as much work as my health will let me.

Best remembrances from

Your

RICHARD WAGNER.

238.

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
omprehensive 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.

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