Two vols., crown 8vo, cloth, gilt top, price $5. 
 
 CORRESPONDENCE 
 
 OF 
 
 WAGNER AND LISZT 
 
 FROM 
 
 1841 to 1861. 
 
 TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH WITH A PREFACE BY 
 
 DR. FRANCIS HUEFFER. 
 
 "These letters may, without hesitation, be classed among the most 
 important documents of musical biography in existence." Times. 
 
 "This correspondence is a weighty contribution to the store of valu- 
 able literature, dealing with what is,, beyond all comparison, the most 
 pregnant and important period in the development of musical art. 
 Nothing more instructive with regard to the real character and re- 
 lations of Liszt and Wagner has been published. Seldom has the 
 force and fervour of Wagner's German been rendered with such 
 accuracy and character in a strange tongue." Manchester Guardian. 
 
 "These volumes, valuable as they are in illustrating the art 
 philosophy of Wagner, contain many references to contemporary 
 musicians and musical critics, practical hints as to the manner in 
 which Wagner's masterpieces should be performed, and much other 
 matter of supreme interest to musicians." The Scotsman. 
 
 NEW YORK : SCRIBNER & WELFORD.
 
 RICHARD WAGNER'S 
 LETTERS 
 
 TO HTS 
 
 DRESDEN FRIENDS.

 
 RICHARD WAGNER'S 
 LETTERS 
 
 TO HIS 
 
 DRESDEN FRIENDS, 
 
 THBODOR UHLIG, WILHBLM FISCHER, AND 
 FERDINAND HEINE. 
 
 TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, WITH A PREFAZE 
 
 BV 
 
 J. S. SHEDLOCK. 
 
 AND AN ETCHING OF WAGNER BY C. W. SHERBORN. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 SCRIBNER AND WELFORD. 
 
 1890.
 
 to 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 SANTA BARBARA COLLEGE LIBRA! 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 r I ^HE correspondence of Wagner and Liszt com- 
 menced in 1841 and closed in 1861 ; in 
 this volume the letters extend from 1841 to 1868. 
 Of early letters there are only a few ; and setting 
 aside these and the last written to Heine from Munich 
 in 1868, the series may be said to begin in 1849 
 and to close in 1860. This represents the period 
 of exile at Zurich ; and amid much that is familiar 
 we come across much that is new. Of the eventful 
 visit to Paris in 1850, there is the briefest possible 
 mention in a letter from Wagner to Liszt ; but here 
 in letters to Uhlig and Heine he pours out his 
 whole soul, and tells of his sorrows, his anger, and 
 his despair. The picture which he draws of himself 
 is indeed a striking one. The Paris failure, however, 
 as Wagner himself fully acknowledges, resulted in 
 good. He returned to Switzerland, and soon the 
 whole plan of the Ring dcs Nibelungen was conceived. 
 The letter in which he describes his ambitious 
 scheme to Liszt bears the date November 2oth, 
 1851; but he had already written on the same
 
 VI PREFACE. 
 
 subject to Uhlig a week before. Then, again, there 
 is the unfortunate visit to London in 1855. The 
 five letters addressed to Fischer are full of charac- 
 teristic details. These subjects, and others connected 
 with Wagner's literary works, are naturally to be 
 found in both correspondences ; and it may be that 
 here and there we are reminded even of the phrase- 
 ology of the letters to Liszt. But the differences are 
 greater than the resemblances. Liszt showed great 
 sympathy for Wagner as a man, and extraordinary 
 enthusiasm for his art-work ; and this sympathy and 
 enthusiasm proved indeed powerful bonds of union 
 between the two. But Liszt was a famous man, 
 and Wagner comparatively unknown ; and the friend- 
 ship was not of that intimate kind which is so 
 clearly displayed to us in the letters to Uhlig, Fischer, 
 and in particular to Heine. And in other important 
 matters Wagner himself tells Uhlig how Liszt 
 " stands apart from me in his life and mode of 
 thought." But his Dresden friends were all in a 
 comparatively humble station of life, and in " modes 
 of thought " one with him. The letter to Wilhelm 
 Fischer, dated November 2oth, 1849, shows clearly 
 how strong was the bond of friendship between the 
 four men. In many small, and perhaps in them- 
 selves unimportant details, we feel the difference in 
 the style of writing. Here there are colloquialisms, 
 strong expressions, jokes, etc., such as are not to
 
 PREFACE. Vii 
 
 be found in the letters to Liszt. There are details 
 
 with regard to Wagner himself, to his wife, his 
 
 home-life, his bird, and his dog which tell their own 
 
 story. To mention only one small instance. To 
 
 Liszt he writes two lines about the death of his " dear 
 
 little parrot ; " but to Uhlig a whole letter. I 
 
 would specially ask readers of these letters not to 
 
 forget their specially private character ; the bitter 
 
 remarks about certain musicians of note, the violent 
 
 denunciations of men standing in high places, and 
 
 the liberty of speech in which he occasionally 
 
 indulges must all be considered privileged. They 
 
 evidently were never intended for the public eye. In 
 
 a certain degree, one may regret the publication of 
 
 such letters ; there is a tendency to pick out what 
 
 is objectionable for condemnation, if not ridicule. 
 
 The good and the bad must, however, be taken 
 
 together. To have both put before us is in one 
 
 respect a great advantage ; we have the whole man^ 
 
 and no one-sided representation. 
 
 A few particulars respecting the three friends 
 to whom these letters are addressed may perhaps 
 prove welcome. 
 
 Theodor Uhlig, who began at an early age to 
 take interest in music, studied composition under 
 Fr. Schneider, from 1837 to 1840. In 1841 he 
 became a member of the Royal Orchestra at 
 Dresden, and in 1852 leader of the same. He
 
 Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 was an accomplished musician, and composed over- 
 tures, quartets, trios, songs, etc. He, of course, 
 became acquainted with Rienzi, Flying Dutchman, 
 and Tannhauser, produced at Dresden under 
 Wagner's direction : however, up to the year i 847, 
 he was not in sympathy either with him or with his 
 art-views. But an attentive perusal of the com- 
 poser's " Programme " to the Choral Symphony, and 
 a careful examination of the score of Tannhauser 
 lent to him, at his own request, by Wagner, brought 
 about a revolution. Uhlig became a zealous disciple 
 and firm friend of the master's ; and from that 
 time down to his last day (he was snatched away 
 by death on January 3rd, 1853, m tne thirty-first 
 year of his age) he devoted to him his time and his 
 talents. Like Liszt, Uhlig found Wagner at times 
 difficult to get on with ; and in the letters before 
 us we find that on one or two occasions a rupture 
 seemed imminent. In one letter Wagner writes : 
 " Truly, in our intercourse, if one of us two need 
 to make apology, it is I, once and always. Pay 
 no attention, if now and then something in my 
 letters vexes you. Unfortunately, I am often in 
 such bitter humour, that it almost affords me a cruel 
 relief to offend some one ; this is a calamity which 
 only makes me the more deserving of pity." Uhlig, 
 like Liszt, made allowances for genius. We learn 
 from a letter written by Wagner to Liszt, dated
 
 PREFACE. IX 
 
 July I ith, 1851, how much he valued the friendship 
 of Uhlig. Speaking of him he says : " Thus I 
 gained a friend, who subsequently from a distance 
 made it the task of his life, as far as his power 
 extended, to serve me in a manner which the 
 inclination being equal in both cases has been 
 surpassed only by your brilliant genius." After 
 Uhlig had become acquainted with Wagner, he 
 abandoned composition and took to literary work. 
 He was one of the most industrious contributors to 
 the Neue Zeitschrift filr Musik ; and the obituary 
 notice by J. Ruhlmann in 1853 shows how highly 
 his services were valued. Besides articles on 
 Wagner's operas and pamphlets, he wrote a series 
 of articles on the Beethoven Symphonies, and 
 another series entitled Lesefriichte anf dein Felde der 
 musikalischen Literatur. 
 
 Wilhelm Fischer, who was born about the year 
 1790, was connected with the opera at Magdeburg 
 and Leipzig ; in the latter city he appeared as a 
 buffo bass singer. He went to Dresden in 1831, 
 and became stage-manager and chorus-master at 
 the theatre. In December 1840, Wagner, who 
 was in Paris, sent the score of Rienzi to Herr v. 
 Liittichau, the Intendant The first of the letters 
 to Fischer is dated September /th, [841, and refers 
 to the acceptance of that opera by the management. 
 From that letter it appears that Wagner was not
 
 X PREFACE. 
 
 personally known to him then. They met in the 
 following year ; and from that time down to Fischer's 
 death in November 1859 they were on excellent 
 terms. In an obituary notice of his old friend, 
 Wagner speaks of the consolation of knowing that 
 such beings exist, of the happiness of meeting such 
 a man on one's path. 
 
 Ferdinand Heine was a comedian engaged at the 
 Dresden Court Theatre, and also a designer of the 
 costumes. The first letter addressed to him by 
 Wagner is dated 1841, and the last 1868. In this 
 collection there are only twenty-six ; so that it is 
 natural to suppose that many have got lost. The 
 " highly honoured Herr Heine " changed to " dear old 
 friend " soon after they came to know each other, and 
 then he was addressed as Heinemdnnel, Nante, etc. 
 In his third letter Wagner claims the right of family 
 friendship, in that Heine was a friend of his father's. 
 In the letters there are many references to Wilhelm 
 Heine, the son, and to America and Japan. This 
 talented son, born in 1827, went to New York in 
 1849, and became known there as a painter. He 
 was artist of the expedition of the American squadron 
 to the China Seas and Japan during the years 1852, 
 1853, and 1854, under the command of Commodore 
 Perry, and he is twice mentioned in the official 
 narrative of the expedition. In 1856 he published 
 his Rcise inn die Erde nacJi Japan, and between
 
 PREFACE. XI 
 
 1873 and 1880 his great work Japan, Beitrage 
 znr Kenntnis des Landes und seiner Bewohner. 
 Wilhelm Heine died in 1885. 
 
 The hurried and at times careless manner in 
 which many of these letters were written, sentences 
 apparently having been put on paper as fast as pen 
 could write ; the constant references to persons and 
 things which, with time, have lost their meaning; the 
 fact that there are no answers to the letters, as in 
 the Wagner-Liszt correspondence, to throw a light 
 on questions or doubtful passages ; and the col- 
 loquialisms so plentifully scattered through the 
 letters,- all these things have rendered the translator's 
 task one of exceptional difficulty ; and as Wagner 
 asked of Fischer with regard to Riensi, so I too 
 would ask of my readers indulgence and patience. 
 An attempt has been made to reproduce the style 
 of the original ; and the question is not how far it 
 reads as clear or good English, but how far it 
 preserves the spirit of the original. I beg publicly 
 to express my thanks to Messrs. Grevel & Co., the 
 publishers, for their assistance with regard to the 
 Saxon idioms and even slang, and to Mr. W. Ashton 
 Ellis (editor of the Wagnerian quarterly, The Meister\ 
 for valuable aid and many useful suggestions, as well 
 as for the preparation of a comprehensive Index, 
 
 J. S. SHEDLOCK.
 
 LETTERS 
 
 TO 
 
 THEODOR UHLIG, 
 18491853.
 
 LETTERS TO THEODOR UHLIG. 
 
 18491853. 
 
 i. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 Every now and then I feel anxious about you : 
 how are you, are you well, and have you experienced 
 no reactionary unpleasantnesses ? There are some 
 friends, very few, for whose sake I often think of 
 Dresden : among other things I have a warm remem- 
 brance of a passionate Beethoven Symphony, and then 
 I am transported with delight and affection back again, 
 in thought, amongst the Royal Musicians ; yet I must 
 frankly confess that the freedom which I here inhale in 
 fresh Alpine draughts is intensely pleasing to me. What 
 is the ordinary care about the so-called future of 
 citizen life compared with the feeling that we are not 
 tyrannized over in our noblest aims ? How few men 
 care more for themselves than for their stomachs ! 
 Now I have made my choice, and am spared the trouble 
 of choosing ; so I feel free in my innermost soul, and 
 can despise what torments me from without ; no one 
 can withdraw himself from the evil influences of the 
 civilized barbarism of our time, but all can so manage 
 that they do not rule over our better self. 
 
 I
 
 2 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 My friend Liszt, with devilish impetuosity, wishes 
 me to write an opera for Paris : I have been there and 
 arranged with a certain poet to furnish him with the 
 complete sketch of an opera libretto, while he under- 
 takes the execution of the same in French, and to 
 see about a commission for me from the Grand Opera 
 to write the music (excuse me, I have not expressed 
 myself very clearly). Now, besides my Siegfried, I have 
 in my head two tragic and two comic subjects, but not 
 one of them would suit the French stage : I have also 
 a fifth, and I care not in what language it is presented 
 to the world Jesus of Nazareth. I think of offering 
 this subject to the Frenchman, and hope thus to be rid 
 of the whole matter, for I can guess the dismay which 
 this poem will cause to my associc. If he have the 
 courage to hold up against the thousand conflicts which 
 the proposition to treat such a subject for the theatre' will 
 cause, I shall look upon it as fate and set to work. If 
 he abandon me, all the better : I am then freed from 
 all temptation to work in the hateful jabbering language ; 
 for with my disposition, you can easily imagine that 
 only with the greatest repugnance should I set to work 
 on such a mishmash : if I do, it will be out of con- 
 sideration for my creditors, to whom I should make 
 over the French fees. 
 
 Into what good humour the sight of the Parisian 
 art-economy has put me again, you will shortly see in 
 an important article of mine in the National, " Art and 
 Revolution," which I believe will appear in German 
 at Wigand's in Leipzig. I am living here helped in 
 communistic fashion by Liszt in good spirits, and I 
 may say prosperously, according to my best nature : my
 
 TO UHLIG. 3 
 
 only and great anxiety is about my poor wife, whom I 
 am expecting here very shortly. To my very great 
 astonishment, I find that I am a celebrity here ; made so 
 indeed, by means of the piano scores of all my operas, out 
 of which whole acts are repeatedly performed at concerts 
 and at choral unions. At the beginning of the winter I 
 shall go again to Paris to have something performed 
 and to put my opera matter into order. You cannot 
 imagine what joy one finds in frugality if one knows 
 that thereby the noblest thing, freedom, is assured 
 You know how long I was brewing in my blood the 
 Dresden catastrophe, only I had no presentiment of the 
 exact hurricane which would drive me thence; but you are 
 thoroughly convinced that all the amnesties and restitu- 
 tions in the world would not induce me to become again 
 what, to my greatest sorrow, I was in Dresden. I have 
 just a last remnant of curiosity, how r ever, and you would 
 give me much pleasure in letting me know how matters 
 stand with you. My wife has never found leisure to give 
 me news of Dresden, the theatre, and the band. Do 
 relieve this last Dresden longing. Do you happen to 
 know anything definite about the state of the police 
 inquiry ? The fate of Heubner, Rockel, and Bakunin, 
 troubles me much. Anyhow, these persons ought not 
 to be imprisoned. But don't let me speak of it ! In 
 this matter one can only judge justly and adequately if 
 one looks at the period from a lofty point of view. 
 Woe to him who acts with sublime purpose, and then, 
 for his deeds, is judged by the police ! It is a grief and 
 a shame which only our times can show. 
 
 Yesterday, at length, I received my scores : I looked 
 through a little of Lohengrin at the piano, and cannct
 
 4 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 describe to you what a powerful effect this my work 
 produced on me ! Now I come to a favour which I 
 have to ask of you. At my request you at once under- 
 took to prepare, at your leisure, the piano score of this 
 opera. To you, and especially to me, it must be most 
 unpleasant to find that this work is interrupted. If you 
 are still of the same mind, and are willing to continue to 
 place me under obligation (always on the understanding 
 that you will be compensated for your trouble by the 
 future publisher of the opera), I beg you to get the 
 score from the Dresden theatre in order to continue 
 the piano version. Ask the chorus master, Fischer, in 
 my name, to apply for the score for himself, in order to 
 hand it over to you. For that purpose I enclose a few 
 lines to Fischer, which I beg you will forward to him 
 at once. 
 
 Now farewell, and let's hope we shall meet once 
 again. If I should hear of any post likely to suit you 
 in Switzerland, shall I tell you of it ? This Switzer- 
 land, with its nature, its air, makes the most miserable 
 man well and happy. I should like to bestow it on 
 every one whom I love, even upon L. 
 
 Salute the few friends in the band who are yet 
 willing to receive a salutation from me : among them I 
 may probably reckon Horack. Salute Milller and H., 
 also young Fiirstenau. I rejoice that on that most fatal 
 Tuesday evening, when I came once more to the Town 
 Hall, it was in my power to render a good service to 
 Fiarstenau : probably he is not aware that without me 
 it would have fared badly with him. 
 
 Tell Eisold I cannot come again tc-morrow to the 
 rehearsal of Martha; he should engage Rockel in my
 
 TO UHLIG. 5 
 
 place. I am curious to know in what way Tietze will 
 manage to reconcile me with the Princess A. ; but I 
 do not despair of his genius yet succeeding ; on this, 
 indeed, rests my whole hope for this life. But the man 
 was an excellent double-bass player. 
 
 Again greetings in my name ; for example, to Schlick. 
 But, above all, delight me by sending a really long 
 letter. 
 
 Once more farewell, and remain good to me. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 ZURICH, August gf/i, '49. 
 
 Address to Mr. Alexander Miiller, Professor of Music 
 at Zurich. 
 
 2. 
 
 MOST WORTHY FRIEND, AND STILL ROYAL 
 
 CHAMBER MUSICIAN ! 
 
 First of all receive this flattering title as a fiery 
 coal for the depressing " Ex-Japetl-Meister." 
 
 Then let me thank you for your excellent letter. 
 I am also indebted to you, namely, for the uncommon 
 amount of time which you must have withdrawn 
 from your deep speculations about the nature of 
 three-four time. You hold to me with a faith and 
 devotion, of which, for state reasons, high traitors 
 are unworthy. Though you try to reconcile this with 
 your royal Saxon conscience, my human political 
 phantasy declares you free from fault, and so praises 
 you heartily. 
 
 I have read through the letter several times, and 
 your true nature, as therein revealed, has afforded
 
 6 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 me special joy. Ponder over your character, your 
 knowledge, painfully acquired, yet, on that account, 
 more solid, your capabilities, and your powers of per- 
 formance, etc., and compare them with your position 
 and employment, etc. Do, I say, ponder over the 
 legitimate condition of our art and life relationships ; 
 and then, without attending university lectures, you 
 will sufficiently recognize that the good God of the 
 existing Christian and political social organization is 
 a grand affair, but that royal bands are not bad 
 either. 
 
 Your letter is so full that I cannot possibly answer 
 it ; I therefore write you, for reply, a new, if shorter 
 one. God knows how it is that I cannot become quite 
 sad. As my wife is now with me, and as for the 
 coming months I can be without anxiety as to my 
 means of existence, I feel as jolly and as comfortably 
 disposed as a dog who has got over a whipping. But 
 I have not yet got back into working order. Next 
 week we shall go into a small house in which I shall 
 have a special room for work : up to now I have only 
 been able to sit down and scribble in a coffee-room, 
 and this circumstance explains how I have been able 
 to satisfy your request, and get my Wibelistic 
 article ready for publication. While copying I re- 
 wrote much, so that you may find it interesting to 
 compare the enclosed manuscript with the old version ; 
 and I would specially call your attention to the third 
 section of the Wtbelungen, and then also to the twelfth, 
 dealing with "real property," in which you will meet 
 with a rich use of the material. 
 
 I send you this little work with the request to
 
 TO UHLIG. 7 
 
 forward it with enclosed letter to the publisher Wigand 
 in Leipzig : the expense of sending it will, I hope, not 
 be ruinous, yet I advise you, in case of necessity, to 
 arrange for a subscription from the radical members 
 of the band. 
 
 Wigand is already publishing a pamphlet of mine, 
 Art and Revolution : of its French fate in the National, 
 I have, as yet, learnt nothing. Get this little work as 
 soon as it appears : it will be only a precursor as soon 
 as I set to work again I shall follow it up by one of 
 greater detail, The Art-work of the Future ; to which, 
 afterwards a third, The Artists of the Future, will form 
 the conclusion. I will not give you at random a notice 
 of the contents of these writings ; it must not be done 
 in a rough, but in a really complete, way. 
 
 It is most essential that I should accomplish this 
 work and send it into the world before going on with 
 my immediate artistic productions. I must come my- 
 self, and those who are interested in my artistic being 
 must come with me to a clear understanding ; else shall 
 we for ever grope about in hateful twilight, which is 
 worse than absolute darkness in which one sees nothing 
 and only religiously clutches hold of the old-accustomed 
 balustrade. 
 
 If I accomplish this to my satisfaction, I shall then 
 set to work at the music of my Siegfried; for that 
 is what I yearn after, with all my soul's sincerity. 
 Equally sincerely do I desire to escape from the Parisian 
 opera scheme into which I so unwillingly entered. 
 Compelled from the commencement to think of gain, I 
 naturally entertained the idea, and let events take their 
 course. And so now, as I have already told you, I
 
 8 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 am placed in the droll dilemma of deciding between 
 Parisian help really offered, and my inmost aversion. 
 The report that I am writing an opera for Paris does 
 not make my decision a matter of difficulty, although, 
 not to appear a bragger, I should certainly like to con- 
 firm it ; but consideration for my wife, who really is 
 somewhat of a bragger, and against whose practical 
 common sense I may have to fight hard, if I have to tell 
 her the plain truth, viz., that I will not write an opera for 
 Paris. Were this matter not in many ways connected 
 with my prospects of subsistence, she would shake her 
 head, but give way. There's the critical knot, which I 
 can only cut through with great pain. Already my wife 
 is ashamed of our stay in Zurich, and thinks we ought 
 to make every one believe that we are in Paris. 
 
 You see, dear friend, it is such trifles as conven- 
 tional fame-seeking and anxiety for daily bread which 
 threaten to exert and in a decisive manner their 
 august modern, sovereignty over the true, free sphere 
 of man's art. But can there be a choice here ? Certainly 
 not, not even if persons like you begin to be prudent 
 and practical. I will be happy, and a man can only be 
 that if he is free ; but that man only is free who is what 
 he can, and therefore must be. Whoever, therefore, 
 satisfies the inner necessity of his being, is free ; 
 because he feels himself at one with himself, because 
 everything which he does answers to his nature, to his 
 true needs. Whoever follows a necessity, not from 
 within but from without, is subject to compulsion ; he is 
 not free, but an unfortunate slave. The free man laughs 
 at oppression from without if only inner necessity be 
 not sacrificed to it : it can cause only fly-stings, not
 
 TO UHLIG. 9 
 
 heart-wounds. I don't care what happens to me, if 
 only I become what, according to my nature, I ought 
 to become. So shall I be right, even if no idler take 
 notice of me. 
 
 Apropos ! If you know any persons who would give 
 me as much per year as would satisfy my wants, in 
 exchange for all that I may do during my life, in the 
 way of writing poetry and music, please give them my 
 address. Without this help I can do nothing. 
 
 I have scarcely anything more to write to you, for I 
 have already chattered the best part ; so I will finish, 
 at any rate, about myself. 
 
 The little troop of my Dresden friends, of whom you 
 send me news, gives me endless joy. How far above 
 difference of character, capability, order and prospects 
 of life is the one sure feeling of love, which all govern- 
 ment and society are giving themselves so much trouble 
 to root out ! It makes me happy, and I can love not 
 only this man, but all men, if even the roughest fellow 
 salutes me in a friendly way as my wife says 
 to me. 
 
 Salute, from the bottom of my heart, the friends 
 whom you have named to me, and do not forget X. 
 
 But say specially to H., from me, that if I do not 
 write specially to him this time, this among other 
 things may make him disposed to excuse me that I 
 presume you will let him see this letter. I am also 
 superhumanly indebted to him in that he behaves in so 
 silent, tender, and noble a manner with regard to a loan, 
 which sum I formerly spent in publishing my operas ; 
 and which, considering his modest means, was not so 
 easy for him to dispense with. Thank him for it in
 
 10 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 my name. A thing of this kind is of great value, and 
 truly I don't ignore it. 
 
 Farewell ! Salute my friends once more, and let me 
 soon have fresh news. Write often to me, and do not 
 trouble about the postage : I will make up for it out 
 of something else ! I shall soon have your article here 
 to read. Adieu ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, September i6th, '49. 
 
 My address is always : " Alexander Miiller, Prof, 
 d. Musik." 
 
 I have requested Wigand, in the enclosed letter, if 
 he does not print the Wibelungen MS., or give it to 
 another publisher, to send it back to you to Dresden. 
 In case you get it back I would trouble you to get as 
 good a publisher as possible. 
 
 Please see the enclosed letter through the town post, 
 pre-paid. 
 
 September igth. 
 
 After further inquiry I learn no\v that this packet 
 originally the Wibelungen MS. which I intended sending 
 by parcel post must contain no real letter. I there- 
 fore give you the enclosed letters unclosed and unsealed, 
 with the request that you will close and seal them for 
 me, so that each one may think he is receiving an 
 absolute secret. For the money spent on sealing-wax 
 or wafers kindly reimburse yourself out of the proceeds 
 of the enclosed waste-paper, as well as from the fuel of 
 the enclosed conductor's stick, of the Spontini kind, 
 which you might perhaps even sell to Engelmann as a 
 truncheon for the commander in Don Juan.
 
 TO UHLIG. I I 
 
 3- 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 You cause me great anxiety ! First of all you 
 send me an immense letter to open, which must have 
 cost you at least the half of your month's salary ; and 
 then you give me such unheard-of things to read 
 about as the story of the piano score of Lohengrin ! 
 Seriously at least in what concerns this last miracle 
 I beg of you for no one's sake, not even mine, to 
 expose yourself to such enormous fatigues ; for such 
 forced undertakings are of this kind, and health has to 
 pay a heavy penalty. At the present moment I can 
 confirm this in a striking manner. For the last fortnight, 
 i.e., since I have settled down quietly in my home, I 
 have been seized with a furious desire to produce a 
 new literary composition, The Art-work of the Future; 
 and to so great an extent, that even to-day I grudge 
 the time to write in an orderly way to you or to my 
 other Dresden friends, although I have much to say. 
 
 Already, on receipt of your last letter, I did not care 
 to write again until I had quite finished with my new 
 work, which I should then have sent with my answer : a 
 notice which I give you, but not as a letter which I 
 still owe you but only as a notice. 
 
 Through you I learn that Wigand has written to me. 
 I point out to you thereupon that I have not caught 
 sight of a line from him, not even a copy of my 
 pamphlet, which I had begged of him. As, therefore, I 
 do not know how it will fare with my letter to Wigand 
 rwhich I send direct to Leipzig, as I did a fortnight 
 ago I prefer to entreat you to tell Wigand that I have 
 received no letter from him ; and therefore I would
 
 12 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 request him, if he desires to send me news with safety, to 
 do it through you or Heine-'; as, up to now, I have 
 always received my letters from Dresden. You your- 
 self please address letters to me for the future in the 
 following way : 
 
 an FRAULEIN NATALIE PLANER, 
 
 am Zeltwege, in den hinteren Escherhausern, 
 No. 182 parterre, 
 
 Hottingen, bei Zurich. 
 
 The person addressed is, in fact, my sister-in-law, who, 
 with my wife, lives here. I hope this name will appear 
 innocent to the police, although, through violation of 
 letter secrecy, we have only to fear delay and uncer- 
 tainty ; but in no way the discovery of God knows what 
 conspiracy ! 
 
 In my new work I have had to express my thoughts 
 in an exhaustive manner, but the subject having once been 
 broached in my pamphlet, this could not well be helped. 
 Nevertheless it leaves, for example to you, still an enor- 
 mous lot to do ; as I, in grasping the theme which I placed 
 before myself, could only draw in very broad strokes. 
 Wigand must really publish this little work for me. I 
 hoped to be able to send it off by the end of November. 
 Anyhow, it is getting almost three times as thick as the 
 first pamphlet, but I confidently hope that the interest 
 which it will create will not be that of a passing day, but a 
 lasting interest, substantial and suggestive. How shall 
 I set to work to get him to pay me properly for it ? 
 
 My head is all a-fire from dealing with so many 
 principles of art it is impossible to write any more 
 to-day ! So please don't be angry with me.
 
 TO UHLIG. 13 
 
 As soon as I have quite finished, I will write proper 
 letters again even such as Fiirstenau wishes, whom I 
 beg you to greet heartily and to thank. 
 
 Kindly see to enclosed, about which I am also 
 anxious. 
 
 In short, accept my best thanks for your last excellent 
 letter, and for the fresh proof of friendship towards 
 me contained in it ! I shall shortly have much to write 
 in reply. 
 
 Salute also young R. from me, if he happen to be in 
 Dresden ! 
 
 But come, farewell ! I am done up, and must get 
 into the open air : Peps won't leave me any more in 
 peace ! Farewell, dear Uhlig. 
 
 ZURICH, October 26th, '49. 
 
 4- 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 Here follows once more a whole load. Don't 
 be angry if it overburdens you. I thought you would 
 like to look through my new work before it came, 
 in ceremonious fashion, before the world : so read it 
 and communicate with Heine, so that we may lose as 
 little time as possible with it : you might read half and 
 communicate to Heine the first half read, while you go 
 on with the second. Then I beg you to send the manu- 
 script to young R. at Leipzig : he might read it quickly 
 through and afterwards deliver it, with the letter, to 
 Wigand. The treatise, as you see, has become some- 
 what bulky : if on certain points I have not been con- 
 cise, on the other hand I have been compelled to leave 
 much unnoticed I hope, however, only what is not of
 
 14 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 characteristic importance. Now you have it in your 
 hand ; read it, and you will see best for yourself ! I 
 am not inclined to make any changes. One must not 
 question a thing once out : excellencies and defects, for the 
 most part, stand in proper relationship to one another. 
 
 As in this writing I communicate to you my whole 
 history up to the present day, I find it almost unneces- 
 sary to write much besides to you. But I consider it 
 specially necessary to thank you heartily for your 
 letters ; in respect to which, however, I always regret 
 that 3 T our money-bag is really becoming the victim of 
 enormous postages as, for example, the time before 
 last. Do be more prudent. From your last letter I 
 perceive particularly your anxiety to obtain favourable 
 notices of my literary works. Do not trouble so much 
 about them. Only one thing is important that they 
 be read as much as possible ; and what will tend to 
 this pleases me. That they should be attacked is quite 
 natural, and a matter of indifference to me. I bring no 
 reconciliation to worthlessness, but war to the knife. 
 Now as our public life is full of worthlessness, and 
 specially so with regard to professional artists and 
 literary men, I can in this present time only find friends 
 among those who are quite removed from this ruling 
 publicity. Here there is nothing to convince, to win 
 over : extermination is the only cure. To accomplish 
 this in time', we shall receive the necessary strength 
 if, as disciples of a new religion, we learn to know 
 ourselves, and by mutual love strengthen our faith. 
 Let us stick fast to youth ; let old age kick the bucket, 
 there is nothing to be got from it. 
 
 This will have been my last literary work. There
 
 TO UHLIG. 1 5 
 
 would be much to look over again, as I, for the most 
 part, only traced general outlines. If I had to do this 
 alone, it would only be a proof that I had not discovered 
 the right. If that be so, nothing further is of any avail ; 
 but if I have been understood, and if I have convinced 
 others even if few in number others must and will 
 make everything complete in the matter. That is the 
 work of many, not of one. I count particularly on you. 
 
 I have not yet received anything from Wigand. I have 
 not yet been able to get even a copy of my pamphlet : 
 yet at the bookseller's shop I am assured that a parcel 
 for me has been advised. Only I happened once to turn 
 over the leaves of somebody else's copy of Art and Revo- 
 lution, and soon found, to my distress, many misprints. 
 Conformably to our pedantic custom, I have written 
 certain words in my new manuscript in capital letters, 
 in order especially in the philosophical part to avoid 
 compositors' mistakes : but I beg Wigand, nevertheless, 
 perhaps to send it to you for correction, and I am sure, 
 with your great conscientiousness, to be well guarded 
 against misprints. 
 
 Your news always interests me ; but in order to 
 spare you, and to draw your attention only to what 
 appears most important to you, I let you know that 
 through the papers we get pretty exact news of political 
 events in our dear home. Not so about the everlast- 
 ing art-movement : but even newspapers I intentionally 
 seldom read. These things become to me more foreign 
 and indifferent every day. 
 
 I ought long ago to have received the musical paper : 
 the person who promised it continues to dilly-dally. I 
 will very soon add fuel to flame.
 
 1 6 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I am not in such good humour as last summer ; 
 autumn and winter are not my friends. Besides, there 
 are the cares of life this is the name, you know, for 
 money worries. I cannot think of earnings, and I have 
 lost all hope of support. Something of mine will be 
 played at Paris, at a Conservatoire concert. Even if I 
 fix my eyes on Paris, I must not think for a long time 
 of success and fees. Besides, I have now a strong 
 desire to really begin an artistic work, and to be able 
 to stick to it : how, under the circumstances, I can 
 satisfy that desire, I know not. So I hang between 
 heaven and hell ; and besides, I have a strong 
 inclination to cast myself into hell, where, at least 
 during the winter, I should be warm. I feel very 
 lonely ! 
 
 I wished to write to Fiirstenau ; or rather, as he 
 wished, to my artistic friends in the band and theatre 
 at Dresden. I rejoice at the thought of doing it, but 
 put it off to another time in order to do it better than I 
 possibly could to-day. Give my best salutations to all, 
 and communicate to them niy design with regard to 
 them. Hahnel has not yet come : I should be delighted 
 to see him, and I thank you for the information. Dear 
 friend I promised you a proper letter : this time ac- 
 cept my precious manuscript in its place. Of matters 
 personal there is not much to say, and general matters 
 are touched upon in the manuscript. Besides, I am 
 weary of work, and somewhat melancholy. What good 
 can come of it ? Do not answer evil with evil ; and rest 
 assured that I love you heartily, and am truly glad 
 to have won you from your coyness to be one of my 
 friends.
 
 TO UHLIG. 17 
 
 Farewell, and expect soon something better from me 
 than I give to-day. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 November, '49. 
 
 N.B. Were it possible to start a newspaper, per- 
 haps under the title For Art and Life, I would willingly 
 contribute to it, in order to help to propagate the new 
 principles far and wide. One day I must say more 
 about this matter. 
 
 5- 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I have kept on fancying that I had still to receive 
 a letter from you, or from one of you, my friends, and that 
 if I wrote I answered that at the same time. Probably 
 you have for the moment nothing special to communi- 
 cate to me, as you know that in one important point 
 I am cared for. The news from X. has deeply touched 
 and affected me, and truly in more than one respect ! 
 With women's hearts it has always gone well with my 
 art ; and probably, because amid all ruling vulgarity, 
 it is always most difficult for women to let their 
 souls become as thoroughly hardened as has been 
 so completely the case with our political men-folk. 
 Women are indeed the music of life : they receive 
 everything in a more open and unlimited manner that 
 they may enrich it with their sympathy. While I was 
 expecting news I was surprised by a remittance of 
 money from Dresden, through Herr P. ; I at once wrote 
 back, as well as I was able, and described the feelings 
 prompted by these proofs of love and sympathy on the
 
 i8 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 part of persons whom I scarcely knew. If such ex- 
 periences render every man good, noble, and cheerful, 
 at the present moment they have quite a blissful effect 
 on me. I have never felt the consciousness of free- 
 dom so beneficent as now, nor have I ever been so 
 convinced that only a loving communion with others 
 procures freedom. If, through the assistance of X., I 
 should be enabled to look firmly at the immediate future 
 without any necessity to earn a living, those years 
 would be the most decisive of my life, and especially 
 of my artistic career; for now I could look at Paris 
 with calmness and dignity; whereas, before, the fear 
 of being compelled by outward necessity to make con- 
 cessions made every step which I took for Paris a 
 false one. Now it would stand otherwise. Formerly 
 it was thus : Disown thyself, become another, become 
 Parisian in order to win for yourself Paris. Now 
 I would say : Remain just as thou art, show to the 
 Parisians what thou art willing and able to produce from 
 within ; give them an idea of it, and in order that they 
 may comprehend thee, speak to them so that they may 
 understand thee ; for thy aim is just this to be under- 
 stood by them as that which thou art. I hope you 
 agree with this. 
 
 So on January i6th, 1850, I go to Paris ; a couple of 
 overtures will at once be put into practice ; and I shall 
 take my completed opera scheme : it is Wiland der 
 Schmied. First of all I attack the five-act opera form, 
 then the statute according to which in every great 
 opera there must be a special ballet. If I can only 
 inspire Gustave Vaez, and impart to him the under- 
 standing of my intention, and the will to carry it
 
 TO UHLIG. 19 
 
 through with me, well and good ; if not, I'll seek till 
 I find the right poet. For every difficulty standing 
 in the way of the undertaking I, and the subject 
 connected with me, are attacked by the press ; and 
 if it is a question of clearing away without mercy 
 the whole rubbish, and cleansing with fresh water 
 in that matter I am in my right element, for my 
 aim is to create revolution whithersoever I come. If 
 I succumb well, the defeat is more honourable than 
 a triumph in the opposite direction ; even without 
 personal victory I am, in any case, useful to the 
 cause. In this matter victory will only be really 
 assured by endurance ; who holds out wins absolutely 
 and holding out with me means for I am in no way in 
 doubt about my force of will to have enough money 
 to strike hard and without intermission, and not to 
 worry about my own means of living. If I have 
 enough money, I must at once see about getting my 
 pamphlets on art translated and circulated. Well, that 
 will be seen when I am on the spot, and I shall decide 
 according to the means at my disposal. If my money 
 comes to an end too soon, I confidently hope for help 
 from another quarter i.e., from the social republic, 
 which sooner or later must inevitably be established in 
 France. If it come about well, here I am ready for it, 
 and, in the matter of art, I have solidly prepared the way 
 for it. It will not happen exactly as my good-natured 
 friends wish, according to their predilection for the 
 evil present time, but quite otherwise, and, with good 
 fortune, in a far better way for, as they wish, I only 
 serve myself but as I wish I serve all. 
 
 Don't make such a fuss about my last work ! But I
 
 20 RICHARD .WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 should be a fool were I to deny how pleased I am that 
 it has taken hold of you. From Wigand I know 
 nothing about it; certainly ten louis d'or have been 
 sent to me from Leipzig for my first pamphlets, but no 
 news besides. I hope, however, it is printed ? The 
 misprints in the first works were cruel, and often quite 
 distorted the sense. Do please correct the new one ! 
 I have also begged Wigand to see to it. After this 
 piece of writing I was so determined to do no more 
 literary work of that kind that now I must laugh at 
 myself; from all sides necessity urges me to put pen 
 to paper again. If we are quite candid, we must 
 also truly confess that it is the only thing which has 
 sense and aim ; the real art-work cannot be created 
 now, but only prepared for ; yes, by revolutionary 
 means, by destroying and beating down all that deserves 
 to be destroyed and beaten down. That is our work, 
 and quite other people than ourselves will be the first 
 true creative artists. Only in this sense do I conceive 
 my impending activity in Paris : even a work that I 
 may write and produce there can only be a momentum 
 of revolution, an affirmation sign of destruction. Only 
 destruction is now necessary to build up can only 
 for the present be caprice. I have still very much to 
 say to those before whom I place my Art-work of the 
 Future; therefore I made inquiries respecting a news- 
 paper, in order even if only in outline to be able to 
 utter my thoughts aphoristically about certain matters. 
 Now my wish is that a sheet should appear once 
 a week, or two to three sheets a fortnight. Such 
 a periodical must in every number contain a full 
 cannon charge, to be sent against any rotten tower;
 
 TO UHLIG. 21 
 
 that overthrown, next time another would be attacked, 
 and so on. The cannonade would last as long as there 
 was ammunition. That would be noble and useful, and 
 were I in Germany I could attend to such periodicals all 
 by myself perhaps this even would be possible from 
 abroad. Now if you wish to start a paper, I beg you 
 to get rid of all that smells of " musical paper : " always 
 conceive the undertaking from a general standpoint 
 Art and Life, and truly, according to their core and 
 essence, not according to the husk under which, on 
 the one hand, I understand politics, etc., and on the 
 other, modern " art criticism." With that we could not 
 even entice a cat from behind the stove : to such stuff 
 men have for a long time, unfortunately, been accus- 
 tomed, and thus their sight has been darkened for the 
 kernel of the matter. I have been written to from 
 Stuttgart about a " monthly paper," in the programme 
 of which "Art and Life" also figures: I have promised 
 to take interest in it, and also have recommended you ; 
 but when it comes to the upshot there is far too much 
 " politics " and other conventional stuff in it, German 
 " patriotism " and similar nonsense, the contents of 
 which are too familiar to us. However, I must send 
 something : probably an article on " Genius." Do get 
 your articles out soon ? Make haste for sometimes it 
 seems to me as if everything would be too late yet 
 one thing consoles me, that what is really good cannot 
 be either late or early. If my Art-work of the Future 
 should soon appear, please send me here at once 
 a copy "in wrapper" per post, at my expense, of 
 course. 
 
 Everything can be addressed to me here up to
 
 22 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 January 1 6th : afterwards Paris, Mr. Albert Franck, 
 libraire, rue Richelieu.- 
 
 (This last notice is specially for Wigand, if he will 
 send me a few more copies of the work about which 
 I am asking.) I still cannot get a sight of the 
 Zeitnng fiir Musik here. 
 
 What is my dear little Heinemann doing ? Has he 
 recovered from the trouble, the anxiety, and fright of 
 which I was the cause? I hope my last letter has 
 calmed him, and heartily wish he would testify the 
 same to me by writing. In any case the best comfort 
 for you all is the knowledge that I am so thoroughly 
 helped : yes, I confess, in every way that is a consolation. 
 I always expect every day to receive a letter from you ; 
 Fischer also owes me one : still I will send this off 
 to-day, even if you gather little more from it than that 
 I live and thanks to my friends am courageous and 
 full of spirits. Also, under such money-shower-con- 
 ditions, my wife ought not any more to show a sceptical, 
 anxious face : I hope also to have convinced her that 
 whoever helps me intends only in my person to help 
 art and the holy cause for which I fight. 
 
 Affectionate greeting to Frau R. and Herr P. from 
 me ! I shall soon have much to write to K. : but do see 
 if he has anything of a voice ! Were I now of his age, 
 and what he is, and had I as much voice as I had 
 formerly, I should without hesitation become an actor : 
 as actor, and poet, and musician at the same time, I 
 would even at dead calm revolutionise the whole 
 drama ; for who but the actor could have the practical 
 force for it? Think, dear friend, if Tichatschek had, in 
 addition, my resources, or I his voice, how would it
 
 TO UHLIG. 23 
 
 stand with the theatre nowadays ? Our cursed writing 
 of abstract poetry and music is the very devil to get on 
 with : we have the will and not the power. Well, more 
 on that matter ! But first I should like to know how it 
 stands with K.'s voice. Early in the year I expect to 
 be in Zurich again, to get to work : he must then come 
 to me ; he could live with us, and thus I could see and 
 show him what he should do. 
 
 Adieu ! Write soon to me and don't pre-pay any 
 more letters now. 
 
 I will write again before I go away. 
 
 Farewell, dear friend, and don't delay the Vespers 
 to-day. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH December 2"jtli, '49. 
 
 6. 
 
 [PREFACE. Don't be alarmed at the "thou,"* and 
 look upon its spontaneous use in these lines as a 
 reactionary outbreak of nature against our wretched 
 etiquette. Let's hope thou wilt answer in like re- 
 actionary manner.] 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 In any case I should have written to you to-day, 
 to let you have a short notice ; now I receive your letter, 
 which requires a longer answer. Yet I am anxious 
 that you should receive news quickly, and therefore, 
 
 * This preface notwithstanding, we shall keep to the " you " in the 
 letter. TR.
 
 24 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 in order to post the letter to-day I make it only so long 
 as time will permit. 
 
 The news is this : I shall not be ready to start on 
 the 1 6th. If anything should happen of special import- 
 ance which you should wish to communicate, address 
 here still. Eight days before my definite departure I 
 will let you know. 
 
 In no way has any change in my plan been made, so 
 far as it depends upon myself, but only a delay in 
 carrying it out so far as it depends on others. The 
 unexpected remittance from Dresden (of about five 
 hundred thalers) I have set apart entirely for the purpose 
 of satisfying this immediate instinct, that of providing 
 for the barest necessities of my own and my wife's 
 support. The sum notified by you to me I had intended 
 for the furtherance of my Parisian plan. As I have 
 no news thence, it has occurred to me that the remit- 
 tance received from Dresden (through Herr P.), perhaps 
 included the sum intended for me by X. I should, in 
 this case, not be less thankful for the sympathy shown 
 to me, but it would necessitate a change in my arrange- 
 ments. Paris for me, without guarantee for my holding 
 out as long as possible, is quite another matter. How- 
 ever, the first thing is to gain certain information. At 
 the end of the year I wrote to X., which I should even 
 have done without the news from you, as a letter was 
 owing from me; naturally, I said nothing in it about 
 that communication. In any case, I shall probably 
 receive an answer within a few days. On your side, 
 perhaps you could find out from Herr P., in a suitable 
 manner, whether there is any ground for my supposition 
 with regard to the participation of X. in the remittance
 
 TO UHLIG. 25 
 
 sent from him to me, and let me know quickly. I hope 
 I shall not appear brazen-faced and greedy to you ; I 
 submit to everything, and thank for everything, as soon 
 as I know for certain. 
 
 Besides, I have been ailing, and am still not quite well. 
 My familiar winter complaint has set in even here 
 rheumatism, which caused me much anxiety, as it went 
 towards the heart. I had lost all inclination for work ; 
 I have not even yet been able to put on paper my 
 opera plan, I felt so oppressed ; and I only consoled 
 myself with an expression of Feuerbach's : " He who 
 has never called out, ' My God, why hast Thou for- 
 saken me ? ' that man has never had God in him." But 
 I can write down that opera plan in a few days, if only 
 fresh air blow again through my brain. 
 
 I had so much to write to you, also so much to 
 answer in your letter, that I should consider it wrong 
 and unseemly to do it now at a rush. But 1 fear, were 
 I to-day to express myself only briefly, I should chip 
 off the point of the matter, and never be able to return 
 to it in minute detail. Only this much : if on read- 
 ing over again my Art-work of the Future, you do not 
 clearly perceive my plan, I must have expounded it 
 badly. The genetic origin of our mutilated modern art 
 from collective Grecian art, could only be made clear 
 by showing in a precise manner the important moment 
 when this art passed from direct representation into 
 indirect representation ; from Tragedy into the so-called 
 plastic art. Perhaps you may have understood my 
 argument as if I had wished only to notice and compare 
 one by one the different kinds of art ; in that case you 
 have misunderstood me, or I have not expressed myself
 
 26 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 clearly. I so grouped all the arts, according to their 
 nature, as to be able specially to show by them the 
 development of all art, up to our modern art ideas, in 
 common with the development of the whole being of 
 man. Here in the allotment of space it was right to 
 act in a thoroughly impartial manner ; and I felt there- 
 fore compelled, in a note, to make excuse for my long 
 dwelling (proportionately) on music. 
 
 But if I wish to show that plastic art, being arti- 
 ficialonly an art abstracted from true art must cease 
 entirely in the future ; if to this plastic art, painting 
 and sculpture, claiming nowadays to be principal 
 art, I deny a life in the future, you will allow that this 
 should not, and could not be done with two strokes of 
 the pen. Now you must write to me about this when 
 you have looked through the treatise again. I quite 
 understand, too, that you take chief interest in music ; 
 perhaps I shall return to it at greater length at some 
 future opportunity. 
 
 Now for to-day : Conclusion ! 
 
 It has touched and rejoiced me that you have often 
 thought you could not hold out. Despair, disgust, and 
 fiercest wrath that is the water for the baptism of our 
 new life. But from my inmost soul I have been forced to 
 laugh heartily at your lack of liking for what is French, 
 and at your recollection of the cobbler in Lumpaci Vaga- 
 bundus. For so is it with many ; and then I always 
 think of the cobbler, this very cobbler. Enough ! With 
 so much to tell you to-day, I ought not to unbosom 
 myself so hastily. You must not give up, but write 
 much to me. With that you quiet one of my needs. 
 
 The Music Society here has for a long time asked me
 
 TO UHLIG. 27 
 
 to study with them or rather with their orchestra a 
 Beethoven Symphony. Now I have twice drummed 
 through the A Major Symphony with them. There is 
 a rehearsal again to-day. At first I lost all inclination, 
 but gradually it begins to amuse me ; and in any case 
 I hope to establish something solid, especially if I set 
 aside all pride. I think I shall bring a little feeling of 
 shame and disgrace to the (very) rich merchants here, 
 and induce them to open their gold-bags in order to 
 do something descnt towards a good orchestra ; if I 
 succeed, I shall think of you for its head. 
 
 You write me nothing concerning K. : I am most 
 anxious to know if he has a voice. I take lively interest 
 in him, not only because I like him, but because I like 
 the future as much as I hate the present ; and to this 
 future would willingly bring thoroughpaced artists. 
 
 Good-bye for to-day ! Hearty good wishes to your 
 new-born child ! 
 
 I have forgotten nothing in this letter, but intention- 
 ally have only mentioned certain things. Good-bye. 
 Salute my friends. Soon more from 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, January I2f/i, '50. 
 
 Hottingen is a parish a faubourg, really, of Zurich. 
 Zurich itself consists of many separate parishes, of 
 which each has its special name. 
 
 7- 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I am glad your letter has already reached me, for
 
 28 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I start early to-morrow in order if ail goes well to 
 arrive in Paris by the 1st of February. 
 
 I have at last decided to start under all circum- 
 stances, and specially from dietary reasons. I am some- 
 what knocked up, and am suffering from extreme nervous 
 exhaustion. The last eight days have convinced me 
 that here, in uneasiness, wanting to work and not being 
 able, I shall not get better. So I snatch at a some- 
 what desperate means a by no means trifling journey 
 in the hope that it will refresh me and strengthen my 
 nerves, as one often experiences this by travel and 
 change of scene. 
 
 My opera scheme for Paris is, nevertheless, ready ; 
 only I have still to translate it How do I feel with all 
 this ? Fearfully stupid ; for I seek continually to belie 
 myself on behalf of my friends. 
 
 I shall spend the first days in Paris very quietly, and 
 be purely concerned about restoring my much-impaired 
 health. Wigand's honorarium which, according to 
 your news, I am to find in Paris I have reckoned upon 
 for my expenses there : may I not be deceived. I hope 
 Wigand will send me some copies of my new pamphlet : 
 he or you might send me at once a first copy in a 
 wrapper (at my cost). For the present the old ad- 
 dress holds good : Mr. Albert Franck, libraire, rue 
 Richelieu. 
 
 I must write to K. in detail, and in a decisive 
 manner ; besides, I want to know if he has a voice. 
 He will soon hear from me. Salute the whole 
 R. family, with all the strength which in this present 
 exhaustion is still at my command. I can't write any 
 more to you to-day. I am about to start. More from
 
 TO UHLIG. 29 
 
 Paris. Salute dear good Heine : I thank him a thou- 
 sand times for his letter. Farewell. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, January 2%th, '50 
 
 [Address without Christian name : Monsieur Wagner, 
 59, rue de Provence.] 
 
 DEAR UHLIG, 
 
 That the thicker letter comes as an enclosure, 
 you must attribute to the fact that I do not exactly 
 know K.'s address. 
 
 From this letter you will get an idea of my health. 
 Splendid feeble, full of pain, and unable to sleep ! 
 Think to what a point I have come. Last night a 
 wretched joke on your Christian name came into my 
 head (Louisd'or instead of Theod'or), and, like a 
 ghost, it scared away all possibility of sleep from me. 
 I cannot yet write you a letter, but I expect news from 
 you daily. I am also expecting my book. Here I have 
 been able to do nothing but move out of one dwelling 
 into another. I have met Semper. No money order from 
 Wigand as yet. To the March number of the Deutsche 
 Monatsschrift (Stuttgart), I have promised to contribute 
 an article, " Art and Climate." The good friend in the 
 Allgemeine Zeilung has determined me to expose the 
 lazy, cowardly, preposterous objection of " climate " in 
 all its emptiness. In any case, I am resolved to publish
 
 30 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Papers for Art and Life entirely on my own account ; 
 perhaps fortnightly. If the Art-work of the Future 
 attracts any notice, I shall hope to win Wigand for my 
 undertaking. Tell me what you think of him, and of 
 the matter itself. 
 
 I have made a mistake in the Wibelungen ; not, 
 however, in the title, but in publishing it in pamphlet 
 form : it ought to have come out in a monthly journal : 
 make my excuses to Wigand on that account, and 
 salute him. 
 
 I have not written to the king, and yet there appears 
 to me some truth in the report. At the beginning of 
 June last year Semper told me in Paris that Heubner 
 was condemned to death, and that the execution would 
 soon be carried out. That made my heart jump to my 
 mouth. From the country I wrote at once to F. v. L. 
 (naturally without saying a word about myself), telling 
 her to go to the king and caution him against carry- 
 ing out the sentence (in case it had really been 
 pronounced). I spoke in praise of Heubner, and 
 explained how the king would not only have done 
 better if as he first intended he had called him to 
 the Ministry ; but that now he could not do better 
 than learn to know Heubner and make a friend of 
 him. Naturally L. did nothing, as the whole thing was 
 only a rumour ; but now, sentence having really been 
 passed, she has probably come forward with a letter. 
 So what has come to your ears may quiet you. But 
 now I intend to write to my three friends at the Konig- 
 stein, and shall forward the letter to the commander of 
 the fortress for inspection. I have at heart to send an 
 energetic brotherly greeting to them. Your last letter
 
 TO UHL1G. 31 
 
 I have already read twice through here in Paris : we 
 have no further details from Dresden. 
 
 Farewell, my faithful, dear brother ! Soon more from 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 PARIS, February 8th, '50. 
 
 Salute Heine. I shall write to him shortly. 
 
 . 9- 
 
 [It is too late to pre-pay the letter ; don't pre-pay yours, 
 and we shall be quits.] 
 
 Really this only was wanting to me, that 
 Wigand should leave me in the lurch with regard to 
 the honorarium. I have so much amusement in Paris 
 that only this joy of daily useless waiting was necessary 
 to render it complete. As Wigand had already sent 
 word to Zurich that he would send me money to Paris, 
 I only took from my wife whom I wished to leave fully 
 provided with money against all conceivable circum- 
 stances as much as I thought I should require here 
 in addition to the honorarium : necessary expense in 
 the matter of dress has exhausted my supply sooner 
 than I expected, and I should already have written to 
 my wife to send more money had I not every day thought 
 1 could count on Wigand's sending the sum. As my 
 wife, in case of necessity, has enough money for me, 
 the matter, fortunately, is of small moment : but it is 
 annoying, because from day to day 1 have not know 
 precisely in what state I am, and therefore have delayed 
 to take the necessary steps at the right time with my
 
 32 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 wife. I wish Wigand would send me a bill of exchange 
 direct to my address. 
 
 It is quite splendid here in Paris, dear friend, and 
 in your last letter you thoroughly foresaw how much 
 good it does me to refresh body and soul here. In 
 one point only are you mistaken, and not to appear 
 quite unthankful I must set this right : the complaint 
 about the feeling of loneliness which I once expressed 
 in a letter to Heine did not in any way relate to 
 Zurich and my friends there, but merely to my position 
 in general, and particularly also a wee bit to my good 
 friend Heine, with his ideal of Parisian success. I 
 was fortunate enough not to have this ideal looked upon 
 by my Zurich friends as the one allotted to me : they 
 were so thoroughly agreed to leave me to my nature, 
 and to take me, in all I undertake, just as I am and 
 just as I do, that this thoroughly sound expression of 
 the simple Swiss intelligence of my friends contributed 
 not a little to make me feel by no means alone in their 
 company, whenever I turned away my eyes from the 
 greater world. Feeling deeply the necessity of this 
 justification, I must tell you in a few words who these 
 friends are. My nearest are two, through whose support, 
 offered in the most generous and tender manner, I and 
 my family were kept during three months : one is 
 Wilhelm Baumgartner, pianoforte teacher, a solid, clear 
 head, a cheerful, uncommonly good-natured and studious 
 man ; and the other Jacob Sulzer, town-clerk (next to the 
 burgo-master) of the canton, a philosophical, well-trained 
 mind, a noble, firm, far-seeing radical. Both are still in 
 the twenties. In the second rank stand : Spyri, a young 
 advocate, open-hearted, very receptive, enthusiastic,
 
 TO UHLIG. 33 
 
 devoted ; Hagenbusch, second town-clerk of the canton, 
 an energetic, fine young man, bright intellect, sound heart, 
 sprightly manners : both likewise still in the twenties. My 
 old friend, Alexander Miiller, from Erfurth, and settled 
 for the last eighteen years in Zurich as music-teacher, is 
 a first-rate musician, a trusty and very devoted friend 
 to me : unfortunately, through too much teaching and 
 through irritating illness, he has become somewhat in- 
 accessible to new ideas. To these intimate friends may 
 be added a number of more distant, but very pleasant, 
 acquaintances. In their circle I have often found myself 
 stirred up and roused almost more than was good for me. 
 
 Here in Paris people have an immense lot to do, 
 but merely with themselves or with paltry matters. I 
 do not know any artists : even Berlioz whose eccen- 
 tricities I would willingly forgive cannot, as body-guard 
 of Meyerbeer, attract me. The only man who interests 
 me here is Liszt's secretary, Belloni, appointed to look 
 after my business affairs and intrigues : but he has 
 not yet arrived in Paris. Through an extremely 
 fortunate misunderstanding and inexactness on his part 
 I have arrived in Paris four weeks too soon. The 
 copying out of the parts of my overtures seemed so 
 expensive here as I have at length discovered after 
 being in Paris ten days that I have had to write to 
 Liszt about it, and so await the parts, at least of the 
 Tannhauser overture, which have been printed. 
 
 Meanwhile I have seen Le Prophete for the first time 
 in my life, and on the very evening before I received 
 your last letter with the book, for which please accept 
 my best thanks. During the last act I was unfor- 
 tunately disturbed by a banker, who was talking at the
 
 34 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 top of his voice in his box. However, I have become 
 convinced, and in fact at this forty-seventh performance 
 of the opera, that the work has won from the Parisian 
 public an undeniably great and lasting success : the house 
 is always full to overflowing, and the applause more 
 enthusiastic than I have ever found it here before. 
 
 I am glad to be able to tell you that I have discovered 
 the nature of my illness : it was, to a great extent, 
 melancholy ; at any rate a strained state of mind has 
 brought my constitution into the present dangerous 
 and excited condition. Just lately, in a detailed letter 
 to F. L., the contents of which will be communi- 
 cated to you, I have thoroughly explained the motives 
 which have decided me under no condition whatever 
 to write an opera for Paris ; at most I would agree to 
 give Lohengrin, a work which I have completed, and 
 which has become indifferent to me, to be plucked 
 to pieces and woven into the wreath of honour of the 
 great Parisian opera-house : as, however, I am not 
 so childish as to believe that this gift would be found 
 suitable ; and as, besides, it is quite impossible for 
 me to help with even a stroke of the pen towards 
 such an offering of my wares, I imagine that my dear 
 friends, Heine and Fischer (to whom, indeed, I do not 
 yet venture to communicate this), will not have the 
 pleasure of seeing a Wagnerian Swan-knight swim 
 across the Rhine. Already and this was a great 
 boon to me I felt better after sending off that letter, 
 an improvement which became more marked when 
 yesterday I received the answer, which brought hearty 
 congratulations on my resolve. Not to be looked upon 
 altogether as a fool, I will wait here for the produc-
 
 TO UHLIG. 35 
 
 tion of my Tannhauser overture, and then, by means 
 of a journey southwards, try and fully recover my 
 health. Thus, dear friend, a horse in the desert cures 
 itself by biting open a vein ; the vein with me is : 
 Parisian Opera. I feel happy as this unhealthy, stag- 
 nant blood passes from me. 
 
 Perhaps it is possible to get my Art-work of the Future 
 translated into French for this place. When it appears 
 it will be well to have left behind me all French moun- 
 tains, otherwise I should be unconditionally expelled. 
 I have had to give up my plan of working, not for 
 present but for future Paris : apart from the unfor- 
 tunate circumstance that I have only German, not 
 French instinct, my articles would only be accepted by 
 socialistic papers ; the first would no sooner have 
 appeared than I, under the conditions known to me 
 at present, should receive notice to quit Paris within 
 twenty-four hours. 
 
 Paris and the French know their own business, and 
 no one need tell it them first in translated jargon. To 
 you I say only this much : the cobbler in Lumpaci- 
 vagabundus is right ! The sparrows on the roofs sing 
 his song here, and the roofs and the houses mournfully 
 repeat it. Should I not live to witness the fulfilment 
 of the prophecy of the star-wise cobbler, grant me a 
 human death in that Alpine valley, but do not compel 
 me to die like a rat in the great sweet-smelling drain. 
 From the Alps I will write you a German Wiland, 
 spick and span, which the people will some day 
 understand. Siegfried and Achilles, for which the 
 interpreters are not yet born, I will bequeath, printed 
 black upon white to a more fortunate posterity.
 
 36 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Since yesterday I have been writing at the article for 
 the March number of the Deutsche Monatsschrift " Art 
 and Climate." 
 
 Never fear about my new home in Switzerland ! To 
 the Swiss authorities I am no exile ; my expulsion would 
 have to be specially demanded by the Holy Alliance, 
 in which case, by means of citizenship, quickly to be 
 obtained, I should be safe. So K. can come without 
 any fear. 
 
 Good-bye, dear friend ! To-day is the 24th of 
 February. I will go and walk about a little in the 
 Champs Elyse'es ! Salute my friends, and especially 
 my dear Ritters. 
 
 Farewell ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 59, RUE DE PROVENCE 
 
 (Wonderful misprints again in my book ! for example, 
 unmenschlich instead of urmenschlich /) 
 
 10. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 That you are all dead and buried I will not be- 
 lieve, for even the Krebs-fever does not bring about death 
 so speedily ; that you have suddenly given me up, after 
 being convinced that nothing could be done with me, 
 I will not fear, for I should, in any case, have expected 
 from your fine sense of decorum, that you would have 
 given me knightly warning of the termination of our 
 friendship. -Long before now, also, I had expected a 
 letter from K., at any rate, as a polite answer to mine,
 
 TO UHLIG. 37 
 
 sent to him four weeks ago. I am astonished ! I can 
 only think of one cause of hindrance. I told you to 
 write directly to me here, under my own name. Has 
 it appeared necessary to the authorities to open and 
 keep back your letters ? It is possible ; and for that 
 reason I write to you to-day, so as to get an explanation. 
 Awaiting this, I will make use of these lines to tell you 
 something really good about myself. 
 
 What appears to us as chance and what, after all, 
 in relation to us personally is only chance often shapes 
 itself in a wonderfully coherent manner, and often stirs 
 and completes to an extraordinary degree our inner 
 being. So is it with the chances of my present stay 
 in Paris. I had never conquered my very deep aversion 
 to a Parisian opera-expedition. Yet you know from 
 my last Zurich letters the view which I at last took of 
 the matter, and which decided me for a time to think 
 with enthusiasm of my projected Parisian activity. Oh 
 what joy is it now to me to perceive how my better 
 nature, and everything outwardly connected with it, 
 revolted in so commanding a manner against these bung- 
 ling plans, that its decisive victory has preserved me from 
 endless bitter consequences, annoyance, and trouble of 
 all sorts ! Its first veto was declared by my illness, 
 which was, for the most part, the result of melancholy. 
 Just as I am fresh and eager for all undertakings into 
 which I can throw my whole soul, so was I sad and 
 slow when Paris was the subject. Nothing would suc- 
 ceed with me. With endless trouble I forced myself to 
 my Wiland ; it always sounded to me like " comment 
 vous portez-vous ? " the ink wouldn't flow, the pen 
 scratched : without was bad dull weather. Think of
 
 38 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 me arriving at Paris in this state of mind. Paris would 
 never have come into my head again had it not been for 
 Liszt's secretary, Belloni, who undertook to look after all 
 squabbles and pettifogging affairs, for which naturally he 
 was to have some day his share of profit. In November 
 of last year this Belloni asks me for the scores of the 
 Eienzi and Tannhauser overtures : in obedient fashion 
 I send them. At the beginning of December he informs 
 me that these overtures are taken up by a new con- 
 cert society Union Musicale in competition with the 
 mouldering Conservatoire concerts and that they are to 
 be performed in the course of the winter ; he would let 
 me know the dates. At the same time he announces to 
 me that he means to go, towards the end of December, 
 to Liszt, at Weimar, but that he will be back again in 
 Paris by the I5th of January. So I, of course, calcu- 
 lated the time of my journey to be at latest the end 
 of January. I announced this to you, and fixed my 
 departure. In the middle of January I receive a letter 
 from Liszt, in which he summons me, in the most 
 glowing terms and with confidence of victor}-, to start 
 for Paris : he certainly did not mention Belloni, but I 
 had a right to suppose that his sudden impulse to write 
 to me had been arranged by agreement with Belloni, who 
 I thought was with him or, rather, on his road back 
 to Paris. Good ! I arrive in Paris, and the first thing I 
 learn is, that Belloni had just started off for Weimar, 
 but that Liszt had known nothing of this projected visit 
 of his secretary. If in all this Parisian business, as 
 poet and composer, I was to be the head, so was my 
 skilful, indefatigably able and experienced Belloni, to be 
 the whole rest of the body. Well, this amiable Belloni
 
 TO UHLIG. 39 
 
 lias not yet returned to Paris. I beg you will realize the 
 meaning of this communication ! Never mind ! I was 
 in such an excellent frame of mind, and was so burning 
 with desire to celebrate my heart-nuptials with Paris, 
 that I thought of my projected literary writing for 
 Paris : the possibility of finding no translator who 
 would venture to reproduce my things in French, did 
 not deter me my desire was too great, for I knew 
 my Dresden friends were watching with eager delight 
 for my first Paris scandal, with which they might be 
 able to box the ears of my Dresden enemies, to their 
 own great personal satisfaction, and as an excuse for 
 their lasting friendship towards me. Then one morning 
 an agent of the Ministry of the Interior walked into my 
 room. For full an hour he took down what I had to say 
 about my aims in Paris, and when he was quite con- 
 vinced that I only intended writing music of the most 
 innocent kind according to use and custom, pas de 
 deux, and the like he gave me his blessing, encouraged 
 me to devote myself with true zeal to art, and as he 
 was indeed in a paternal mood he whispered in my ear 
 some patriarchal warnings closely connected with the 
 packing up of my trunk. I learned later that this well- 
 meaning man was an enthusiastic admirer of Meyerbeer. 
 At that time I saw, too, for the first time, Le Prophete 
 the prophet of the new world. I felt happy and exalted ; 
 cast aside all rummaging plans, which seemed profane to 
 me ; as, indeed, the pure, noble, most holy Truth together 
 with divine Humanity already lives so directly and 
 warmly in the blessed present. Do not blame me for this 
 change of opinion. He who strives for the cause alone, 
 should hold fast to no prejudice, but willingly let go all
 
 4O RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 false principles as soon as he perceives that they were 
 suggested to him only through personal vanity. When 
 genius comes and drives us into other paths, an en- 
 thusiast willingly yields, even though he feel himself 
 incapable of accomplishing anything in these paths. 
 I see, I become a fanatic when I recall that evening 
 of revelation. Forgive me ! 
 
 From the only other quarter whence I learn something 
 about you, I have just received a letter which has com- 
 pletely cut me short. The beautiful state of transport 
 into which I had fallen has passed away ; and, sobered 
 down, I proceed, in order quickly to close (why ? you 
 will hear). 
 
 So, my Parisian art-wallowings are given up since 
 I recognized their profane character. Heavens, how 
 Fischer will rejoice when he hears I have become a man 
 of order ! Everything strengthened me in my ardent 
 desire for renunciation. After endless waiting, I at last 
 receive the orchestral parts of my Tannhauscr overture, 
 arid pay with pleasure fifteen francs' carriage for them. 
 I then find that the parts have arrived much too soon, 
 for the Union Musicale has time for everything except 
 for the rehearsal of my overtures. I am, however, told 
 that there may be rehearsals at the end of this month, and 
 actually under a conductor who, in all the performances 
 given under his direction, carries out the happy idea 
 of indicating tempi, nuances, style in a manner quite 
 different from that intended by the composer ; and, with 
 passionate conscientiousness, insists on studying and 
 conducting himself without ever allowing the composer 
 to expound his confused views about his own work. 
 Rocked in blissful dreams, I receive at last a letter of
 
 TO UHLIG. 41 
 
 Heine's, with an enclosure from Wigand namely, a 
 money-order for ten louis d'or, which, from your letter, 
 I had unfortunately expected would come to twenty 
 louis d'or. 
 
 In short, early to-morrow morning (at eight o'clock) 
 I start off with the intention of being back here at the 
 end of the month, for the possible rehearsals of my 
 overture. 
 
 I am sorry for Heine and Fischer. Poor fellows ! 
 they picture me floating along on a sea of Parisian hopes ; 
 they will be greatly and painfully undeceived. Salute 
 and console them. When my cursed ill-humour of 
 to-day has passed away, I will write to Heine. To 
 his fidelity must I present an earnest face. A thousand 
 greetings to my dear R.'s, from whom I should so 
 much have liked to receive a line. The merchant M., 
 of Dresden, will bring you something from me when he 
 returns from his great Parisian business trip; a good 
 daguerreotype copy from an excellent portrait, which 
 my friend Kietz has taken of me here. 
 
 What more shall I write ? I am all confusion about 
 my hasty departure. I have now only to write the 
 verses to my Wiland ; otherwise the whole poem is 
 finished German, German ! How my pen flew along ! 
 This Wiland will carry you all away on its wings, even 
 your friendly Parisian hopes. If K. does not write soon, 
 I shall presume that he is raving too madly about Krebs. 
 Krebs is clever so is Michalesi what more do you 
 want ? But K. should restrain himself, and not give 
 himself away so much as he does, as with me ! Farewell ! 
 Another time you will receive a more sensible letter, with 
 a list of misprints in my last book. If people do not
 
 42 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 comprehend me, even after this work, if I am charged 
 with improprieties, I clearly see the reason : one cannot 
 understand my writings for the misprints. To my joy, 
 some one is playing the piano overhead; but no melody, 
 only accompaniment, which has a charm for me, in that 
 I can practise myself in the art of finding melodies 
 Adieu ! Bon jour ! Comment vous portez-voits ? Agrees 
 r assurance de la plus haute consideration, avec laquellc 
 fai I'honneur d'etre 
 
 Votre tout devoue serviteur, 
 
 RICHARD VANIER. 
 
 PARIS, March l^th, '59. 
 
 " Kunst und Klima " appears in the Stuttgart Deutsche 
 Monatsschrift, in the March, or, at latest, in the April 
 number. The article is important. 
 
 II. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND THEODOR, 
 
 Your last letter to Paris I received yesterday 
 your last of all to-day. 
 
 All that I like so much in your letters especially the 
 earlier one which from the bottom of my heart rejoices 
 me, and to which, indeed, I can only answer with my 
 warmest love, I will not notice in detail, for it concerns 
 you in your whole character as a man ; and for that I 
 should need much, very much time, and especially also 
 inclination, to arrange my answer with pen, ink, and 
 paper. Now I will at once tell you what I don't like in 
 your letter, or better still, write it ; for it can be done 
 briefly, and perhaps better by writing than by word of 
 mouth. So listen ! 
 
 You are not yet perfect, i.e., the royal chamber-
 
 TO UHLIG. 43 
 
 musician still sticks in your body, that same chapel- 
 musician who performs his duties, who is chosen on 
 widows' fund committees, and who seeks to come to 
 terms with M tiller about the " Modality" of this or that 
 passage. Your care for the better payment of supernu- 
 meraries was noble and kind ; but that in all men you 
 only see supernumeraries, that in your care for me you 
 place this care for salary so much in the forefront, and 
 only allow place for my nature and my resolves after 
 you feel yourself rid of this care that has made me 
 downright vexed with you. Your joy, when you at last 
 learn that 1 have a yearly maintenance this joy which 
 first gives you courage to let me be what I am all this 
 has seemed to me very unworthy of you ; for I allow 
 you all joys, only not those of the Philistine ; for you 
 are my brother. As I read your last, enclosed, letter by 
 the fireside, I got so fearfully out of temper, that I 
 threw the letter of my best friend I repeat, embittered 
 and angered by this your unworthy joy at my " mainten- 
 ance," I threw this letter into the bright chimney-fire ! 
 Rejoice now, my dear brother, at this my deed"! By 
 this expiatory death are you absolved ! This letter, 
 engendered by your last remains of a royal chamber- 
 musician, this letter is resolved into the elements ; and 
 as I know that this letter was the last deed, the last 
 vital spark of this chapel-musician, so I hope that this 
 no longer exists, at least no longer in the soul of my 
 brother Theodor ! 
 
 What placed this letter of yours in so clear and hateful 
 a light was, that it came as enclosure in a letter from E., 
 which I read just before yours. Ask E. what I mean 
 by that, and in two words she will make it clear to
 
 44 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 you ; for, believe me, this maiden is far ahead of you 
 and why ? By birth, because she is a woman. She was 
 born human ; you and every man nowadays are born 
 Philistines, and slowly and painfully do we, poorest of 
 creatures, succeed in becoming human. Only women, 
 who have remained what they were at their birth, can 
 instruct us ; and if they did not exist, we men, in our 
 paper swathings, would go to the ground past praying for. 
 Would E. have taken seriously the passage in one of 
 my letters in which, in reply to your strongly expressed 
 belief on the matter, I affirm that Paris is refreshing and 
 rejoicing me to a high degree, that it is magnificent, etc. ? 
 I scarcely think so, and imagine she must have under- 
 stood the irony better than the royal Kamnter-musikus. 
 To touch upon one more practical point. As I have 
 still to do with the member of the widows' committee, 
 so I tell you that, in regard to the Wigand affair, I am 
 not so insolently at ease as to be able to do without the 
 two hundred francs, for I quite counted on them when 
 I calculated my expenses. Misled by the prospect of 
 twenty louis d'or, I ordered clothes in Paris, which I 
 much needed. Now I see myself compelled to give a bill 
 to my tailor. In order to pay this, Wigand's louis d'or 
 are absolutely essential. Can he send them by return 
 to Paris ? If so, write this by return to the address : 
 "Albert Franck, libraire, rue Richelieu, 69." If not, I 
 shall expect the money at Zurich, old address, or Orell 
 and Fu'ssli. I am borrowing it now from my Zurich 
 friends. Or do you imagine, because you think me 
 in clover (oh, you bad chamber-musician !), that I 
 would also expose all my affairs with my tailor before 
 the world ?
 
 TO UHLIG. 45 
 
 It is impossible for me to conduct my overture my- 
 self in Paris, for this reason, that it will not be performed 
 there at a//, as there was not proper time for rehearsal 
 perhaps "next year." I received this answer on the eve 
 of my departure from Paris, and truly in a very pleasant 
 quarter. I think I never laughed so loud and so from 
 the bottom of my heart as on that evening and in that 
 place. 
 
 Enough ! I have nicely washed your head ; and now I 
 will smear a little pomatum on it ! Are you glad to 
 learn that I am a happy man ? If you wish me to be 
 happy so long as I live, do not measure me this life 
 by its length, but by its contents. Time is the absolute 
 Nothing : only that which makes one forget it, that 
 which annihilates it, is Something. Do you desire a 
 life only black and white, you can have it as long as you 
 like : if you want true colour in it, don't trouble any 
 more about its length. If I die soon, I have done and 
 completed what I could do and complete, for I can only 
 accomplish what is possible to my nature ; if, at last, it 
 wears out, it has performed what it could, and what it 
 never could perform except by continually consuming 
 itself 
 
 So, / am happy ; if you are sensible, you will all be 
 so. In Zurich I have already a lady violin-pupil for 
 you ; she wishes to be a member of our orchestra. But 
 more about that another time. Much is happening. Be 
 sensible, and if you no longer play the chamber-musician, 
 we can all be happy before the world attains to like 
 happiness.
 
 46 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Farewell ! Everything must have an end. So also 
 this letter ! Greetings to Elsa Marie ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 March 26th, '50. 
 
 12. 
 
 DEAR THEODOR, 
 
 Two words as postscript to my last letter. If you 
 should receive an honorarium for Siegfried, do enclose 
 the money in case you get it by the end of this month 
 to Sulzer, with the remark that I had myself intended 
 it to discharge a debt to Sulzer. If you can only get it 
 later, or if it is promised to you, do let Sulzer know that 
 you are expecting money from me ; that you will shortly 
 see about the settlement of a debt to him in my name. 
 
 Frau R. will give you one hundred thalers for my wife. 
 
 One more important thing. 
 
 Ask Wigand to send me the complete works of 
 Feuerbach to Berne, and write and tell me at what 
 bookseller's I shall find them. Farewell. 
 
 Your 
 
 R, W. 
 
 June '50. 
 
 If you write only to me, address to K., Berne, poste- 
 restante. 
 
 13- 
 
 (TO A MUTUAL FRIEND.) 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 Here you have the manuscript ; give it to Uhlig 
 if he is coming to Weimar. If he does not come, send 
 it to him as soon as possible, wherever he is staying. 
 I have, as you will see, put in much colour in copying.
 
 TO UHLIG. 47 
 
 Now my wishes with regard to its appearance. 
 
 The article, according to its plan, is intended for 
 Brendel' s Neue Zeitschrift filr Musik, Whether Brendel 
 will have the courage to grapple with the consequences 
 of its appearance in his paper, I know not ; but if he will, 
 he must give the article in one number, all and complete. 
 He might, if necessary, give a quarter of a sheet to it. 
 
 If this is too much out of his usual course, I should 
 be most loth to allow it to appear in two numbers ; but 
 that would be the utmost: I entirely forbid further 
 cutting up. If Brendel will not do this, the article might 
 be printed as an extra supplement just as is done with 
 paid loose insertions and given with the next number. 
 For this I will see to the costs. 
 
 If he won't do anything with it, Uhlig must try to 
 bring it out as a special pamphlet. In this case, some 
 change must be made at the beginning of the article. 
 
 The name " R. Freigedank" must pass muster. 
 That all the world, will guess I have written the article 
 does not matter ; yet by an assumed name I avoid use- 
 less scandal, which would inevitably occur if I put my 
 own name as signature. If the Jews should happen 
 unfortunately to treat it as a personal matter, they would 
 come very badly off; for I am not in the least afraid, even 
 if M. should get me upbraided with his former favours, 
 which, in such a case, I should expose in their true light. 
 But, as said, I do not wish to bring about a scandal. 
 
 I ask for six copies. About the matter itself no more 
 correspondence ; choose one of the ways indicated, so 
 or so, according to Uhlig's judgment. 
 
 Farewell, and do not fall among cheats, especially if 
 your people should not come to W . The day
 
 48 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 after to-morrow I go up the Rigi. Peps is barking 
 
 loudly. 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, August 24th, '50. 
 
 14- 
 
 At last, best friend, I can write to you. I have 
 been intending to do so for the last eight days, but the 
 non-arrival of the longer letter, which you said was 
 coming, kept me from doing so. The letter, in spite of 
 all my efforts to get it sooner, only reached me yester- 
 day evening. My impatience was great, for I knew 
 that your letter would put an end to my indecision with 
 regard to many matters ; the news which it contained 
 did so in the way I foresaw. 
 
 I presume that through Frau R. you have been 
 informed of the change in my affairs ; let me, then, be 
 silent about the immediate past, and only briefly tell 
 you this much, that I have got a new wife. Though, 
 speaking generally, she is the old one, yet now I know 
 that, happen what may to me, she will stand by my side 
 until death. For my part, I certainly was not thinking 
 of trying her in any way ; but, as circumstances have 
 turned out, she has passed through a fiery ordeal, which, 
 indeed, all must endure who nowadays consciously wish 
 to stand by the side of those who recognize the future, 
 and steer towards it. My friends here have proved their 
 mettle splendidly. I have aged much, and I now know 
 for certain that I have entered on the second half of my 
 life, and have left all hopes of great things behind me. 
 
 Strange that a friend, who in many important matters
 
 TO UHLIG. 49 
 
 stands apart from me in his life and mode of thought, 
 should take such interest in my whole being, should 
 show such staunch fidelity, such active care. I mean 
 Liszt. He -does not understand my way of thinking ; 
 my mode of action is thoroughly opposed to his ; yet 
 he respects all my thoughts and deeds, refrains most 
 carefully from everything which might in any way offend 
 me, and appears to devote himself with his whole soul 
 to one thing only to be useful to me and to spread 
 abroad my works. With the most detailed I might 
 say refined care, he is now seeing to the production 
 of my Lohengrin, at Weimar, and from all that he has 
 communicated to me, I am almost certain that it will 
 succeed. He therefore begs me to support him in his 
 efforts to get the opera likewise performed at Leipzig 
 and at Hamburg. I have been compelled to reply to 
 him that I could take no pleasure in such performances, 
 because they would only prove failures. Wherever I 
 offer myself, there I lose all influence. I have explained 
 to him that I feel perfectly satisfied with regard to the 
 Weimar production, because I know that he is there at 
 the head of an enthusiastic and uncommonly willing 
 personnel. Liszt, besides, informs me that there is 
 some talk, should Lohengrin succeed, of commissioning 
 me to compose my Siegfried for Weimar ; for which 
 purpose an honorarium would be paid to me in advance, 
 sufficiently large to enable me to live undisturbed until 
 the completion of the work. Thereupon I have answered 
 that I would never have composed Siegfried as a castle 
 in the air ; but if Lohengrin turned out thoroughly satis- 
 factory, I presumed that actors would thereby be trained 
 for me at Weimar who, with proper zeal and earnestness, 
 
 4
 
 qo RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 would be able to bring Siegfried to life in the best 
 possible way. For the Weimar company, I would there- 
 fore specially get the Siegfried music ready for per- 
 formance. Already I have procured music-paper, and 
 a Dresden music-pen, but whether I can still compose, 
 God only knows ! Perhaps I can get into the way again. 
 You see, things having so shaped themselves out- 
 wardly, a great change has also come over me. The 
 moment one feels connected with others one becomes 
 much more settled, calmer, and freer, than if left entirely 
 to one's own choice, which makes one not free, but only 
 confused. So now the choice as to what I should do 
 next tortured me : was it to be a poem, a book, or an 
 essay ? I seemed to myself so capricious, and all my 
 doings so unprofitable and unnecessary. If, even by 
 means of this indecision, I became clear, and through 
 this clearness seemed miserable, I only received fresh 
 confirmation when I came to see the effect produced by 
 my writings. I anticipated that, in general, no further 
 notice would be taken of them ; but, only with a deep 
 sigh, do I at last perceive that even by the few of our 
 own party who took notice of them, they were quite 
 misunderstood. Prejudice has such a firm hold, that 
 only life itself can break it. Only a true artist and 
 he must be a man as well as artist can understand the 
 matter under discussion ; but no other, not even if he 
 have the best will thereto. Who, for instance, amid 
 our artificial-egoistic handicraft-copyings, can possibly 
 grasp the natural attitude of plastic art to direct, 
 pure, human art ? I entirely set aside what a statue- 
 sculptor, or a history-painter, would say to this ; but 
 that even a writer on the aesthetics of art, in other
 
 TO UHLIG. 5 I 
 
 respects well disposed who is not working for his 
 daily bread, like the one in the Deutsche Monatsschrift 
 should display such absolute want of thought ; that 
 on this subject he should fall into such nonsensical 
 babbling about art as he has done, that is sad. Well, 
 I read the notice of my last work. Then I went home 
 with K., read clearly to him and to myself the section 
 relating to the arts of sculpture and of painting ; 
 and, although thoroughly disposed to question, we 
 both found the turning-point of all human history and 
 art so clearly expressed, and intentionally developed at 
 length, with special emphasis in the section dealing 
 with sculpture, that we were compelled to decide that 
 these critics who had not even noticed this important 
 argument, but only seemed to assume that I, through 
 ignorance, and because I wished to say something 
 about these other kinds of art, had fallen into vagueness 
 and uncertainty that these critics had misunderstood 
 the whole book, since they looked upon the chief 
 point, insisted on with energy the downfall of the 
 egoistic-juojiitnienfalin favour of the communistic-preset f 
 with all zVs movement only as a secondary aberration. 
 At such moments one's hands fall, and one becomes con- 
 vinced that all talking and writing on the matter is vain 
 and unprofitable. When it really comes to pass, the 
 public will quite understand ; at present he alone under- 
 stands it who is urged to it by necessity that is, only 
 one who is an artist, and, as an artist, has become human. 
 I do not boast of the loneliness in which I find myself, 
 but with all my soul could wish to lose myself among 
 a million of persons of like deep experience and need. 
 It was this, and no other impulse, which led me to
 
 52 RICHARD WAGNERS LETTERS 
 
 write that essay ; but I see now, clearer than ever, that 
 the man who does not learn by himself, and by his own 
 experience, will surely not get understanding from 
 without. I had intended to set to work at another book 
 The Redemption of Genius which should cover the 
 whole ground. Feeling the uselessness of this book, I 
 determined to content myself with two little essays : 
 first, The Monumental ; then, The Unbcauty of Civilisa- 
 tion, deducing the conditions of the beautiful from the 
 life of the future. But what should I effect by that ? 
 Fresh confusion and nothing else! But above all no 
 notice would be taken of it. So already the poem of 
 Achilles haunted me : I wanted to get it ready for pub- 
 lication. Now you say Wigand will not even print 
 Siegfried. God be praised ! He has more sense than 
 I. Then comes Liszt and orders Siegfried for perform- 
 ance at Weimar. That's the right tiling if at Weimar 
 they make Siegfried only half-understood, that will be 
 the most important thing of all for me : what people 
 see they believe ; and if they be but a few, they are 
 certainly more than I could hope to win over and con- 
 vince by writing. So, for the present, good-bye, author. 
 Let alone the publication of Siegfried : it could only lead 
 to confusion. Keep the manuscript ! 
 
 Had I made these observations only to myself, perhaps 
 I should have remained embarrassed ; but now I have 
 made them to you, and sympathy for you has quickly 
 helped me. Since my return to Zurich I have procured 
 all the numbers of the first half year of the Xeuc 
 Zcitschrift fur Musikj and I have read not only all your 
 articles, but nearly all the rest. First I read only your 
 articles; they rejoiced me beyond expression, and, more
 
 TO UHLIG. 53 
 
 than that, I learnt much from them. I thank you very 
 much. In your own line you are a master : I cannot 
 say more. Your thoroughness is crushing, and no one 
 who has any brains in his head would venture to discuss 
 with, but only to be taught by, you. Your two articles 
 on the Beethoven Symphonies are of decisive import- 
 ance, and it quite delighted me to see how the power of 
 truth overswayed you in your view of things, so that in 
 favour of this truth you cast to the winds your own 
 former art-nature yes, you, as if animated by love, 
 annihilate the whole Beethoven who has touched us in 
 so deep and sympathetic a manner, in order to see rise 
 from these noble ruins the one, true, eternal art the 
 common good of all men ; just as we recognized that 
 Beethoven, in order to rise to the universality of a 
 higher life, even annihilated his own most personal 
 nature. In the individual this great process of self- 
 annihilation only takes place unconsciously ; but if we 
 must annihilate this individual so beloved by us, this 
 can only be done consciously, and whoever so compels 
 his free will to do this, that man stands, in the history 
 of human development, on a higher plane than the self- 
 annihilator. So it is : you express what exists ; we can 
 do nothing else; it is the highest, and until we have 
 declared this we are not earnest helpers in the work of 
 the future. But I know what a mighty effort it must 
 have cost you so to annihilate in yourself the egoism 
 of your special form of art. I look all around, yet see 
 no one whom I can compare with you ; for just the 
 fact that you were so definite, so absolute a musician 
 distinguishes you. That man alone is capable of attaining 
 to overpowering, strong, human love who has first felt
 
 54 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 love with fullest force in perfect individual, personal 
 relationship ; to destroy this power means then only 
 infinitely to widen and extend it ; you have been able 
 to get so far for this very reason that you were so 
 positively, thoroughly, entirely a musician. What is 
 now your position ? Look into the Neue Zeitschrift 
 fur Musik, and to your disgust you will recognize 
 it ! Your articles are not even read by those who 
 write with you in the same newspaper, else would the 
 Schumannist, at least, have waged war against you. 
 Now, who has understood you ? Dearest, confess that 
 we are both crazy ! I cannot see the absolute necessity 
 for one and the same journal to contain at the same 
 time the highest and the lowest, and I am therefore of 
 opinion that you should look about for another paper ; 
 but when I perceive where, and among whom I stand 
 with my solitary pamphlets, I entertain strong doubts 
 as to whether you will be better off anywhere else. 
 Hear now, what I advise ! Give yourself up entirely to 
 humour ; develop your excellent capabilities for it more 
 and more, and in a more definite manner. Write no 
 longer seriously, and laugh incessantly ; that is the only 
 way in which one can preserve life and continue to be 
 useful. Ah ! how I have chuckled over the " Reflexiondr " 
 and the " Baron von Lorenz" etc. Suddenly everything 
 seemed good. Wit only is still fruitful. 
 
 Besides, Kolatschek who is here in Zurich, as he was 
 in danger of being shoved from Wiirtemberg to Austria 
 told me your articles have given him enormous pleasure, 
 and that in any case he will print them in the Monats- 
 schrift, only he must wait a little, so that what is purely 
 artistic may not appear too early in a paper which has
 
 TO UHLIG. 55 
 
 only touched upon art in the most general manner. The 
 Monatsschrift, however, is getting on and will prosper. 
 
 Now to another matter. 
 
 Dear brother, something must be done with you; you 
 cannot stop in the Dresden band-mire. You are no giant 
 in health, and your liveliness, your great diligence in 
 intellectual pursuits, must pull you down, so long as you 
 continue your orchestra-fiddling, physically of so absorb- 
 ing a nature. You know the family R. is thinking of 
 migrating to Switzerland next spring; you ought to 
 come with them. As what ? First of all, as a sensible 
 man, who takes life easily, spares his health, prepares 
 himself for future fitting activity, and already now is 
 of as much service on all sides as he can be to intel- 
 ligent and sympathetic men. You will do here all you do 
 in Dresden, only not the one thing which you ought not 
 to do, i.e., you will no longer go fiddling in the orchestra. 
 On the contrary, you and K., perhaps also S., will be 
 engaged in giving concerts ; in winter especially you 
 could give public quartet-performances. I will guarantee 
 you a good subscription list. How stand matters now ? 
 Have you any means ? If not, can you, to begin with, 
 raise a small sum ? If you, the R's., and we, instead 
 of three or four homes, were to have one, do you not 
 think, provided each one were to act, work, and assist 
 to the best of his power, that we should live better and 
 cheaper than if separated ? I merely throw out the 
 suggestion, for I have no intimate knowledge of your 
 situation. I only know that the Ritters are very fond 
 of you, and would willingly have you with us. Take 
 counsel with yourself ; look upon it as the most impor- 
 tant decision of your life, be merciless to all obstacles ;
 
 56 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 and talk over the matter with Frau R. It can and 
 must be done ! 
 
 I feel very well again just now in Zurich, and I would 
 choose to live here rather than anywhere else in the 
 whole wide world. We have a most delightful dwelling 
 by the lake, with the most magnificent . views, garden, 
 etc. In an old coat I go down to the lake to bathe ; 
 a boat is there which we row ourselves. Besides, 
 an excellent race of men, and whichever way we turn 
 sympathy, politeness, and the most touching readiness 
 to do service : yea, more, and more trusty, friends than I 
 could ever find in beautiful, big Dresden. All are glad 
 to see me ; of Philistines here I only know the Saxon 
 exiles. Ah, how unfortunate and worthy of pity you 
 seem to me there ! 
 
 K. gives me much pleasure, and I am pleased to see 
 that he does what is sensible of his own accord. His 
 capacity is extraordinary ; he understands with marvel- 
 lous quickness. When he is walking out alone with me, 
 he expresses the most amiable confidence ; at such mo- 
 ments he can talk your head off, but always with charm 
 and animation. To the astonishment of all, he lately 
 gave a piece of his mind to a parson, in an inn, so that 
 the latter stood perfectly aghast. I should like, for prac- 
 tice" sake, to make him music director of the Winter 
 Theatre show here; perhaps I can manage it. Meantime, 
 he is learning Scandinavian. Curiously enough, he 
 spurred me on to Siegfried, even before Liszt's incentive. 
 
 Listen ! Cannot you come at once to us ? Be assured 
 you will not in any way repent of it, and you will only 
 experience one sorrow not to have done it sooner. 
 
 Now farewell for to-day ! I hear you are at the baths
 
 TO UHLIG. 57 
 
 with Kummer ! May you both prosper ! I shall also 
 rejoice heartily if Kummer comes. My health is better ; 
 however, as yet I have no real strength, and feel, for 
 the most part, very tired ; but the nervous complaint 
 has much abated. Ah ! let us above all things get 
 healthy. If we have it in our power, we are not 
 deserving of life if we avoid any sacrifice whatever 
 on that account. 
 
 Farewell ! .Write soon, and give me a favourable 
 decision. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 I must, after all, write to Feuerbach. Make in- 
 quiries about the place where he lives, and send him 
 the enclosed letter. Whether I shall really get his 
 works in this manner, according to Wigand's intima- 
 tion, "he may ask for them himself," is a matter on 
 which I must still reflect. 
 
 IS- 
 
 (TO A FRIEND AT HOME.) 
 
 I can offer no objection now to having my 
 scheme, formed over two years ago, for the institu- 
 tion of a national theatre for the kingdom of Saxony, 
 printed and circulated. It has now no practical mean- 
 ing, since all the conditions under which it might 
 possibly be carried out have disappeared ; nor do I feel 
 moved by the wish of some friends who, by making 
 known my projects, would like to refute the statement 
 of many a critic of my writings on art the statement,
 
 58 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 namely, that I was incapable of proposing anything 
 capable of being worked out in a practical manner. Far 
 more am I induced to show, by a clear example, how 
 in our circumstances all effort to reform is altogether 
 without prospect of result ; while, on the contrary, the 
 complete undoing of those bad and unnatural circum- 
 stances has become the only possible solution. 
 
 Who, in the spring of the year 1848, was not filled 
 with hope ? The leathern armour against which we 
 previously struck whenever we attempted to obtain 
 relief from existing grievances, seemed, before the 
 rays of the March sun, to expand into yielding, soft 
 human flesh, through which we even seemed to feel the 
 beating of the heart. How unnecessarily cruel did it 
 appear to us to aim with deadly dart at this heart 
 almost laid bare, and, as if in duty bound, murderously 
 to pierce through that flesh. Mummies for us had 
 become men ; as men we wished to speak to them, and 
 with them to plan and establish what is human and 
 reasonable. Reform and Constitution ; those were our 
 watchwords, the standards under which we hoped to 
 conquer and to become happy. It seemed so natural to 
 us merely to make our wishes fully harmonise with 
 those of our surrounding and of the community of 
 our comrades to proclaim the wish of the corporation, 
 as its need, to bring this need into necessary unison 
 with the great common state interest, and then to place 
 for examination and acceptance what had been thus 
 finished, proved, and clearly formulated, before the State 
 authorities, whom we ventured to think desirous of more 
 exact knowledge, so that at last we might quickly see 
 brought about the inauguration of that which would be
 
 TO UHLIG. 59 
 
 to the mutual advantage of all parties. Thus the attain- 
 ment of the good seemed to depend upon our own wills, 
 and each one who was strongly sensible of such will, 
 ventured to feel himself called upon to collect his experi- 
 ences and opinions, and to make well-founded proposals 
 to the competent authority. 
 
 It was in that spring, rich in hopes, that I drew up 
 my plan for the reform of the Royal Court Theatre and 
 of the orchestra at Dresden, which naturally went so 
 far as to propose the erection of a national Art Institute 
 for our very small fatherland. A special circumstance 
 prompted me to hasten on with the production of my 
 plan. On all sides was the rumour confirmed that 
 the General-director of that royal institution would 
 resign on the approaching twenty-fifth anniversary of 
 his administration. Now if I hurried on with my pro- 
 posal, it was with the intention, before the place was 
 filled up, of making him who had to dispose of it 
 acquainted, through the responsible Minister of State, 
 with the high tendency and significance which might be 
 given to that splendid art-institute ; and as hereby only 
 a standard for regulating the future was suggested, I had 
 the comfort of being able to do something generally useful, 
 yet without injury to that person who if he had intended 
 remaining at his post would, in any case, have been a 
 hindrance to the general good, and hence, though contrary 
 to my personal wish, would have been attacked by me. 
 
 I placed my plan before the Ministers of the Interior 
 and of Public Worship. The enthusiasm with which 
 the first, Martin Oberlander, agreed to my propositions, 
 after he had made himself thoroughly acquainted with 
 them, delighted me all the more, as formerly I had found
 
 60 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 him generally prejudiced against the theatre. Such is 
 always the case with honest men who trouble themselves 
 to remove real distress from a suffering people, and, on 
 the other hand, naturally will not understand how an 
 institution which in its present condition and influence 
 seems only to serve for amusement and for the gratifica- 
 tion of luxury, can claim their attention to an equal or 
 even a similar degree. Oberlander's warm sympathy 
 for my proposals consequently seemed to me a first 
 triumph ; for if, on the one hand, I wished to withdraw 
 such precious means as were at the disposal of the 
 royal band and theatre at Dresden, from the hurtful 
 influence of inartistic guidance and expenditure, on the 
 other hand I was not less concerned to dispel the fore- 
 mentioned ill-feeling which as well as from the Minister 
 of the Interior I had also to expect from a great number 
 of the deputies at the expected Diet ; and, by demon- 
 strating how, with suitable employment of those means, 
 even the grounds of their dissatisfaction with the in- 
 fluence of the theatre would vanish, to induce them to 
 take an interest in the institution in question, rather 
 than by withdrawal of the means a thing easily to be 
 feared utterly to crush it. How unnecessary was my 
 trouble ! how unnecessary my anxiety ! 
 
 The Minister confessed to me that he could not 
 venture to promise success in the matter, if I persisted 
 in my desire to have it taken up by the King himself 
 and placed as a government proposal before the deputies 
 of the Diet, and, indeed, for the simple reason, that from 
 his observations hitherto he could not expect to find the 
 King favourably disposed towards such energetic plans. 
 
 If, as in the present case, it were held as a privilege,
 
 TO UHLIG. 6 I 
 
 inherited by birth and by divine right, that only a 
 courtier of ancient nobility could be director of a royal 
 art institution, not only whether or not he understood 
 anything about the nature of art, but (to quote the 
 saying of a monarch possessed of artistic tastes) just 
 because he understood nothing then this particular 
 supposition, as soon as, by its very nature, it affected 
 the interest of a personage, could only, in cases like the 
 one in question, lead to something like the following 
 phenomena : 
 
 A royal band and a court theatre exist : the monarch 
 does not trouble himself much about their activity, 
 because he runs after other less noisy amusements ; 
 nevertheless he likes, now and then, to see something 
 good brought to light as a result of their activity, and he 
 enjoys nothing but these good things ; only all dealing 
 with the economical management of the institution is 
 painful, because it always costs more than it ought to 
 cost, and his intendant assures him that it would cost 
 much more still if good things only were performed. 
 Vexed at this, the thought enters into the king's head, 
 whether it would not be better to give over the direc- 
 tion of the institution into the hands of a practical, ex- 
 perienced man of business, who for a fixed sum would 
 undertake to supply the art needs of the court and of 
 the capital. He could almost make up his mind to adopt 
 this measure, for after all, by its means, there would 
 only be a lowering of art, but in no way a detraction 
 from the dignity of the throne. But now a proposition 
 is made to him, not directly in the interests of economy, 
 but in the interest of art, to place that institution 
 on a thoroughly new footing, on a truly higher and
 
 62 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 more worthy one ; but this can only be done if, among 
 other equally stringent conditions, not a courtier 
 ignorant of art, but an experienced artist be entrusted 
 with the direction. Everything dealing with principle 
 naturally excites closer attention than that which 
 deals with mere occasion : let it in any way concern 
 if only in appearance limitation of power, and the 
 matter will be closely examined in order to find out 
 what can lie hidden under aims apparently worthy and 
 calculated to benefit all. This mistrust dulls the 
 sight even of the sovereign, who, in the present case, 
 was generally well disposed, even not to overlook, 
 from lack of sympathy, the interests of art : his 
 troubled look, his involuntarily biassed judgment, are 
 directed to the one thing which can give a firm and 
 tangible hold, and this is again here the personality 
 the personality of the courtier, who if not perhaps 
 in his individual inclination, yet in his position of 
 honour, as member of a privileged corporation, feels 
 himself aggrieved by that proposition. This courtier 
 may have thought of resigning his position in the 
 art institution, but feels compelled, by remaining in 
 it, to offer himself as a sacrifice, so soon as he 
 reflects that he, as a personage, is expected to give 
 way, not to another personage equally qualified, but 
 to the deliberate dictum that all personages of his 
 rank are incapable. 
 
 But to the sovereign it must appear doubly hazard- 
 ous by a definite act to place in doubt what belongs 
 by birth and arbitrary destiny to the courtier the 
 capability of doing anything for which hitherto he has 
 been judged capable. To what indeed in Heaven's
 
 TO UHLIG. 63 
 
 name would it lead, if the destiny, fixed by birth, 
 that is by the grace of God, of certain special men 
 to exercise any one privilege should be called in 
 question ? Well considered, everything is possible to 
 the sovereign, short of the disowning of his courtier ; 
 so this one thing is settled the courtier must remain. 
 What ought to be done now to further, in spite of 
 all, the interests of art ? Mark you nothing ! Now, 
 as there is nothing to be done, it becomes clearer 
 than ever that from the very beginning there was 
 really nothing to do that restless heads only hatched 
 chimeras, gave themselves up to fantastic humours ; 
 yes, rightly considered, therein only pursued quite 
 personal interests, as, for example, to become intend- 
 ants themselves. Now, God's name be praised ! the 
 tricks of this vanity and boundless selfishness have 
 been found out, the mask of love for art has been 
 torn down, and it is now quite clear that the enthusi- 
 astic reformer only wished to receive an increase of 
 salary ! Tilings remain on their old footing. Whither 
 am I losing myself, best friend ! I seemed suddenly as 
 if clothed again in my court uniform, and that happened 
 to me in sight of the bare, free Alps ! Now, this court 
 uniform is pulled off: one arm was still sticking in it 
 when I drew up that paper on reform, and that I was 
 not clear of the whole thing at that time is the principal 
 fault in the paper : the stiff embroidery got in my way 
 when writing. I felt like our constitutional members,. 
 who, if it came into their heads to construct a pianoforte, 
 would not trouble two straws as to whether the keys 
 could be pressed down or the chords made to sound, so 
 long as the constitutional pegs were firmly hammered
 
 64 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 in due row, and tightened according to rule. How these 
 childish maniacs rejoice again in these days, when in 
 Electoral Hesse the pegs stand gloriously firm, like 
 German oaks, although keys and chords, prince and 
 people of the electorate, are running away from each 
 other ! My constitutional proposal of reform is just 
 such a row of pegs : as a curiosity I merrily fling them 
 over to you, and trust to the sound of the beautiful 
 human voice, which, without keys, chords, or pegs, 
 will begin to sound if one no longer hammers on 
 rattling pianos. 
 
 You know that I no longer think of reform ; but 
 that certain persons may clearly see why, it would 
 perhaps be advisable for them carefully to read and 
 examine that document. They will then recognize 
 what inconceivable trouble he, who as a revolutionist, 
 is now a horror to them, gave himself, in order, while 
 public, and specially art affairs, were in the worst possible 
 state, to achieve the possible in a peaceful way that is 
 the essential in its mildest form so as to bring about a 
 prosperous working of art for itself, and in connection 
 with citizen life. All errors which are to be found 
 in my document proceed from the fact that I really 
 desired the impossible ; the impossible, namely, in the 
 sense disclosed by the result. When our court actors 
 petitioned His Majesty for a continuation of the present 
 conditions of the Court theatre, this, on the whole, 
 did not much mislead me : I only recognized clearly 
 to what pitiableness that state of things which I was 
 attacking had reduced my companions, and I could 
 only hope to see them raised to more human and art- 
 like dignity as soon as the state of things had been
 
 TO UHLIG. 65 
 
 brought to pass in which, by their pitiableness, they 
 could only do harm to one another. But when I saw 
 how that expansion of the leathern armour, of which 
 I spoke to you above, was only a movement of anxiety, 
 how that suppressed throb of the heart was only the life 
 of fear ; when anxiety and fear had again tightly drawn 
 this armour into an iron harness, when these lowest 
 of all sensations turned the most soft-hearted and 
 most good-natured men behind that harness into cold 
 cruel beasts, then, at any rate, I had opportunity to 
 reflect in detail on the nature of things, which in 
 their endlessly ramified loathsome connection constitute 
 the essence of the present time; and, among other effects, 
 were also the cause why my well-intentioned document 
 on reform slumbered peacefully in the desk of a 
 simple ex-March-minister. May this then be placed 
 as a piece of literature before the reading-loving 
 public : as a document forming part of the history of 
 our most noble constitutionalism (what a grand word 
 this is !) it may not play altogether a bad role. To my 
 practical opponents it may serve to show that now I 
 am much more practically disposed, in no longer 
 adhering to plans which at first sight may not perhaps 
 appear to them so unpractical as my present disbelief 
 in all reforms, and my belief only in revolution. 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 ZURICH, September i8th, '50. 
 
 1 6. 
 
 BEST AND DEAREST FRIEND AND COMRADE, 
 
 I have long been waiting for a letter from you, 
 and yet always in vain. Therefore I think it best to 
 
 5
 
 66 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 write what I have fresh to tell you, so that in case your 
 letter still fails to come you may receive this for the 
 present. So I go at once to the " business" ! Formerly 
 Heine asked me to allow my paper on the reform of the 
 Dresden theatre and band to be printed. Now I have 
 read your mention of the same in the notice of my 
 writings in the Zeitschrift fiir Mustk. Lively recol- 
 lections of that former time came to me making clear 
 the point of view of our constitutional reformers, whose 
 partial, and quite possible, conversion is occasionally a 
 point of honour with me, good-gatured devil as I am ! 
 Well, I thought that the appearance of my plan of 
 reform, together with the story of its fate, might perhaps 
 not have a bad effect on them, and so, within the last 
 few days, I have drawn up in form of a letter to a 
 Dresden friend a preface to the intended publication 
 of my paper, which possibly may have somewhat of a 
 spicy flavour. I now send you this preface, and at the 
 same time a letter of Oberlander's, who will hand over 
 the manuscript to you. Reflect carefully over the matter, 
 and then if you think it suitable to bring the matter to 
 light, inquire at the publishers whether this can be 
 done decently. If you wish to set Wigand entirely 
 aside, inquire in my name at J. J. Weber's in Leipzig 
 (the publisher of Devrient's book, which did well) ; if he 
 won't, then perhaps at Kori's, in Dresden, etc. Anyhow, 
 I leave everything to you, on the understanding, of 
 course, that you are willing to trouble about the matter. 
 If it were possible to obtain any honorarium for me, I 
 should much like it ; my state of finance is rather 
 wretched. Liszt spoke to me previously about an 
 honorarium of thirty louis d'or for Lohengrin instead
 
 TO UHLIG. 67 
 
 of which I had altogether only 130 thalers. Further, 
 he announced to me that ! should receive a com- 
 mission to write Siegfried for Weimar, and be paid 
 beforehand enough to keep me alive undisturbed until 
 the work was finished. Until now, they preserve there 
 the most stubborn silence. Whether I should give 
 Siegfried to Weimar, intending it to be produced there, 
 is after all a question which, as matters now stand, I 
 could probably only answer with an unqualified No ! I 
 need not begin to assure you that I really abandoned 
 Lohengrin when I permitted its production at Weimar. 
 I certainly received a letter yesterday from Zigesar, 
 which informed me that the second performance 
 given, through somewhat energetic remonstrance on my 
 part, only after most careful rehearsals, and without 
 cuts was a wonder of success and of effect on the 
 public, and that it was perfectly clear that it was and 
 would remain a " draw." Yet I need not give you my 
 further reasons when I declare that I should like to 
 send Siegfried into the world in different fashion from 
 that which would be possible to the good people there. 
 With regard to this, I am busy with wishes and plans 
 which, at first look, seem chimerical, yet these alone give 
 me the heart to finish Siegfried. To realize the best, 
 the most decisive, the most important work which, 
 under the present circumstances, I can produce in 
 short, the accomplishment of the conscious mission of 
 my life needs a matter of perhaps 10,000 thalers. If 
 I could ever command such a sum I would arrange 
 thus : here, where I happen to be, and where many 
 a thing is far from bad I would erect, after my own 
 plans, in a beautiful field near the town, a rough theatre
 
 68 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 of planks and beams, and merely furnish it with the 
 decorations and machinery necessary for the production 
 of Siegfried. Then I would select the best singers to be 
 found anywhere, and invite them for six weeks to Zurich. 
 I would try to form a chorus here consisting, for the 
 most part, of amateurs ; there are splendid voices here, 
 and strong, healthy people. I should invite in the same 
 way my orchestra. At the new year, announcements and 
 invitations to all the friends of the musical drama would 
 appear in all the German newspapers, with a call to visit 
 the proposed dramatic musical festival. Any one giving 
 notice, and travelling for this purpose to Zurich, would 
 receive a certain entree naturally, like all the entrees, 
 gratis. Besides, I should invite to a performance the 
 young people here, the university, the choral unions. 
 When everything was in order I should arrange, under 
 these circumstances, for three performances of Siegfried 
 in one week. After the third the theatre would be pulled 
 down, and my score burnt. To those persons who had 
 been pleased with the thing I should then say, " Now 
 do likewise." But if they wanted to hear something new 
 from me, I should say, " You get the money ! " Well, 
 do I seem quite mad to you ? It may be so, but I 
 assure you to attain this end is the hope of my life, 
 the prospect which alone can tempt me to take in 
 hand a work of art. So get me 10,000 thalers 
 that's all ! 
 
 But now let us turn from fiction to fact. I do not 
 think that I could seriously set to work at the music of 
 Siegfried this winter. First of all, winter in itself is 
 my deadly enemy ; secondly, I shall probably have 
 many not very elevating hindrances. You know that I
 
 TO UIILIG. 69 
 
 have become surety for X.'s music-directorship at the 
 theatre here ; I am therefore compelled to trouble about 
 the theatre all through the winter. Besides, I have 
 set on foot a special fund for the establishment of a 
 better orchestra, and should if this answer expectation 
 feel compelled to trouble about the matter. So I 
 reckon not to be able to attack my important artistic 
 work before the spring. (In the spring of 1852, perhaps 
 with a rush, the performance might take place, if some 
 rich man or other, between this and then, has made 
 me a present of the 10,000 thalers.) I am therefore 
 thinking, this autumn and winter, of doing some literary 
 work. All generalities in art are, for the moment, 
 repugnant to me ; no one understands them until 
 his nose is driven into particulars. Now my particular 
 work would be music, and, above all, opera. Brendel, 
 so I hear, is printing Das Judenthum, and places his 
 paper at my disposal. Through you and K. he has 
 hinted something about an honorarium ; I see well I 
 must be satisfied with what he gives me, and my 
 great wish is that he give something. Will he pay 
 me a fee for Das Judcnthtim ? Forgive me this Jewish 
 question, but it is the very fault of the Jews that I 
 have to think of every farthing profit. In any case, I 
 will send you shortly rather a long article on modern 
 opera, about Rossini and Meyerbeer. 
 
 Within the past few days, I have had a great joy. 
 Feuerbach wrote to me, and once more I have had 
 the good fortune to experience what it is to have to 
 do with a really genuine fellow*. There is no " however," 
 and " but ; " he says straight out, plain and plump, 
 what he had already written to Wigand at Leipzig
 
 /o RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 who, by the way, told me nothing about it namely, 
 " that he failed to understand how there could be two 
 opinions about my book; that he had read it, /with 
 enthusiasm, with rapture, and must assure me of his 
 deepest sympathy and warmest thanks." I asked 
 Kolatschek why on earth then he should have had my 
 book reviewed by an ass. 
 
 One thing more ! The Zeitschrift fiir Musik always 
 comes here very late (by carrier), and irregularly. 
 Your excellent not because it is of use to me, but 
 indeed to the asses article on my writings up to the 
 notice of Kunst und Revolution, has only just come into 
 my hands. Do see that Brendel sends me a copy 
 directly through the post. I will pay the postage that 
 is, of course, understood ! 
 
 So ! Now I have chatted out what concerns me ; 
 about what concerns you I intentionally say nothing 
 to-day, for I must first hear all about it from you your- 
 self. I am anxiously awaiting this letter from you 
 about yourself; then more on the subject! Go and see 
 our good Frau R., and tell her something about me. In 
 any case, I will soon write to her myself. In advance, 
 I already regret that I shall have nothing suitable to 
 write to her ; in fact, nothing suitable in what concerns 
 her and her family, for it really seems as if for a long 
 time to come I shall have to write to her. I have 
 really no clear insight into her situation, and can, there- 
 fore, in what concerns her, only fumble about in a 
 superficial manner, which often gives me a painful 
 impression, as though I were troubling her with my 
 wishes and propositions. I salute her with my whole 
 heart.
 
 TO UHLIG. 7 [ 
 
 If I have forgotten anything to-day, I will set it right 
 when I answer your next letter. 
 
 So farewell, dear, dear fellow, and keep me in 
 friendly remembrance. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 September 2Oth, '50. 
 
 K. no longer lives with me. Address (for prudence' 
 sake) again to " Fraulein Natalie Planer (bei Frau 
 Hirzel), Sternengasse in Enge, Zurich." 
 
 I am deeply moved at your journey to Weimar, and 
 also very glad that K. has found you well. 
 Not to be overlooked : 
 
 When you are arranging about the printing of the 
 manuscript on Theatre Reform, one condition must be 
 thoroughly fulfilled for me I must receive here, in 
 convenient time, a complete proof for correction. It is 
 most essential that I should be able to look once through 
 the whole before it comes out, to be able to make, 
 perhaps, even small alterations perhaps only to indi- 
 cate something to be omitted. You yourself might 
 even make one change in the manuscript before it is 
 printed, namely, towards the end, in which mention 
 is made of the order of installation. I have, I believe, 
 left in this manuscript the provision that the conductor 
 should be appointed by the ministry. If it had come to 
 the point I should have reserved to myself the right of 
 insisting that he should also be chosen by the corporation. 
 So change ! You will find marginal queries, which I
 
 72 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 have also answered in the margin. Well, all this 
 naturally will be left out. For printing it would per- 
 haps be economical if, in the reform of the orchestra, 
 those rather long sections which contain no specialities 
 or calculations, were printed in smaller type. 
 
 Title. 
 
 Plan for the institution of a National Theatre for the 
 
 Kingdom of Saxony, 
 
 Delivered in the spring of the year 1848, to the 
 
 Saxon Ministers of the Interior and of Public Worship, 
 
 by Richard Wagner. 
 
 And one thing more ! 
 
 Can you tell me offhand of any poor devils in 
 Dresden, whom God in His righteous anger against 
 the human race has made players on stringed instru- 
 ments, and who, to stave off this anger from them 
 through a winter five to six months travelling 
 money being allowed and a monthly salary of forty 
 Swiss francs, i.e., fifteen thalers (which, through 
 extra receipts concerts might amount to twenty 
 thalers), would come here ? If you do, let me know 
 at once. 
 
 17- 
 DEAREST, 
 
 I write to you to-day only hastily ! I intended 
 doing so in greater detail in a few days ; but Kolatschek 
 gave me to-day a commission for you which must be 
 attended to now. 
 
 That is, Kolatschek begs you to prepare as quickly 
 as possible a thoroughly representative article on my 
 operas (i.e., specially Lohengrin) for the Deufsche
 
 TO UHLIG. 73 
 
 Monatsschrift. It ought to appear in the last number 
 of October, and you must therefore see that it is in 
 Stuttgart by October 2Oth. Moreover, notice of it is 
 sent from here to the publishing-house (Hoffmann's in 
 Stuttgart), and you would have to send your article 
 there, when ready, by letter-post, and simply, by letter, 
 to refer to Kolatschek's order. I think you will be able 
 to knock up an article by October 2Oth. So much, for 
 the present, about the commission. I was opposed to 
 it : but Kolatschek proved to me that in the interest 
 of our party it would be inexcusable if the Deutsche 
 Monatsschrift did not just come out with something 
 substantial about the matter in hand, and only re- 
 gretted that it could not have been done sooner. So 
 he particularly begs you, even without being specially 
 prompted by him to inform the Deutsche Monatsschrift 
 of anything that appears to you worthy of mention, 
 and to do this as often as a suitable opportunity pre- 
 sents itself. You have only each time to send a short 
 notice, something to this effect : In so many days I 
 shall forward a notice of so and so whereupon Kolat- 
 schek will send instructions to Stuttgart ; you would 
 only have each time to send directly to that place. 
 
 Already Kolatschek wished to fix upon one of your 
 old articles for the number of the 1st of November 
 (from now the Monatsschrift will appear in fortnightly 
 numbers) ; consequently he had scarcely any desire to 
 put your article again into your hands for revision. 
 Anyhow he will yield to your wishes, and in any case 
 write to you. With regard to the non-appearance 
 hitherto of the article he begs and is to be excused. 
 As we have got on to the subject of literary work, listen
 
 74 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 to the following : Give up the attempt to publish my 
 article on reform ! that means this much : I have deter- 
 mined to let the document rest as it is and not to make 
 it public, (i) I could not do this without the preface, 
 which I lately sent you ; now I fear no one in the world, 
 but I would willingly spare the feelings of any one who 
 wishes me well, even though he be narrow-minded. My 
 friendly intendant at Weimar (a thoroughly good soul) 
 would just now feel unhappy at my description of the 
 courtier. I should be sorry just now to cut him to 
 the heart ! (2) The document, after all, has no further 
 interest ! You can show the manuscript to any one in 
 Dresden who takes an interest in it. (3) J. J. Weber at 
 Leipzig w T ho would be most likely to take it, must shortly 
 do me other service. My would-be article on opera is 
 becoming rather a voluminous piece of writing, and 
 will perhaps not be much less in size than the Kunst- 
 werk der Zukunft. I have decided to offer this writing 
 under the title, "Das Wesen der Oper" to J. J. Weber ; 
 so we will not use up the man. I have only finished 
 the first half; unfortunately I am now quite hindered 
 from continuing the work. Every day I must hold 
 rehearsals, and, besides, conduct the orchestra myself, 
 as X. is not getting on very quickly. In a month I 
 hope to be able gradually to withdraw myself from the 
 theatre. For a wonder, this time we have got very 
 good singers ! 
 
 Stop ! I must come to an end ! The}' are already 
 waiting for me so you must be satisfied for to-day. 
 Shortly I will write more, especially about your water- 
 opinions ! I only drink water when I thirst after it, 
 and yet I am far less sanguine than you. What do
 
 TO UHLIG. 75 
 
 you expect then ? Be true, mercilessly true ; rejoice 
 in truth for its own sake ; thus will you have enough 
 for the present ! We shall not set matters right, but 
 what of it ? Shall we, too, on that account, begin to 
 tell lies ? How I rejoice now that the hollowness and 
 nothingness of political life and art-doings are ever 
 becoming more evident ! All men know now that they 
 are thoroughly contemptible ! 
 
 Is that not then enough for the present ? Only think 
 that a few years ago no one had any suspicion of it ! 
 To the Dresden journalist I can only say : " Fellow, you 
 lie and deceive!" Well, more soon. Also to Frau R. 
 Farewell, you water-man ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 ZURICH, October gth, '50. 
 
 18. 
 
 DEAREST BROTHER, 
 
 I break in upon a morning, at this time most 
 precious to me in my literary work, in order to write to 
 you. 
 
 In the first place, Kolatschek begs you, since you 
 could not get the article in question ready for the second 
 October number, at least to finish it in time for the first 
 November number. For this purpose you must, in any 
 case, send it to Stuttgart by the 8th of November. If 
 by any chance this is impossible, you are requested to 
 let Kolatschek know so that he may have time to write 
 to Stuttgart and make other arrangements. 
 
 Liszt will send me shortly a copy of his big article on
 
 76 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Lohengrin for the Journal des De'bats, so that a good 
 translation of it may be made under my supervision, 
 and this he will have printed in several numbers of 
 the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung, as compensation 
 for the Dingelstedt nonsense. This restless striving 
 of Liszt to kindle with devilish power the fire of my 
 fame touches me deeply. The Weimar people think 
 by their cunning care to be able to open up a path 
 for me to the great public : three performances of 
 Lohengrin have taken place, and in consequence of the 
 success the intendant there joyfully expresses to me his 
 conviction, that quite the same popularity is assured to 
 this opera in Weimar as Tannhduser has won. They 
 therefore all believe, that only small concessions on my 
 part and zealous propagation on theirs are necessary 
 soon to place the whole German opera-public at my 
 disposal. I presume that I appear to them stark mad, 
 if in return for such announcements I obstinately 
 assure them that they are in error about something 
 which appears to me quite impossible. 
 
 I must take this opportunity of telling you that 
 Liittichau has demanded back from Weimar the score 
 of Lohengrin, which he pretends he has only lent to 
 them, but certainly did not sell. I am racking my brain 
 to know what that means ; perhaps you will be able to 
 explain the matter to me. 
 
 Last week I could not get hold of the Neue Zeitschrift 
 fiir Musik, so do not know the replies about which you 
 write. In any case I have no inclination to go in for 
 much scribbling about the matter ; on the contrary, I 
 have a damned short answer all ready in fact, out 
 of the New Testament, which I know well by heart.
 
 TO UHLIG. 77 
 
 Also I have not yet seen the continuation of your 
 Lohengrin article. 
 
 I cannot remember at alt what I may have once told 
 you about Otto's continuing to compose. With regard 
 to Hiller's Konradin 1 recall the following circum- 
 stance. After I had offered thoroughly well-grounded 
 criticisms to Hiller with regard to the choice of poem in 
 his Traum in dcr Christnacht, and after he had confessed 
 that these criticisms were just, he begged me to help 
 him with my advice in the choice of a new subject. 
 When I learnt later on that he was pondering over 
 Konradin with Reinecke, I expressed in a general way 
 to him my doubts as to this subject, but remarked, that 
 in any case very much would depend upon the manner 
 in which it was conceived and developed as a poem ; 
 wherefore I offered to give further opinion as soon as 
 he confided the sketch to me. I remained a long time 
 without learning anything, until at last I heard that 
 the verses were written, and that Hiller was at work 
 setting them to music. I presumed that I was mis- 
 trusted, and mixed no more in the matter, until finally 
 Hiller, of his own accord, candidly confessed that he 
 feared the poem would not please me, and that I might 
 probably raise such solid objections as to take away 
 from him all inclination to compose if he came to know 
 them ; he therefore held it better to remain in conscious 
 error about his project, so that, at any rate, he might 
 succeed in writing an opera, which might be deferred 
 Heaven knows how long were he to wait for a poem 
 which appeared to him perfectly worth setting to music. 
 That is the Hiller story. 
 
 I send you herewith an explanation of mine out of
 
 7 8 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 the papers here, which will make clear to you my 
 position with regard to the theatre ; perhaps you can 
 make some use of it. Strange to say, the interest I 
 have taken in the opera here has in any case resulted in 
 something quite different from that which I first intended. 
 You know X. wished to become musical director ; he 
 paid no heed to my remonstrances, and I wrote to the 
 manager of the theatre; He at once offered me two 
 hundred francs a month if I would undertake the direction 
 of the music myself, with liberty to call in the assistance 
 of X. at my pleasure. I declined the offer. I regarded 
 the whole theatre business merely as a scratch affair, 
 enabling X. to learn how to conduct. At the first 
 rehearsal I was struck with the singers ; a tenor, in my 
 opinion, next to Tichatschek, the best in all Germany, 
 and of whom I know with certainty that he would be 
 receiving very high terms from the great theatres, if 
 their stupid managers had sought him out, instead of 
 waiting, as they are known to do, until the pigeons 
 fall ready roasted into their jaws. He lacks the 
 mellowness of Tichatschek's voice, but makes up for 
 this by a noble manly presence, and a pleasant, safe 
 manner on the stage. In his style of singing, which is 
 at the same time energetic, brilliant, and agreeable, I 
 have only to regret the drawbacks which of necessity 
 have become common amongst us through the singing 
 of the translated foreign operas. 
 
 In addition to this tenor I found a very good, highly 
 gifted lady vocalist, with a full sounding voice of extended 
 compass, and with sound style ; and, besides these two, 
 a baritone with a fine voice, energetic acting, and most 
 characteristic, noble facial expression. Everything else
 
 TO UHLTG. 79 
 
 quite tolerable at a pinch, the orchestra recently en- 
 gaged very good and in tune, only unduly weak in the 
 matter of strings. In short, I could not leave it to X.'s 
 nervousness to introduce these artists to the public : I 
 conducted myself, and again did so at a second per- 
 formance. By this the affairs of the theatre took quite 
 a different turn. The theatre having formerly been so 
 bad, persons of rank had quite given up the habit of 
 attending, so that, for the present, they cannot be 
 reckoned on. On the other hand, my recommendation 
 has drawn to the theatre a section of the public which 
 everywhere scarcely gives any heed now to the theatre, 
 and they are the only ones who are of moment to persons 
 like ourselves nowadays, namely, the really cultivated, 
 not the plutocracy. It has delighted me with slender 
 outward means to bring about all results solely by the 
 delicate and the drastic effect of genuine representation, 
 and that was naturally something quite new. To be brief, 
 let me tell you, that quite imperceptibly the show has 
 become an institution in which my public seeks nothing 
 but real art-enjoyment, and I find myself in the droll 
 dilemma how to get quite clear of the matter and 
 yet respond to the good feeling aroused. I am un- 
 commonly loath to withdraw from the direction, as 
 unfortunately the attention of the public is too much 
 occupied with my action in the matter ; and, under exist- 
 ing circumstances, I cannot leave the performance to the 
 director appointed by myself, until I can assure myself, 
 the artists, and the public that he has grown fully equal 
 to his task. 
 
 But I must withdraw, because with the best will in 
 the world I do not see how a repertoire can be kept up
 
 8o RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 which should prevent that being pulled down on the 
 one side, which I am building up on the other. Up to 
 now I have chosen only operas which I know could be 
 properly performed, not by luxurious means which 
 are wanting here but only by that which is to hand ; 
 such as Freischutz and La Dame blanche. Then there 
 remain three Mozart operas perhaps Euryanthe and 
 the few operas of the French school up to Boildieu, 
 i.e., by Mehul, Cherubini, etc. The principal misfor- 
 tune of our theatre is just this, that year after year 
 performances are continually being given ; so that not 
 the cause itself, but custom is thought of, and the 
 institution which can only be maintained in this 
 manner. If the public which I certainly hope en- 
 courage the theatre, I shall always take a leading 
 interest in it. 
 
 I say nothing here about all aesthetic scruples excited 
 in you and in others by my declarations and works on 
 art, as in my Wesen der Oper which I hope to be able 
 to send you in a month's time I intend to discuss 
 everything thoroughly and exhaustively. I shall even 
 be compelled to pass judgment on my former operas. 
 The book is becoming somewhat bulky. I cannot tell 
 you more about it to-day. 
 
 But let me say something about your water-cure ! 
 First of all, I acknowledge, that you are wise in your 
 diet, and that I am indescribably glad that it suits your 
 constitution so well : it is most certain that only radical 
 water-cure can help us out of the most unnatural state 
 of bodily; health. Want of sound nourishment on the 
 one hand, excess of luxurious enjoyment on the other 
 hand, but especially a mode of living quite contrary to
 
 TO UHLTG. 8 I 
 
 nature, have brought us into a degenerate condition 
 which can only be got rid of by entire renovation of 
 our deformed organism. Superfluity and privation : 
 these are the two destroying enemies of our present 
 humanity. Give yourself the trouble first of all 
 thoroughly to seek out what we have to understand 
 by superfluity, and you will certainly find that everything 
 is superfluous which the walls of a town surround, 
 and truly, not only that which swallows up the super- 
 fluity, but also that which produces it. All we who live 
 in a town are condemned to the most cheerless suicide. 
 How is it then with the inhabitants of our villages ? 
 Among them is not all striving from deprivation to 
 superfluity ? Excessive work corrupts men here just 
 as well as in towns, and to such a degree that they 
 cherish the same longing for superfluity which makes 
 idle rest the only contrast to excessive work which 
 they are capable of comprehending seem to them 
 worthy to be desired. Only a universal activity is a 
 pleasure thoroughly satisfying in and for itself; but by 
 the laws relating to property we are all bound to a special 
 activity, to an activity which only discharges itself in 
 the direction of one craft, absorbing one of our powers 
 only, and this one to so high a degree, that our total 
 capacity is consumed in it ; and so in this one daily 
 occupation we perceive our physical ruin, our moral 
 annihilation, and treat as our enemy the distasteful, 
 loathsome, bitter work, which we end by confusing 
 with activity in general, and therefore only venture to 
 wish for unconditional idle rest in exchange. 
 
 In the country this work is all the more re- 
 pulsive, since being concerned purely and exclu- 
 
 6
 
 82 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 sively with cattle and filth, it turns men into filthy 
 cattle ! 
 
 Whithersoever we look in the civilized world we 
 recognize the degeneration of man from the causes here 
 assigned. With good reason, however, we can only 
 despair of this world, if we regard these causes as 
 necessarily eternal. 
 
 Now, as we need a water-cure in order to make our 
 bodies sound, so do we need another cure to heal, i.e., 
 to annihilate the conditions surrounding our disease. 
 Do we then wish to return to a state of nature, do we 
 wish to be able like human animals to attain to the age 
 of two hundred years ? God forbid ! Man is a social, 
 all-powerful being only through culture. Let us not 
 forget that culture alone can enable us so to enjoy 
 as man in his highest fulness can enjoy. But true 
 enjoyment consists in compressing what is generally 
 worthy of enjoyment into something concise and par- 
 ticular, so that, in a moment, we can receive what 
 time and the elements offer to us in widely ramified 
 connection. 'Who, in the moment of enjoyment, 
 thinks of the duration of this enjoyment ? As soon 
 as we think about duration it is all over with 
 happiness. If we fill our lives with true contents, if 
 we rejoice in our activity, whether it be the activity 
 of giving or of receiving enjoyment, we shall never 
 have to fear an end of this activity, but it will 
 itself again become an action. Whether we live one 
 hundred or only thirty years, what does it matter, 
 if we only live enjoying ? Life in itself is 'only 
 abstract; but active enjoyment is something. Believe 
 me through water we become healthy ; but we arc
 
 TO UHLIG. 83 
 
 first really healthy when we are also able to drink 
 wine in moderation ! 
 
 My companions are coming : I must now close ! 
 Probably you have enough for this time ! Farewell, 
 and do not play antics with your light, lest you set 
 fire to your bed ! 
 
 Farewell, heartiest greetings from your, 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, October 22nd, '50. 
 
 19. 
 
 DEAREST BROTHER, 
 
 What a dreadful fuss you are making about me ! 
 If you were a Jew one would think that you had so 
 much per cent, for it. If I now speak about myself, it 
 must be in more modest terms, and certainly not from 
 affectation. 
 
 I ought not to write to you just now, when I am 
 somewhat unstrung. I would rather have communi- 
 cated my thoughts to you, if only briefly, when in a 
 more sanguine condition. I need scarcely tell you 
 that you make a great impression on me, that through 
 the role which you assign to me, I see myself, not 
 so much rewarded by comfortable ease, as kindled 
 and spurred on to activity; this I mention to you 
 particularly, to quiet you in regard to myself. When 
 the looking-glass of one's will is thus held before 
 one, one feels more prompted to acquire the power of 
 doing ; and, indeed, I believe I can only hope to reach 
 this power by gaining myself, companions in order, 
 together with them, to attain to true art, a thing
 
 84 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 most certainly impossible to the solitary worker. 
 You would not believe what trouble I give myself 
 with this object, to call forth full understanding 
 from all those who only half understand ; yes, even 
 to make myself intelligible to my enemies who do 
 not, or will not understand me; and lastly, I rejoice 
 merely because I am always myself coming to a 
 better understanding. My book, which now is to be 
 called Oper und Drama, is not yet ready ; it will be 
 at least twice as big as the Kunstwerk der Znkunft. 
 I have still the whole of December to devote to the 
 conclusion, and then certainly the whole of January 
 for copying and revising. In advance I can only 
 give you the outline, (i) Exposition of the nature 
 of opera up to our time, with the conclusion, " Music 
 is a reproductive organism " (Beethoven has used it, 
 as it were, to give birth to melody) therefore a female 
 one." (2) Exposition of the nature of the drama from 
 Shakespeare up to the present day ; conclusion 
 " the poetical sense is a procreative organism, and the 
 poetical purpose the fertilising seed which only comes 
 with the ardour of love, and is the stimulus to the 
 fructification of the female organism which must beget 
 the seed received in love." (3) (Here only I begin.) 
 "Exposition of the act of reproducing the poetical pur- 
 pose by means of perfected tone-speech." Ah ! Would 
 that I had said nothing to you for I see after all I 
 have really said nothing to you. Only this, in addition ; 
 I have spared no pains to be exact and complete; for 
 this reason I at once made up my mind not to hurry, 
 so as not to be superficial. I will still add a diagram ; 
 I am not sure whether I shall put it into my book.
 
 TO UHLIG. 85 
 
 WORD-SPEECH LITERATURE. HISTORY. 
 UNDERSTANDING. 
 
 Feeling. 
 
 Tone- Speech. 
 Lyric. 
 
 Myth. 
 
 Intelligence. 
 
 Word-Tone-Speech. 
 Completed Drama. 
 
 Dramatic Myth. , 
 
 Humanity. 
 
 Now to yourself ! I share your probable anger against 
 Kolatschek for splitting up the article. I have not yet 
 caught sight of him so as to take him to task about it. 
 Concerning your other articles, you can give yourself 
 the answer beforehand, and indeed to this effect, that 
 they will not appear in December. Hence about my 
 operas I only know half your opinion. If I were to 
 say, " I thank you," I should be afraid of making 
 myself ridiculous ; but if I were not once to say, " I 
 am glad," I should rightly appear an ass to you. 
 Besides, I really don't know what you dislike in
 
 86 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 your Lohengrin article in the Zeitschrift fiir Musik. 
 There was one thing which seemed to me perhaps not to 
 have satisfied you, and this was, at most, the pragmatic 
 presentation of the plot ; for the rest you have said 
 much that is new to me, or, at least, shown what was 
 known to me in a new, in your own particular light, so 
 that I can only thank you heartily for it. You must know 
 well that I have learnt ever so much from you ; in my 
 new work I have had occasion to quote you once. 
 Rejoice at yourself! 
 
 I hear you are again 'Unwell ! Yes; water can 
 perhaps help you from within ; but does a man only 
 live from within, not also from without ? And how is it 
 there with you ? Well, I am also going through some 
 sort of a water-cure ; besides baths of a morning, I drink 
 cold water in bed. Now to-day let me just hastily 
 throw out a suggestion to you. You cannot come and 
 settle in Zurich, but if you made a real effort might it 
 not be possible for you to pay me a visit in the 
 summer ? You could live and take your meals with 
 me ; the journey and leave of absence you could perhaps 
 manage. 
 
 Farewell for to-day. I am not a Swiss citizen, but 
 only a resident in the community ; the withdrawal of 
 the character of exile only depended upon that. Get 
 Frau R. to tell you about my affairs with the theatre. 
 
 Farewell ! Salute wife and child from your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 (My wife has made me a very comfortable new 
 dressing-gown. This by way of news to yours.) 
 
 December '50.
 
 TO UHLTG. 87 
 
 2O. 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 How angry you will be with me for not having 
 written at once as you wished immediately after 
 receipt of the last number of the Monatsschrift ! How 
 it happened I really don't know. I only remember one 
 thing, that I worked the whole forenoon with fanatic 
 diligence, and in my lonely walk after dinner, I con- 
 versed so constantly and in so lively a manner with 
 you, that when evening came it no longer appeared 
 necessary to write to you ; and I set to work again. At 
 last I was seized with a furious fit to finish my book, so 
 as not to write to you until I could send you a part of 
 it in a tidy copy ; this resolution was conceived and 
 carried out. I send you to-day the first of three parts, 
 and intend to send the second as soon as I have a tidy 
 copy ready, and in like manner the third, so that you 
 may not have all on your hands at once, and that your 
 head may not get confused with hasty reading. You 
 will thus be able to look at my stuff at your leisure, and 
 you might give it to the R.'s to read, without causing 
 any delay in the publication. The first part is the 
 shortest and easiest, perhaps also the most interesting; 
 the second goes deeper, and the third is a piece of work 
 which goes to the bottom of the matter. The whole 
 will be a book of from four to five hundred pages. I 
 will communicate with you later on about the publisher ; 
 I think we'll try J. J. Weber at Leipzig; X. would, 
 after all, not take it ; besides he is now as I already 
 wrote you in bad odour : no one will have anything 
 to do with him. 
 
 Well, that is one thing settled ! Now about your
 
 88 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 article in the Monatsschrift ! I must tell you quite 
 briefly that it has given me great pleasure, and I thank 
 you for it. You are of immense service to me or if you 
 prefer it to the cause, by the sobriety of your concep- 
 tion and by your mode of presenting it ; and I know 
 this sobriety demands more strength and greater mastery 
 of the subject than the fireworks which, for instance, 
 Biedenfeld has let off in the Europa about me. I am 
 really delighted at your articles which are to appear in 
 the next number of the Monatsschrift. Only be firm 
 and indefatigable ; there is a fearful lot still to do ! 
 
 The greatest joy that you have caused me is, how- 
 ever, the clear prospect which you hold out of paying 
 me a visit this coming summer. You see, flesh 
 and blood is still the all-important thing. As I told 
 you, I have, up to now, always taken my walks here 
 with you. Everything is settled ; you take the train 
 here as far as the Lake of Constance (it doesn't cost 
 much). On Swiss ground, on the other bank of the lake 
 I will await your arrival in the steamer ; then we shall 
 drive over St. Gall to Wattwyl, there we get out, and 
 go on foot through the Toggenburg country (heavenly !) 
 to the Zurich lake ; from Schmerikon the steamer takes 
 us to Zurich to the " Villa Rienzi," as the country-house 
 in which I live, close to the lake, is called by all my 
 friends. I am curious to see if you will miss Pillnitz and 
 Saxon Switzerland. Then we shall take a Swiss friend 
 with us and go for a week among the Alps. You can 
 return home via Strasburg and Frankfort : all the way 
 by rail. I think you can manage with 100 thalers : if 
 you have more, all the better if not, you have enough. 
 Well, it will be a happy time.
 
 TO UHLIG. 89 
 
 I have now also become half a water-man ; I have at 
 once followed your advice about the Neptune girdle ! I 
 hope it will do me good. Altogether I feel that I am 
 much better than last year : I work hard i.e., for a long 
 time at a stretch, and do not appear the worse for it ; 
 it is also an advantage to be somewhat quieter in my 
 home i.e., clearer, more discreet, more intelligent or 
 whatever you like to call it. 
 
 Apropos ! Have you already heard of the Brussels 
 affair ? Think of my surprise when I received a most 
 cordial invitation from Brussels to have my Lohengrin 
 translated and performed there. I felt as if I had fallen 
 out of the clouds. Anyhow the offer gives me great 
 joy, even if nothing comes of the matter ; first of all, 
 the translation must be entirely according to my wishes ; 
 and secondly, I must be sure about the singers, before 
 I definitely give my consent. Liszt has already sent 
 in these conditions for me ; in order to inspect and 
 hear the singers, I should naturally have to go myself 
 to Brussels. Well, we shall see ! Anyhow, the people 
 there deserve praise, for they don't make a leap in the 
 dark, but the conductor there, " Hanssen," knows my 
 operas. 
 
 But no one will find fault with me now for being 
 cautious ; I have just had a nice lesson from Paris ! 
 You have perhaps read about the Tannhduser-overture- 
 stories there ! Would I had only done as I wanted 
 when I learnt they wished to give it there ! I wanted 
 at once to have the parts taken away, because I foresaw 
 everything as it has happened ! But they say there 
 that I am stubborn and over-excitable ! Well, I am in 
 for it, and now people are making merry over me : it
 
 9O RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 is quite delightful ! Enjoy the joke, and read the 
 Jeuilleton in the National about this concert. You will 
 see ! Well, Paris is, after all, indifferent to me and 
 so not much harm is done ! 
 
 Now, farewell, my dear, old friend ! Write to me 
 soon again, and make proper preparations for the 
 Swiss journey ! 
 
 Salute old Fischer, and tell him that I thank him 
 much for his letter. I will soon write again to him ! 
 
 Farewell, heartiest greetings to wife and children 
 from your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ENGE, ZURICH, January 2Oth, '51. 
 
 (You can confidently write to me to my own address.) 
 
 21. 
 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 Here you receive the second part. The third 
 will, I think, follow in a fortnight. I should really like, 
 before sending this off to-day, to have known whether 
 you received the first part properly. The inscription 
 "printing matter" always makes me suspicious as to 
 whether it is opened, etc. 
 
 So as not to forget it, I at once mention a mistake in 
 writing, which I beg you to correct. In speaking of 
 " historic " music, I make a play upon words, and call 
 it "hysteric." I have written this word incorrectly 
 thus, " histeric ; " do restore the y. Writing now 
 weakens me so, that I always write with trembling, 
 confused hand.
 
 TO UHLIG. 91 
 
 Now I must say what I think about the matter of 
 publication. This time I must go prudently to work, 
 for I must be fairly well paid for this book. I am now 
 without any mone} 7 -source, and at any rate, for my own 
 negligence I ought no longer to be a burden to others. 
 Nevertheless, I confess I cherish the bold thought of 
 not selling my book for less than sixty louis d'or. It 
 has cost me four months' incessant work ; and besides, 
 it is a thick volume. Naturally it is merely a question 
 how we shall set about the matter. If we could only 
 really learn from Wigand how the Kimstwerk der 
 Zukunft sold, we should know better what to ask. I 
 told you I had J. J. Weber at Leipzig in my mind. I 
 fixed on him because Liszt wrote to me that he was 
 thinking of offering his pamphlet on Lohengrin to him, 
 and hoped he would publish it. Then I noticed that 
 Eduard Devrient's theatrical writings appeared there ; 
 and, besides, that he had done good business with 
 Laube's plays. Now, as I have also the thoughts of 
 publishing my three opera poems with a long preface, 
 so J. J. Weber appeared to me to be the right man to 
 whom I could offer both these works. Just now by 
 chance J. J. Weber's Illitstrirter Volkskalender has fallen 
 into my hands, and I see that with this publisher I 
 have fallen into the primeval quagmire of reaction. 
 
 That has made me more than doubtful. Firstly, will 
 he, after all, accept a writing specially directed against 
 the state ? Secondly, is it advisable to offer it to him ? 
 On the last point my friends wished to quiet me; they 
 altogether refused to attach any importance to the 
 sentiments of a bookseller. 
 
 Enough : Kolatschek offered of his own accord to open
 
 92 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 up communication with the publisher of the Deutsche 
 Monatsschrift (now Kuhtmann at Bremen) respecting 
 my book. I accepted, .so as in any case to have a 
 choice. If I came to an understanding with Kiihtmann 
 some sections of the book would first have to appear 
 as special articles in the Monatsschrift. This certainly 
 will not in any case do harm, for it attracts and 
 excites attention. (It would of course be mentioned 
 that these articles were fragments of a larger work 
 about to appear ; in any case the publisher must 
 first be found and made to agree to this.) In the 
 accompanying manuscript you will already find three 
 articles marked with pencil. When everything is in 
 order, you might pick out something for the Neue 
 Zeitschrift fiir Musik ; or I myself would indicate what 
 should be selected. 
 
 Now let me know whether you had any other pub- 
 lisher in your mind. I will, however, enclose a small 
 letter, as a preliminary inquiry, to J. J. Weber. If 
 you have no valid objection against it, see that it is sent 
 to Leipzig. So much for to-day about this matter. 
 
 Your " Instrumental music " has given me great plea- 
 sure. You are quite right in saying " that men are not 
 to be made artistic, but that art is to be made human." 
 Now I am curious about the second article, which I shall 
 probably have to quote in my third part. Generally 
 speaking, I don't like citation ; there is something 
 pedantic about it. What has once been openly said is 
 common property, and no longer does it belong to him 
 who has said it. In this sense I would forgive myself 
 all plagiarism, for I should not count it as such. 
 
 You are right in publishing certain things from my
 
 TO UIILIG. 93 
 
 organization manuscript, I am curious to see what 
 you will get out of it. Ought not the church music 
 to be included ? 
 
 Was the new year's leading article really yours ? 
 Surely not. The premature science made me laugh 
 heartily. Even now must I learn that I should not 
 have discovered the most important conditions for the 
 form of the drama of the future had I not, as artist, 
 lighted quite unconsciously upon them in my Siegfried. 
 I have a great mind to write an open letter to Brendel 
 for his paper. 
 
 I am somewhat out of sorts. In a fortnight I will 
 lounge about a bit, as well as I am able. I have had 
 to lay aside for a time my Neptune girdle, on the advice 
 of a first-rate physician, who is in favour of water-cure. 
 Farewell ! Greet wife and child. 
 
 R. W. 
 
 I feel inclined to dedicate my book "To thinking 
 musicians and poets." What's your opinion ? Would 
 not the poets cry out that I am madly arrogant ? 
 Greetings to the Ritters. 
 
 Beginning of February '51. 
 
 22. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 Here you have my will ; now I can die what 
 I could still accomplish seems to me useless luxury ! 
 The last pages of this copy I have written in a state of 
 mind that I cannot describe clearly to any one. 
 
 Our parrot the most aimiable creature, and most 
 tenderly attached to me, the little talking, singing, 
 whistling good spirit of my secluded little home was of
 
 94 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 late often unwell ; I had to get a veterinary surgeon, and 
 then it gradually improved; I set to my work with such 
 diligence that I forgot everything. On the day before 
 the copy was finished, the poor thing so longed to come 
 out to me that my wife could not resist, and brought it 
 to me on my writing-table ; it wished to sit at the 
 window through which the sun was shining. I closed 
 the curtains in order to be able to work : altogether it 
 fidgeted me, and my wife had to take it away again : 
 then it uttered that sad cry so well known to me. 
 Afterwards it. was agreed that I really ought to send 
 for the surgeon. I said it won't be anything serious 
 and thought to myself: to-morrow you will finish 
 your work, then you will go. Early the next morning 
 it was suddenly dead. 
 
 Ah ! if I could say to you what has died for me in 
 this dear creature ! ! 
 
 It matters nothing to me whether I am laughed at for 
 this. What I feel, I cannot help feeling ; and I have no 
 longer any inclination to do violence to my feelings ; 
 anyhow, I should have to write volumes to make clear 
 to those disposed to laugh at me, what such a small 
 creature is and can become to a man who in everything 
 is guided only by phantasy. Three days have passed, 
 and still nothing can quiet me ; and so it is with my 
 wife : the bird was something indispensable between 
 us and for us. 
 
 Dearest friend, I write briefly to you to-day ! To 
 be plain, I only wish the hateful manuscript out of my 
 hands. I thank you heartily for your letter, which at 
 first rather upset me. Do in everything what seems 
 good to you ! I am only concerned to get at least
 
 TO UHLIG. 95 
 
 some money for this work, as I am still alive. By 
 all means send the letter to Weber it does not matter. 
 I have as yet no further news. Do what you think fit, 
 and I will thank you for everything. 
 
 If I could only take pleasure in life ; pleasure in art is 
 not possible to me ; be true and agree with me. In 
 the whole wide world I have not an inch of ground on 
 which I can present myself just as 1 am. Confound 
 this quaver-life ! All that I could expect from art-work 
 seems to me just such phantastic self-quieting as that 
 with which I used to silence myself in company with 
 the little dead friend. I have nothing left to do but to 
 vainly deceive myself. 
 
 Farewell for to-day. Do what you think right. 
 I thank you for everything ! 
 
 Farewell ! Don't forget R.'s ! and greet your wife 
 from me ! 
 
 There will still be many faults in the manuscript. I 
 have only been able to glance through it once. 
 
 The little pet had only just lately picked this up, and 
 with unspeakable joy used to whistle it at me when I 
 came home. 
 
 Middle of February '51. 
 
 23- 
 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 I had written to Weber asking him to answer 
 me direct, but I have heard nothing from him up to the 
 present. Only Liszt writes me that he proposes to send
 
 96 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 one of these days to Weber for the Illustrirte Zeitung, 
 rather a good-sized manuscript on Lohengrin, which he 
 originally intended to publish as a separate pamphlet. 
 To get clear of all this uncertainty, I enclose here a 
 couple of lines to my brother-in-law A., likewise a 
 publisher at Leipzig, asking him to confer with Weber, 
 and in any case then to give you news. A. will in any 
 case assist us with his advice, and should nothing be 
 arranged with Weber name the other publishers to 
 whom one could turn. 
 
 If A. asks you for the manuscript merely send it to 
 him, as he would have full power from me to do so. 
 But first strike out a whole passage you will find it 
 just on the first page of the preface from Der dieses 
 Narrenhaus jetzt mil so wahnsinniger Emsigkeit, and 
 so on, to fiber unsren Irrthum klar zu werden. I wrote 
 this preface when I still thought of turning the whole 
 into a series of musical newspaper articles ; now, as 
 an introduction to a somewhat large book, this tone 
 may perhaps have a too snappy, perhaps paltry, effect 
 on the reader. It would be terrible if the book should 
 come to be looked upon simply as an attack on 
 Meyerbeer. I wished I could withdraw still much of 
 this kind. When I read it, the mockery never sounds 
 venomous but if others read it I may often seem to 
 them a passionate, sour-minded individual, and this I 
 would not appear to be, even to my enemies. 
 
 On this occasion I would give you a piece of advice : 
 lay aside henceforth a certain taint of polemics. When 
 necessary, one must strike heartily, for dear life, and 
 with all the strength of which one is capable ; but then 
 there must be an end.
 
 TO UHLIG. 97 
 
 Constant bickering and taunting make a highly un- 
 favourable impression on the spectator, whom after all 
 one wishes to win over, namely, that of the incapacity 
 of both opponents to fight. See, I am no longer capable 
 of setting right even the grossest misunderstandings 
 about my article on the Jews ; if no one is found to 
 undertake such correction whenever it is of importance 
 well, in this cause I have gained the victory over no 
 one ; or if the correction is not of importance, I should 
 only spoil for myself the public avowal of victory. In 
 your present literary works I have one thing to find fault 
 with : you allow your own light to shine too little ; my 
 writings have somewhat estranged you from your own 
 peculiar method. That which I perceive from a more 
 general standpoint you are well qualified to look at 
 from a more special standpoint. You have already done 
 this exceedingly well, and you will certainly do it well 
 again ; only take care not to show yourself to your 
 opponent in a state of dependence which he cannot fail 
 to perceive by the outer garment which out of love to 
 me you too frequently hang around yourself. I have 
 at last managed to see the Rheinische Musikzeitung. I 
 do not care a bit for this paper ; it is the old style of 
 musical newspaper, which in its uselessness and un- 
 fruitfulness will last as long as our modern music lasts. 
 But this paper is consistent : if any one wishes to edit a 
 special musical paper, this represents the extreme liberal 
 standpoint; if he goes a step beyond, he disowns our 
 whole musical conditions as incapable of further develop- 
 ment, and of what use is then the musical paper ? 
 Or he says yes to-day and no to-morrow merely for 
 the sake of prolonging its existence, and thus becomes 
 
 7
 
 98 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 despicable. The editorship of the Rheinische Zcitung is 
 either so inextricably mixed up with our musical doings 
 that it maintains with an honourable conscience the 
 standpoint which it takes up, or it is sufficiently in- 
 telligent and prudent to see, that in order to keep 
 the paper going such a standpoint must be taken up. 
 Even in this somewhat Jesuitical case it extricates 
 itself from the affair with a good grace, and anyhow, 
 in a better and more respectable manner than the other 
 paper, for which I cannot find any one term of con- 
 tempt strong enough to express my disgust. Stupidity, 
 cowardice, and vulgarity, will do, however, as a multiple 
 epithet. Curiously enough the Rheinische Zeitung was the 
 only paper which gave an intelligent and well-intentioned 
 notice about the performance of my Tannhauser overture 
 in Paris ; the Rheinische Zeitung is, in fact a musical 
 paper of the day. I understand that you must now 
 continue to write in a musical paper, but please only 
 write good articles in it, such as you can write ; and, 
 for Heaven's sake, don't carry on any more warfare in 
 this periodical ! 
 
 How I feel now ? Yes, if I could only describe it ! 
 The one thing I could now set to work at with an ap- 
 pearance of usefulness w r ould be writing about art ; and 
 that is just what no one wants. You will see that only 
 with great trouble can I find an editor ; as to being 
 paid, I can scarcely think of such a thing. Would it be 
 better for me to set to work and compose another opera 
 for myself? It's enough to make one die of laughing! 
 
 Consider again the matter of extracts from my manu- 
 script for Brendel's paper. O, happy time in which 
 I did not understand why I should ever look at a
 
 TO UHLIG. 99 
 
 musical paper ! How rich was I then, how beggarly 
 poor am I now ! 
 
 I think, dearest there will soon be an end of me, 
 soon altogether. If I trouble now about a publisher 
 and things of that sort, I am guided purely by the 
 instinct to earn money. If any one were to give me 
 a little farm I might become a plain, simple man, 
 and certainly not think any more of writing about 
 art. 
 
 Many thanks for your last letter ! Farewell, and 
 greetings at home. 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 March loth, '51. 
 
 24. 
 
 DEAREST, 
 
 Do not be astonished that I have not answered 
 you for so long a time ! I did not like to write again 
 while in my former humour, which, besides, must have 
 distressed you, and therefore wished to wait until I had 
 inwardly recovered. This, to a certain degree, has taken 
 place, and I am again in better spirits. Outward cir- 
 cumstances have contributed thereto ; first of all Frau R. 
 again supplied me with money, also I have found a pub- 
 lisher for my book. Liszt's article on Lohengrin in the 
 Illustrirte Zeitung, which I lately read through, warmed 
 and most thoroughly comforted me and excited me 
 anew to artistic activity. And it happens also now 
 that Breitkopf and Hartel promise to print the piano- 
 forte score of Lohengrin. I have just received their 
 letter, which prompts me to write to you quickly and
 
 ioo RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 briefly. Unfortunately it does not mean money for me, 
 because I have an old debt with Hartels which the 
 honorarium will just wipe off. However, I am highly 
 pleased with the affair. Now attention ! Send off 
 your pianoforte score, forthwith, to Hartels with the 
 enclosed letter to the firm : I mention to them that, as 
 yet, you have received no honorarium for it, and that 
 they would have to settle with you for your work. Write 
 to them in the same sense. Whether they will pay you 
 much for such a desperately hopeless undertaking is not 
 to be thought of, and scarcely to be demanded. Why 
 do you have anything to do with me ? 
 
 One thing you must at once change in the pianoforte 
 score ; the second part of Lohengrin's narration in the 
 last act must be taken out. I have for good reasons 
 cut it for performance, and for the same good reasons it 
 must not be printed. This cut and a small change in 
 the interlude immediately following (three bars instead 
 of the incorrect two bars) you must manage thus : 
 
 Sein Ritter ich bin Lo - hen-grin ge - nannt
 
 TO UHLIG. 
 
 IOI 
 
 r __ 
 
 ritard 
 
 (Please arrange it in your own way !) 
 
 One thing more : I really wanted Hartels to show 
 themselves generous and to have the score engraved. 
 To that they have not given a positive refusal, only they 
 wished to wait for a more favourable turn of things with 
 regard to me, and so on, before they entered upon so 
 costly an undertaking. Anyhow, they want a copy of 
 the score from me. I cannot at all manage this at my 
 own expense, and I should be loth to part altogether with 
 my autograph score, the only tiny possession remaining 
 to me of my work. I wonder whether old Fischer (ask 
 him !) could get the copy which Liittichau possesses for 
 the price he paid for it (36 thalers) ? Are you mark- 
 ing the instrumentation here and there in characteristic 
 places ? Do take care that the scenic remarks are the 
 same in the pianoforte as in the full score ! 
 
 Well. There's a piece of business again. 
 J. J. Weber at last wrote to me that he would pay
 
 102 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 me an honorarium of 100 thalers for my book. Being 
 in want of money I was about to accept, when my 
 brother-in-law A. offered, besides the 100 thalers, to pay 
 me another 75 thalers after the sale of 400 copies ; also 
 concerning the rights of further editions I shall come 
 more promptly to an understanding with him. So he 
 will print it. But, if I were compelled to live by my 
 pen ! ! ! 
 
 K. will I believe soon return to Dresden, in order 
 to have active influence on the future movements of his 
 family, in so far as it stands within his power. I am, as 
 one might well imagine, thoroughly safe here. You must 
 not ponder much more over my remarks about 3*011 r- 
 self ; you must already have understood my brotherly 
 hint. Your article on the Mangold Opera has pleased 
 me very much not so your great attack on Bischof it 
 was too much spun out, and the catchwords repeated 
 to weariness. The bit about Krebs was very amusing; 
 but will it do you any good ? After looking into 
 the Hamburg article on Meyerbeeriana, together with 
 the energetic editorial remarks, as well as the notice of 
 Schumann's Genoveva, with the somewhat vulgar attack 
 on me, etc., etc., you will probably not insist on my 
 withdrawing my opinion. 
 
 Besides, I have already cooked a private little dish 
 for this place. Soon a pamphlet of mine will appear 
 here, "A Theatre in Zurich," in which I show in a 
 very practical manner the possibility of a theatre here 
 which should be all the more distinctive in that it could 
 and ought to be an original theatre. I cannot count 
 on an immediate success, but, with good fortune, on a 
 gradual one. I base all my courage only on the hope
 
 TO UHLIG. ' 103 
 
 of practical realization. You shall have the pamphlet 
 as soon as it is out. 
 
 Excuse my horrid scribbling ; I had to write to you, 
 and could do no better. 
 
 Salute the R.'s a thousand times ! Greetings to your 
 wife and children, and farewell but do come soon ! 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, April I yth, '5 1 . 
 
 25. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 The delay is most unpleasant to me, also that 
 you did not see at once about my letter to H artels : it 
 contains a business memorandum which had nothing to 
 do with the sending of the pianoforte score. Despatch 
 the letter at once, and explain to Hartels the delay in 
 the forwarding of the same. 
 
 I can have nothing to do with L. ; however un- 
 willingly I part with everything out of this opera, still I 
 would rather send off the whole score to put an end to 
 formalities. Keep it by you till the pianoforte score is 
 finished, and then await further instructions from me. 
 Send the finished first act of the pianoforte score at 
 once to Hartels, so that they can begin to print ; tell 
 them at the same time when they are likely to receive 
 the second act, and so on. Write to Hartels that I should 
 be pleased if they commenced printing at once. 
 
 Who is Riccius ? I wish that any one knowing 
 up to now so little about me, as for instance not even 
 to have seen the score of Tannhauser, would write 
 nothing about me ; under the most favourable circum- 
 stances he will write in a confused and uncertain manner.
 
 104 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Do try and persuade the man to wait until my new book 
 appears : it will, I think, soon be out. 
 
 To-day is the great Zurich festival : I am going to 
 the banquet, and have to make haste. 
 
 Adieu ! Greetings to your family. 
 
 R. W. 
 
 May 1st, '51. 
 
 26. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I write a couple of lines out of my turn, i.e., 
 without first waiting for news from you. 
 
 Your article on the Tannhauser overture, with which 
 you have truly surprised me and touched me to the 
 heart, specially prompts me to do so. But quite apart 
 from the effect which it must make upon me so far 
 as I am personally concerned (you must take flattered 
 vanity as little as possible into account), the article is 
 excellent and truly in every respect and though the 
 contents are ideal, it is at the same time practical to 
 a degree beyond anything within my knowledge. I 
 congratulate you on it, and strongly beg you to let me 
 have a copy for my house archives ! I have long been 
 wishing to ask you about another matter, but it has 
 hitherto escaped my memory, and so I at once touch 
 upon it. You wrote to me once that you had received 
 news of Rockel through Dr. Fl. Schulze ; I would thank 
 you to go to the same source to find out if by chance I 
 could write to him, and to whom and how I should have 
 to address for that purpose. You told me R. had 
 received writings, i.e., pamphlets of mine. Has he also 
 received my Kunstwerk der Zukunft, and would it be 
 possible to send him Oper und Drama ?
 
 TO UHLIG. 105 
 
 There have been some strange goings on as regards 
 this book. After I had promised A., and broken off 
 with Weber, I received from the latter at last another 
 letter, in which he proposes in return for the manu- 
 script, to pay me down twenty louis d'ors at once, and 
 again the same sum after the sale of the edition of 
 500 copies. Naturally I had to close with him. But 
 how the whole thing has been delayed. 
 
 Next week I shall be able to send you my pamphlet 
 published here, " Ein Theater in Zurich." Don't be 
 astonished if I send it to you unfranked : I have a 
 reason for doing so. 
 
 Offers have been made to me from Weimar for a new 
 opera. I should have to deliver it by 1st July, 1852, 
 and up to then, and during that time, I should be paid 
 altogether 500 thalers. Now I have come to a new 
 determination with regard to the subject I ought to 
 take in hand. If I settled on Siegfried's Death with 
 the serious view to performance next year in Weimar, 
 the whole thing would appear to me a perfect im- 
 possibility. Whence should I get actors and a public ? 
 All the winter through I have been tormented by 
 an idea, which of late has so completely taken hold 
 of me, that I will now realize it. Did I not once 
 write to you about a genial subject ? It was that of 
 the youth who sets out " in order to learn fear," and 
 who is so stupid as never to be able to learn it. 
 Think of my alarm when I suddenly discover that this 
 youth is no other than the young Siegfried, who wins 
 the hoard and awakes Brunnhilde. The scheme is now 
 ready. I am for the moment collecting my strength 
 so as to be able next month to write the poem of
 
 io6 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Young Siegfried. In July I set to work at the music ; 
 and I have such bold confidence in the warmth of 
 the subject and in my powers of endurance, that I 
 think, by next year, I shall start with undiminished 
 strength the composition of Siegfried's Death. Young 
 Siegfried has the decided advantage that it presents 
 the important myth in the form of a play to the 
 public, just as a fairy tale is presented to a child. 
 Here everything makes a plastic effect by means of sharp 
 sensuous impressions, here everything is understood at 
 once, and then if the serious Siegfried's Death follows, 
 the public knows all which has there to be presupposed 
 or even only hinted at, and my game is won, all the 
 more as by my Young Siegfried, which throughout 
 appeals far more to the popular conscience, and which 
 is less heroic than filled with the gladsome mirth of 
 young manhood, the actors are practically exercised 
 and prepared to solve the more important task of 
 Siegfried's Death. But each will in itself be an inde- 
 pendent piece. They are only to be presented to the 
 public in succession the first time ; afterwards each, 
 according to taste or means, can be given quite by 
 itself. Besides, I have no longer a general, abstract 
 public in m}' mind, but a special one, to which I purpose 
 to address myself (iiiitihcilcn}, so that by it I may be 
 understood. 
 
 Now farewell ! Don't sweat too much over the 
 pianoforte score. Write to me soon how you are, 
 and ivhen you are coming (the chief thing). 
 
 Greetings at home, and to the R.'s from your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 May I0//;, '51.
 
 TO UHLIG. ID/ 
 
 27. 
 
 This time I am quite distressed at being so long 
 without any letter from you. Were not the contents 
 of our letters always so innocent, I should feel dis- 
 posed to think something had, for once, been confiscated. 
 Have you received the score of Lohengrin, which I sent 
 from here on May 1st? Have you received a second 
 letter from me in which, among other things, I asked 
 for a copy of your article on the Tannhduser overture ? 
 Have you not written to me since then ? And have 
 you received through the R.'s a copy of my " Theater 
 in Zurich " ? 
 
 Is the pianoforte score giving you so much trouble 
 that you can't get away from it ? I have no further 
 news from H artels. What are they about ? Are 
 they already engraving ? When you are seeing to the 
 proofs I would like first to look through them before 
 they are struck off; perhaps here and there an idea 
 may occur to me. Do arrange with Hartels that you 
 send me each time the revise, and I will return it to 
 Hartels without delay. One thing more ! I was in- 
 formed lately that to make things easily practicable you 
 had so transcribed the orchestral parts, as to present the 
 theme alone in the various registers of the pianoforte 
 score. My friends, however, think that, in order to 
 preserve, or at least to indicate, the full framework with 
 its harmonic upper-voices, a somewhat more complex 
 arrangement would not only be possible, but having re- 
 gard to the technique of the present day, quite practicable. 
 If that were quite out of the question it would, after 
 ail, be better to arrange it for four hands. I am less in
 
 io8 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 favour of the four-hand arrangement but would prefer 
 perhaps small notes. Have you, perchance, conferred 
 with Liszt on this matter ? I am really anxious to see 
 something, and especially to have some news. 
 
 I am fairly well. However, I am tormented with a 
 complaint which my doctor looks upon as a favourable 
 crisis in my state of health generally : it does not 
 trouble me in my work. 
 
 Now do say when you think of coming to see me. 
 The weather will soon be favourable. In the summer 
 my wife must go to the baths at Graubiindten. 
 
 You already know that Weber, after all, prints my 
 book. Lately I received four sheets to correct. To my 
 astonishment I see that he is going to publish it in 
 three volumes, small octavo, wide-spread in fact, noble 
 print. So he will increase the selling price. Oh, you 
 booksellers ! 
 
 Greetings at home and to the R.'s. 
 
 Farewell. Write soon to me, and give me plenty of 
 news. Also get ready to start, so that we may soon 
 see each other again. Farewell. I will not pay the 
 postage of this letter, for I shall only send it off after 
 I have made fruitless inquiry at the post for a letter 
 from you. I can only get information about seven 
 o'clock, and then it will be too late to pay the postage. 
 Do the same with your letter, and in general ! 
 June yd, '51. 
 
 28. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 It is quite time that I should be heard again. 
 Our last letters have crossed ; no matter. As the
 
 TO UHLIG. 109 
 
 time of your departure from Dresden is approaching, I 
 have nothing further to communicate to you by writing, 
 excepting what concerns your journey. I think you 
 ought to travel here by the Bavarian railway ; that 
 route will bring you here quickest. Travel via L'lm 
 to Fricdrichshafen on the Lake of Constance ; from that 
 place you cross over in the steamer to Romanshorn, and 
 there will I wait for you, unless something Heaven 
 knows what goes wrong with me. So tell me exactly 
 when you start, and when you reach Romanshorn. One 
 thing more. As you wish to return by the shortest 
 route, you would, after all, do better to come here via 
 Frankfurt and Basle, for the other way is, as I have 
 said, the shorter. You would then have the advantage 
 of seeing the Rhine. If you should come this way, I 
 of course would not come to meet you, for the road from 
 Basle to here presents no attractions. I would then wait 
 for you here, and change the territory of arrival into 
 one of departure, inasmuch as I would, when you go 
 away, accompany you to the Lake of Constance, and 
 that would make a very pleasant walking expedition for 
 us. So please say exactly what you will do ? 
 
 Now what more should I write to you to-day ? I 
 think I will reserve it. I have still no news from 
 Hartels. Anyhow, they must wait for all corrections 
 until you return to Dresden. It will be late before it 
 comes out ; also my book at Weber's progresses at a 
 very slow pace. 
 
 (My " lectures " here consisted of certain passages 
 out of Oper und Drama, which I read quite in private 
 to a number of acquaintances and friends here.) 
 
 Now the rest by word of mouth. That is the most
 
 no RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 sensible of all, and I rejoice at it with all my heart. (I 
 commenced Young Siegfried on the 3rd June, and I 
 shall have finished it in a week.) 
 Farewell! Aurevoir! 
 
 R. W. 
 
 June i8th, '51. 
 
 29. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 Again to-day a word or two about your last 
 inquiries. I will answer them in the most concise 
 manner. Come via Kempten and Lindau ; from Lindau 
 you take the steamer direct to 
 
 ROHRSCHACH, 
 
 there, in Rohrschach, I will meet you. So write exactly 
 when you will be there, or at least when you will be in 
 Lindau. 
 
 For the rest only this by letter : bring with you 
 the score of Lohengrin. In case Hartels might want 
 it, I have offered it to them ; so, in passing through 
 Leipzig, offer it to Hartels ; but only in this case. If 
 they do not want it for the moment, I should be de- 
 lighted if, for the present, you would bring it to me ; 
 perhaps we could do something with it. On your return 
 you can, after all, carry it back, partly for correction, 
 partly for Hartels, if they want it. 
 
 Do bring also with you the copy of Siegfried's Death. 
 What else might I want ? I know of nothing of im- 
 portance. A thousand greetings to the R.'s from me ! 
 Say to them that early to-day my Young Siegfried came 
 into the world ready and well-rhymed. Your wife 
 must not be angry that I so disturb her ! Greetings
 
 TO UHLIG. I 1 I 
 
 t 
 
 to her. Let Brendel be Brendel, and get ready to 
 come. Yours, 
 
 R. W. 
 
 June 2$th, '51. 
 
 30. 
 
 O, you bad man ! homo malus ! How long have 
 you made me wait for a letter ! Had you heard my 
 cursing and swearing during the last eight days it 
 would have quite alarmed you. I thought I should at 
 least receive a letter of four sheets ; instead of that 
 comes a miserable mutilated sheet of note paper, so 
 that it truly excites my pity. Oh, how quickly are you 
 degenerating in Saxony ! Rascal ! 
 
 I set hard to work after your departure. It ex- 
 hausts me very much, but when at last I wish to 
 recruit myself, I really do not know how to manage it. 
 The worst times are those in which I wish to refresh, 
 distract myself. Only then do I become fully aware 
 how matters stand with me. I have first to strike 
 every spark of joy out of a whole heap of flint 
 stones. So long as I work I can deceive myself, but 
 so soon as I wish to unbend my mind I can no longer 
 deceive myself ; and then I am, on that account, terribly 
 miserable. My only escape is always to be thinking of 
 fresh work, and my only joy is to commence to cripple 
 my strength. Magnificent kind of art that. Gladly 
 would I throw it away for one single week's life ? I 
 am terribly without nourishment from my surroundings. 
 I cannot get on at all with men. At such times I feel 
 a truly ardent craving for something, no matter what, to 
 come into my hands from the outer world. From earliest 
 morn my only distraction is the hope of receiving a
 
 ii2 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 letter a token of love. Well, midday comes nothing 
 arrives. The whole day passes for me in unsatisfied 
 hunger, and I gnaw into myself afresh. But why 
 should other people exist merely for the purpose of 
 giving me nourishment? I know each one has enough 
 to do to think for himself, and at last I shall be reckoned 
 an insatiable ! 
 
 My Mittheilung was ready soon after you left. What 
 you do not know is actually the most important part. 
 This is a decisive work ! The copying took me over 
 a week ; but last Saturday week everything went off to 
 Hartels, also the explanation about the " score." I am 
 expecting an answer in a few days. I should be glad if 
 (the full score of Tr.) Lohengrin also were engraved ; 
 after all, there may be some theatres which would give 
 the opera. Copying is a tedious, formal, uncertain, and 
 expensive matter. I can scarcely think Hartels will 
 decide for both scores; anyhow, they have not expressed 
 the wish. 1 have nothing to say against a performance 
 of Lohengrin at Leipzig ; only I wish they would lead 
 up to it in a more systematic way, i.e., first give the 
 Dutclnnan, then Tannhauser, and only then, Lohengrin. 
 I will write as much to Hartels. Wherever I can exert 
 any influence, I would propose this plan ; at least, that 
 they should give Tannhauser first. Altogether, I get 
 rid a little of my repugnance to the production of my 
 operas. When a theatre suddenly wishes to give one 
 of my works, I have surely a right to presume that 
 there are special reasons, and generally or rather 
 most certainly that an enthusiast 'is at the bottom of 
 it, who is anxious to gain the cause acceptance. If I 
 can influence conductor and actors by letter, I see a
 
 TO UHLIG. I I 3 
 
 possible guarantee before me ; but where such is not 
 the case, as in Dresden (so far, at any rate, as the 
 conductor is concerned) I let the thing go. 
 
 Lately I received from "Bote and Bock," in Berlin, 
 a request to state my terms for Tannhduser, which the 
 Schwerin Theatre wishes to give ; at the same time, 
 they would like to have a copy for themselves, with 
 performing rights. I was quite astonished, and thought 
 at once " in return for a modest honorarium," etc. I 
 could not get Schwerin out of my head, when suddenly 
 I remembered that Rockel's sister, Madame Moritz (a 
 highly talented actress and singer), is there : she has 
 seen Tannhduser at Weimar. You see things often 
 happen thus. On this occasion I have an immediate 
 request to make to you. Do go with enclosed letter 
 to X., and get him to hand over to you twelve scores 
 of Tannhduser. Fischer tells me that there is no score 
 of Tannhduser among the music I left behind. Should 
 demands increase, it is as well you should have a supply 
 of copies, of which I could at once dispose. I would, 
 therefore, beg you always to keep in readiness one or 
 two complete copies, namely, with the new ending (Fischer 
 would let you have the theatre score at any time, and 
 you could get this copied in by Wolfel), and also with 
 the cuts and small changes (also with regard to the Intro- 
 duction to the third act), which you will likewise get from 
 the theatre score. Ask, too, for a dozen books of words. 
 In case X. should hesitate to part with the scores, let 
 me give you this bit of information. I had one hundred 
 copies of this score struck off by F. ; I defrayed the 
 cost out of the money then paid to me in advance 
 from the theatre. For this indeed, the king himself 

 
 1 1 4 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 strictly speaking would be my creditor, and no one else. 
 Now I do not know exactly how many copies I kept 
 for myself; many of them I gave away here and there. 
 As there are none to be found, I presume that, originally, 
 I cannot have had more than thirty. I gave all the 
 others to X. at least sixty copies but about this I 
 won't dispute X. himself will know best. X. was to 
 try and sell these copies through the music trade, and 
 we fixed the price at ten thalers. As his business was 
 in want of funds, I consented that X. should make use 
 of any money which might come in from sale of the scores. 
 Now I don't know how many he sold, but the number 
 on hand must still be very large. If X. hesitates to 
 give the twelve copies wanted, he might be answered 
 thus : " You are keeping back more copies than you 
 will probably require for the music trade, but you 
 cannot sell them to a theatre with permission to per- 
 form. Now if you prevent Wagner from selling his 
 work to theatres, you are standing in your own light 
 with regard to the music business, for then no one will 
 buy the pianoforte scores. If, by keeping back the 
 scores, you wish to compel Wagner to give the theatre 
 honoraria to the music business, that would be a piece 
 of villainy towards him whose means of living is not 
 secured by any rights which he would answer by not 
 having his operas performed at all." Should X. insist 
 that for every copy sold to a theatre he should receive 
 the music trade price often thalers, you must finally yield 
 in the matter, and give a guarantee for the same. I speak 
 here merely of possible, not likely eventualities : I do not 
 expect them from X. Will you always reckon up the 
 expenses to Wolfel, and I will at once settle with you ?
 
 TO UHLIG. I I 5 
 
 There's a lot of business ! Now something different ! 
 I have seen about a copy of my new " comic opera 
 libretto " for Liszt, but I am not sure whether I shall send 
 it to him now. I am going to set to work at the music, 
 and expect to have a really pleasant time. You per- 
 haps cannot imagine it,' but everything comes quite 
 naturally. The musical phrases fit themselves on to 
 the verses and periods without any trouble on my 
 part ; everything grows as if wild from the ground. I 
 have already the beginning in my head ; also some 
 plastic motives, like the Fafner one. I am delighted at 
 the thought of giving myself up wholly to it. 
 
 But one thing more. Since eight days I am under strict 
 water diet, and it suits me thoroughly. I have not read 
 much of Rausse, but so much I know already, namely 
 no wine, no beer, no coffee only water and cold milk. 
 No soup, but everything cool or tepid. Early in bed, 
 three or four glasses of cold water ; then rubbing down 
 midday, a bath in the lake, or a hip-bath. My stomach, 
 which was altogether out of order, is in a good state, and 
 I feel easy in the abdomen. During the day I con- 
 tinually drink much water ; after a meal I go out for half 
 an hour, and so on. My head is much lighter, only often 
 somewhat giddy ; probably this is the immediate effect. 
 I shall go on unconditionally in this way, for I feel how 
 much good it is doing me. I do it, too, with goodwill, 
 and with water and milk, I have a relish for food and a 
 good appetite. At the end I shall have more health than 
 I know what to do with. Tell me, what shall I do with 
 it ? Greetings at home, and also to Julia, who is now 
 the only one of the R.'s left in Dresden ! K. is in 
 Stuttgart. The letter to Rockel is insipid, and written
 
 1 1 6 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 under compulsion ; but see to it through Schulze (who, 
 indeed, can address the envelope). After I have received 
 a letter from Rockel I can write better to him. 
 
 Adieu, you dear, good man ! Thanks for your love 
 
 and faithfulness. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 Upon my word the article from London signed 
 "Butterbrodt," on the Thalbergian opera (in the Stgnate), 
 was excellent. It made me go into fits of laughter ! 
 I have not properly read Kriager : I shall get to know 
 all about it from your replies. Minna sends best 
 greetings. She is concerned about your hollow cheeks, 
 and begs you will return with better looks next year ! 
 
 I beg X. to put the new ending in the second edition 
 of Tannhauser. If he will pay the costs, would you be 
 so good as to arrange the piece ? For Heaven's sake 
 do leave out the preliminary remarks of the Weimar 
 book of words (concerning Master Wolfram) in the 
 pianoforte score of Lohengrin. They are not mine, and 
 are worthless ! 
 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 I am going to the hydropathic establishment. 
 I am just back from Albisbrunn, where I have had a 
 consultation with the doctor, and have fixed my removal 
 for Monday, the i5th. 
 
 I cannot suffer things by halves : mere dieting has 
 done me no good. But were I, in my present state, to 
 set to work at Voting Siegfried, by next spring I should 
 probably be incurable. Now I have a strong desire to
 
 TO UHLIG. 117 
 
 do the thing thoroughly ; for the thought of becoming 
 perfectly well is quite a new one for me, and plans and 
 propositions of the highest importance are connected 
 with it. Thus can I still be of some real use. Besides, 
 were I to roam about in my languid state of health I 
 should be acting against all my convictions and prin- 
 ciples. But the idea of setting to work at Siegfried in 
 perfect health has about it a something which I may 
 call joyful solemnity. So it is fixed I go through 
 the whole water-cure. 
 
 Now I have a fresh request to make. There are still 
 about twelve sheets of Oper und Drama to correct. I 
 wrote to-day to Weber asking him to send them to you, 
 together with the manuscript. You must see to them for 
 me. I have already given orders to Hartels who, by 
 the way, have not yet answered me that you will under- 
 take the correction of my Mittheilung, etc.. Don't be angry 
 with me for disposing thus of your time : when I am well 
 again I will in turn correct your articles for Brendel. 
 
 From now address me as follows : 
 
 " Albisbrunn bei Hausen, 
 
 im Kanton Zurich." 
 
 One thing more ! My wife maintains that some of my 
 scores, and in particular of Tannhauser, were lying 
 about in the rooms of our former house-neighbour, 
 Madame P. So get them. The lady lives where we 
 last lived in Dresden, on the same floor. 
 
 Farewell ! Let me soon hear from you, and remain 
 
 good to me. 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, September 8th, '51.
 
 n8 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 32. 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 Before I go to Albisbrunn that is to-morrow 
 I will quickly answer one point in your letter of 
 yesterday, and so settle this much. 
 
 In two successive letters you bring before me X.'s 
 complaints. What effect do you wish to produce on me 
 by this ? Do you wish to determine me to think about 
 help for X. ? In that case you ought to have stated to 
 me how I could procure help. So far as I can now see 
 I can only help him by being less scrupulous with regard 
 to intended performances of my operas than, according 
 to my principles, I ought to be. To spread them about 
 among the theatres would bring good business to X., 
 and with it freedom from his cares. You know that 
 even for Leipzig I have in mind to get my two other 
 operas produced before Lohengrin. I have sold Tann- 
 hduser to Schwerin. Would you have me hand over to 
 him forsooth this, and perhaps other honoraria which 
 may follow ? Who would justify me in disposing of 
 these small and chance receipts otherwise than for my 
 own wants, so long as I am indebted for the supply of 
 these to the real sacrifice of one single family ? Even 
 in this very year I was in the deepest need of money, 
 and in pitiful manner was forced to seek help through 
 friends. I am using the Schwerin honorarium for my 
 water-cure. Up to now I have no sure prospect of 
 receipts from any other quarter. Well, just say what 
 I could do now, when X. is pressed, though only for 
 the moment for his receipts are standing (if only) on 
 paper? If I can give him something before the paper 
 is turned into money then I'll do it. Besides, if I cause
 
 TO UHLIG. I 19 
 
 X. trouble, I have the strongest reason for considering 
 it my greatest misfortune that formerly I went to him. 
 Of all persons in the world, he is the least fit for such 
 a business. During the last years in Dresden this man 
 tormented the very life out of me. I can truly say that 
 the greater part of all the martyrdom which I have ever 
 suffered bears the name "X." But now he is utterly 
 incompetent to manage his own business. Only here 
 in Zurich have I really received the clearest proofs how 
 injurious he has been to the sale of my operas. If any 
 one asked to have music on approval, he explained that he 
 could only give it for cash down, or on account; and such 
 conduct is outrageous. By this means he has prevented 
 musicians who wished to get my things put before their 
 pupils from doing so. Of similar nonsensicalities I have 
 had endless cases mentioned to me and from other 
 sources. In short, our sorrows are decidedly mutual ; 
 and I confess that I have become somewhat hardened 
 against his lamentations. Also, rest assured, it is not 
 always so bad as he makes out. There's a tale 
 
 R.'s letters have filled me with melancholy and grief: 
 everything is sad, very sad, and I can take no pleasure 
 in R.'s good humour. Could not Schulz procure for 
 him Feuerbach's lectures on the nature of religion ? 
 More about this another time ! 
 
 One other request. Let me know exactly the state 
 of the Lohengrin business at Dresden. I will not allow 
 the opera to be produced there, even if I provoke public 
 scandal over the matter. I should like to see if the 
 people will be able to avoid knowing who I am ! 
 
 Unfortunately I have no answer yet from Hartels. 
 If they ask you again for the score, give it at once.
 
 1 20 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 If they mean to engrave it, the Wolfel copy will thereby 
 become useless : whatever Wolfel has written could go at 
 once to Hartels ; and the copy could be finished at leisure 
 in Leipzig. I think that, should they wish to have the 
 score in any case, even if they do not engrave it, they 
 can have it copied just as well there (and this would be 
 of advantage to them for the purpose of circulation) 
 and so in the principal matter they get their way. 
 
 You have not grasped the right meaning of the 
 ending of Tannhauser. This ending is no alteration, 
 but a rectification, which, unfortunately, I could only 
 make after seeing the work on the stage, when I became 
 convinced that the former ending only gave a hint of 
 what had actually to be communicated to the senses. I 
 understand that slaves of custom prefer the first (because 
 accustomed) ending and all the more as the rectifica- 
 tion in Dresden was insufficiently carried out so far as 
 stage management was concerned. But in a certain 
 sense I am ashamed of the first working of the end, which, 
 in truth, is only a sketch : it should therefore cease to be 
 known, and of course disappear entirely from the piano- 
 forte score. (An "ossia" is the very deuce!) The only 
 practical objection would be want of money to engrave 
 it ; so if X. will not give it, I'll find it ! You must pay 
 the costs ; I'll send them to you ! So that's settled ! 
 
 Your fresh emaciation causes me truly deep anxiety. If 
 you do the right thing you will join me at the colony : 
 I stick to that. I cannot see why from some citizen-like 
 feeling of honour you should go on fiddling yourself to 
 death in Dresden. Farewell ! I'm off early to-morrow 
 morning to Albisbrunn. Truly your 
 
 R. W.
 
 TO UHLIG. 121 
 
 That Figaro affair was most ingenious : I laughed 
 right out ! One thing more ! Send me scalding hot all 
 the numbers of the Brendel newspaper which contain 
 articles of yours in wrappers and unfranked ( ! ! ! ) to 
 Albisbrunn. Don't forget this ! (Every one of your 
 articles.) You have my address. (I have not yet seen 
 your reply to Kr. !) 
 
 P.S. I am just in receipt of your last letter. I have 
 nothing fresh to announce to you. I have already 
 spoken to you about the Tannhduser ending. (In this 
 matter I am somewhat surprised at you.) I will write 
 out the certificate, and will have it witnessed. If it does 
 not go to-day, it will be sent on to-morrow. As a 
 matter of course the portraits are already on the way. 
 September i$th, '51. 
 
 33- 
 
 MOST AMIABLE MAN ! (Homo amabilissimus. Lin. II. 73). 
 This letter will not be up to much, as I write 
 it lying down. 
 
 For the rest water-cure : to be brief. Have read 
 likewise Rausse on "Mistakes." Weather bad. October 
 better. Not alone. Lieutenant Miiller taking the waters 
 with me. Still much excitement ; busied myself with 
 too much theory. Your letter great joy ; best thanks 
 go on Hartels respectable : having sent ten louis d'or. 
 Ought to engrave the score of Lohengrin at once. Hartels 
 are right. Shall find a way for Siegfried; will first finish 
 it. (Please make a fuss about Hartels' graciousness with 
 regard to engraving a score of mine ! ! !) (Mtisik. Zeitung). 
 Want your exact, honest, individual opinion about 
 Dresden : not caring a rap for my "friends"; why the
 
 122 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Court and L. ? If- well, only on one condition Eduard 
 Devrient getting it up for the stage, you authorized by 
 L. If not the devil take them. H artels write, Piano- 
 forte score ready only to be corrected (?). Thousand 
 thanks. You doing much for me ! Another time // 
 Carl greeting. Grand letter : be satisfied. 
 Soon write again. Hearty greeting. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ALBISBRUNN (not knowing the day). 
 
 34- 
 
 DEAR GOOD FELLOW, 
 
 You are really the only one with whom one can 
 get on. Many thanks for the letter received to-day : 
 it was the first and only one which I received since 
 your last, although many others were due. My last 
 lines to you from Albisbrunn you probably received the 
 day after you sent off the letter just to hand. I can 
 only say, " 1 thank you heartily for your love."- 
 
 You already know that Muller is here. Albisbrunn 
 suits me to perfection. For the last three days my 
 bodily health has so improved, that I often feel in the 
 highest spirits : it is the light healthy blood which is 
 now filling my veins. Besides, fine weather has set 
 in with the new moon. I often feel at times like 
 these as if I were gently and pleasantly intoxicated. 
 Oh ! what is all wine intoxication compared with this 
 feeling of most joyful ease, which often has no moral 
 foundation. It is extraordinary how at first I was 
 worried by theory and abstraction ; it was like a 
 disease of the brain an eternal cross-volley of abstract 
 thoughts on the theory of art, which I would willingly
 
 TO UHLIG. 123 
 
 at once have communicated to you to work out, if only 
 to be rid of them. Still I felt that I should have 
 minutely to describe them even to you, and that would 
 have made matters worse. Now a grey cloud seems to 
 be passing from my brain. I have had a beneficial 
 mucous discharge through the nose, and my senses are 
 gradually taking pleasure in their immediate surround- 
 ings. So I think I shall soon be restored to health and 
 happiness, and I will communicate to you another time 
 my thoughts on art, provided indeed they are of any 
 importance. Under these circumstances I am satisfied 
 with my doctor ; he is considerate, and takes pains to 
 understand my constitution. Ah ! were you here ! 
 When the air is clear, one is lost in wonder at the 
 prospect. And you must really come for good and 
 bring your children with you ! 
 
 I will not write any more now. Klemenz is already 
 waiting with the damp cloth to give me my mid-day 
 washing. 
 
 I am bestowing the greatest attention on your notices 
 (on a//, indeed), even if I do not answer them ; once more, 
 very great and best thanks! Go on, and rest assured 
 that you do me good through and through by your 
 thoroughness. 
 
 Farewell, greet wife and children. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 ALBISBRUNN, September ^oth, 1851. 
 
 (I have no news from Liszt.) B. has not sent any- 
 thing yet to me ! 
 
 35- 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 Your letter of yesterday found me indisposed.
 
 124 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I am in a somewhat serious mood, and just in a state 
 to see clearly through all delusions. As I am exhausted, 
 I can only reply briefly. 
 
 You might well have spared me X. all over again ; I 
 thought I had told you enough about this matter. 
 Concerning him, he is piqued about the R.'s inheritance, 
 and hence suddenly the violent lamentation; that he 
 does not possess sufficient sense of propriety to feel that 
 the R.'s are not in the world solely for his sake, need 
 not cause any surprise ; but I hope you will perceive 
 what a difference there is between R.'s sympathy for 
 my future and X.'s peddling business. So far as / am 
 concerned, I consider this speculative meddling in so 
 delicate a relationship as mine to R.'s, revolting. If it 
 continue I shall most probably energetically and entirely 
 abandon all claim to R.'s sympathy for me. I wish 
 some people would do me the favour of considering me 
 dead. Really and in truth I am so for all that officious 
 crew. I am dead, and X. may act as fancy, or rather 
 as his stupidity, prompts ; in fact, as he has been inspired 
 by it up to now. Let him bring out a second edition of 
 Tannhduser or not : to me it is absolutely indifferent, if 
 he is so stupid as not to see now that every tolerable 
 man of business can transact business with me at this 
 very moment. But if such a man as X. is not even a man 
 of business, I would certainly like to know in what capacity 
 he could appear to me worthy of regard, so that I should 
 trouble about him. Let him go, and tell me no more 
 about him. Be silent about him to me as if I were dead. 
 
 Through Liszt's friendship I have been again drawn 
 into a half-and-half world in which I begin to feel myself 
 deeply and painfully moved. For the moment I know
 
 TO UHLIG. 125 
 
 not what to do to get right out from it. Only one thing 
 is clear that I do nothing further. No more Illustrirte 
 Zeitung; at least, certainly no more with my help. I do 
 not intend in any way to become celebrated ; at least, 
 I will not help to make myself famous. Leave the 
 rubbish alone, dearest Uhlig ! With respect to the 
 present world, can one have any other pleasure than, at 
 best, to deal a blow according to one's whim and fancy ? 
 How impure and tainted is all other dealing with it. 
 Let men do as they like : they must leave me out of 
 account, I am dead for this world. 
 
 All this recent desire to perform my operas is, after all, 
 
 most disgusting. I make myself as I see more and more 
 
 clearly only ridiculous, by defending myself against a 
 
 wish that cannot will. Have Hartels not written to you 
 
 about the score ? It seems to me as if it would be more 
 
 prudent for them also not to go beyond wishing. If they 
 
 print the score, they will only cause me fresh perplexity. 
 
 Concerning my " Preface " this my last word I 
 
 have still a request to make. As soon as you send back 
 
 the last sheet of this preface to Hartels, ask them, by 
 
 writing, in my name, to send a corrected proof of the 
 
 whole preface at once to Liszt ; and as soon as this is 
 
 done to notify the same to you, so that I may at once 
 
 know it. Only then will I send off Young Siegfried to 
 
 Liszt; and I shall have to declare to him my intention to 
 
 finish the composition, although I cannot let the whole 
 
 be produced at Weimar, tin/ess I am there myself. This 
 
 will naturally give quite a new turn to the whole matter, 
 
 which must inevitably result in my deciding to render 
 
 void the whole Weimar covenant. I anticipated this, 
 
 and made up my mind from the beginning not to touch
 
 126 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 the Weimar subsidies, so as to be able, should circum- 
 stances arise, to be quickly rid of the matter. But, unfor- 
 tunately, I was forced to touch and spend the first hundred 
 thalers which I received from Weimar in July, and how I 
 shall be able, just now, to put aside the November remit- 
 tance I cannot imagine; for with the R.'s pecuniary help 
 alone, I have hitherto not been able to make both ends 
 meet. With this I have involuntarily answered a ques- 
 tion which in the form in which you put it really vexed 
 me. I do not like answering such singular questions, 
 even when I think they are put with the best intentions. 
 Only the supposition that there may have been some 
 gossip, determines me to answer in a more definite man- 
 ner namely: last winter I was obliged to borrow money 
 of my friends here ; but I consider or rather, according 
 to those friends, I am justified in considering this in 
 no way a case of debt. Since February I had no longer 
 occasion to borrow. In March Liszt sent me one hundred 
 thalers at the same time the R.'s sent theirs ; and in 
 July the Weimar intendant did the same so from that 
 time I managed all right, with one exception, when, 
 counting on the twenty louis d'ors from Schwerin, I took 
 the waters. This money, still failing to come, leaves 
 me in want, and I must borrow. Why the deuce are 
 you suddenly concerned about my money-affairs ? I have 
 become somewhat long-winded, and must now conclude. 
 To clear matters I answer briefly some queries. 
 
 " Libretto of Hoffmann for you !" I do not remember. 
 Mistake (perhaps " die Bergwerke zu Falun " ? not 
 worth the trouble). " Trautmann and Tannhauser 
 score." As Meser likes ; he can also give one to 
 Heidenreich. All the same to me. Am anxious about
 
 TO UHLIG. 127 
 
 you, as it is so long since you wrote. More of this 
 another time. 
 
 Remind Weber in my name about the correction. 
 " The critical friend of Lohengrin" Dr. H. Franck. 
 Your articles keep up even to Pabst's opera. Rare wit 
 and excellent ideas. If I write nothing specially about 
 them, always understand that I agree. 
 
 With Brendel all right 1 
 
 From the Gegenwart. 
 
 See to it at your leisure. But why ? 
 
 I want a small house, with meadow and a little garden ! 
 To work with zest and joy, but not for the pre- 
 sent time. Besides Siegfried still some big plans in my 
 head ; three dramas, with a three-act Vorspiel. If all 
 German theatres tumble down, I will erect a new one 
 on the banks of the Rhine, gather every one together, 
 and produce the whole in the course of a week. Rest ! 
 rest ! rest ! Country ! country ! a cow, a goat, etc. 
 Then health happiness hope ! Else, everything 
 lost. I can no more. You must come here ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 I remain at least four weeks in Albisbrunn. Miiller 
 sends greetings. Don't be anxious about me ; I shall 
 be better by-and-by. 
 
 Don't refer to X. again. If your conscience moves 
 you, act for yourself, but not for me. 
 
 36. 
 
 By the way ! a correction in post-haste a defect 
 to which you call my attention at the right moment. 
 In the text, and in the pianoforte score of Tannhauser
 
 128 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 (if a new edition is to appear) the end must be rectified 
 thus : 
 
 1. Text : 
 
 Tannhauser. 
 
 " Heilige Elisabeth ! bitte fur mich ! " (He dies) 
 The younger Pilgrims (entering from the front of 
 the Scene ; while the sun is rising) 
 
 Heil ! Heil ! Der Gnade Wonder Heil ! 
 Erlosung ward der Welt zu Theil ! 
 Es gab in nachtlich heil' ger Stund'. 
 
 etc. 
 
 Landgraf, Ritter, Singers and older Pilgrims. 
 Der Gnade Heil ist dem Biisser beschieden, 
 Er geht nun ein in der Seeligen Frieden ! 
 (Finis.) 
 
 I beg you will fill in the necessary scenic remarks 
 from the old and new books (neither of which I have 
 at hand). 
 
 If Hartels have not got on very far with the printing, 
 you might send on this insertion ; otherwise you can 
 attend to it in correcting. 
 
 2. (Pianoforte score) from : . 
 
 " Heilige Elisabeth ! bitte fur mich ! ", go on just as it 
 stands in the old pianoforte score quaver triplets and 
 chorus of younger pilgrims in full, right to the end. 
 Only where the great Pilgrim theme (formerly only in the 
 orchestra trombones and trumpets) comes in, put the 
 voice parts as they are in the altered score in unison : 
 
 Der Gnade heil ist dem Bu - sser be 
 
 The younger pilgrims (soprano and alto) continue here, 
 as formerly, with the " Halleluja."-
 
 TO UHLIG. 129 
 
 You quite understand me, do you not ? The miracle 
 only hinted at in the altered form must be completely 
 restored; the "er ist erlost! er ist erlost!" etc., naturally 
 comes out. Thus is everything consistent, and the idea 
 completely developed. 
 
 The reason for leaving out the announcement of the 
 miracle, in the Dresden change, was quite a local one : 
 the chorus was always bad, flat, and uninteresting ; also 
 an imposing scenic effect a splendid, gradual sunrise 
 was wanting. But here, where I wish to express my 
 idea to the full, that consideration has no longer any 
 weight with me. 
 
 So change this in the book and in the pianoforte score. 
 
 Farewell for to-day, and thanks for everything ! I 
 am not well. This cursed Tannhduser affair prevented 
 me from sleeping all night. That's my way. 
 
 Adieu ! 
 
 The affair with R., etc., in W., is really terrible. 
 
 37- 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 Best thanks for your letter ! I answer it at once, 
 because I want another one from you soon. But I must 
 be brief, otherwise I cannot write at all. 
 
 The R.'s are a new world for me. Between us 
 everything is readily understood. We rejoice mutually, 
 and everything which the one does pleases the other. 
 There is no talk of thanks between us. And could I be 
 indifferent if I had to fear that a set of fault-finders would 
 suddenly mix in this noble relationship, people who can 
 neither understand nor love me, who, merely for the 
 sake of slander, and to a certain extent of dishonour, 
 would cause me ? O, for shame ! Think over the 
 
 9
 
 130 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 last years of my life ; then look at the others, and look 
 at the R.'s, and I hope you will understand why ! was 
 in such a state when that suspicion, that presentiment, 
 arose in me. Good heavens ! to preach is always a hard 
 task ! Must I then really preach ? 
 
 As yet I have no news from Liszt ; only B. wrote to 
 me that on the 3rd of this month Liszt had not yet 
 returned. 
 
 Extraordinary that I cannot get hold of the Musik 
 Zeitung. Brendel sent me a few old numbers, and then 
 nothing more. So, though I pay, it is impossible for 
 me to receive the wished-for numbers through the post 
 as soon as they arc out. Funny ! Brendel seems to do 
 strange things. For goodness' sake, why do you not send 
 them ? Cannot you get a second copy of your articles? 
 
 I must pull up. 
 
 I have been packed up in a wet cloth for three weeks, 
 and shall continue in the same fashion. For a time I 
 had to discontinue on account of too great exhaustion. 
 I am now much excited ; but I live in hope. My 
 appetite is always excellent. 
 
 To Weber : 
 
 OPER UNO DRAMA, 
 
 von 
 Richard Wagner. 
 
 Voila tout ! Do write that to him ! 
 
 Now Uli ! Uli ! man of fair complexion ! write and 
 tell me whether Elsa is well again. Greetings to your 
 people and to the R.'s. Emilie is coming to Albisbrunn. 
 
 Farewell, and 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 AI.BISBRUNK, October 2Ot/i, '51.
 
 TO UHLIG. 131 
 
 38. 
 DEAR FELLOW, 
 
 I do not see why I should not write to you to- 
 day, even if it be but little. We are surrounded by a 
 thick cloud. I have just come down from the Albis 
 heights, where I have had the most magnificent view since 
 I stood on a certain " Kreuzthurm." The whole chain 
 of the Alps, from Santis to the Bernese Oberland, in the 
 clearest sunlight, and a thick sea of cloud spread over 
 all the depths, from which the awful world of islands 
 stands out nobly. I wonder what it is like on the 
 Racknitzer heights now ? 
 
 Emilie wrote the day before yesterday. She is coming 
 to us here at Albisbrunn. We can always make some- 
 thing of her ! 
 
 If you hear anything of Liszt's doings at Weimar, 
 please let me know. Your news about Moscheles gave 
 me much matter for reflection. Ah ! if I could only draw 
 Liszt away from his illusions, it would be grand. It 
 has much to do with my works. My Weimar Siegfried 
 becomes more and more problematical, but not Siegfried 
 itself. For this much is certain I only work for art, for 
 nothing else, unless it be for a little decided humanity. 
 
 I am getting more and more to believe in my cure ; 
 anyhow, my condition was and is now of a critical 
 nature : were it not for my wife, I should remain here 
 the whole winter. 
 
 Please send me the exact title of Rausse's writings 
 on hydropathic treatment. I shall order them, in any 
 case, for myself. You would probably also like soon to 
 have your Rausse back again ? 
 
 One thing more. I beg of you to get from Fischer
 
 132 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 the following scores of mine which are in his possession, 
 to make a pile of them, to pack them up, and send them 
 to me the first chance you get. Could not Emilie bring 
 them ? Otherwise, perhaps by parcel-post or, in the 
 worst case, by carrier. 
 The things are : 
 
 1. Die Feen Opera. Three vols., original MS. 
 
 2. Das Liebesverbot oder die Novize von Palermo. Two 
 
 vols., ditto. 
 
 3. Rienzi. Four vols., ditto. 
 
 4. Derfliegende Hollander. One vol., ditto. 
 
 5. Derfliegende Hollander. Lithograph score, in handsome 
 
 binding, with leather back. 
 
 6. Beethoven. Ninth Symphony. Engraved score. 
 
 7. Beethoven. Pastoral Symphony. ,, 
 
 8. Bach. Motetts. 
 
 9. Schumann. Symphony. 
 
 And the rest of the engraved music ; only not the arrange- 
 ments of Rienzi, etc. These I present to the gods. 
 
 See how you can get all that for me. 
 
 Do you really think that, in consequence of the forth- 
 coming historical concert, I might be called back to 
 Dresden ? Ah, that would be too grand ! 
 
 Yesterday I wrote a few lines to Emilie. With 
 regard to the miserable business I referred her to my 
 last letter to you. 
 
 May heaven keep and preserve you in its incompre- 
 hensible love and foresight ! Also may it grant you 
 black hair and a good corporation ! 
 
 Write soon, do you hear ? 
 
 How is Elsa ? Your 
 
 ALRISBRUNN, October 22nd, '51. R. W. 
 
 P.S. If you have any fancy for keepingthe printed music 
 of No. 6 and onwards, pray do so. I really don't want it.
 
 TO UHLIG. 133 
 
 39- 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 Only a line or two. 
 
 K. will willingly assist Brendel ; only he must first 
 get well : for the present he neither reads nor writes. 
 Perhaps one day / shall air another of my fads in B.'s 
 paper. 
 
 I am extremely glad that Hartels have behaved in a 
 becoming manner towards you ; but why anything short 
 of one hundred thalers ? Truly I reproach myself now 
 for loading you so with my affairs : do not be angry 
 with me on that account ! Manage so that one day I 
 may be able to repay your kindness. 
 
 I am writing to Hartels about the title : exactly as 
 you propose. The remark must be left out. 
 
 Still no news from Liszt. 
 
 My cure is going on all right; it is easy to trace 
 the healthier blood. But I shall still remain. My 
 wife is just now on a visit here. She sends hearty 
 greetings to you and yours. May your sick baby 
 rapidly improve ! ! ! 
 
 Hope you will soon write again. In a few days I 
 will also put my pen to paper again. Greetings to the 
 R.'s. Farewell ! 
 
 Your 
 R. WAGNER. 
 
 ALBISBRUNN, October 281/1, '51. 
 
 40. 
 
 DEAR FELLOW AND FRIEND, 
 
 I will write to you, but I don't know exactly 
 what. Yes that I am more than grieved to have 
 loaded you with so much work on my account. I
 
 i34 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 seem as if I were ruining you. Quiet me, if you can 
 honestly do so. 
 
 My wife has been here on a visit for the last four 
 days, and only went away early this morning. I shall 
 certainly remain here another fortnight. Minna has 
 made a good joke ; she called our doctor a water-Jew ! 
 Capital ! Well, but he does me no harm ! I already 
 know myself what is good for me. He is also somewhat 
 rough and unsympathetic, a money-speculator rather 
 than charlatan. He is no longer actually a physician, 
 and that is good ; twelve years' practice have, however, 
 given him the necessary experience. I consider and 
 feel myself quite on the road to recovery : my strict diet 
 helps me most of all ; for example, of an evening nothing 
 except a piece of dry bread and water. Milk only of 
 a morning no butter at all. Thus I am making good 
 blood. 
 
 X. wrote in detail to me yesterday. He sends me a 
 copy of an article from a very well-known but preferring 
 to remain unknown musician, which it seems you 
 have not yet read. It is a phenomenon of interest, 
 and you must try and get it. You will find it in the 
 Fueilleton der neuen Oderzeitung, 28th, 3Oth, or 3 1st 
 July : "A letter about Richard Wagner." 
 
 X. is righteously wroth about the mutilations of 
 Tannhduser at Weimar. It must be restored. In 
 short, I beg you (listen, another request !) to send off 
 at once to Weimar a copy of the Tannhanscr score 
 arranged like those which I begged you to have in 
 readiness. Besides the new ending the second finale 
 (as we gave it last in Dresden), the retouched intro- 
 duction to the third Act, etc., are of importance.
 
 TO UHLIG. 135 
 
 Have you yet seen Frau P. ? 
 
 I have received no fresh numbers of the Musik. Zeitung. 
 When I am back in Zurich, I will become a subscriber 
 through the post ; then, perhaps, things will be in order. 
 
 (Please let me know what you have expended for the 
 Tannhduser scores ?) 
 
 Hartels have not yet written to Liszt ; they certainly 
 seem to have stuffed their ears with wool ! 
 
 Isn't it strange that the most important articles on 
 my works are never in musical, but in other for the 
 most part political papers ? 
 
 Enjoy this beautifully coherent letter as best you 
 may. It pleases me so little that I will close and 
 send it off. How is Elsa going on ? Farewell, best 
 friend ! 
 
 Always your 
 
 R.W. 
 
 ALBISBRUNN, October yoth, '51. 
 
 (Still no news from the R.'s.) 
 
 41. 
 
 Well !- Hartels have only just read the " Vorwort" 
 and will not venture to publish it. I have written to 
 A. that he or another may undertake the matter. 
 
 I have just written to the R.'s. 
 
 You will receive, according to my instructions to 
 Weber, two copies of Oper und Drama : one is 
 for Rilhlemann : best greetings to him from me. 
 Heartiest wishes for Elsa's recovery ! I have no 
 fresh news. 
 
 I quite understood your joke very good ! Your
 
 136 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 "Confessions" excellent. I congratulate you ! Likewise 
 the remarks about Sattler. You are the right sort of 
 chap ! Good-bye, old fellow ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 November 1st, '51. 
 
 42. 
 
 A couple of lines in great haste, so that you may 
 get an answer to-day. After all, there is not much to 
 answer. Only about one thing don't be anxious ; your 
 letters have all reached me, and in proper time. I 
 wrote my last letter but one about an hour before 
 yours arrived. 
 
 I am going on fairly well. Besides the water business, 
 I am busy building a house on paper with a pair of 
 compasses and ruler. Later on I shall construct it in 
 cardboard. I shall still remain here a fortnight in the 
 snow and cold ; but 'tis no matter. 
 
 I have already written you about the affair with 
 Hartels ; I am now expecting an answer from A. I 
 think the matter will be arranged. But how the whole 
 thing drags. 
 
 I have received the Musikalische Zeitung. But this 
 you know : I have already complimented you. During 
 the winter, on principle, I shall idle myself into health, 
 and only sketch just as fancy takes me. I am planning 
 three dramas (the second and third of which are the 
 two Siegfrieds) and a big Vorspiel. When all is ready, 
 I think of carrying it out in my own manner. 
 
 Poor, poor fellow ! To transcribe X. is truly a heavy
 
 TO UHLIG. 137 
 
 job. Best thanks for it. It's just possible I may get 
 hold of his book ; but whether I shall read it ? 
 
 I have written to Hartels about the copy for X. If 
 it must be greet him from me. But surely I shall not 
 have to write to him ? 
 
 Take care of little Elsa ; it's a good thing the illness 
 is over. 
 
 Well, good-bye ! Write soon again, will you not ? 
 I will not fail to do so ; if only I had as much matter 
 as inclination to write to you. Best greetings. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 November yd, '5 1 . 
 
 43- 
 
 I write to you again to-day, so as not to forget 
 something important. 
 
 Already in Dresden I tried my hardest to buy a book^ 
 which, however, was long out of print. I found it at last 
 at the royal library. It is a thin little volume, small 
 octavo, or even duodecimo, and is called "Die Wol- 
 sungasaga," translated from the old Norse by H. van der 
 Hagen. It forms part, I believe, of the old northern 
 Ritterromane, which Hagen if I mistake not published 
 in Breslau between 1812 and 1816. I now want to look 
 through this book again. There is no means of getting 
 it here. There is therefore no help for it, best friend ; 
 you will have to be good enough to borrow this book 
 from the royal library for yourself, and then send it to 
 me here for a short time. You might, perhaps, pack it 
 up with something (Figaro ?), and I will then send it 
 you back at latest in a fortnight with your Rausse 
 books. Of course, everything through the post. My
 
 138 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS. 
 
 music when you have done looking through it could 
 very well be sent by carrier. I think you have nothing 
 to risk with the book ; for in the worst case, should it 
 be lost, or should there be a question of breach of trust, 
 you would only have to make good this loss to the 
 library i.e., pay the price of the book. But it won't 
 come to that. 
 
 For the moment, I can only tell you a little about 
 the intended completion of the great dramatic poem 
 which I have now in hand. Just reflect that before I 
 wrote the poem Siegfried's Death, I sketched out the 
 whole myth in all its gigantic sequence ; and that poem 
 was the attempt which, with regard to our theatre, 
 appeared possible to me to give one chief catastrophe 
 of the myth, together with an indication of that sequence. 
 Now, when I set to work to write out the music in full, 
 still keeping our modern theatre firmly in mind, I felt 
 how incomplete the proposed undertaking would be ; the 
 vast train of events, which first gives to the characters 
 their immense and striking significance, would be pre- 
 sented to the mind merely by means of epic narrative. 
 So to make Siegfried's Death possible, I wrote Young 
 Siegfried; but the more the whole took shape, the more 
 did I perceive, while developing the scenes and music of 
 Young Siegfried, that I had only increased the necessity 
 for a clearer presentation of the whole story to the senses. 
 I now see that, in order to become intelligible on the 
 stage, I must work out the whole myth in plastic style. 
 It was not this consideration alone which impelled me 
 to my new plan, but especially the overpowering im- 
 pressiveness of the subject-matter which I thus acquire 
 for presentation, and which supplies me with a wealth
 
 TO UHLIG. 139 
 
 of material for artistic fashioning which it would be a sin 
 to leave unused. Think of the contents of the narrative 
 of Briinnhilde, in the last scene of Young Siegfried 
 the fate of Siegmund and Sieglind ; the struggle of 
 Wodan with his desire and with custom (Fricka) ; the 
 noble defiance of the Walkiire; the tragic anger of 
 Wodan in punishing this defiance. Think of this from 
 my point of view, with the extraordinary wealth .of 
 situations brought together in one coherent drama, and 
 you have a tragedy of most moving effect ; one which 
 clearly presents to the senses all that my public needs 
 to have taken in, in order easily to understand in their 
 widest meaning- Young Siegfried and the Death. These 
 three dramas will be preceded by a grand introductory 
 play, which will be produced by itself on a special opening 
 festival day. It begins with Alberich, who pursues the 
 three water-witches of the Rhine with his lust for love, 
 is rejected with merry fooling by one after the other, and, 
 mad with rage, at last steals the Rhine gold from them. 
 This gold in itself is only a shining ornament in the depth 
 of the waves (Siegfried's Death, Act iii., Sc. i), but it 
 possesses another power, which only he who renounces 
 love can succeed in drawing from it. (Here you have 
 the plasmic motive up to Siegfried's death. Think of all 
 its pregnant consequences.) The capture of Alberich ; 
 the dividing of the gold between the two giant brothers ; 
 the speedy fulfilment of Alberich's curse on these two, the 
 one of whom immediately slays the other, all this is 
 the theme of this introductory play. But I have already 
 chattered too much, and even that is too little to give you 
 a clear idea of the vast wealth of the subject-matter. 
 I should much like to have that Wolsungasaga once
 
 140 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 more ; not to take it as a model, you will soon find 
 out what relation my poem holds to this saga, but to 
 recall exactly to my memory everything which I had 
 once conceived of the individual details. 
 
 But one other thing determined me to develop this 
 plan viz., the impossibility which I felt of producing 
 Young Siegfried in anything like a suitable manner either 
 at Weimar or anywhere else. I cannot and will not 
 endure any more the martyrdom of things done by halves. 
 With this my new conception I withdraw entirely from 
 all connection with our theatre and public of to-day ; I 
 break decisively and for ever with the formal present. 
 Do you now ask me what I propose to do with my 
 scheme ? First of all, to carry it out, so far as my 
 poetical and musical powers will allow. This will 
 occupy me at least three full years. And so I place 
 my future quite in R.'s hands ; God grant that they 
 may remain unfalteringly true to me! 
 
 I can only think of a performance under quite other 
 conditions. I shall erect a theatre on the banks of the 
 Rhine, and issue invitations to a great dramatic festival. 
 After a year's preparation, I shall produce my complete 
 work in a series of four days. 
 
 However extravagant this plan may be, it is never- 
 theless the only one to which I can devote my life and 
 labours. If I live to see it accomplished, I have lived 
 gloriously ; if not, I die for something grand. Only 
 this can still give me any pleasure. Farewell ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ALBISBRUNN, November 12th, '51. 
 
 Still no news to-day from A. Would you be kind
 
 TO UHLIG. 141 
 
 enough to write to A., and also to H artels ? They 
 might let me know how matters stand! I almost believe 
 they do not get my letters ! 
 
 44. 
 
 TUESDAY MORNING. 
 
 It is again long since I had news. For the last 
 five days I have been expecting an answer from A. 
 concerning the publication of the three opera poems. I 
 am out of all patience that just this preface, the conclusion 
 of which as regards Weimar- no longer agrees with 
 my latest decision, appears much too late. Now I shall 
 be almost compelled to let Liszt have earlier warning 
 that our opera compact is at an end, for by that 
 " Mittheilung " he will see that it really was my honour- 
 able intention to work for Weimar. Now,, to my great 
 disgust, I must still read the insipid announcement of a 
 "Jung Siegfried" (Pfugh ! how affected !) It is really 
 too ridiculous and vexatious.- As soon as I have written 
 to Liszt, I will beg you to see about a new notice for the 
 musical papers, in which the matter can be explained. 
 By the way, try and induce Brendel, in my name, not 
 to accept anything more from H. " aus Zurich" I am 
 sufficiently vexed that we sent the stuff the first time. 
 Brendel may, after all, have thought that he was obliging 
 me in accepting it. Let him accept any trash he will, but 
 if he really wishes to oblige me nothing more from 
 H. aus Ziirich. Quite apart from the utterly disgraceful 
 insipidity of these communications, they cause such 
 stupid confusion here ; and, at last, people will think / 
 am at the bottom of it. So, do not forget ! 
 
 Last Friday evening, just as I had left my hip-bath,
 
 142 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 the postmaster of Hausen rushed, all out of breath, 
 into my room, and showed me Friday's Zurich paper, 
 in which was written : 
 
 " Richard Wagner, at present living in Zurich, has 
 received full pardon from the king of Saxony. (He 
 had been condemned to a long term of imprisonment 
 for participation in the May revolution.)" 
 
 To the astonishment of my good postmaster, I re- 
 mained terribly indifferent. Since then I have received 
 no confirmation of the news ; so probably it is not correct. 
 If indeed there were any truth in the report, the only 
 thing I could do would be to ask to be denationalized 
 from Saxony, in order to become a citizen here. With 
 a Swiss pass, I could then travel wherever I liked, but I 
 certainly would not come to Germany. However, for the 
 present it is all talk, and I will not swagger and make 
 myself ridiculous. Let me add only this my pardon 
 would be a striking evidence of arbitrariness. 
 
 Now something about my cure. For my wife's sake, 
 I have now settled to go home again on Sunday, 
 November 23rd ; the 24th is our fifteenth wedding 
 anniversary. For the moment, this is how I spend my 
 day : I. Early, at half-past five, wrapping up in a 
 wet sheet till seven o'clock ; then cold tub and a 
 walk. Eight o'clock, breakfast : dry bread and milk, 
 or water. 2. Again a short walk ; then a cold com- 
 press. 3. About twelve o'clock, rubbing down with 
 damp towels; a short walk; another compress. Then 
 dinner in my room, to avoid indigestion. An hour's 
 idleness ; a stiff walk of two hours : alcne. 4. About 
 five o'clock, rubbing down inaga and a short walk. 5. 
 About six o'clock a hip-bath, lasting a quarter of an
 
 TO UHLIG. 143 
 
 hour, followed by a walk to promote circulation. 
 Another compress. Supper about seven o'clock : dry 
 bread and water. 6. Then at six o'clock a whist party 
 until nine, after which another compress, and then 
 about ten o'clock to bed. I bear this regime very well 
 now ; perhaps I shall still increase it. For four weeks 
 I have sweated sulphur, and then my wet cloth has 
 become reddish : I am assured that this proceeds from 
 the mercury. A great deal of perspiration, with body 
 at high temperature. My eruption came out again ; 
 now it is gradually disappearing. When I am back in 
 Zurich, I shall continue the cure. I shall do little work ; 
 only plan and sketch from time to time. If necessary, 
 my wife will have to see to my wet-packing. Very 
 severe diet ; so it would be the very deuce were I not 
 to live a little while yet in good health. I shall, I think, 
 one day accomplish something. What do you think ? 
 Now I will see if I get a letter from you to-day. Yes, 
 one has come. For to-day only a short answer. I am 
 greatly astonished that the P. has no scores ; perhaps 
 she has some without knowing it. Natalie made a note 
 of them ; I'll get her to write. Emilie cannot possibly 
 bring the things with her ; of course not ; send them 
 by carrier. That will cost least. But first you can 
 look carefully through everything, just as the fancy 
 takes you. In what you send me, keep only to that 
 which I asked for. The printed things I really do 
 not want ; please accept them as a present from me, 
 if you care for them and they are not in your way. 
 So only my operas, as I mentioned. If X. will spare 
 me, as a gift of honour, a piano score of Ricnzi, and 
 one of the new Tannhauscr, send these also. I have
 
 144 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 still the piano score of the Dutchman, but the rest is 
 missing. I should like to have all these in the course 
 of the winter. More shortly. Between the arrival and 
 departure of the post there is here only a cursed short 
 time. If the Musik. Zeitung arrives punctually, I shall 
 be delighted ; up to now there are no signs of it. 
 
 (Introductory play : the Rape of the Rhine Gold. I. 
 Siegmund and Sieglind : the Punishment of the Walkiire. 
 II. and III. you know. Adieu for to-day.) 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 45- 
 
 . I have just made up the packet for Weimar. It 
 contains : I. A big letter of three sheets to Liszt ; 2. a 
 letter to Ziegesar, with two hundred thalers (which K. 
 has given me) ; and 3. The poem of Young Siegfried, 
 which I now send with a light heart to Liszt to read. 
 
 The windfall in the R. family just at this moment 
 appears to me almost a dispensation of Providence. 
 The yearly allowance which Frau R. now allots to me 
 will prove a powerful defence against the pressure of 
 compromise and commonness, as well as a mighty 
 weapon against the faint-heartedness of the art-world 
 of to-day. Even without this piece of luck so far, you 
 know me well I would not have moved a step out of 
 my path, and the latest crisis in my artistic plans would 
 have come about not one jot otherwise than is now the 
 case. Only I should have had such troubles, anxieties, 
 and struggles, that I must have set to work in sad and 
 bitter mood, and not, as now, in the highest spirits. 
 Say this to my dear friend, Frau R. Tell her that 
 perhaps even she cannot estimate what, by her latest
 
 TO UHLIG. 145 
 
 promise, she has done for me perhaps for us all. 
 But tell her besides, that when, through you, she gave 
 me the advice not to break with Weimar without 
 necessity, she had no idea of the state of matters. Say 
 to her that it was not arrogance, obstinacy, or caprice 
 that made me feel unfriendly towards Weimar ; but 
 that now I have a scheme which by its very nature 
 and the manner in which it has taken root in my mind 
 quite prevents me from thinking any more about 
 Weimar. Ought she not to trust me, feeling that, at 
 least now, I should never change my mind unless there 
 were some real occasion for it ? 
 
 I cannot write much more to you, for it is getting 
 late. Do deliver this letter to Frau P. ; it will calm the 
 good woman. 
 
 A. at last writes to me that Hartels are quite willing 
 to keep my book ; only I must make a few changes. 
 If the fools would only send me what I am to alter ! 
 
 Why three articles on the first part of Oper und 
 Drama, which really contains little but criticism, and 
 only two on the third part ? Yet this third part is 
 indeed the most important to bring to a proper under- 
 standing, because it goes to the root of the matter. Do 
 not forget, as centre and axis of the whole, to give 
 prominence to " subject-matter " second part ; for the 
 important point here is, that I treat form purely from 
 this aspect, whereas others have always dealt with form 
 quite apart from contents. 
 
 The Norma Aria (for Lablache in Paris) is the famous 
 number alluded to ; is it not ? 
 
 Farewell for to-day ! Your 
 
 R. W. 
 10
 
 146 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 New address : am Zeltweg, Zurich. 
 
 No more. I return on Sunday, so write now to Zurich. 
 
 November 2Oth, '51. 
 
 4 6. 
 
 Well, what more do you want ? I have just 
 written a " most complimentary " letter to Brendel, which 
 is to go off at the same time as this one. I offer, for 
 the future, to be an occasional contributor to his paper. 
 Are you satisfied now ? 
 
 I am back again in Zurich since the beginning of the 
 week. The cure has worked wonders with me ; my 
 lightness of head and general state of bodily well-being 
 open up to me a new world. I have done well to dis- 
 continue the really severe regime. Only think, I bathed 
 lately in water of only three degrees of heat ! Rest 
 and attention to diet, rather than any particular treat- 
 ment, will now do me good. But I do not give up the 
 bath, only take the chill off up to ten degrees. In other 
 matters I remain a strict waterman ; dry bread, with milk, 
 in the morning, but only with water in the evening. For 
 dinner : English cookery vegetables cooked in water 
 and meat roasted on a spit, which my wife had to procure. 
 Last Monday, in honour of our wedding anniversary, 
 my Swiss confederates spent the evening at my house. 
 They boozed, as is their wont ; and my disgust at this 
 hard drinking, without which these unfortunate fellows 
 have not a spark of mirth or wit, completely convinced 
 me of my real cure. I can no longer conceive that 
 anything could happen, or that I could fall into any 
 misfortune, which would make me again have recourse 
 to wine, beer, etc. So I revel in an enjoyment of health
 
 TO UHLIG. 147 
 
 of which as I now consciously enjoy it I had no 
 conception. My unimpaired spirits and constant good 
 humour which, in spite of the weakness resulting from 
 the last severe treatment, have never left me always 
 afford me a ready answer to stupid scoffings: that I 
 don't, for instance, need wine to be merry, and that 
 I can get on very well without the seedy effects, etc. I 
 now take a childlike interest in things to which already 
 I had become indifferent e.g., about our new house, 
 which is certainly small, but cosy and quiet. With 
 truly childlike joy, every day I bring in something to 
 make our exile home more complete and comfortable. 
 So now I have had my "complete works" bound in 
 red : there are already five volumes ; the three opera 
 poems will make the sixth. 
 
 These trifles exercise a beneficent and diverting 
 effect on my over-excited mind, just as a hip-bath 
 soothes the head ; and, like this, I intend those to form 
 part of my regime. Besides, my artistic plans are 
 spreading out before me, and ever becoming richer, 
 more pleasurable, and more decided ; and it is with 
 quite a shiver of delight that I think of soon working 
 them out. Also, my plans have a practical bearing ; 
 much I may perhaps make possible which lately seemed 
 beyond me : in this I am specially helped by K.'s noble 
 and clear understanding. So you will still see me 
 
 accomplish something real but more about that 
 
 when my scheme is riper ! 
 
 But I say to you further, that I thoroughly well 
 understand my condition, and do not in the least 
 deceive myself about the fact that, as yet, I am not 
 fully restored to health. I am only on the right road
 
 148 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 to a complete cure, and this I shall effect in the spring, 
 when I think of returning at the end of March to the 
 hydropathic establishment. 
 
 So much about this for to-day ! 
 So I have received Oper und Drama. Weber informs 
 me that you have already three copies. If you can 
 really make good and advantageous use of the third 
 copy, act according to your judgment. If not, send it 
 to me by post ; I shall have it interleaved, so as to be 
 of service in the preparation of a possible second 
 edition. 
 
 Do not be anxious about the changes in the preface 
 to the three opera poems ! How can you think I had 
 changed anything of vital importance ! Nothing in it 
 could really be altered ; better leave the whole unpub- 
 lished. No, to people of that kind, in constant fear of the 
 censorship, it is mere secondary matters, single expres- 
 sions, and strong figures of speech, that are offensive. 
 You will receive the alterations for correction, and by 
 them will see that only what is trivial or perhaps 
 useless is left out ; and even of this sort very little. 
 
 Lately I have asked Hartels for the last sheets of the 
 preface. Since it has lasted so long, the announcement 
 of my latest works had better be made more in con- 
 formity with my latest resolves, i.e., without " Weimar." 
 Go please once more to Frau P., with friendly greetings 
 to her in my name, and tell her that my wife assures 
 me she had the following scores which she did not 
 give to Frau H. stowed away in Frau P.'s attic : 
 Ricnzi, six copies ; Tannhauser, five copies ; Flying 
 Dutchman, four copies. She had these clearly noted 
 down by Natalie, and a memorandum to this effect now
 
 TO UHLIG. 149 
 
 lies before me. So if the scores are not to be found in 
 the attic, Herr Heinrich Brockhaus must have carried 
 them off by mistake with the books to Leipzig; and I 
 should then be much obliged if Madame P. would claim 
 the same from her brother, and then hand them over 
 to you. The library, which that gentleman has in 
 keeping as security for a debt will very shortly be 
 redeemed. 
 
 Best greetings to Fischer. I thank him very much for 
 his friendly letter, which I intend very soon to answer. 
 (Though I do not know what I ought to write to him. 
 He writes as if every one in Dresden were so infatuated 
 with Lohengrin as to want it put into rehearsal at once, 
 and that really only my obstinacy stood in the way of 
 an immediate performance. I, however, hear from all 
 quarters that the management is of quite another mind : 
 Is that not ridiculous ?) 
 
 Good-bye ! good-bye ! for to-day ! Greetings to yours, 
 and especially to my little Elsa Madame Lohengrin ! 
 give her plenty of water, and not too much medicine ! 
 
 Please give friendly greetings also to the R.'s. Yes, 
 now it's quite another matter with 
 
 . Your 
 
 ZURICH (ZELTWEG), November 2%th, '51. R. \V. 
 
 47- 
 
 "Figaro" must again perform messenger's service! 
 Already I very much wanted to let you (especially the 
 R.'s) read my last letter to Liszt, because I have most 
 clearly explained in it the motives which led to my 
 latest decision with regard to my future artistic plans. 
 Now you also want the letter concerning the Goethe
 
 150 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 foundation : then it's time to see about Figaro. If 
 anything of the sort should happen again, the Rausse 
 books will follow. The horrid manuscript will give 
 you much trouble. It is certainly not intended for 
 everybody, so be careful before you read it to any one. 
 The copies in Liszt's possession are this I mention 
 incidentally much more complete. 
 
 Many thanks for sending the 764,835^ part of the 
 royal Saxon state library. 
 
 I will quickly answer one thing to-day, lest it should 
 get forgotten. The article on Schumann was one of great 
 weight and significance ; if only Brendel knew what he 
 has in you ! The contents of your smallest contribution 
 are great, and are now nearly always most refined and 
 appropriate in expression. Roger excellent. 
 
 I am expecting a letter from Brendel. Whether he 
 gets anything from me for his new year's number 
 depends upon my humour, which I do not wish to force 
 in any way. Some new arrangement must be made 
 about the sending of the paper, for something stupid 
 is always happening. The last time I had to pay 5^ 
 batzen, and what did I receive in return ? Nothing new 
 except your Schumann article ! All the rest were old 
 articles, which I had already received from him. I should 
 have liked always to receive at once, through the post, 
 each fresh number that contains one of your articles. 
 Instead of that, B. waits until there are several numbers, 
 so that you write about the appearance of a new article 
 long before I get it ; whereas, in my opinion, I ought to 
 receive the paper at the same time as your letter. 
 
 From the new year I will order a copy for myself, to 
 be sent actually by post; for even if B. were willing to
 
 TO UHLIG. 151 
 
 let me have the copy gratis, I am sure it would always be 
 posted too late. A thing of that kind annoys me beyond 
 measure. With all my Leipzig orders it seems as if I 
 put my hand into . . . 
 
 My Zurich print-seller seems also to dabble in ... 
 as you have not yet received any portraits. I will inquire 
 about them again to-day ; but in the meantime, let me 
 know if I may send you direct a number of portraits, 
 which you or some one else would undertake to sell ? In 
 this case, how many ? etc. Besides, as I am far away from 
 Germany, and shall probably remain so for some time, 
 it is quite possible that my friends would be pleased to 
 have before them a good portrait of myself (instead of 
 my very self) ; and as it further annoys me not to 
 appear before them as I now am, but always as I used 
 to look long ago allowing for the painstaking violence 
 done me by the lithograph I have had the extremely 
 vain (be it so !) thought that it would be well if a German 
 music- or print-seller would decide to have a new portrait 
 taken. He would then have to give the order to a por- 
 trait painter here, to take me and send the drawing on 
 to him voila tout! Perhaps the drawing of Kietz 
 made in March of last year, and, in my opinion, a very 
 successful one could at once be used for that purpose. 
 It only comes to finding some one who would take up 
 the matter. I, of course, cannot propose this to any 
 one, but perhaps you or some one else could. 
 
 So much for the portrait business ! Be good enough 
 to write to Hartels somewhat to this effect : the copyist 
 has finished the score. Do they want it for the purpose 
 of engraving ? If not, you must consider yourself, 
 according to previous' agreement, pledged to send it
 
 152 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 back to me. They might as well write to me and 
 explain, etc. Stupid nonsense ! 
 
 To-day I have written to Feuerbach. I am trying, 
 with Herwegh, to get him to pay us a visit here shortly. 
 If we succeed, our circle will become still more attractive 
 and brilliant. 
 
 We have a very good orchestra here this winter. 
 The musical director of the theatre, a young man of 
 twenty-two, is thoroughly competent he has both fire 
 and precision. I have been again requested to conduct 
 three symphonies : I choose No. 8, the Pastoral, and 
 the C minor. As for other things, I do not allow myself 
 to be worried. My disgust increases. I live only for 
 my health and for my dramatic plans. 
 
 Apropos ! Baumgartner has, at his own expense, 
 had his songs published by Senff. See if you could 
 not take this opportunity to write a really good article 
 on the modern drawing-room song, and put in a good 
 word for Baumgartner. I should be glad, for the young 
 fellow's sake ! 
 
 Adieu for to-day. More shortly. My best greetings 
 to yours and to R.'s ! 
 
 ZELTWEG, December yd, '5 1 . 
 
 I must soon have both of Liszt's letters returned. 
 Dorit forget this ! 
 
 Manage in some way perhaps the direct one would 
 be best that the spare copy of Oper und Drama may 
 reach R. at W. 
 
 48. 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I am expecting a letter from you, but cannot 
 wait for it, as I have to ask you about something
 
 TO UHLIG. I 5 3 
 
 (" Keine Ruh bei Tag und Nacht") which must be 
 attended to at once. 
 
 In the first place (en passant) there is an inquiry to be 
 made at Leipzig of Heinrich Kirchner, the bookseller's 
 agent, about the portrait. One hundred copies were sent 
 to him some time ago by Fuessli of Zurich (certainly more 
 than will ever be sold, however famous you make me !). 
 
 Then I beg you to send me as soon as possible a 
 score of Tannhauser according to the original edition 
 without any changes just as you find it. I specially 
 want it of course nicely bound (that's the main point !) 
 to give for a Christmas present to Baumgartner, as 
 I have learnt that it will afford him great pleasure ; 
 and besides, he buys all my things out of his hard- 
 earned savings. If you \vould put me under great 
 obligation, you would send me this by post, please 
 and, at least this time, unpaid and also half-a-dozen 
 copies of those Palm-Sunday-concert-programmes to 
 which my analysis of the Ninth Symphony is attached. 
 I have always forgotten to ask for them ; this time I 
 made a note of it. If a copy of the new edition of the 
 pianoforte score of Tannhauser can be had already, 
 I should be glad if you would send that too. 
 
 And further ! 
 
 Get Wolfel likewise to prepare for the private library 
 of my most illustrious self a copy of the Tannhauser full 
 score. Nothing is to be changed from the original score, 
 except the ending of the Third Act and the introduction 
 to the same ! (i) Wolfel must alter the introduction 
 according to the abbreviated form, so that the new 
 manuscript may join on to a corresponding page of the 
 original score ; he must write the new on the same sort
 
 154 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 of paper, and with the same distribution of space, as in my 
 score. The pagination, which through this will get out 
 of order, he must set right by, for example, doubling 
 or trebling the page number on the new leaves (190 
 and 191), etc. (2) He must copy the ending as he has 
 already copied it for the score of the Dresden Court 
 Theatre (I mean so far as paper and writing is concerned). 
 I only wish the new ending to be made complete, exactly 
 as I asked you to do for the pianoforte score i.e., with 
 the song of the younger pilgrims well, you know ; but 
 it will be difficult to make this clear to Wolfel. 
 
 In this way I should especially like to possess a score 
 of my Tannhauser which would contain it just as I want 
 it to be. The cuts which I only arranged on account of 
 insufficient means of representation must naturally not be 
 made here. Send this score to me when it is ready. 
 
 Concerning Lohengrin, I am really curious to hear 
 from H artels, whether they will quickly take the score 
 in hand. I specially need and, indeed, very soon a 
 score for myself. If H artels are willing at once to 
 engrave it, they shall have of course the original 
 score ; and in this case I beg that Wolfel's copy 
 which, I think, must now be ready be sent quickly on 
 to me. But if Hartels delay, and only want the score 
 for their stupid arrangements, etc. they must be con- 
 tent with the copy (a mistake or two will not matter), 
 and then I beg for the original as soon as possible. 
 So best of men ! reflect ! Why should I want it ? I 
 will tell you ; I am up to a bit of fun ! I should very 
 much like for once to hear the Vorspiel well performed 
 by an orchestra. To manage this I must proceed most 
 carefully, and in the following manner, as has been
 
 TO UHLIG. 155 
 
 arranged and firmly settled. The theatre here closes 
 at the end of June. For the first week in July I shall 
 engage the theatre orchestra for an eight-days' rehearsal ; 
 for this very time I shall engage (or maybe only invite) 
 the best musicians from Berne, Basle, St. Gall, etc., 
 in order to gather together a good orchestra of from 
 twenty to twenty-four violins, etc. I shall send on 
 the parts beforehand to be studied. With this orchestra, 
 and a body of singers selected from the best sources 
 here, I shall rehearse for a whole week, morning and 
 evening, so as then to give (i.e., to repeat) on two suc- 
 cessive evenings the following performance. [N.B. 
 The costs of this undertaking, to be recouped by raised 
 prices, etc., have been guaranteed to me by connoisseurs 
 of this place.] 
 
 PROGRAMME. 
 
 By way of introduction 
 
 Festal March and Chorus from TannJuinser. 
 
 ist Part. 
 
 ( The Flying Dutchman?) 
 I. (a} Ballad. 
 
 (b) Sailors' chorus. 
 II. Overture. 
 
 2nd Part. 
 ( Tannhiiuser. ) 
 I. (a) Introduction to the third act. 
 
 (b) Song of the returning pilgrims. 
 II. Overture. 
 
 3rd Part. 
 (Lohengrin?) 
 
 I. The great instrumental prelude. 
 II. (a) Scene for chorus from the second act (all the 
 
 D-major, beginning with the watch-tower song). 
 (d) Wedding music (Introduction to the third act) ; bridal 
 song ; and then wedding music repeated.
 
 156 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 This programme pleases me immensely : it presents 
 chronologically the growth of my poetic instinct, in 
 musical so to say, plastic outline. The ballad from 
 the Dutchman at the beginning the wedding music 
 with the bridal song at the close : from the most 
 visionary longing to the chastest realization ; and 
 everything between these two, just as it follows in the 
 great process of our development. You quite under- 
 stand my programme, do you not ? It- is a musical 
 working-out of my preface to the three opera poems, 
 which I imagine will be read beforehand by all who 
 take an interest in me. In the programme I shall not 
 hesitate, clearly and directly to give everything neces- 
 sary for comprehension ; but I shall put the following 
 explanation at the head : 
 
 If I wished to present myself completely as a 
 dramatist I could only do this now in an incomplete 
 appearance : I therefore purposely show myself incom- 
 pletely, displaying merely one side of my nature, so as 
 thus at least to escape appearing full of gaps and void 
 of clearness. If you want the whole of me, then do 
 your part to make it possible. 
 
 I will tell you another time how I think it possible to 
 give a performance of those three operas perhaps in 
 the summer of 1853 in an equally thorough fashion 
 as I am now attempting with these mere musical ex- 
 cerpts. Anyhow, my friends ought not to sit anxiously 
 by and brood over interest and compound interest. For 
 once, a few wretched shillings capital must be risked. 
 However, enough of this for to-day ! It will be a pity 
 if I give my whole soul to the matter, and have always 
 to hear a groaning hm ! hm !
 
 TO UHLIG. 157 
 
 You have probably read Liszt's letter which I sent to 
 Frau R. ; is he not a noble-hearted, unprejudiced fellow I 
 Even where he does not as yet understand me, he makes 
 up for it by a grand enthusiasm. 
 
 K. is back again in Zurich : he will not go on with 
 the cure (and in winter time I think he acts wisely : 
 I also must seriously break off, as of late I went in for it 
 too eagerly). At the beginning of the spring we are both 
 going to Hahn at Horn. I can no longer trouble about a 
 doctor, and I am bound to have one if I go on with my 
 cure ! End of March, April, May I think by the be- 
 ginning of July I shall be all ready for my rehearsals ! 
 
 You probably do not expect me to say specially what I 
 think of the latest Paris news ! Are we both agreed that 
 those were in error who wished to give to that circum- 
 stance an importance which it could not possibly have ? 
 It was the result of the previous reactionary conditions ; 
 thus, in my opinion, only a chronic symptom of ill- 
 ness, and in no wise a decisive, acute attack. (Are 
 you aware, too, that the socialists did not once come 
 to blows ?) 
 
 So a struggle between two reactionary forces, which 
 rightly (and fortunately) could but end in favour of the 
 open, free force as against intrigue ! 
 
 Farewell, good, dear fellow ! Best greetings, and 
 write to me soon ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, December i$th, '51. 
 
 49. 
 
 GOOD PESCHKE ! 
 
 Is the neck-band ready? How ever will you
 
 158 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 commence with the black Tonpc"? Whence will you get 
 your pleasant face ? Whence your bent complimentary 
 back ? There will be a sad falling off, from Peschke I. 
 to Peschke II. ! I do not think that you can bow 
 right and left, with such severe encouragement, whilst 
 fiddling. Only one request does my wife make 
 that you do not forget, if you wish to show yourself 
 worthy of your new position, No. 5, out of the green, and 
 No. 7, out of the red book ! These pieces are to be the 
 real triumphal marches of Peschke I. So do not forget. 
 
 Dramatic-music-fiddling fellow ! You do well to 
 accept the position. I respect all your reasons ; only 
 one thing I make a point of : insist on leave of absence, 
 otherwise it is all up with you, and I shall become 
 furiously angry with you. Put forward the plea of 
 health ! I can really not give up either wishing or 
 hoping to see you once every year. I look upon 
 the fulfilment of this wish as dependent only upon 
 the possibility of leave of absence : so far as the rest 
 is concerned, you must allow me to say a word or two. 
 For example, I expect you to be present when I give 
 my great summer concert, in Zurich, next year; I 
 engage you for that purpose ; and some extra receipts 
 to be made by that time (" together with a fair 
 honorarium "), shall provide me with the means of 
 paying your fee. So make Luttichau acquainted with 
 this, and ask for leave of absence for July 1852. 
 
 And so with the increase of salary, you receive at the 
 same time an enormously fat boy, without my knowing 
 anything beforehand ? Who understands better than 
 you how to arrange such things ! Everything fits in 
 admirably, and for the 150 thalers a new mouth is
 
 TO UHLIG. 159 
 
 found to swallow them up. Had you not already named 
 the new son Siegfried, I would now counsel you to 
 have him baptized Peschke. Perhaps both names suit 
 well together so salute Peschkesiegfried ! 
 
 Now to business ! 
 
 I thought you would write to Frau P. in the way 
 indicated : it is to get rid of uncertainty, if only in 
 matters of small moment. 
 
 As Hartels are going to engrave the score, it is 
 perhaps best for Wolfel to finish the copy commenced 
 from the theatre score ; only there seems to be no hurry 
 in the matter. So send me the copy as far as it is 
 ready, and for the reason which I gave you in my last 
 letter. I hope Wolfel will by this time have got on as 
 far as the beginning of the third act ; if not, let him 
 write out quickly the orchestral introduction to this 
 act and the bridal song, so that I may promptly have 
 in my possession all that I shall require for my concert. 
 The rest he can write out at his leisure ! For this 
 winter no theatre will think of giving the Lohengrin, 
 and later on, the printed score will be ready, so that 
 Wolfel's copy has practically become a luxury (even 
 Brussels makes no sign !), and I can only use it 
 privately. So far, good ! Now let me proceed ! 
 
 I have not yet received the pianoforte score : Hartels 
 are sending it by carrier ! (It never occurs to such 
 people to send on one copy by post.) I have ordered 
 a copy of the " three opera poems " for Riihlemann. 
 Kind greetings to him from me, and give him my best 
 thanks for his letter : he must forgive me if I do not 
 answer it at once. 
 
 What is the meaning of all that you write concerning
 
 160 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 the "Critic of the Gegcnwart" ? I know nothing at all 
 about it. 
 
 Frau R. has now endowed me so liberally with scores 
 and silver plate, that I am devilishly inclined to make 
 my house as comfortable as possible ! Please say to 
 our friend th^t I am exceedingly thankful to her for 
 her gifts, and especially for her last kind letter : in 
 everything she has given me great, great joy. 
 
 Dear friend, I cannot possibly send anything to X. ! 
 It is not that I lack a general desire, but I am not at 
 present in the humour to write anything for the Musik. 
 Zeitung. I could only bring myself to write spitefully, 
 for nothing else repays one for the trouble ! And my 
 malice would have fallen on X. himself, whom among 
 others I should have had to inform that he makes a great 
 mistake if, for example, he thinks that he has understood 
 me in my Art and Revolution, when he bravely waxes 
 wroth at my unjust judgment of the past post-Grecian 
 art periods, and reproaches me for having regarded them 
 only through their modern caricature. In so doing, he 
 does not reflect that this very caricature is precisely the 
 most obvious, most forcible physiognomy of the real 
 unnaturalness of our whole art-culture, the root of which 
 sticks fast just there, where Brendel thinks he most 
 must riot over it. How, too, can an " impartial critic " 
 so entirely overlook my main contention, which in my 
 pamphlet is clearly expressed, viz., that the difference 
 between the Grecian and our own art-period consists 
 just in this that, at that time, Art was in harmony with 
 the public conscience, and was cherished by it ; whilst 
 now true Art (the actuality of which I there assume) 
 must proclaim itself in opposition to our public opinion
 
 TO UHLIG. l6l 
 
 and customs, and therefore (end and conclusion of my 
 whole investigation) be revolutionary ? How superficial 
 X. is when he becomes profound ! 
 
 Enough ! I could not write anything without express- 
 ing my contempt for all our art-doings and especially 
 for that music, for which in truth a musical paper is 
 solely intended by such hard-dealt right- and left- 
 handed blows, as to bring Brendel into fresh trouble ; for 
 I should not only as was actually the case injudentlnun 
 attack the abstract species, but give a good sound 
 hiding to individuals themselves. Now that my books 
 are out, however, I can no longer possibly feel any 
 inclination for general reflections. If X. wants some- 
 thing mild of mine, let him print my letter to Liszt on 
 the Goethe foundation. You could at once ask Liszt for 
 this letter, stating your purpose, and that I am agree- 
 able. If Liszt wishes to strike out anything relating to 
 himself, he may act according to his judgment. Only 
 / do not care to have the letter put before me again, so 
 I place the matter in your hands. (One name must be 
 altered: " Scholl " not " Scholcher.") 
 
 My dear friend, you will shortly hear of things which 
 will enable you to understand why I have now completely 
 given up every attempt to fight against the reigning 
 stupidity, dulness, and wretchedness : I shall let that 
 which is rotten rot, and shall use my remaining powers 
 in production and enjoyment, and not in distressful, 
 and quite hopeless attempts to galvanize the corpse of 
 European civilization. I have only a mind to live, to 
 enjoy i.e., to work as an artist, and produce my works : 
 but not for the mud brains of the common herd. As I 
 cannot here develop my ideas at proper length, I must still 
 
 1 1
 
 1 62 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 keep secret the watch-word of my purpose and, it is 
 to be hoped, of the purpose common to many in order 
 not to be misunderstood. So farewell for to-day ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, December l8//, '51. 
 
 50. 
 
 Yes, best of friends ! You ought to have let me 
 known sooner that you had to return the Wolsungasaga 
 by the 25th of December. If now a little delay occurs, 
 " I really can't help it." I thought there was no hurry. 
 Besides, I have kept far from me everything which 
 would prompt me to work at my great poem, so as to 
 leave the matter to take its time especially amid these 
 winter frosts. Now I have looked quickly through the 
 Saga, and found out that it will no longer be of any 
 use to me. So I send you back to-day with best 
 thanks for your kindness the little book, and only 
 with a few lines, as it is already late. 
 
 Briefly, therefore : 
 
 Your letter of yesterday informed me of your 
 appointment, and conducting adventure ; news which 
 gave me great pleasure. For the rest, make no mistake 
 about X. ; if he once intends to serve you out, his 
 liberal opinion of your criticisms will suddenly vanish. 
 People of this sort take everything according as they 
 find it useful. 
 
 But you must get leave of absence (certainly for 
 1852) do think " of your health " ! 
 
 Could you not haul X. once more over the coals? The 
 man really is a bungler at his business ! Baumgartner,
 
 TO UHLIG. 163 
 
 wanting it for his choral society, has repeatedly asked 
 through the music-seller Hug, for the Sailors' Chorus 
 from the Flying Dutchman (as I expressly arranged it 
 for men's voices only). X. doesn't stir (and that has 
 always been his way). 
 
 Would it not be possible, just at this moment, when 
 the pianoforte edition of Tannhduser is about to appear, 
 to publish on a whole page of the Augsburg Allgemeine, 
 and perhaps,' also, of two of the most important 
 political papers, a general advertisement of all those of 
 my works which have appeared at Meser's (including 
 the Tannhauser score) ? Only so can the business get 
 a fresh start ! Of course at the same time a fresh supply 
 of music would have to be sent to the music-sellers. 
 All this is really under the jurisdiction of my creditors ; 
 and I have already written to you on the matter. 
 So enough for to-day ! 
 
 I certainly should not have written my letter to X. 
 if I had first read his article on my writings. Good 
 God, what a weak-minded fool ! The man thinks to 
 bring about a better understanding for me by repre- 
 senting everything I say, and on which I lay most 
 stress, as really not a matter for annoyance. That's 
 just what he did in the matter of the Judenthum, when 
 he showed that after all I really did not mean the Jews ! 
 Splendid ! Now I can't in the name of fortune see of 
 what use he could be to me. But enough of this ! 
 
 The pianoforte score has arrived ; I am chiefly 
 pleased at its great correctness especially with regard 
 to everything concerning the stage performance. But 
 the very idea of a pianoforte score was altogether so 
 painful to me, that when it arrived, I felt scarcely
 
 164 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 anything except distress and discontent ; and it needed 
 all the assurances of Baumgartner and M tiller, that the 
 arrangement was an excellent one, to make me fair in 
 this matter towards you and your careful work. You 
 will excuse formal thanks, if I only simply assure you, 
 that I am highly pleased that this disagreeable work of 
 arranging should happily have fallen into your hands, 
 and that you should have attended to it with such 
 great affection ! Excellent homo, now how about the 
 correcting of the full score ? I feel Heaven knows 
 quite incapable of undertaking this, and for a hundred 
 thousand reasons which I cannot and, besides, need 
 not, set forth. May I put this burden on you ? Is 
 it really not too bad? Answer frankly ! 
 
 The next time I will write more. I am well. 
 Certainly, I was much excited, and then again un- 
 nerved, by the immediate result of the severe regime. 
 Anyhow, I am only half through the cure, and must 
 complete it when spring comes. But I knew it would 
 be so, and regret nothing. 
 
 Farewell ! Greetings at home. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 I have now become a subscriber through the post- 
 office to the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik. 
 
 DEAR UHLIG, 
 
 Yesterday I received the book : " Three opera 
 poems." The preface had to some extent slipped 
 from my memory, and 1 formally devoured it in the
 
 TO UHLIG. 165 
 
 very neat, noble (and marvellously correct!} edition. 
 Heaven knows how it is with others, but this preface 
 has deeply interested me; I say this fearlessly. This 
 was really the most important message which I had to 
 deliver, for it was absolutely necessary to complete 
 Oper imd Drama. Surely I now have the right to think 
 I have done enough with my pen ! What can I still say 
 if now my friends do not clearly understand, and why 
 should I now still worry myself if my friends still keep 
 dust in their eyes ! I am now with regard to what is 
 done perfectly satisfied with myself, for certainly I 
 have left nothing undone in order to make myself 
 intelligible. Anything further is simply the business 
 of those who take an interest in me ! 
 
 Unfortunately, I have forgotten to order a copy of 
 this book for our good R. in W. Could not K. remedy 
 my fault, and get a copy, which you in your turn might 
 send off to W. ? 
 
 Well, 1 have now read through the letter to Liszt 
 on the Goethe foundation. I look upon the publication 
 of this letter as by no means unimportant, only I 
 cannot for the life of me see why it should be in the 
 Neue Zeitschrift fiir Musik ! I feel fresh sympathy for 
 Brendel since he defended me against the Grensbofen, and 
 if I am doing him service, and obliging him by giving 
 this letter for his paper, he might show his gratitude by 
 having it also printed separately, as a small pamphlet 
 (and not a shabby-looking one) ; he might send this 
 out from the publishing-house of his paper and advertise 
 it, so that it might come before those for whom the letter 
 is specially intended, and these are certainly not the 
 musicians, at any rate not exclusively.
 
 1 66 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 On the occasion of the pianoforte score, I have again 
 looked a little at the music of Lohengrin. Would it not 
 interest you, since you always write things of the kind, 
 to discuss the thematic web, and show how the path I 
 have struck out must lead to ever-fresh developments 
 of form ? Amongst other things, this came into my 
 mind in the first scene of the second act. Just at the 
 beginning of the second scene of this act when Elsa 
 steps on to the balcony it struck me how in the 
 prelude for wind instruments, in the /th, 8th, and 
 9th bars, where Elsa appears by night, a theme is 
 heard for the first time which, later on, when Elsa 
 advances towards the church, in bright daylight and 
 full splendour, is presented in complete development, 
 broad and bright. Thereupon it became evident to me 
 that my themes always originate coherently, and with 
 the character of plastic phenomena. Perhaps you can 
 express this better than I. 
 
 Have you heard nothing of late about E. D. 
 whether he reads my writings, and what impression 
 they make on him ? I confess that I often think of him 
 quite unawares, and I would much like to know how 
 far a man of this sort remains behind through lack 
 of inward energy and genuine courage, and how far 
 on the other side, he is to be brought forward through 
 his good intelligence and honourable will. Can I 
 not write to him ? I should be exceedingly glad at 
 least it would interest me were he to write to me 
 (besides, he really owes me a letter). How could you 
 get at him ? In any case, I should like him to have read 
 the " Preface to three opera poems," before he wrote. 
 January 1st. I kept back this letter until I got news.
 
 TO UHLIG. 167 
 
 from you again : this has happened to-day. I first 
 answer some of your questions. 
 
 Send me at once the pianoforte scores of Rienzi and 
 Tannhduser (at my expense, of course), and do the 
 same with the full scores. So far as the Lohengrin 
 score is concerned, I feel almost inclined to stop the 
 copying altogether especially as Wolfel is so much 
 behind. Of what good is this copy, as it will never be 
 wanted ? And by the time it is wanted, the engraved 
 copies will be also ready. However one may regret 
 what has already been written, a part of this useless 
 labour will cost less than the whole. I shall take out 
 of it only what is necessary for my concert ; the rest 
 may be destroyed. I am ever annoyed that I gave the 
 order for the sake of the Brussels windbags, and caused 
 unnecessary expense. Wolfel might, therefore, still 
 copy me quickly the first scene of the third act with 
 the orchestral introduction ; then send me this, the great 
 Prelude, and the great scene for male chorus from the 
 second act, so that I may arrange all for the concert. 
 He can at the same time prepare the Tannhauser score 
 for me. Be good enough to give me a detailed account 
 of the expenses. 
 
 You are always writing to me about " the " critic of 
 the Gegenwart; but I do not know what you mean. I 
 have read nothing of his ; where shall I find anything ? 
 
 Brendel has written to me ; his letter and his latest 
 explanations in specimen-sheet have somewhat disposed 
 me in his favour. His recent fervour, nay, enthusiasm, 
 rejoices me. Now I will again write a letter for his 
 paper ; perhaps I may still be of use to it, and contribute 
 in a decisive manner towards making it more useful than
 
 1 68 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 it can possibly be under present circumstances. The 
 letter concerning the Goethe foundation can appear 
 later on, because I wish first to widen the tendency of 
 the paper, so that this very letter will then appear in it 
 as something intelligible and suitable. But after that, 
 no one will catch me at such a thing again. 
 
 Let me soon know what effect my " Preface " is 
 making ; and try and get it well known ! 
 
 Yesterday, we had St. Sylvester with present- 
 making ; with that our Christmas festival has come to 
 an end. I was able, in fairly good humour, to see 
 the new year in. How are you at home ? All the 
 youngsters well ? You write nothing to me about 
 your leave of absence ! 
 
 / shall not get any real rest until I commence my 
 great work ; I don't care for anything else. I must 
 positively prey once more upon myself. Only I shall 
 take care that this does not interfere with my spring 
 cure. 
 
 What do the R.'s think of me ? Have they not had 
 enough of me ? 
 
 Farewell, good, dear friend ! Remain true to me, 
 and let me even to-day assure you that you are a 
 great, great blessing to me ! Minna sends heartiest 
 greetings ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 The silver plate has delighted my wife in a fabulous 
 manner ; she sends no end of thanks to the R.'s. 
 
 I think I shall have the parts for my concert copied 
 in Dresden ; in this place there is not one trustworthy 
 copyist, and besides, they are much dearer than at
 
 TO UHLIG. 169 
 
 Dresden. But do send the Lohengrin things, for I 
 must first arrange them. 
 
 52. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I have gone back to my old mood, and the devil 
 has hold of me again. No cure in the world can keep 
 me from disagreeable outward impressions : their evil 
 influence must ever trouble the inward spring, and bring 
 it to a painful stand-still. Again am I stranded, with 
 all my wishes and aspirations. Beyond endurance I 
 clearly see I feel that all my undertakings must 
 remain unsatisfied and without aim ! Alas ! alas ! 
 wherever I knock, each of my plans becomes a barren 
 grey impossibility ! I can no longer in any way deceive 
 myself. I lack the only thing which could keep me in a 
 happy state of illusion sympathy, true, responsive sym- 
 pathy. All with whom I come into contact hang down 
 the head, sigh, are silent, and relapse after this effort 
 into their old callous state. You are really the only 
 one to whom I can still turn for sympathy, for you alone 
 possess the energy at least to answer although, I 
 cannot help noticing that your letters are written on as 
 small a sheet as possible, with the lines as wide apart 
 as possible. Often, as was the case with your two last 
 letters, I ask myself, " Does he find it so difficult to 
 fill the sheet with strokes of the pen ? " Others do 
 not even answer me. I asked Liszt for his medallion 
 for Christmas ^ no answer. 
 
 Under circumstances which I will not enumerate, but 
 which from my mood you will recognize, I cannot exactly 
 make out whether this stop to my well-being really comes
 
 170 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 from within or merely from without. I have nothing 
 to complain of with regard to my bodily functions : but 
 my nerves ! I grant that, of late, I have over-exerted 
 myself with the cure. The misfortune was that I had 
 no doctor in whom I placed confidence : my lively 
 mood was principally the result of the over-excitement ' 
 of my vital powers, for in spite of the liveliness, my 
 agitation was intense. Still it was a lively agitation. 
 Reaction naturally set in ; but, if only some joy, some 
 outward influence resulting in comfort could happen, 
 it would assume another character, one of pleasant 
 repose. But great Heaven ! how dull, how tedious, 
 and how flat, does everything in this outer world drop 
 loose from me, so that only the regret remains that I 
 should ever have counted on what comes from without ! 
 and this repentance is of a terribly painful kind. Now 
 I prey again on my vitals, and prey and prey, until to 
 satisfy my hunger I am utterly consumed ! 
 
 Really, I have been thus for a long time ! If I look 
 back on my life I must say to myself that little nourish- 
 ment came from without to satisfy so needy a soul. 
 Never, not even for a moment, have I felt tender com- 
 fort : only angles to stumble against, only sharp points 
 to tread on ! And now by way of diversion I do not 
 say reward (for here there is nothing to reward) no ! 
 in order to be giving myself once more the chance of 
 others preying on me which for the future can be my 
 only consolation ! by way of diversion, I only desired 
 ah ! why should I repeat it ? Go to concerts and 
 to the theatre, and amuse yourself ! ! 
 
 Nothing will come of my concert : I have given it
 
 TO UHLIG. I/I 
 
 up. I can no longer bring myself to undertake any- 
 thing by halves, a patch-work. Its aimlessness and the 
 impossibility of satisfying myself, presented themselves 
 once more before me in all their nakedness. Through 
 the obduracy of my friends all farther plans connected 
 with it were frustrated in advance. If, in the first 
 thought of this concert, I only wished for once to hear 
 the Prelude to Lohengrin, I now renounce the luxurious 
 apparatus necessary for the attainment of this wish. 
 Strange that it should be with me as with Beethoven ; 
 he could not hear his music because he was deaf 
 (nothing else could have prevented him). I cannot 
 hear mine, because I am more than deaf, because I do 
 not live in the world, because I wander about among 
 you like a ghost, because the whole wide world is full 
 of ... fools ! Ah, dear friend, at least write a lot about 
 me, fill the newspapers, and at least I shall become right 
 famous; then I shall have something for my pains ! 
 
 Ah ! if I were not to rise from my bed to-morrow, if 
 I were never more to wake to this loathsome life, yes 
 then I should be even happier than the R.'s, when 
 listening to Tannhauser ! ! ! Good-bye for to-day ! 
 
 Eleven o'clock past ! again nothing ! Good ! This 
 letter must be sent off to-day ; I cannot allow such 
 unburdening of my mind to lie in the drawer. 
 
 Say, is it not unmanly of me to pour out my 
 complaints thus ? Why, do I not rather imitate my 
 lady S., show a smiling face although I suffer, pretend 
 to have no feeling, i.e., lie and dissimulate, so as to 
 become, if no true human being yet as great a man as 
 possible, one who is " superior " to his fate, i.e., plays a
 
 172 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 part, and would fain be otherwise than as he is ; 
 "represent" something any visionary idea, as, for 
 example, L. Bonaparte represented " society " ? and 
 all that to please the dear sweet Philistines, so that 
 they may say, " Ah, by Jove ! there's a man for you ! " 
 No ; all who can take pleasure in my labours, i.e., in 
 my life and works, shall know, that their joy comes 
 of my griefs, of my greatest misery! 
 
 Dear friend ! I often have my own ideas about " art," 
 and, for the most part, I cannot help thinking that if we 
 had real life, we should need no art. Art begins just 
 there, where real life ends, where there is nothing 
 more before us ; then we cry out to art : "I wish ! " I 
 cannot conceive how a truly happy man can ever think 
 of "art." Only in life is power to do. Is our "art" any- 
 thing more than a confession of our impotence ? For 
 sure ; at least our art is of this kind, and so is all the art 
 which, in our present dissatisfaction with life, we can 
 imagine. It is nothing more than " desire expressed as 
 clearly as is possible to us." To win back my youth, 
 to possess health, nature, a devoted wife, healthy 
 children yes ! I would sacrifice all my art ! Take it ! 
 Give me the other ! Ah ! it would indeed be droll, if 
 all our zest for art were but an empty dream ! Well, 
 farewell for to-day ! You have probably had enough. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, January \2th t '$2. 
 
 '53- 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I answer at once your questions :
 
 TO UHLIG. 173 
 
 (1) How shall the new pianoforte score of Tannhauser 
 be announced ? " Second edition with the third act 
 revised" 
 
 With regard to sending me the pianoforte scores, 
 I beg X. to let me have also the Flying Dutchman. 
 In return I would make the opera known as much as 
 possible. Liszt, too, will give it this year at Weimar ; 
 perhaps I shall have it performed even here in Zurich. 
 The publisher can derive nothing but benefit from this. 
 If he does not see his way to that, he may charge me 
 at bookseller's price fifty per cent, discount. So I 
 expect Rienzi, Flying Dutchman, and Tannhauser. 
 
 (2) The "three grand-opera poems" must surely be 
 out in Germany, as they are already to be had here. 
 No doubt you will already have been able to see to 
 Devrient, also to R. ? 
 
 (3) I have sent exact instructions to Brendel con- 
 cerning the two letters (to him and to Liszt). Both 
 must be published together, as a detached pamphlet. 
 But I really do not know if you have yet received the 
 letter from Liszt. You tell me nothing about it. If 
 Liszt is dilatory, I'll look after it myself. 
 
 (I have given Brendel a good blowing up on account 
 of the fresh notice from " A. H. aus Zurich" How- 
 ever, in defence, he pleads your recommendation of such 
 trivialities. I have explained to Brendel that nothing 
 no, nothing of this kind must ever appear again in 
 his paper. B. has given his promise to that effect.) 
 
 (4) I shall certainly not give the concert. It is 
 therefore unnecessary to see about the Lohengrin 
 scenes. I therefore repeat : is it not better now to stop 
 the whole score-scribbling ? Why increase useless
 
 174 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 expenses ? Whoever cares to have the score completed 
 for his pleasure, let him do so. I can no longer make 
 any use of it; I heartily regret the money already 
 thrown away on it. After the long delay of this 
 copying, I know of nothing better than to make the 
 useless expenses less. But will you not soon let me 
 know what the whole damage is ? On the other hand, 
 I insist on the Tannhduser for myself. 
 
 (5) My admiration for Hartel's courageous devotion 
 has somewhat diminished since I learnt that they do 
 not intend, as stated at first, to engrave the score, 
 but merely to print it. It is, however, a matter of 
 indifference to me in what way my Lohengrin attains 
 to its paper monumentality. If they have such good 
 readers at Leipzig, we might leave it to be corrected 
 there. I can reserve to myself the right of adding, 
 when the printing is completed, an errata list, should 
 such be necessary. 
 
 Now about your godfather affair. If you think me 
 good for that purpose well, take me. I will willingly 
 assist, and K. is really the right person to represent 
 me. I should like to hear your programme respecting 
 this boy's education. Will you inoculate him with the 
 poison of our bringing up, and so leave it to chance 
 whether he shall spit out the poison, or whether it shall 
 bring him to ruin ? I do not ask this jokingly. We 
 have the future in our hands. Shall we be such abject 
 cowards as to expose our children to the same fatal 
 course which (let us be frank) has made MS incapable, 
 half-and-half, and bad ? We have only arrived at 
 truth at a period of our lives, when we have already 
 become incapable of deriving any profit from it.
 
 TO UHLIG. 175 
 
 Shall this even supposing the most fortunate case 
 also be the lot of our children ? I will discuss the 
 matter more thoroughly another time. I first await 
 as I said above your programme. 
 
 That you allow yourself (or rather are driven) not to 
 give offence to R. in this matter, does not please me. I 
 should have thought that with K. (in my place), Emilie, 
 Riihlemann, and a fine lady, the ambition of your wife 
 would have been satisfied. Here, here, dear friend, 
 must be shown whether we really wish to be free in 
 our house and in our family ! 
 
 The day before yesterday I conducted the Egmont- 
 music and the 8th Symphony. The performance was 
 do not lr -1 gh, for I know what I am talking about 
 excellent. I suffered, however, from great relaxation 
 of the nerves. Schoneck, the director of the theatre 
 here, young, very talented, extremely gifted as a con- 
 ductor, and an uncommonly lively and fiery fellow, is 
 worrying me to have the Flying Dutchman for his 
 benefit (in March). I am already almost giving way, 
 as yesterday I had to confess that the actors were 
 really good, and that the Dutchman himself would 
 have a really good interpreter. The director promises 
 to accomplish the most inconceivable things in the 
 matter of decorations. The orchestra would recruit 
 itself to a decent size by volunteers. The only thing 
 in the way is my longing after rest, and my general 
 aversion to everything connected with our theatre and 
 public. But I am pressed on all sides, so shall leave 
 the decision to Heaven. 
 
 Hark ! See friend Fischer at once ; give him best 
 greetings from me, and ask him if he will venture to
 
 176 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 get for himself the loan of the complete parts, etc., of 
 the Flying Dutchman for three months from L. I will 
 be responsible for the punctual return of the same, and 
 so on. If Fischer can get the things, and without com- 
 promising me as seeking a favour from L., this shall 
 decide the matter. I will not put the people here to 
 expense in having the parts copied ; besides, I shall 
 thus hold in my hands the power of withdrawing the 
 opera if I see that it is not going well. This I cannot 
 do if the parts are copied here by order of the 
 management. So let Fischer answer quickly. If he 
 consents, and thus compels me, everything will come 
 in time if sent by express-mail. 
 
 But send me quickly through the post the pianoforte 
 scores, etc. I am now so nervously impatient in 
 everything, even in trifling matters, that it is not with- 
 out intention I make this request. 
 
 Herwegh was mad about the last Beethoven per- 
 formance, and straightway declared that it was divine. 
 I recommend to you and to K. my new friend, the 
 English poet Shelley. There exists only one German 
 translation of his works, by Seybt, which you must 
 get. He and his friend Byron together make up 
 one complete and noble man. 
 
 You will soon hear that I am hard at work on the 
 Nibelungen poem ; it is my only salvation. Farewell ; 
 greetings at home, and to the R.'s. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 53 (!) December, '51. 
 
 (I shall continue in the coup-d'c'tat month until the 
 desired 1852 really comes.)
 
 TO UHLIG. 177 
 
 54- 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I hope that in answering your two last letters 
 I shall not overlook any point in them. Let us see 
 if I succeed. 
 
 First of all, I beg your friendly forgiveness for the 
 many commissions with which I coolly load you ; I fear 
 I am becoming quite shameless. But I hope there will 
 soon be an end of this. And will your wife please not 
 be angry with me on account of this constant packing? 
 
 Once again you have taken too seriously my remarks 
 on the christening ceremony of your youngest son. I 
 beg you, for Heaven's sake, to change nothing in your 
 arrangements, even supposing there were still time. I 
 should really consider myself highly ridiculous and im- 
 pertinent, if you were to look on me as chief busybody 
 in your family affairs ! Pray be assured that you can 
 do or leave undone what you please, without my bearing 
 you a grudge for any one of your actions. Credit me 
 with that much common sense. If I am peevish and 
 fanciful, others should not be so too ; of late I have 
 indeed been peevish ! 
 
 Also, I look upon your present position in the 
 band as a change for the better. I perfectly under- 
 stand that you must feel more comfortable than you 
 did under the former opera regime. It is all right 
 about the scores sent back from Brockhaus. How 
 fortunate that in this case I was so obstinate ! I am 
 writing to Fischer about the rest of the music I left 
 behind, and I thank you beforehand if you will see to 
 the whole thing. 
 
 I have at last written to Weimar about the Goethe- 
 
 12
 
 178 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 foundation letter, and hope to receive it shortly. Matters 
 proceed in a nice slow tedious way in your corner of 
 Germany; I can't help saying that. Even the resolute X. 
 gives another proof of it. How everything connected 
 with this man sticks and sticks ! Well, out of all this I 
 clearly see that people have something else to do than 
 to busy themselves about me. I really ought not to be 
 unjust a resolution which every day I form anew. 
 
 I am also expecting an account of moneys paid by 
 you for me. A small arrangement will have to be made 
 about the (unfortunate ! !) copy of the Lohengrin score. 
 When I in the summer of last year ! ! ! ordered the 
 copy through Fischer, I referred him for payment to 
 Frau R., whom I also requested, by letter, to advance 
 the money and deduct it from my next subsidy. But 
 as in the November of that year the score was by no 
 means ready, and therefore no request for payment was 
 made, Frau R. sent me the full sum. Now I must pay the 
 costs of this copy out of my ready money ; but as things 
 go, I must consider whether I shall not leave myself 
 very short if I now send those costs from here. I shall 
 receive more money at the beginning of May ; so please 
 ask Wolfel if he could not wait until the end of April 
 for the payment of his miserably delayed score, which 
 in consequence has become quite useless. As a return, 
 he might keep the copy for himself in remembrance of 
 me. (No one wants the beggarly thing now !) If he will 
 wait till then, shortly before the R.'s send money to me 
 I will ask K. or one of them to keep back as much as 
 is due to Wolfel, and give it to you to settle the debt. 
 Well, all this is another specimen of Dresden humbug ! 
 Greet the ladies to-day in your heartiest manner.
 
 TO UHLIG. 179 
 
 I have received encouraging news from Schwerin. 
 Tannhauser has been well and successfully produced 
 there. The accounts of those concerned are over- 
 flowing with joy at the success of their undertaking. 
 What has come of the proposed performance of 
 Tannhauser at Dresden, concerning which, it was 
 already a subject of reproach to me that I could take 
 no pleasure in it ? 
 
 From time to time you shall hear about my small 
 attempts at conducting here. I may possibly write and 
 sign a notice of the shortly approaching performance 
 of the Coriolan overture. I may perhaps add to it the 
 remark that I consider this kind of personal notice the 
 only fitting one in connection with renderings which, 
 passing from a purely musical sphere, touch upon a 
 poetical one, instead of that extravagant praise of 
 performances which must leave those who were not 
 present at them quite indifferent. Baumgartner's songs 
 have long been ordered for you ; a fresh reminder is 
 now being sent to the publishers. I ought myself to 
 write something about them for the confed. newspaper. 
 You shall have it as soon as it is printed ; perhaps 
 you may be able to make use of it. Can you get 
 my article concerning the poetical contents of the 
 Eroica from the R.'s ? If you can, let me know 
 next time. 
 
 Herwegh is worrying me about the performance of 
 the Tannhauser overture ; I will see if it is possible, 
 but have my doubts. The Flying Dutchman is being 
 seriously thought of. Already a scene-painter from 
 Munich has been specially engaged here. It is almost 
 impossible to find any one here to write out the parts,
 
 180 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 but only an ordinary copyist ; so I have had to write 
 to Cassel again about the orchestral parts. Still I 
 always hope that something will come in the way, so 
 that I may at least be free for the spring and summer, 
 and, undisturbed, be able to attend to my cure. 
 Herwegh will go with me this time to the hydropathic 
 establishment. 
 
 Have I now written enough ? What more indeed 
 can I tell you ? It could be nothing refreshing. Still, 
 Weber gives me hope of the possibility, in the future, 
 of a second edition of Oper und Drama, the sale of 
 which is highly satisfactory. Now and then I become 
 conscious that honest X. is egregiously deceiving me. 
 I read the Grenzboten long ago, but not right through, 
 because I found it very tedious. Why do you not 
 send me at once Glasbrenner's Lustige ? Ah, I am 
 tired ! Farewell. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 (1) I have still kept back this letter on account of 
 the enclosure. Yesterday evening, when my wife had 
 gone off to the ball, I read among other things your 
 last short criticisms in the paper (No. 5) ; they amused 
 me very much. The style of your brief notices seems 
 to me a kind of genre painting, in which you greatly 
 excel. I honestly compliment you on it. But what 
 
 does our venerable Dotzauer say ? If you still 
 
 have my Wiland sketch, please send it shortly with 
 the score. I am beginning to make my will ! 
 
 (2) Do you often think of your Adam-like state at 
 the Surene torrent ? The next time you are peschkering, 
 fancy you are sitting at your desk in that primitive
 
 TO UHLIG. l8l 
 
 garb, and wonder at the respect paid to you by the 
 highly-cultured fiddlers ! By the way, greetings from 
 the Uri-Rothstock. I saw it yesterday. What shall we 
 plan for this year? 
 
 (3) I enclose my article on Baumgartner, which has 
 just come from the printers. See what use you can 
 make of it ! I do not think I have been prejudiced 
 in any way through my friendly relation to B. What 
 I have said refers, in any case, more to the whole class 
 than to this particular species, which in itself is tolerably 
 innocent. It was more my object to have a slap at the 
 silly young folk here, X. X., etc. 
 
 W. B.'s Songs (Wilhelm Baumgartner's Lieder). 
 
 The position of the lyrics of the day towards modern 
 life is so artificial and complex, so that one often finds 
 it difficult to define the impression they make upon our 
 feelings. Most difficult of all is this with the poems of 
 our lyric literature, when translated into our art-music. 
 Poems, scarcely even intended for recitation, but rather 
 for silent reading, are set to music in such a fashion 
 that, when sung, they must necessarily appear to the 
 poet who wrote them as something wild and strange. 
 With a poem, which as a literary poem perfectly answered 
 to the poet's intention, and therefore in no way called 
 for musical expression, the musical composition can 
 naturally only be a special tone-poem of the musician's, 
 having often quite an arbitrary, and in the best case, 
 only a general bond of sympathy with the word-poem. 
 Thus, in the case of musical ballad-compositions for 
 our song-playing and singing public, the concern is
 
 182 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 only whether the music i.e., the melody be in itself 
 agreeable and entertaining ; the " text " is then only 
 important in so far as it enables the same melody to 
 be sung or played to the different verses. Fashion, 
 together with the ruling fashion of singing, is the only 
 standard whereby the agreeableness of these melodies 
 is measured. This changes for itself alone, and without 
 any relation to any particular poem, just as fashion in 
 dress changes without the slightest consideration for the 
 human figure ; so, for instance, the Rossini style of sing- 
 ing ruled at the same time as baggy ^^-sleeves, and 
 narrow short skirts, just as to-day the Bellini-Donizetti 
 style, with its affected feeling, comes in with narrow 
 sleeves, and baggy, stiffened, long skirts. I leave to 
 the natural philosopher in the domain of our civiliza- 
 tion to point out the necessity of these fashions. To 
 become a favourite and fashionable composer of this 
 kind is just as easy as to become a favourite and 
 fashionable tailor. The capability of satisfying the needs 
 of fashion, of which mention has been made, is not in 
 the least connected with genius; and it is only by 
 chance that now and then an individual of this class 
 rises above the mass. 
 
 Whoever does not aspire to be a modern popular 
 song-composer in the sense named, but who, as a 
 musician, seeks to express by means of his art the 
 feeling which a poem has called forth from him, so as 
 to communicate it to others, will be compelled to 
 preserve a far more intimate connection with the poem 
 than this. The feeling acquired by him as a musician 
 gives him first of all the tone-picture, in which it 
 expresses itself with satisfying clearness ; but he can
 
 TO UHLIG. 183 
 
 only succeed in giving the necessary individual shape 
 to that tone-picture by placing its outward form in 
 closest relationship to that of the word-poem. It is on 
 this path, and with this method, that we meet with. 
 Wilhelm Baumgartner; this is, without dispute, the 
 only truly artistic direction in which the fashionable 
 musician can move when face to face with the modern 
 poet. Baumgartner's tone-pictures, as they appear in 
 the vocal melody, and in an accompaniment which sup- 
 ports and renders clear this melody, are, in the first 
 place, products of purely musical invention ; but it is 
 refreshing also to perceive how these pictures become 
 musical exactly in the degree in which they are prompted 
 by the significant contents of the poem ; and this gives 
 us the best proof that the musician's attitude with re- 
 gard to the poet is the right one. These tone-poems are 
 noble throughout, and in them all influence of modern 
 mannerism disappears in proportion as the sensuous 
 (siiinlicii) form coincides with that of the poem ; the very 
 need of which is felt by the composer whose attitude 
 towards the poet is a natural one. Baumgartner, if he 
 would remain faithful to his sound artistic feeling in this 
 direction, must end by seeking for the poet who in his 
 poems no longer leaves anything to the purely musical 
 initiative of the composer, but brings to him the complete 
 sensuous and sentient germ for the blossoming of the 
 melody ; in other words, the poet who not only stimulates 
 his feeling to musical invention, but whose verse itself 
 supplies the living stuff for the formation of the melody. 
 May B. find this poet in his Swiss countryman and 
 friend Gottfr. Keller, and from the united creative power 
 of both, may the true song, inseparable from the poem
 
 1 84 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 as from the melody, blossom forth ; a song which is 
 not to be found in the fashionable productions of the 
 day, and towards which B., in the ballads before us, is 
 aiming with praiseworthy zeal. To enter into further 
 detail respecting these songs would be beside the aim 
 of this paper, and consequently of my communication. 
 On the other hand, my purpose has been merely to call 
 attention to the characteristic difference between B.'s 
 songs and the fashionable songs of the day, and to direct 
 to them all those to whom so distinct a phenomenon 
 may prove welcome. 
 
 55- 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I send you herewith my interpretation of the 
 Coriolanus overture. I have given up the idea of 
 noticing the performance myself in the Zeitungf. Musik : 
 I shall do well to hold my tongue a bit there now. But 
 I will tell you in the briefest terms what I would have 
 said, so as to induce you to devote a proper article to 
 the matter in question. 
 
 The conductor of compositions such as those of 
 Beethoven has seldom hitherto conceived the special 
 nature of his task. He should clearly be the channel 
 for their understanding by the laity ; and if, at bottom, 
 this can only be achieved by a completely adequate 
 performance, the question must next be how is such 
 a performance to be brought about ? The characteristic 
 of the great compositions of Beethoven is that they 
 are actual poems : that in them it is sought to bring 
 a real subject to representation. The stumbling- 
 block in the way of their comprehension lies in the
 
 TO UHLIG. 185 
 
 difficult task of finding with certainty the subject re- 
 presented. Beethoven was completely possessed by a 
 subject : his most pregnant tone-pictures are indebted 
 almost solely to the individuality of the subject with 
 which he was filled ; in consciousness of this, it appeared 
 to him superfluous to denote his subject otherwise than 
 in the tone-picture itself. Just as our word-poets really 
 address themselves only to other word-poets, so did 
 Beethoven in this unconsciously address himself only 
 to the tone-poets. Even the absolute musician, that is 
 to say, the ringer of the changes of absolute music, 
 could not understand Beethoven, because this absolute 
 musician looks always for the " How " and not the 
 " What." The laity, on the other hand, could but be 
 completely confused by these tone-pictures, and at 
 best be only led to pleasure in that which served 
 the tone-poet merely as the material means of his 
 expression. 
 
 It is only by absolute musicians that the tone-poems 
 of Beethoven have hitherto been presented to the 
 public ; and it is obvious that such a course could 
 only result in misunderstanding. The only province 
 of the absolute musician was the " How ; " and even 
 this he could not see aright if he did not first under- 
 stand the "What," for which the "How" was only 
 a vehicle. Thus the mutual relationship of the con- 
 ductor and the orchestra remained one of complete 
 misunderstanding ; the conductor laboured only to give 
 voice to musical phrases which he himself did not 
 understand, and had only appropriated to himself as 
 a reciter learns by heart pleasant-sounding verses 
 according to their sound which are composed in a
 
 1 86 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 foreign tongue, and one unknown to him. Naturally 
 it is only the sheer externals that can here be seized ; 
 the speaker can never deliver and intone with personal 
 conviction he must slavishly hold fast to the merest 
 outward accident of sound, in the manner in which 
 he has been taught to repeat the phrase by rote. Let 
 us conceive for a moment what measure of under- 
 standing a poet would meet with if, by the reciter 
 on the one hand, and the hearer on the other, the 
 word-tones only were reproduced and received ; as 
 must be the case were the poem presented in a 
 tongue which neither the declaimer (who had only 
 learnt it by ear) nor the hearer understood. Yet this 
 comparison with the customary performances of Beeth- 
 oven's works one can only pronounce exaggerated, 
 insomuch as one ascribes to tone-speech, as the more 
 universal, an easier and more immediate comprehensi- 
 bility than to rational word-speech. But here we find 
 the fallacy to lie in the particular sense in which we 
 use the word " understanding." Provided no special 
 poetic subject is expressed in the tone-speech, it may 
 by all means pass as easily understandable ; for there 
 can be no question of real understanding. If, however, 
 the expression of thb tone-speech is conditioned by a 
 poetical subject, this speech becomes straightway the 
 least comprehensible of all, if the poetical subject be 
 not at the same time defined by some other means of 
 expression than those of absolute music. 
 
 The riddle of the poetical subject of a tone-piece by 
 Beethoven is thus only to be solved by a tone-poet ; 
 for, as I remarked before, Beethoven involuntarily 
 appealed only to such, to those who were of like
 
 TO UHLIG. 187 
 
 feelings, like culture, nay, well-nigh like capability with 
 himself. Such a man alone can interpret these compo- 
 sitions to the understanding of the laity, and above all 
 by clearly defining the subject of the tone-poem, to the 
 executants as well as to the audience, and thus making 
 good an involuntary error in the technique of the 
 tone-poet, who omitted such denotement. If a right 
 understanding be not effected in such a way, every 
 performance of Beethoven's veritable tone-poems, how- 
 ever technically perfect, must, in a measure, remain 
 misunderstood. The most convincing proof of this we 
 may easily win by accurately gauging the attitude of our 
 modern concert-audience towards Beethoven's creations. 
 Were these really understood by the audience, that 
 is to say, consonantly with their poetical subject, how 
 could this same public tolerate a modern concert- 
 programme ? How were it possible to set before the 
 hearers of a Beethovenian Symphony at the same time 
 a medley of musical compositions utterly lacking in 
 depth of content ? Yet do not our musical conductors 
 and composers themselves, for the same reason, namely, 
 that they have not recognized the poetical basis of 
 these tone-creations, prove by the matter and the manner 
 of what, in spite of Beethoven's warning example, they 
 compose to-day, that they have never rightly understood 
 them ? 
 
 Were the confused and erratic instrumental com- 
 position-mongering of the day possible, if these people 
 had understood the true essence of Beethoven's tone- 
 poems? This essence of the great works of Beethoven 
 is that they are only in the last place Music, but, in 
 the first place, contain a poetic subject. Or shall
 
 1 88 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 we be told that this subject is only taken from the realm 
 of music ? Would this not be as much as to say that 
 the poet takes his subject from speech, the painter, his 
 from colour ? The musical conductor who sees in one 
 of Beethoven's tone-works nothing but the music, is 
 exactly like the reciter who should hold only by the 
 language of a poem, or the explainer of a picture who 
 should see in the painting nothing but its colour. This, 
 however, is the case with our conductors, even in the 
 best instances for many do not even so much as under- 
 stand the music they understand the key, the theme, 
 the distribution of the voices, the instrumentation, and 
 so on, and think that herewith they understand all the 
 contents of a tone-work. 
 
 It is only the non-professional musician who has 
 opened the path to the understanding of Beethoven's 
 works, as involuntarily he longed to know what special 
 thought had influenced the composer in his music. But 
 here men met their first obstacle. Imagination, striving 
 for understanding, laid its hand on all kinds of arbitrary 
 conceits, of romantic scenes and picturesque adventure. 
 The grotesqueness, and for the most part triviality, of 
 such interpretations was soon detected and thrust on 
 one side by minds of finer calibre. As such pictures 
 proved distasteful, folk thought it the best plan to lay 
 aside once for all any kind of explanation. Yet in the 
 impulse that led to such attempts at interpretation 
 there lay a right sound instinct ; but it was only pos- 
 sible for one completely intimate with the characteristic 
 traits of the tone-work to designate its subject, in such 
 a manner as it had even though unconsciously 
 hovered before the vision of the tone-poet himself
 
 TO UHLIG. 189 
 
 Again, the great difficulty of such interpretations lay 
 in the character of the subject itself, which is only pre- 
 sented to us by the tone-poet in his tone-painting ; and 
 only one who had well weighed this difficulty could 
 successfully dare attempt to assist a right understanding 
 in the needful manner. Here you might narrate the 
 history of the performance of the Ninth Symphony at 
 Dresden, and above all the remarkable success attained 
 there by this reputedly most difficult of all composi- 
 tions. Further, you might relate how I never after 
 that consented to a performance of one of Beethoven's 
 compositions without in some way directing myself to 
 the understanding in this fashion, and that I was im- 
 pelled thereto by the irrepressible feeling of the necessity 
 of such understanding. Most striking in every case 
 was the effect of my method upon the executants 
 themselves. Even the most ordinary dance-musicians 
 I have here in Zurich coached up to performances of 
 which neither the public nor themselves had before 
 the slightest anticipation. (Take this as though it came 
 from a private source, as, for instance, that K. had told 
 you the tale.) You might then adduce my pamphlet, 
 " The Heroic Symphony," and report how great was 
 the effect of its understanding, especially upon the 
 musicians. [I must here note that my chief explana- 
 tions are given in the rehearsals by word of mouth, 
 and at the appropriate passages.] It was, however, 
 in my " Coriolan Overture " that I was able to arrive 
 at the clearest interpretation of the poetical subject. 
 I may say that he who knows accurately my explana- 
 tion of this subject, and follows its clue from phrase 
 to phrase, must admit that without this explanation
 
 190 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 he had never understood this most plastic of all tone- 
 works ; unless, indeed, he had from the general title, 
 " Overture to Coriolan" felt out for himself the scene 
 just as I did myself. With such an understanding 
 the enjoyment of such a composition is immeasurably 
 enhanced. At present almost all our musicians have . . . 
 etc., etc. 
 
 And the goal of this endeavour ? THE DRAMA ! ! ! 
 
 Only notices of this kind, best friend, must hence- 
 forth be given in the Zeitung fur Musik. You see 
 how much there is to say on that point. Let us hold 
 fast to the principle which I laid down in my letter 
 to Brendel : " Ever to raise, strengthen, and advance 
 music, where it is developing itself in the direction of 
 poetical art ; and where this is not the case, to point 
 out the mistake, and condemn what is faulty." Beyond 
 this nothing should be done now. If this is not done 
 well, I don't care a rap ; for, after all, the happiness 
 of my life does not depend on the Zeitung fur Musik. 
 
 Adieu for to-day. 
 
 ****** 
 
 I must hastily add something to what I have said 
 above, viz., that in a certain most weighty, and per- 
 haps the only right sense, Beethoven has hitherto been 
 only understood by wow-musicians, and by professional 
 musicians not at all. 
 
 (You must work all this out in greater detail.) 
 Mendelssohn's performance of Beethoven's works was 
 always based only upon their purely musical side, 
 and never upon their poetical contents, which he could 
 not grasp at all ; otherwise he would himself have 
 brought far other wares to market. For my own part,
 
 TO UHLIG. 
 
 Mendelssohn's conducting, despite its great technical 
 delicacy, always left me unsatisfied as to the root of the 
 matter ; it was always as though he could not trust to 
 letting that be said which Beethoven meant, because he 
 was not at one with himself as to whether anything at 
 all was meant, and if so, what ? Thus he always held 
 on to the letter with the finest of musical cleverness, 
 and thus was like our philologists, who, in their exposi- 
 tions of Greek poets, must always point out the literal 
 characters, the particles, the various readings, etc., but 
 never the real contents. Mendelssohn's gross errors in 
 the conception of the tempi show clearly his failure to 
 comprehend the content of a composition ; and this 
 every one will recognize who, for instance, heard his 
 tempo for the first movement of the Ninth Symphony, 
 which he took so fast that the whole movement was 
 distorted to the direct opposite of what it really is. 
 In this he suddenly revealed himself to me as a most 
 ordinary music-maker, and I recognized at once the 
 reason why he himself could never create anything 
 different from what he did create. 
 Well, enough on this matter. 
 
 Please be good enough to see at once to the following 
 with Brendel. For the edition in pamphlet form of my 
 open letter to him, I want added to the note under the 
 text (relating to the Grenzboteri) something which I had 
 forgotten, but which for clearness' sake ought not to be 
 left forgotten. It should run as follows : 
 
 " That among our critical literary men, etc. From 
 that you see, etc. From the frontier (Grenze) line which 
 they have drawn, they send out their runners (Boten) 
 right and left, and so know how to manage in any event ;
 
 192 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 /just as lately they denounced me on the 
 left hand to the democrats as a secret 
 aristocrat, and to the centre of our civili- 
 
 Here comes 
 
 zation, the Jews, as their bitterest per- 
 
 t he new\ secutor ; so we may be sure that if the 
 matter. Russian police should march in from the 
 
 right, they would equally hand us over 
 to these, after they had recommended 
 ^ their literary rubbish to their protection. 
 The fear of chastisement," etc. 
 
 You see my only purpose in mentioning the Grenzboten 
 is to show them up as scoundrels. 
 
 Now, only fancy, you must send me another score ; 
 and, indeed, of the Flying Dutchman. I cannot let the 
 theatre here have my extra copy, as I have retouched 
 the instrumentation, and so intend it to serve as model 
 to the score-copies which may be wanted later on. So 
 as soon as the score which you will send for our theatre 
 has been made like my copy, I shall send the latter first 
 of all to Weimar, so that the score there may likewise 
 be made to correspond, and then have it forwarded to 
 you, so that you may have it at your disposal in case 
 new scores should have to be got ready. So get your 
 good wife again to take up her needle and packing- 
 canvas, and send me a Dutchman to Zurich ; but don't 
 be angry at my worrying you again. 
 
 The censor-gap in your " information " is quite intel- 
 ligible to me, now that I know what has been struck 
 out. If ever I should wish to bring out a new edition 
 of my old works, " Art and Revolution," etc., I should 
 be prepared for a prohibition. Two years ago they had 
 not plucked up this courage of reaction which they have
 
 TO UHLIG. 193 
 
 now acquired. I wonder whether they will pursue us 
 right into the territory of art, so as to suppress all ideas 
 of an innovatory character. They have, in fact, left us 
 a fatal playground, and one day they will understand 
 what dangerous use can be made of it against them. I 
 feel almost inclined to inform against this danger, so as 
 to compel them to place art also under police super- 
 vision. I am convinced one might bring them to look 
 upon literature as the most innocent thing of all. 
 
 It seems as though the letter I expect from you to- 
 day will not arrive, and so I will close this epistle on 
 art and literature, that you may be able to enjoy it in 
 right time. Yesterday evening I rehearsed the C-minor 
 symphony again ; I fancy the performance would not have 
 left you cold. Anyhow, it is far better than the Dresden 
 performance, whers, out of respect for you worthy 
 royal-chamber musicians, I had to slur over the best 
 which could have been said. I only wish you could 
 hear the 'cello theme of the second movement played, 
 and compare it with the muffled tone of your famous 
 mechanical players. 
 
 Adieu. Greetings at home and to the R.'s. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 Sunday, February i$tli, '52. 
 
 5 6. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I really cannot imagine that you will again 
 have to send packing-canvas to me at Zurich : in all 
 probability the matter is now at an end. But keep the 
 material, nevertheless : perhaps you will soon have 
 
 13
 
 194 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 to send it off in some other direction for me. The 
 Leipzig people (in a foolish manner, through Sturm 
 and Koppe) inquired about the honorarium for 
 Tannhauscr. I have replied to Rietz, and promised 
 the score, but only on condition that Rietz would 
 answer for the quality of the performance. Within 
 a very short space of time' Tannhduser has been given 
 four times in succession at Schwerin, the subscription 
 list being withdrawn, and with crowds from all parts 
 (even by rail) : the success is so great that they might 
 soon try Lohengrin. Anyhow, they have commenced 
 well there : for instance, they were very firm with the 
 singers, who, at first, had to learn all the recitatives in 
 strict time, and thus find out that they could not 
 possibly declaim them better than as I had prescribed ; 
 only after that were they allowed a little liberty, etc. 
 
 Nothing will come of the Dutchman here this time : 
 the manager wished to have the decorations painted 
 at Munich, and for that it is now too late. Heaven 
 be praised ! So for the present I am rid of this 
 martyrdom : Fischer and Tichatschek must hold that 
 matter of the parts in suspense : after all they might 
 be wanted. 
 
 Make your mind easy about the Tannhattser over- 
 ture ! The Musical Society will send for the .best 
 fiddlers, etc., from Basle, Aarau, Schaffhausen, etc., 
 nearly all of them German-born musical directors. I 
 shall have eighteen to twenty violins, six violas, and 
 five 'cellos, including a great virtuoso, Bohm (from the 
 Hechingen orchestra). And then our little orchestra 
 has made wonderful progress : the wind-players 
 clarinets, oboes, and horn are first-rate. The Egmont
 
 TO UHLIG. 195 
 
 enti j acte I had practised with the oboist, in my own 
 room, as if he were a lady vocalist: the fellow 
 could not contain himself for joy at what he at last 
 produced. 
 
 At the first rehearsal of the Tannhauser overture 
 (which, contrary to all my expectations, went off 
 exceedingly well) the orchestra begged me to give them 
 an explanation of the contents, after the fashion of the 
 Coriolan Overture, because then they would be able 
 to " play better." The explanation is ready : I enclose 
 you two copies (one of them for the R.'s). The 
 performance is announced for March i6th ; item, the 
 Pastoral Symphony, as a good contrast. 
 
 I have not kept my Don Juan arrangement (Bear- 
 beitung). I had done nothing more than carefully 
 shade the orchestration, translate the dialogue afresh, 
 and condense some of the scenes so as to avoid 
 scene-shifting, to that end I specially modified the 
 scenes, and finally wrote a recitative for Donna 
 Anna and Octavio, so as to connect the churchyard 
 scene with the Donna Anna Aria, . likewise to avoid 
 scene-shifting. After Don Juan and Leporello have 
 gone over the wall, the orchestra softly prolongs the 
 chord of F major ; the two mourners (accompanied by 
 servants with torches) come to place wreaths on the 
 grave of the Commendatore ; it is here that a short 
 dialogue commences mezzo recitative, leading directly 
 to the Aria, which latter, when sung in the churchyard, 
 gains a very noble and plaintive colour. Besides 
 certain trifling changes, I did not, for instance, allow 
 the great Quartet to commence with the stupid solo 
 " B flat " in the bass while Elvira softly utters her
 
 196 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 complaint, but made Elvira sing the introductory words 
 from the preceding recitative, " Treff ich Dich wieder, 
 treuloser Heuchler" accompanied by the full volume 
 of the string quartet, so that the B flat (full chord) 
 is merely the close of that phrase, whereas it is 
 generally placed (in ridiculous fashion) at the com- 
 mencement. 
 
 That's enough about this patch-work ! If you wish 
 to give the article prompted by me a title and a name, 
 I cannot considering the purport of my remarks I 
 cannot at all see how you could call it, " R. W. on the 
 tone-poet B." I should think the following more 
 suitable : " On the conducting of Beethoven's in- 
 strumental works ; " or if you wish to honour me also 
 in the title : " R. W. as conductor of Beethoven's 
 instrumental works." 
 
 A subject is here touched upon truly fatal to our 
 post-Beethoven musical doings : in my opinion, nothing 
 less than the proof that Beethoven, in his true es- 
 sentials, is universally and absolutely not understood. 
 I, at least, cannot view the matter otherwise, as I 
 myself have become convinced that /, too, have only 
 understood Beethoven since I sought for the poetical 
 subject of his tone utterances, and at last found it : 
 Coriolan proves this clearly to me. I maintain that 
 until now people, when they performed the real 
 Beethoven, have only imitated and listened to a 
 language of which they perceived only the outward 
 sound, which indeed they only understood as you 
 perchance understand sonorous Greek verse when you 
 hear it recited ; i.e., you take pleasure in the sound, 
 now soft, now strong, now muffled, now clear, but you
 
 TO UHLIG. 197 
 
 do not perceive the sense which is conveyed in this 
 verse. Is it otherwise ? What now is all our idolatry 
 of Beethoven ? Answer ! 
 
 I have already countermanded my order to Brendel 
 about the note (concerning the Grenzboteri) : it must 
 be entirely omitted. They have attacked me with the 
 commonest of critical blackguardism, and I should 
 have had to take notice of Schladebach and company, 
 if I had referred to them. They scent out death, and 
 in dying show their real nature : base churls, that is 
 what they are F. at the head. If you doubt this, 
 I will prove it you to a hair. So nothing more of 
 this ! 
 
 I do not advise you to take the post of musical 
 director : you would become much more of a slave, 
 and have many more disagreeables, than is now the 
 case. If the post should be offered to you you will 
 completely crush L. if you tell him this straight out, 
 and such an effect could only be an advantage ! 
 
 I am heartily glad that your godfather-and-baptism- 
 business is happily over. Luxurious being ! I have 
 never spent anything for the baptism of a child. 
 
 (I have procured four of the Mozart symphonies 
 which I wished to produce at Dresden gradually ; 
 among these, the one in D major. ) 
 
 I thank you for your garden-concert propaganda of 
 Lohengrin : do as you like in it. Unfortunately all 
 this is quite indifferent to me, especially everything 
 connected with Dresden. That is really the most 
 miserable nest which I have come across on my earthly 
 path. 
 
 Do not think it necessary to send me water- warnings :
 
 1 98 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 in Albisbrunn I followed the cure, and tried to get quite 
 rid of my eruption. Here I am living according to 
 Rausse's " Missgriffe, etc."- 
 
 A morning wash of sixteen, now as much as twenty, 
 degrees of heat, comprises all. No compresses what- 
 ever. For the rest I am now passing through a crisis 
 with regard to my future cure-plans, the result of which 
 I shall shortly be able to let you know. 
 
 H. Miiller has returned from Paris : he is now trying 
 for a staff-appointment in the confederacy. 
 
 Some new acquaintances have forced themselves on 
 me : the men are highly indifferent to me, the women 
 less so. Thus it is with some Swiss families of the 
 aristocracy here (I refer only to the women !). I am 
 astonished to find so much vivacity and even charm 
 amongst them. On this occasion I take the liberty of 
 advising you : do not be alarmed on my account ! 
 There will be no " scandal " ! I can no longer take 
 pleasure in men, nor even in women : yet this last 
 element is the only one which now and then helps me 
 to an illusion, for concerning men I can no longer 
 cherish any. Thus I often play here with quite 
 brilliant soap-bubbles ; when our soft atmosphere 
 in a moment causes one to burst, it amuses me to send 
 another aloft at once. 
 
 Besides Zurich is rapidly increasing in size: 
 
 hundreds of elegant residences are being built this 
 year, on account of the ever-growing crowd of well- 
 bred, well-to-do foreigners who settle down here to 
 escape from the worries of the rest of Europe. 
 
 Farewell for to-day ! What is the matter with your 
 letters ? You dwell at length on trifles, and then
 
 TO UHLIG. 199 
 
 when I am expecting something, hey presto ! the paper 
 is at an end ! 
 
 Are you again domiciled in Dresden ? Well, take 
 this not as a reproach, but as a request. 
 
 Greetings at home and to the R.'s ! They need not 
 be anxious, they will not lose me ! Adieu ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, February 26th, '52. 
 
 I should like to have the Wiland for my will : I 
 think daily of death. 
 
 Ask the R.'s to salute the Bayer for me : I have 
 a great liking for her, on account of her courageous 
 behaviour in the eventual theatre conspiracy against 
 E. D. 
 
 57- 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I also recommend to you a choice book, 
 " Musical Letters" by a well-known man (Riccius), 
 Part I., Letter 25 ; "Male and Female Vocalists" p. 224, 
 and, moreover, Part II., p. 157. 
 
 As motto one might take : " One should be very 
 clear oneself before making an assertion."- 
 
 This book was sent me here from the publishers, 
 and I must confess to you that I was seized with the 
 weakness to do some more scribbling for the papers. 
 I wanted to write an open letter to Riccius for the 
 Zeitschrift, give free rein to my humour, and honour- 
 ably explain that having once set R. awry, and not 
 being able to restore his reason, I now wished to make
 
 200 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 him thoroughly crazy (a la Rockel), etc. That this 
 plan at once filled me with disgust again, I point out 
 to you in the interest of truth, and look upon it as 
 a good sign of my recovery. 
 
 You are really very lazy with your paper, and you 
 might be a little quicker to hand with corrections, etc. 
 Apropos! is your notice of Oper und Drama ready 
 yet? 
 
 I have not learnt anything very new from Dr. 
 Graban's pamphlet on diet : with his revelations of 
 Rausse's exaggerations the author comes somewhat 
 postfestum. Any one who has read Rausse's last work, 
 " Missgriffe," 'must find it precious cool of Graban, 
 who has enriched himself in all positive matters at 
 Rausse's expense, to make so much of the mistakes 
 which Rausse himself had already corrected, and from 
 which, by analogy, one may well conclude that Rausse, 
 had he lived longer, would have accomplished far more 
 in the way of correction than Herr Graban will ever 
 succeed in doing. In Rausse the fresh touch of nature 
 specially appealed to me : Graban takes a middle 
 course between what we might be, and what we 
 actually are. He justifies the existence of the medical 
 profession, and in this at least he is right, for we shall 
 stand in need of doctors and the science of medicine 
 so long as we live in our present condition. Graban 
 is often downright trivial. But what interested me 
 most was his confirmation of a matter, which, after 
 discussions with Herwegh and others, had already 
 become quite clear to me, namely the exaggeration, 
 founded on want of knowledge, in Rausse's views on 
 heterogeneous substances, the so-called poisons : I
 
 TO UHLIG. 201 
 
 confess that my former firm faith in Rausse had led 
 me in this respect into ridiculous self-tortures and 
 absurd assertions. Well, in that matter you had your 
 good share of blame ! 
 
 I will write to you about my state of health and 
 about my future plans of cure as soon as I have come 
 to a decision, the determination of which I am waiting 
 to hear from an uncommonly gifted and (despite his 
 youth) experienced hydropathist, Lindemann by name, 
 now living in exile in Paris. Kietz could never say 
 enough to me about him : by a marvellously mild water 
 regimen he cured him of a very serious complaint. 
 In France he is now making a sensation : his cures, 
 to several of which Miiller can testify from personal 
 knowledge, are said to be extraordinary ; he know r s 
 me through my Paris friends and from my writings ; 
 he is very fond of me, and wishes I would consult him. 
 His speciality seems to be nervous complaints. On 
 principle he is opposed to cures in hydropathic esta- 
 blishments; he shows that everything is done there 
 by the rule of thumb. For me this is of great im- 
 portance ; for although I have the best will to do 
 everything which will help me to get well, yet I have 
 an equally strong dislike to a prolonged stay in a 
 health-establishment. To my disadvantage I have 
 found out that only very mild treatment is of any 
 avail to me : my cure, therefore, can only be effected 
 very slowly, and can merely consist in suitable dieting. 
 It is quite impossible for. me to stay half a year in a 
 hydropathic establishment : to bid farewell tp intel- 
 lectual life and active work is with me the surest 
 source of fresh uneasiness and suffering. I am
 
 202 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 awaiting Lindemann's advice. If I had the money, 
 I would go straight to Paris and see him. I cannot 
 fully explain to you on what my great faith in Linde- 
 mann is founded ; it has not sprung up in a night. 
 I have got so far that I place no faith in any system, 
 but only in a specially gifted and sound physician, in 
 an individual. For such an one I long, not for any fads. 
 Still you shall soon hear more. Tell all this to 
 the R.'s, however. 
 
 You wrote to me last on February 28th. Since then 
 on the 29th you must have received a letter from 
 me. I thought you would have answered this by now, 
 and wait again to-day in vain for it. 
 
 I thank you for your communication respecting 
 Gutzkow and D. ; I scarcely know what use I can 
 make of it. Gutzkow is cunning. D. makes a wretched 
 impression on me : he is the very type of a mind 
 fundamentally narrowed by its weakness. Where he 
 cannot comprehend anything beyond his own weak 
 reach, it is so convenient for him to despair, and to 
 console himself with the " imperfection " of all earthly 
 things ! Really the man deserves nothing but contempt. 
 You have attached too much importance to my inquiry 
 concerning him. 
 
 B. writes me that he wishes to publish, through the 
 Hartels, two paraphrases for pianoforte of a March 
 from Lohengrin, and of one from Tannhauser: con- 
 cerning the latter he must first consult X. I naturally 
 give my consent, and X., too, will surely not be so 
 enterprising as to wish to publish the Tannhauser 
 March all by himself: this would certainly not please 
 B., as he would much rather have the two pieces
 
 TO UHLIG. 203 
 
 brought out by the same publisher. On the other 
 hand, X. might perhaps make some profit out of the 
 thing, and (in the interest of the creditors) I must 
 leave entirely to X. the answer which he will give 
 to B. 
 
 One thing more ! A. Miiller, of this place, who 
 bought a pianoforte edition of Tannhaiiser when it 
 first came out, would like to have the new ending. 
 Many, in fact nearly all, who possess the old pianoforte 
 edition would be of the same mind, and I therefore 
 think it would be quite the right thing for X. to bring 
 out a separate copy of the new ending, from the 
 corresponding page onwards, and offer it for sale as 
 " Supplement to the first edition." He would then 
 have to send this off to those libraries where he origin- 
 ally placed the pianoforte editions. Naturally he 
 should not have too many struck off, at most perhaps 
 fifty ; if these should not prove sufficient, it could be 
 easily remedied later on. Only it would have to be 
 properly advertised. 
 
 Up to to-day I have not had any answer from the 
 Leipzig theatre. Brendel received from me some time 
 ago a notice about my position here, concerning which 
 many false reports are circulated. He was to use 
 it as a note to a report received by him from Lorenz 
 of Winterthur, of a concert performance here. 
 Why is this not done ? Remind him of it at your 
 convenience. 
 
 I have now spent five days over this letter : I was 
 always expecting one from you in answer to my last. 
 You seem, however, to have counted on receiving news 
 from me first ! So let these lines go off.
 
 204 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 We are having a spell of bright sunshine, and my 
 spirits are improving somewhat. Ah ! if I could only 
 have a pleasant journey this summer to Italy. I am 
 always devouring capital : how unfitting that, on the 
 other hand, I get foddered with bare interest ! ! 
 Farewell. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, March nth, '52. 
 
 58. 
 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 My wife often does me the wrong of keeping 
 something up her sleeve at convenient seasons, and 
 then bringing it out at an inconvenient one, when she 
 can no longer help herself. Thus lately she informed 
 me that her parents would have to move on the ist of 
 April, and up to that time would be in urgent need 
 of help. We can just manage here up to May, when 
 I again expect money from R. ; but I can no longer 
 undertake to send money away from here : so I should 
 be right glad if an application were made to me from 
 Leipzig respecting the price of the Tannhduser score ; 
 in a letter to Rietz I asked twenty-five louis d'or. Had 
 they accepted these terms, I meant first of all to let 
 you have this sum, so that you could take from it not 
 only what moneys you have laid out, but also twenty- 
 five thalers for my poor parents-in-law. Unfortunately 
 I have had to wait in vain for an answer from Leipzig, 
 and I must therefore look about for other means of 
 help, in the pressing emergency just mentioned. With 
 regard to my debt to you, 1 had already determined to
 
 TO UHL1G. 205 
 
 ask the R.'s to send their next remittance through you 
 (to which, indeed, they do not object). You would keep 
 back what you have spent for me, and we could always 
 go on thus, for as a rule in every half year you will 
 have spent money on my account. If you approve 
 of this, I have only in the present emergency to ask 
 if you could get me the necessary twenty-five thalers 
 for my parents-in-law on credit, or lend it yourself? 
 I really hope that this will be possible to so thoroughly 
 substantial a man as yourself, and, in this hope, I beg 
 you to see after my parents-in-law as quickly as 
 possible; anyhow, before the 1st of April. At the 
 beginning of May you will then receive from the R.'s 
 (to which effect I shall write to them at the proper 
 moment) the half-year's subsidy for me, out of which 
 you will at once repay yourself. I should be extremely 
 glad if the matter could be so arranged; it can be 
 done, can't it ? 
 
 The performance of the Tannhauser overture has 
 now taken place : it surpassed all my expectations, 
 for it really went admirably. You can best judge of 
 this by its effect, which was quite terrific. I do not 
 speak of the burst of applause which immediately 
 followed it, but of the symptoms of that effect, which 
 only came gradually to my knowledge. The women, 
 in particular, were turned inside out; the impression 
 made on them was so strong that they had to take 
 refuge in sobs and weeping. Even the rehearsals 
 were crowded, and marvellous were the accounts given 
 to me of the first effect, which expressed itself chiefly 
 as profound sorrowfulness ; only after this had found 
 relief in tears, came the agreeable feeling of the
 
 206 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 highest, exuberant joy. Certainly this effect was only 
 made possible by my explanation of the subject-matter 
 of the overture ; but though my own work again 
 made a most powerful impression on me I was 
 quite astounded at this unusually drastic operation. 
 A woman it was who solved the riddle : people look 
 on me as a merciless preacher against the sin of 
 hypocrisy. After what I have accomplished with it 
 here, I begin to set some store by this piece of music : 
 I really cannot think of any other tone-poem capable 
 of exercising a like powerful effect on sensitive, in- 
 telligent natures. But .the concert-hall is its place, 
 and not the theatre, where it is a mere prelude to the 
 opera. There I should propose only to give the first 
 tempo of the overture : the rest in the fortunate 
 event of its being understood is too much in front 
 of the drama ; in the opposite event, too little. 
 
 The day after the performance Schmidt wrote to 
 me from Frankfort that he thought he could venture 
 Tannhauser shortly. As a preliminary, he begged 
 me to let him conduct the Overture and the March 
 at a grand concert. I at once sent him, for that 
 purpose, several hundred copies of the explanation. 
 
 It is all right now about the Flying Dutchman : it 
 will be produced here in the second half of April. 
 I can no longer prevent it : my friends here press 
 me too much. A scene-painter and machinist have 
 been specially engaged for the staging of the opera : 
 for the orchestra, etc., everything possible is to be 
 done. The singers are well-chosen. And so the 
 performance will be good perhaps very good. The 
 Tannhauser Overture has given me anew a great
 
 TO UHLIG. 207 
 
 opinion of my talent for making the impossible pos- 
 sible. Would that the R.'s could be present at the 
 performance here ! 
 
 At last I get a post-office slip which promises news 
 from you. I had already ceased trying to imagine 
 what (could) must have happened to you, that you had 
 completely given up writing to me. I shall wait till the 
 packet comes from the post, and then close these 
 lines ! 
 
 I have just read your Figaro letter, and thank you 
 heartily for it. I will write to you more in detail 
 soon, with a parcel which I have to send you. 
 
 How I reproach myself when, through some remark 
 concerning your conduct, I cause you to offer explana- 
 tions. Truly, in our intercourse, if one of us two 
 need to make apology, it is 7, once and always. Pay 
 no attention, if now and then something in my letters 
 vexes you. Unfortunately I am often in such bitter 
 humour that it almost affords me a cruel relief to 
 offend some one ; this is a calamity which only makes 
 me the more deserving of pity. Only, pay no atten- 
 tion to it ! But be ever assured that I love you from 
 my inmost heart, and that you are often my only 
 consolation. 
 
 I am now again frightfully fagged ; but in the face 
 of spring, and of setting to work at my poem, I take 
 fresh courage. Call me not vain if I confess to you 
 that the wonderful effects which I produce around me 
 restore to me now and then a pleasant consciousness 
 of my existence: again it is always the "ever 
 womanly " (" Ewig Weibliche ") which fills me with 
 sweet illusions and warm thrills of life's delight. The
 
 208 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 moist, shining eye of a woman often saturates me 
 with fresh hope. But you do not complain if I hide 
 myself from you and hold back ! 
 
 Your news about R. rejoiced me ! In his position 
 it is only a question of stoicism, and of showing no 
 weak spot to his torturers ! May I be accursed if ever 
 an enemy shall hear me complain : against such we 
 must be bold and hard as stone. If ever I wish to rid 
 me of my life, I know for what I will venture it 
 however, I will not boast. 
 
 Farewell for to-day ; greetings to Siegfried ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, March 2Oth, '52. 
 
 Don't let me wait again so long for a letter. 
 
 If Brendel wants to have a joke with a portrait of me, 
 he ought not to take the old drawing, which I no longer 
 resemble ; better from a new daguerreotype. 
 
 59- 
 DEAR FELLOW ! 
 
 Look you ! L. K. is a silly owl ! He only 
 looks at opera- and drama-making as a thing for itself: 
 of the subject from which this is only given off as an 
 external manifestation of its inner essence, of the free 
 man, he has as yet no conception. Whence this 
 enthusiasm is really derived is a mystery to me an 
 enthusiasm for an artistic form without contents ! 
 Good heavens ! and such men are my propagandists ! 
 Well, it does no harm, but neither does it do any 
 good ; especially as the good which could result from
 
 TO UHLIG. 209 
 
 such propaganda must be quite an imaginary one. 
 O, ye men ! act as ye feel ; be free then shall we 
 feel healthily ; produce Art ! But whosoever fondly 
 dreams of the conversion of theatre managers and the 
 public, he is really as great a fool as the rest ! Never 
 mind ! Besides, K. is decidedly more enthusiastic 
 about Brendel than about me. 
 
 Yesterday I saw Marschner's Vampyr. A new 
 method of cure: "Moonshine does the trick!" I 
 was much amused to find that the public were not at 
 all affected by the loathsomeness of the subject ; of 
 course this is only dulness of feeling, which in the 
 contrary case would be equally unconcerned at its 
 tenderness. In an opera children may be slaughtered 
 and eaten, and the public will take no note of what is 
 going on. This time the music quite disgusted me : 
 this duet, trio, and quartet, singing and drawling is 
 downright stupid and devoid of taste, as it does not 
 even charm the senses, and so only offers so many 
 notes played and sung. I willingly grant that there 
 are some exceptions to be made ; but now first I see 
 how far above this so-called " German " manner my 
 operas stand. Heaven knows this is only a German 
 soled-and-heeled Italian music, impotent sophistry ; 
 nothing more nor less. The poisoned flute in 
 " Austin " amused me much. 
 
 March 251/1. Yesterday I received a letter from a 
 lady (of aristocratic birth) who thanks me for my 
 writings : " they have been her salvation ; " she 
 declares herself a thorough-paced revolutionary. So 
 it is always women who, with regard to me, have their 
 hearts in the right place, whilst I must almost entirely 
 
 14
 
 2IO RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 give up men. If I were to compare this woman with 
 
 L . . . . K ! (A letter has just come from 
 
 Fischer which I must read.) 'Twas nothing, only 
 about seeing to the parts for the Flying Dutchman. 
 
 I have read your last letter through once more, and 
 have found nothing special to answer. Only one wish 
 has it strongly called forth to see you soon again ! 
 That you should not pay me a visit this year pains me 
 deeply, and all the more as I see how much less happy 
 you will be during that time in Dresden than you 
 would if you came here ! In truth I greatly pity you, 
 and your resignation naturally does not much comfort 
 me. How merrily and (under certain conditions) how 
 prosperously could we, who are on intimate terms, 
 live, if we made trial of an intelligent communism ! 
 If, in leading a modest life of close communion, the 
 united income of a family were distributed among us, 
 what sufficiency we all should have to enjoy our little 
 bit of life without a care ! On what miserable living 
 is it now expended ! Truly, between theory and 
 practice, there is an infernal difference ! 
 
 Yesterday a portrait painter and lithographer pounced 
 upon me : he wants to take me entirely on his own 
 account ; his trial-sketches have much pleased me ; so 
 at last I am in for it. In connection with this, Brendel 
 came into my mind. If he means to give me, he 
 ought not to take the old daub : as it concerns my 
 physiognomy, I am a little interested in the matter ; 
 I am tired of that silly dressing-gown portrait. So 
 beg him the rather not to give my portrait. If 
 I am taken by the painter here it will naturally 
 be in large size, and thus it probably will not
 
 TO UHLIG. 2 1 I 
 
 do for the newspaper. So let the matter quite 
 alone ! 
 
 For the moment friend and fiddler Ernst is here : 
 this G-to-E being was, in a measure, recommended to 
 me, and so I cannot altogether escape from his 
 melancholy string-existence. He brought me a 
 message from Hiller, who, with regard to a remark 
 in my Preface, begs to assure me, that though he 
 might not always understand me, yet he is not only 
 my " former " but also my present friend. (People of 
 this sort are now beginning to feel highly piqued : my 
 retiring into my shell casts a fatal shadow on their 
 path.) 
 
 No answer yet from Leipzig : Rietz must have taken 
 fright at me. Only Sturm and Koppe have inquired of 
 the theatre director here, if he perchance knew why 
 I had not answered them ! 
 
 I now send you to-day a newly arranged score of 
 the Flying Dutchman, with the request that you will 
 keep it by you once for all, so that in case the score 
 should ever be asked for, the copy could be made from 
 it as in the case of Tannhauser. As Liszt is thinking 
 of giving this opera in the summer, I particularly beg 
 you to ask him to return at once the score which he 
 has there, the one which was sent to him by my wife 
 in the summer of 1849, so that you may set it right 
 before the parts are copied out. You would then send 
 him back the corrected copy. 
 
 (Put all this down to our half-yearly account, as I 
 lately mentioned.) 
 
 At first I did not wish to systematically revise this 
 score : for on closer examination I found that to re-
 
 212 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 arrange the instrumentation, in accordance with my 
 present experience, I should have, for the most part, 
 to do all the work over again; and, naturally, the 
 desire for such a task cooled down at once. In order 
 to reduce the whole brass, for instance, to reasonable 
 proportions, I should have had to alter everything 
 consistently therewith ; for the brass was not merely 
 incidental here, but was determined by the whole 
 manner not only of the scoring, but of the composition 
 itself. 
 
 This discovery certainly vexed me, but I would 
 rather confess the fault than improve it in an unsatis- 
 factory manner. Only, therefore, where it was purely 
 superfluous have I struck out some of the brass, here 
 and there given it a somewhat more human tone, and 
 only thoroughly overhauled the coda of the overture. 
 I remember that it was just this coda which always 
 annoyed me at the performances ; now I think it will 
 answer to my original intention. The changes must 
 be clearly indicated in the score, and often it would be 
 best for them to be written out on fresh sheets of 
 stout paper : better spend a little money on it than 
 have anything unclear ! 
 
 This work, however, has altogether much interested 
 me : it has an uncommonly impressive colour, and 
 indeed, one most definite in character. It is striking 
 to see how embarrassed I then was by musical declama- 
 tion ; and the operatic style of singing (for instance 
 fe 1 fc) still weighed heavily on my imagina- 
 tion. 
 
 Your article on the Schumann symphony was again 
 wonderfully learned : you are a d d fine fellow !
 
 TO UHLIG. 213 
 
 I am curious to see what will come of it.- For the rest 
 it does not occur to me to expect anything from the 
 paper for myself ! I know that in all that concerns 
 the practical present I speak to the wind, and must 
 wait in vain ; but I am content if I prove this in 
 effect, and thus ever reveal anew the necessity for 
 the total overthrow of our modern practice at any 
 rate, to all thinking minds. 
 
 The song did not satisfy me : it were better it had 
 been left out ; it is all made bar by bar, and with no 
 grasp of the whole. These eternal harmonic tricks 
 are becoming quite intolerable to me now, and I 
 believe now that I have my rhythmic verse to hand- 
 that in future I shall be able to proceed quite otherwise 
 with harmony than formerly. By this I do not mean 
 that I should return to patriarchal simplicity : but my 
 harmonies will move in broader expansion more 
 distinctly, and more definitely. This at least is how 
 my new lyrical element made possible by means of 
 my new verse is revealing itself to me. 
 
 With regard to X.'s assurance and your timidity, 
 you have quite the right feeling : you understand what 
 the matter is, but X. and company do not understand 
 it. The K. article really shows me how fearfully far 
 behind they are still, and still more so his pencil lines 
 to Br. For them art is always something cut off from 
 life, something too definitely the master of its own 
 caprice. If one shouts this in their ears as I have 
 done, amongst other places, in the Preface and in 
 the second part of Oper und Drama, they well- 
 meaningly close their ears and say : " O yes, those 
 are your exaggerations, but they don't mislead us."
 
 214 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 How lucky it is that they cannot be misled ! O ! the 
 strong men ! Weak women are anyhow easier to 
 mislead. 
 
 I send you, together with the score, all that you 
 wished for besides : only I can't find the Glassbrenner 
 calendar ; I'll send it another time ! 
 
 With the advent of spring my great poem takes 
 ever stronger hold of me : I shall soon be at work ; 
 the wealth of material grows almost to excess, and 
 I must soon begin, so as to be soon rid of it. 
 
 Anyhow it will be something, it will be the best 
 I can do. 
 
 So farewell then for to-day ! Unfortunately I have 
 no news yet from my doctor ; yet I am resolved not 
 to go to an establishment again. I will write shortly 
 to the R.'s (to the mother) : greetings to them and at 
 home also to the two-cans-of-" milk "-measure Sieg- 
 fried. 
 
 Adieu ! hold me in kind remembrance. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 In the score of the Dutchman you will find also the 
 supplementary additions to Tannhduser written down 
 by Fischer and with these you can have a new score 
 prepared. 
 
 60. 
 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 Two hasty lines to you ! 
 
 You will learn everything from the R.'s except what 
 concerns the Leipzig theatre management ; the R.'s
 
 TO UHLIG. 215 
 
 must learn that from you ! So my conditions for the 
 performance of Tannhauser were too exorbitant ? This 
 is too heavenly not to have amused me ! Listen ! 
 
 I was asked through Sturm and Koppe what my 
 demand for honorarium would be. Thereon I wrote to 
 Rietz that on such a matter I could not treat with a 
 business office, as my chief conditions were of an 
 artistic nature. From the inquiry, however, I see that 
 there is a movement in favour of a performance of 
 Tannhauser; and as I presume this emanates from 
 Rietz, I perceive in it also the best guarantee for the 
 good artistic character of the proposed performance. 
 On this assumption I therefore willingly consented to the 
 performance, and asked twenty-eight louis d'or, to be 
 paid, however, immediately on receipt of the score (on 
 account of the public exchequer) ; but mentioned that 
 the question of honorarium was not that to which I 
 attached the most importance. Thereupon I receive no 
 news, and now first learn through you that my (probably 
 the artistic) conditions are exorbitant. What is one to 
 say to persons like Rietz, who find it extravagant, if I 
 presume that he will exert himself to secure a good 
 performance ? Do let Brendel know this. But perhaps 
 the Leipzig folk will hencefonvard . . . 
 
 (Do come to me ! I have such a longing !) 
 
 This story has again quite sobered me down. 
 You must keep the description of the Tannhauser 
 Overture, in case the overture should be per 
 formed anywhere. Then the explanation would be 
 to hand. 
 
 What are you doing ? My Dutchman flies here on 
 the 2Oth. Sea and rocks are being painted, and ships
 
 216 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 hammered together, so that everything is in a hubbub. 
 Once again I shall be beset on all sides. 
 
 Lindemann has written. An excellent method of 
 cure ! I remain here, and compose poetry. 
 
 Soon more from your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, April $th, '52. 
 
 (If I could only see the Berlin painter from Brunnen 
 once more !) 
 
 61. 
 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 Many thanks for your last letter. I wrote lately 
 to Frau R. As she is already resigned to Pillnitz, I 
 cannot venture to expect much from her decision. 
 
 I enclosed a small letter for you, which gave you an 
 account of the Leipzig Tannhauser affair. Now I have 
 to ask your help again in a new piece of confusion 
 which has arisen. In order to make it clear to you, let 
 me proceed historically. 
 
 In the year 1846, Dr. Schmidt, at that time the 
 Leipzig theatre-director, asked me for the score of the 
 Flying Dutchman with a view to performance. So 
 with my Tannhauser experience to hand I retouched 
 the instrumentation most carefully, and sent the revised 
 copy to Schmidt. The performance under God's help 
 came to nothing ; but up to now, when I again began 
 to think of the Dutchman, I was too easy-going to 
 inquire after the Leipzig score, which had become of 
 no use ; the rather, I set to work afresh to retouch the 
 instrumentation, but at last lost patience, so that as 
 you will have perceived I often, and mostly, contented
 
 TO UHLIG. 217 
 
 myself with minor alterations. Then the Dresden 
 orchestral parts arrived, and the musical director, 
 Schoneck, who was to set them right according to my 
 new version, finds, to his astonishment, that these parts 
 have already been most minutely altered according to 
 another and more thoroughly retouched copy. Then 
 only does it occur to me that before I sent off the score 
 retouched for Leipzig, I gave it to our Dresden copying 
 department so as to arrange our own orchestral parts 
 in conformity therewith. Now I am in this fix. The 
 parts do not agree with the score which I have to hand 
 here ; but I will not have them changed, because the 
 former retouching is more thorough ; so I now require 
 that earlier retouched score. I am now pretty certain 
 that I had the Dresden score made like the Leipzig one, 
 or rather, that I gave a lithograph copy of the Dutchman 
 to the office for that purpose ; so that at the present 
 moment there exist two copies of the score in Dresden 
 the original one, and a new one lithographed and 
 retouched. I should like to receive the second one as 
 speedily as possible ; and I therefore beg you to entreat 
 Fischer, in my name, to get Busch at once to give him 
 the said score also (which will not be a matter of any 
 special difficulty), and then you can send it as soon as 
 possible by post, addressed to the theatre-director 
 Lowe here. 
 
 But this affair has further consequences. For the 
 copy which has now to be prepared for Weimar, and 
 perhaps for other copies which may be wanted later on 
 elsewhere, I should like you also to take as model that 
 older version (as it is the more thorough). Nothing 
 beyond the close of the overture should be altered in
 
 218 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 accordance with the latest version, the rest according 
 to the older one, excepting if it should turn out here 
 and there that I had been more thorough in my recent 
 than in my former changes. For this purpose I wish 
 you would hunt up that Leipzig score, so as to procure 
 it for yourself. Unfortunately I do not know whether 
 Dr. Schmidt is still living in Leipzig : Brendel, how- 
 ever, could obtain information on this point. Then 
 one woul'd have to find out whether Schmidt kept the 
 score for himself, or handed it over with the inventory 
 to the succeeding management. No one in Leipzig has 
 a right to the score, as I received no honorarium for it ; 
 but one hundred thalers were to be paid me after the 
 performance (which, as you know, did not take place). 
 If you obtain this score, keep it at your disposal : if 
 you cannot get it, then the altered Dresden score, when 
 I have sent it back, must serve as model. 
 Abominable nuisance ! 
 
 We have fabulously fine weather here now. Good 
 heavens ! how I should like to fly well away this 
 summer, as far as Italy ! But, after the Leipzig expe- 
 riences, I have still less hope of receipts. I may be 
 glad if in the course of this whole year something 
 blossoms out from Weimar for the Flying Dutchman. 
 But for travel I need money ; otherwise I shall not set 
 out at all. By May I shall be in the thick of my poem : 
 already I am making my sketches. 
 
 I wrote to you about a painting animal who wanted 
 to catch me : it is done. The first portrait was bad, 
 because the idiot did not understand me. Then 
 Herwegh came to the sittings, and under his minutest 
 guidance with his intelligent and practised eye a
 
 TO UHLIG. 219 
 
 really good portrait has been obtained, which will soon 
 appear here; and yesterday I offered it to Breitkopf 
 and Hartel for publication. But it's no good for 
 Brendel. And what should he want me for ? Arrange 
 your present portrait business according to this news. 
 
 Ernst is fiddling about in the neighbourhood. 
 
 Why, in the name of fortune, do you want informa- 
 tion about my music-making in Zurich ? Here the 
 order of the day is " be present," not write and read 
 about it. But why, then, does not Brendel publish'the 
 special notice which I sent to him about my position 
 here ? I gave it to him with a definite purpose. 
 
 Is your eldest youngster well again ? There is 
 always something the matter with children ! You must 
 have become beautifully lean again : soon you might 
 wear apostles' costume again, and flit about with me at 
 midday amid flowers by the waterside ! 
 
 Kind greetings at home. Keep safe and sound, and 
 farewell. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, April gt/t, '52. 
 
 62. 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I can only write to you to-day if I make up my 
 mind to be brief. I am so fearfully overwrought and 
 unnerved that the least bit of writing is a torture to me. 
 Yesterday, the 2nd May, we had the last performance 
 of the Dutchman. Within a week it was the fourth of 
 the series, all given at considerably raised prices (first 
 tier, five francs), and always to crowded houses. In this
 
 22O RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 you have the full expression of the success. The director 
 much regretted that he had to go off to Geneva to- 
 morrow, because he saw that he could now have given 
 the opera yet another four times. I really think it an 
 unheard-of thing to have been able to give such an 
 opera every second day to so small a public with 
 success. The performances, from the second onward, 
 when the barytone had recovered his voice, were ex- 
 cellent ; but naturally only from the " opera " point of 
 view. The first performance showed me clearly that I 
 must give up all illusions about the " drama," and be 
 content to have made the most of the " opera " stuff 
 which still clings to the Dutchman. So the result 
 really left me quite indifferent, and my inmost feelings 
 of my relation to our theatre and public have not been 
 thereby changed in the least. But that the Dutchman 
 proved effective even as " opera " I can now understand, 
 and I willingly acknowledge that the impression made 
 upon my public was unusual, deep, and serious. The 
 women naturally took the lead again : after the third 
 performance they crowned me with laurel and smothered 
 me in flowers. The opera will certainly please in 
 Weimar also. 
 
 Kummer came yesterday to Zurich for the fourth 
 performance. He brought me your bulky letter, for 
 which many thanks. I cannot possibly, as I said, 
 answer it in detail to-day. Only one thing I must 
 mention. Let no one judge of any mode of action 
 unless he thoroughly knows all its bearings. Incom- 
 prehensible as my "lavishness" towards the theatre- 
 director here may seem, it will be easily comprehensible 
 to any one who knows exactly the whole situation
 
 TO UHLIG. 221 
 
 which prompted my mode of action, with all its acces- 
 sory circumstances and characteristic moods. He would 
 understand how I came to force upon the theatre- 
 director the payment for deficient receipts, when he 
 would by no means accept the sacrifice from me, but, 
 on the other hand, was not to be induced to give up 
 a performance. In such a case I might certainly 
 have done one thing, viz., give up everything, and 
 withdraw entirely. As, the train of circumstances once 
 started, my sole concern was to give the performance, 
 and properly, so I must needs feel that it was expedient 
 to coax round the director into accepting that arrange- 
 ment : for it was a question by no means of him 
 personally, but of the success of the undertaking. 
 Besides, Lowe had engaged musicians at cheap prices ; 
 but they did not arrive, and wrote to excuse themselves. 
 He had done his duty, I could demand nothing further 
 of him, and he told me I must make shift. I, on the 
 contrary, with a single eye to success, did not make 
 shift, but engaged a musical director from Aarau as 
 first violin, whom I certainly had to pay money 
 for lessons lost during ten days. In the same way 
 I was obliged to arrange with a musical director 
 from Burgdorf, and with a 'cellist, Bohm, from 
 Donau-Eschingen. Could I have even asked the 
 director about the matter ? Would he not have 
 thought I was mad ? Were not all artistic matters 
 connected with the undertaking my business alone, and, 
 if I gave this up, should I not have had to give up the 
 whole ? Enough ! 
 
 Jt is most humiliating for me to have to give these 
 explanations. But how can it come into any one's
 
 222 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 mind to see in this a false " generosity " on my part ? 
 Do you think I boast to any one here, and that I make 
 myself out a man of means ? My friends know exactly 
 how matters stand with me, and to any stranger I, at 
 least, make it quite clear. 
 
 But, kind greetings to R.'s from me. 1 certainly 
 won't fly any more Dutchmen. 
 
 Ah ! ah ! ah ! what a wretch I must seem to myself ! 
 
 In the next few days I will answer you about every- 
 thing in arrears, and will send you what you want ; 
 I cannot pack to-day. 
 
 Farewell, dearest and best friend. Heartfelt thanks 
 for your faithfulness. 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 ZURICH, May yd, '52. 
 
 Do not forget to let me know your new address. To 
 explain my continued conduct towards the director, I 
 should have, I see, to tell you much more yet, which 
 I hope you will let me off. I need only add he is 
 a few ! 
 
 63. 
 DEAR UHLIG, 
 
 iSchindelmeisser wrote to me from Wiesbaden 
 about the score of Tannhduser : I have granted it him 
 conditionally, and referred him to you about the copy 
 itself. If he asks for it, send it to him. I am not 
 to have an honorarium, but a tantieme (royalty), for 
 which, of course, I do not much care this com- 
 munication is the reason why I shall again be brief.
 
 TO UHLIG. 223 
 
 Nevertheless the packet shall be sent off to you on this 
 occasion. I cannot pick up again : my nerves are 
 much relaxed, and I suffer from sleeplessness. 
 
 Only once again in my life can I sacrifice myself by 
 preparing another performance ; if I ever get so far, it 
 will be with my Siegfried. Till then I must keep 
 away altogether from undertakings of the sort : and 
 after Siegfried I shall stop. Adieu, Capellmeister ! ! 
 
 With regard to the literary role which I have played 
 during the last years, it begins to annoy me very much. 
 I can only look back to it with pleasure in so far as 
 I feel that by its means I have become quite clear in 
 my own mind. But when I perceive the effect which 
 I have produced on the outside world by my writings, 
 I can only feel in a state of revolt and altogether out of 
 humour. Tell me, among all the voices which have 
 made themselves heard in this question, is there one 
 man of whom one could say that he is in any way 
 capable of comprehending what the matter treated 
 really is ? My opinion of the world of art and literature 
 was certainly a bad one, but I had not suspected such 
 boundless wretchedness ! People have become so 
 fearfully stupid, that they literally can no longer 
 read : am I to begin now to give them first lessons in 
 reading ? 
 
 So far as concerns the trouble you have taken in this 
 direction for my sake, I beg of you at least do not 
 excite yourself: if you happen to write, make jokes, 
 but never get seriously angry, for by that means we 
 shall become ridiculous. In your articles, which I have 
 read, I find that you in this sense go much too far: for 
 God's sake stop your attacks upon Riccius! and suchlike.
 
 224 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I can only expect to make an impression on young 
 people, because they in general are capable of receiving 
 new impressions. The old man of to-day is quite 
 powerless to escape from routine : he never sees what 
 is new, for which he has deadened all his receptive 
 organs, but only himself and what is old. These 
 people must be abandoned to a death by putrefaction ; 
 but in no wise must one fight with them. 
 
 Most painful of all are those new enthusiasts of 
 mine, a la W. and K., who draw a scrupulous line 
 between my extravagances and the sound (i.e., old- 
 conventional) part of my work ! Why should I want 
 to know anything about them ? I go no longer to 
 read the papers at the Museum : the next thing I shall 
 do will be to decline the musical papers. Send me 
 now and then a joke, but never more anything serious ! 
 This intellectual diet may appear very egotistical ; but 
 I hope I have won a right to be egotistical, in that I 
 have hitherto made myself too cheap to the world. 
 
 You might let me know what is still not clear to you 
 in Part III. of Oper und Drama: is it perhaps the 
 great importance which I claim for alliterative verse ? 
 In my opinion this is the only point about which I 
 have not been able to make myself quite clear to 
 others, because this indeed is only possible by deed. 
 I still owe you this, but I hope no further, theoretical 
 explanation. But everything else must surely be quite 
 clear to you, for it is certainly no matter of speculation, 
 but in reality a statement of the nature of things and 
 of their proper relation one to another. 
 
 Well, enough of this, and, let me hope, for ever. I 
 already heartily regret my curiosity concerning D.
 
 TO UHLIG. 225 
 
 I see before me the whole labyrinth of dialectics into 
 which this wretched individual would drag me if he 
 should really arouse in me the passion to make myself 
 intelligible to him. Hence I wish he would not write 
 to me, because I know that, even with the most 
 strenuous endeavours on my part, nothing could come 
 of it. In his particular line D. has accomplished 
 much, and that has made him obstinately vain ; but 
 with such people their particular line must be wholly 
 overthrown, otherwise one cannot count upon any 
 success ; and, after all, this success can only be 
 attained by downright murder. How can a man 
 who is all method understand my inbred anarchy ? 
 D. is out and out a despot ; he wishes to make people 
 happy by compulsion ; in him there is no trace of the 
 revolutionist. He is quite wanting in naivete; he has 
 not a drop of artist's blood in him ; but is he really 
 an artist ? He proves how much a clear calculating 
 compiler without a spark of productivity may ac- 
 complish : the new, the non-arbitrary, must ever 
 remain foreign to him : he has no heart for it i.e., his 
 heart only reaches as far as the theatre-school, and for 
 anything further he helps himself with the " imper- 
 fection of human nature here below, and the necessity 
 for a richer unfolding of the same in some star or 
 other." He is strictly speaking- silly, densely dull, 
 bourgeois, cowardly even to cruelty or, to sum up, 
 fearfully weak ! 
 
 My intercourse with him now I remember was 
 one long martyrdom. See here, for instance: he 
 knows that he might expect something new from 
 me, yet up to now he has not gone so far as to look at 
 
 15
 
 226 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 my books ! What does it mean ? Will he read for any 
 other purpose than to contradict me ? Will he have any- 
 thing but his system before his eyes, and not perforce 
 consider everything which differs from it a want of 
 clearness on my part ? But what have I to do with 
 such a man, and what sincerity is there in him but his 
 cowardice ? 
 
 Well, I have enough here to do with men of this 
 sort : I don't want any Dresden-court-theatre-deists in 
 addition ! Away with him ! for now I am all occupied 
 with my poems ! 
 
 Unfortunately the Dutchman affair quite discomposed 
 me, and now it will take me some time to get myself 
 right. I still hope to be able to go to the country 
 again. My surroundings are ofttimes very painful to 
 me. Alas ! I have again been downright wretched ! 
 Herwegh, the only one was silent and suffered with 
 me : what else could he do ? 
 
 Now as regards the success of the Dutchman with 
 the public, it was certainly a great one. X. will now 
 rejoice at it : the pianoforte scores are selling like 
 mad ; only the day before yesterday an order went off 
 for six complete pianoforte scores and a lot of detached 
 numbers, potpourris, etc. 
 
 I now come to business, and will dispatch it in a few 
 words. 
 
 With regard to the arrangement of the score of the 
 Dutchman I specially commend to your notice the 
 Dresden-theatre score which I am now sending back ; 
 I formerly retouched it with red ink, and indeed more 
 thoroughly than in my last version : the brass especially 
 was much more carefully reduced. Only the overture
 
 TO UHLIG. 227 
 
 the close has been lately handled by me in a more 
 thorough manner. Get this Dresden score from 
 Fischer as soon as it has returned. Concerning the 
 Leipzig one I enclose the desired certificate ! 
 
 Best thanks for the catalogue of my music : however, 
 I shall not require it much ! Ten years ago, when I 
 left Paris I took away with me the Huguenots (quartet), 
 Robert le Diable (two violins), la Reine de Chypre, and 
 Zanetta, as I had still to make arrangements from them, 
 for which part of the money had already been paid to 
 me in advance : but, as this work became impossible 
 for me in Germany, I afterwards paid back the money 
 advanced, but kept the musical examples, which may 
 certainly have cruelly troubled your imagination. This 
 much to calm you ! 
 
 The K.'s found it too uncomfortable at Elgg and 
 they were not far wrong- and, as Hahn himself 
 advised, they are now at Zurich, where they are looking 
 for a dwelling, and find it so pleasant that without 
 any persuasion on my part they are already thinking 
 of settling here. 
 
 So much for to-day ! If I should have forgotten 
 anything of importance, I will make up for it next 
 time ! Farewell, and remain good to 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, May '52. 
 
 The letter from R.'s sister has deeply moved me, 
 and I am rejoiced at A.'s energy of mind, which, 
 anyhow, the poor girl could not understand. Why 
 should he trouble to ask for my three opera poems? 
 Dr. Schulze might, at all events, tell me indirectly
 
 228 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 through wife or sister how I could send news to him. 
 Best greetings to Sch. 
 
 64. 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 I am off to the country to-day, and, while there, 
 I want to know that any business matters, and especially 
 vexatious ones, are settled, so that at last I may again 
 be able to confer with my muse. 
 
 To-day I received two letters from you at once, the 
 one with the money, and the other sent afterwards. 
 
 It is remarkable that the K.'s feel themselves irresistibly 
 drawn towards Zurich. We have found them a summer 
 abode on the heights, a quarter of an hour from the 
 town. The situation was so beautiful, and I so long 
 for scenery and fresh air, that I quickly resolved to 
 lodge in the same inn. So from to-day we and the K.'s 
 live on the same plot of ground. Merely address your 
 letters to Zurich ; everything is arranged with the 
 postman. 
 
 I do riot make any further reply to your letter 
 to-day : I shall have the opportunity next time. 
 Cheer up, that your health is once more improving : 
 accept my heartiest congratulations. 
 
 Farewell, and hold me in kind remembrance ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, May izth, '52. 
 
 65- 
 
 DEAR THEODOR, 
 
 I have waited too long for a letter from you not 
 to feel bound to answer immediately on receipt of the 
 one at length arrived, though this answer may not
 
 TO UHLIG. 229 
 
 contain all which meanwhile has accumulated for com- 
 munication to you. First of all, I am sincerely sorry 
 at the great distress which your children cause you : 
 the trouble with the youngest, after what you have 
 passed through with the elder one, is truly affecting. 
 Yes, if I knew this kind of trouble, I should be quite 
 another sort of person ! I hope Siegfried is now going 
 on more favourably : at least, I gather this from the 
 close of your letter would my good wishes could 
 help !- 
 
 We are alone in the country here with Julia ; K. is 
 with Hahn, where he must patiently remain. Hahn 
 considers his case a very bad one. Julia seems to 
 have taken a great fancy to me : anyhow, she does all 
 I tell her. 
 
 I have commenced my cure in an orderly manner : 
 it consists, besides dieting from which a glass of good 
 wine from time to time is not excluded of a cold bath 
 in the morning and a tepid one (22 degrees), lasting 
 a quarter of an hour, of an evening. This has a soothing 
 and gently bracing effect on me. Above all, the open 
 air, in which I roam about two or three hours of a 
 morning before I settle to work, does me a world of 
 good. I do not work for more than two hours at a 
 stretch ; formerly by working for five or six hours I 
 greatly overtaxed my nerves. Now I have finished the 
 complete sketch of the Walkure (I): to-morrow I attack 
 the verses. I am more struck than ever with the broad 
 grandeur and beauty of my subject-matter : my whole 
 manner of viewing the world has found in it its fullest 
 artistic expression. How I wish you were here, that 
 I might oftener impart things to you which I must now
 
 2$0 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 save up until I can place the whole complete before you. 
 After this work I shall write no more poetry ! Nothing 
 higher and more complete can my powers produce. 
 Once the verses finished, I shall from that moment 
 become entirely musician again, only at some future 
 time to become conductor. I almost hope that I 
 may win or preserve the life to do it ! 
 
 I had much to tell you, suggested by reading articles 
 about myself; perhaps I'll do it later on. On lately 
 reading over Julius Schaffer's first two articles about 
 myself in the TV. B. M. Z., I much regretted that the 
 man had not yet read my Vorwort. What, for example, 
 he says about alliterative verse (because he does not find 
 a trace of it in Lohengrin) would then have been impos- 
 sible. What he says about the " dissolution of the 
 individuality of keys" might lead to an instructive article. 
 I have shown in the third volume of Oper und Drama 
 that harmony only becomes something real (not merely 
 an abstraction) in the polyphonic symphony i.e., in the 
 orchestra and thus the imaginary individuality of keys 
 (Hitzschold must excuse) passes over to the real 
 individuality of instruments, of their manifold colouring 
 and finally of the mode of execution. So, by clinging 
 to the "individuality" of keys, one clings to a chimera, 
 which anyhow formerly became as much of a dogma 
 with us as the good God Himself. On the contrary, 
 the keys, like the tones in general, only become charac- 
 teristic in the instruments, and, finally, in the human 
 voice with words. Thus, for example, the characteristic 
 individuality of a key (E major or E flat major) is very 
 prominent in a violin or a wind instrument, and it is, 
 therefore, a piece of slip-shod criticism to consider the
 
 TO UHLIG. 231 
 
 key by itself, and the instruments not at all, or else also 
 by themselves. The instrumental musicians of the 
 past century as yet knew this not : they worked from 
 the harmonic dogma ; but let one only compare their 
 instrumentation with Beethoven's or with mine. Who- 
 ever in judging my music divides the harmony from the 
 instrumentation does me as much injustice as he who 
 divides my music from my poetry, my song from the 
 words! However, in all such things I was wrong to 
 have made known my theoretical views too early ; 
 I am still owing the real matter, the work of art, which 
 was certainly ripe in me before the theory. Apropos ! 
 do protest against the statement that I am working at 
 an " art work of the future ; " bid the silly folk learn 
 to read before the}' write ! 
 
 In regard to Reissiger's oratorio you were quite 
 wrong to send me explanations : your word is sufficient, 
 and I am firmly convinced that the oratorio is of such 
 a nature that you could praise it. Already your praise 
 of a sonata of R.'s induced me a most exceptional 
 thing to go through that composition ; so I believe 
 you. 
 
 As a rule, do not take it amiss, if I do not always say 
 something about your articles : they always give me 
 great pleasure. But I surely need not tell you that I do 
 not think much of the rest of the paper : I also believe 
 you that it cannot be otherwise. Yet I cannot see why 
 not one of the important points which I have started 
 should be discussed, instead of continual criticisms of 
 Trios and Etudes. I was by no means displeased with 
 the notice of Cellini : on the contrary, it was very good. 
 But instead of piano rubbish at any rate, just now,
 
 232 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 at the turning point of the journal surely something 
 different might find a place ! How can a man like 
 Herwegh, for instance think of expressing his thoughts 
 between these " Ops. 6 and 7 " ? There is so much 
 purely commercial music that no thought can be taken 
 of us. Lately I received the poem of the Pilgrimage of 
 the Rose. Why does it occur to no one to grasp by 
 the root a work like that of Schumann's i.e., above all 
 to point out the fearful wretchedness of the poem, and 
 to ask what sort of a composer he must be who could 
 feel inspired by such a piece of patchwork to write an 
 important work, and what such music could possibly 
 contain ? The same sort of thing should have been 
 done with the poems for the prize song offered last 
 year by the Cologne people. But enough of this ! 
 
 Liszt conducts Tannhauser to-day (the 3ist), in 
 presence of the Empress of Russia ! By no means 
 bad ! The Moritz wishes also to take Tannhauser to 
 Breslau. Well ! now I have pretty well done, and can 
 say farewell for to-day ! To that I join hearty wishes 
 for the welfare of my little god-child : may they be of 
 help ! But to see you right soon again is what I most 
 long for ! I always fear, most excellent young man, 
 that you will fade away from me; certainly not in spirit, 
 but in body ! What a wretched lot is yours, and what 
 a thing it is to bear it as you do ! Yet it must some 
 day come to a stop even with you ! Farewell, and 
 strengthen yourself properly in the fresh air ! Kind 
 greetings to your wife. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, May ^ist, '52.
 
 TO UHLIG. 233 
 
 Yesterday I wrote to " theatre-master " Hanel. Get 
 to know the contents of the letter ; they will interest 
 you, and perhaps you could be of assistance to me 
 in the matter ! 
 
 I have found the sheet of Tannhauser in Fischer's 
 hand and you shall have it shortly. 
 
 66. 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 Accept from us all the heartiest congratulations 
 on your child's recovery. Your letter reached me while 
 in the company of the ladies, who, as well as myself, at 
 once anticipated that it could only be about your child, 
 as I had already informed them of its severe illness. 
 We shared your cruel anxiety, and now at last felt with 
 you unspeakable joy at the recovery. If anything can 
 increase your joy, may it be the assurance of our 
 sincere sympathy for all that you have lately gone 
 through. 
 
 Heartiest greetings to wife and child from your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, June yd, '52. 
 
 6 7 . 
 
 Uhlig ! Uhlig! you are a Hergottstausendsakra- 
 menter ! You have again kept me waiting a pretty time 
 for a letter. This time I also have not been so quick 
 with an answer, but have first finished my Walkiire. 
 This was yesterday, after a month's work. If you were 
 here I should read you the piece to-day ; but it will be 
 some time before I have a copy to spare, for I am again in
 
 234 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 a very weak state. I work indeed in too impetuous 
 a manner ! Now, indeed, when the whole of the big 
 poem is on the point of completion, I begin to ask 
 myself whether I ought not to wish that my friends 
 should become acquainted with it sooner than they 
 would if I first worked out all the music. I feel as if I 
 could not bear so long to know that the poem had not 
 been communicated to them. I cannot possibly give it 
 yet to the printers. It would seem to be a sin against 
 myself now to put into the desecrating hands of our 
 mud-throwing critics that which, in fact, is only half- 
 finished so long as the composition of the music is 
 incomplete. It is something different with my true 
 friends, who, by their sympathy, can only urge me on 
 and assist me while I am at work. I have, therefore, 
 thought of having twenty-five to thirty copies of the 
 whole poem made in fac-simile reprint, so as to place 
 them, after careful review, before my friends. Unfor- 
 tunately, there is this inconvenience, that I, poor wretch, 
 should have to play the "generous" for how could I 
 allow these copies to be paid for? It could only be 
 thought of if I were approached by a number of my 
 friends, who begged me to lend them my manuscript 
 for the purpose of having copies made, and who had 
 subscribed among themselves to defray the printing 
 expenses. Everything is exceptional with an unlucky 
 bungler such as I am. 
 
 To-morrow week I must go to Bale for the choral 
 festival of the Helvetic confederacy, at which I have 
 been appointed umpire ! Unfortunately they got round 
 me here just as I was on the point of refusing the 
 invitation. On my return I shall set out about the
 
 TO UHLIG. 235 
 
 middle of July on a real Alpine tour i.e., I shall visit 
 the Bernese Oberland, go over the Gries glacier down 
 a long, magnificent valley as far as Domo d'Ossola 
 (Sardinia), to the Lago Maggiore, ascend the Lago as 
 far as Locarno, from there to Lugano (all in the Tessin 
 canton), where I shall probably stop, for it must be 
 heavenly. Possibly I may finish the verses of the 
 grand prologue to my three dramas. This all depends 
 upon the state of my purse. I have not a farthing as 
 yet, and I know of no other way to help myself than to 
 write to Liszt to get the Weimar honorarium for the 
 Flying Dutchman in advance. I am in daily expectation 
 of an answer from him. Do you think a single creature 
 has given me news of the Ballenstadt musical festival ? 
 The beggarly role which I play with regard to the rising 
 generation begins to annoy me. 
 
 I shall not have the Nibelungen work ready before 
 the autumn (September, October). I must carefully 
 retouch the two Siegfrieds, especially in everything 
 which concerns the myth of the gods, for this has now 
 assumed a much more precise and imposing aspect. I 
 rejoice greatly at the thought of the music. 
 
 Do you know anything about the articles of Fc'tis 
 pere in the Gazette Musicale about me ? I was told 
 about them here, and found at the Museum already 
 three leading articles, " Richard Wagner," etc., etc., 
 with, as it seems, plenty more to follow. In any case 
 
 you must try and get them to read. M is at 
 
 last bestirring himself: he fears the propagation of my 
 opinions in Paris. What ait ass! The caricature of 
 myself with which Fc'tis regales the French is complete. 
 He gives quotations (in the meanest manner) from my
 
 236 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Vorwort, and, with great consistency, represents me as 
 attributing the constant failure of my operas not to any 
 fault of my own, but to the present condition of things ; 
 and says that thafs the reason I am a revolutionist A 
 "small protest " against some of the most reckless lies 
 would not be amiss just now. He claims " exact in- 
 formation," and asserts, for example, that my Tannhauser 
 in Dresden had by the third performance become such 
 a failure that it could never by any possibility be revived. 
 And so on. In this matter R. (whom F visited in 
 Dresden several years ago) played him a nice hoax ; but 
 I fear my own information (in the Vorworf) may likewise 
 have misled dullards, as I express dissatisfaction with 
 the success of my operas. By that I naturally do not 
 mean outward success (for should I have demanded 
 more than to be called before the curtain at every per- 
 formance of Tannhauser ? ) but merely the character of 
 the success, which made me see that the essential in. my 
 work .had not been grasped, or not grasped in so con- 
 vincing a manner as must have effectively shown itself 
 in order thoroughly to satisfy me from the one true 
 and decisive point of view. It was just the same here 
 lately with the Flying Dutchman. No one who only 
 looked to the outward result understood my deep dis- 
 satisfaction, and understood, least .of all, that this 
 especially concerned the character of the performance, 
 which seemed to all so excellent, and, indeed, had 
 brought about the success (of the " opera "). 
 
 This last point reminds me to enclose you the accom- 
 panying documents in connection with the newspaper 
 war concerning the Ffying Dutchman, of which you 
 know something. The rejoinder of the Ztiricher was
 
 TO UHLIG. 237 
 
 followed by a bitter, vulgar, insulting answer, which I 
 did not condescend to notice, and which, besides, was 
 only directed against my " panegyrists," while pre- 
 serving a demure and respectful demeanour toward 
 myself. The old trick ! 
 
 The National newspaper also is said to be handling 
 me roughly at the present moment. I do not read it, 
 because, though I should not intend to reply (and I 
 certainly will not any more), yet what is written runs 
 in my head for several days, and that might be occupied 
 with something better. I don't in any way wish to 
 represent myself as more apathetic than I am, and 
 such experiences always make me regret that I ever 
 put pen to. paper. 
 
 I thank you much for your excellent gathering of 
 literary fruit ; also zur Kritik des Liedes pleased me 
 uncommonly. It was, I freely confess, an oasis in the 
 desert to me. It may well be that your paper should 
 best maintain itself by criticisms of all sorts, and that, 
 to satisfy the demands of your public, you must notice 
 everything pell-mell ; and thus not only have to devote 
 your attention to what is unimportant, but are forced 
 to present its "good sides." Only give up all these 
 attempts to make of the paper something different from 
 what it was. I do not complain that it remains what 
 it is, but that Brendel allowed my letter to him to be 
 printed in his paper. He ought to have had the courage 
 to decline its acceptance : that, at any rate, would have 
 been consistent. It grieves me much, however, to have 
 to tell you that the Musikalische Kl adder atatsch makes 
 me most unhappy. Nothing is more horrid than a 
 " rubric " for jokes. A good joke that comes naturally
 
 238 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 is a capital thing, and carries more weight than many 
 a serious remark. But a weekly register of wit, the 
 heading of which calls out in advance to the reader, 
 " Now laugh ! " at once locks fast my laughter-muscles, 
 and so it is with every man of the least taste. This 
 Musikalische Kladderatatsch is a mistake, and I tell you 
 this honestly, even though you should have been the 
 cause of it. The very form is trivial, because lacking 
 in originality ; the contents are, for the most part, forced, 
 devoid of humour ; and, as I have said, inevitably so, 
 since they appear in this ready-made form. I've had 
 my say : I heartily wish that you may not be so 
 deeply concerned in it as to feel really hurt by my 
 words. 
 
 E. D. has also written to me : now I'm in for it. 
 Fresh trouble ! What shall I do with the man ? To 
 my horror I discover that the man is far more shallow 
 and superficial than I had imagined. He can only have 
 read the first part of my Oper und Drama, for nearly 
 his whole letter is a defence of music against my 
 " attacks " on it in this first part. 
 
 E. D. defends music against me. Is that not delicious ? 
 He appeals to " harmonies of the spheres," and " groan- 
 ings and sighings of the soul ! " Well, I have got a 
 pretty millstone hung about my neck ; for with all his 
 stupidity this man, as I perceive, has something re- 
 spectable and true-hearted about him, and one cannot 
 but regret that one has to kick him so straight out. 
 Well, I will write to him ; say that to him with my 
 provisional greetings. Perhaps at the Lugano lake I 
 shall be in the mood for a letter to him. 
 
 Greetings, too, to Fischer. I received a letter from
 
 TO UHLIG. 239 
 
 him yesterday. As it is impossible for me to answer 
 him to-day, I beg you to set right something mentioned 
 by him in his letter. I wrote to Hahnel about some 
 lithographic sheets to be prepared for the Tannhduser 
 decorations. Through Fischer he replies : " The litho- 
 grapher asks twelve thalers for every sheet ; so three 
 sheets would cost thirty-six thalers. For that I should 
 receive nine impressions from each sheet ( ? ), but each 
 "single" sheet would cost ' three thalers' ( ?) ; so for 
 a theatre the designs would be ' nine thalers.' " 
 
 Now, with the best will in the world, I cannot clearly 
 make out what is meant. If I pay thirty-six thalers for 
 the whole (why exactly nine impressions ? ), will each 
 theatre still have nine thalers to pay for a copy of the 
 three sheets ? 
 
 Get an explanation of this for me, so that I can soon 
 decide ; for I shall certainly be pleased if can send the 
 decoration-sketches to the theatres. As for the rest, 
 with regard to the spread of Tannhduser, I have every- 
 thing to expect. For the moment I only know of 
 Wiesbaden. From Breslau an inquiry was addressed 
 to Moritz ; from Leipzig came the assurance that the 
 director intended shortly to give the opera " in the most 
 complete manner ; " from Munich I have no news.' 
 Lately, when amid storm and rain I had gone off 
 into the woods, Mantius, from Berlin (the present opera 
 manager), came to pay me a visit, and of course did not 
 find me. He assured my wife, however, that the Berlin 
 management had long been thinking of Tannhduser, 
 only had not been able to find a suitable tenor. Now 
 they thought they had got him in Formes, and so a 
 speedy performance stood in prospect for Berlin.
 
 240 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS. 
 
 From Frankfort I have no news. G. Schmidt has not 
 answered. 
 
 I am very glad that you are now living in " Satannes- 
 gasse" (Dresden dialect). You are in a nice quarter of 
 the town there: "a young lamb white as snow," etc. 
 Have not your children got raven-black hair ? And 
 Siegfried ? Good heavens ! if you knew what I have 
 now planned in my mind for him. How delighted he 
 will be one day when he sees what has been made of 
 him. I want to see his look of surprise. 
 
 Let me know whether you have any " increase " I 
 mean from Liittichan. I hear the favours of his lord- 
 ship have run riot amongst you : Lipinski, a diamond 
 ring ; R., two hundred thalers increase of salary ; gold 
 and silver medals to the members of the band. Ah ! 
 who would not wish to be there ? Have you been 
 silvered, gilded, or good-for-nothing'd ? With your 
 new dignity the last would be unbecoming treatment. 
 Honour to whom honour is due ! 
 
 R. so Fischer writes to me has expressed himself 
 with all possible enthusiasm about Oper und Drama. 
 The good fellow ! I certainly owe that to your notice 
 of his oratorio. 
 
 Well, enough of this scribbling ! I could say with 
 T. U., " the paper comes to an end." I am, on the 
 whole, in a good humour to-day, for when I have 
 finished such a work as the Walkure I always feel as 
 if I had sweated some fearful anxiety out of my body 
 an anxiety that constantly increases as the work is 
 drawing to a close ; a kind of fear lest I might spoil 
 something. I write my signature, with the date 
 underneath, in as much haste as if the devil was
 
 TO UHLTG. 241 
 
 standing behind me, and wished to prevent me from 
 finishing. 
 
 Next week we go back into the town. We had bad 
 weather all through June. My wife sends cordial 
 greetings. Proper greetings to yours from me. Adieu ! 
 
 Some men are not even sheep's heads, but sheep 
 without heads (Lin. ii. 13). 
 
 ZURICH, July 2nd, '52. 
 
 68. 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 A line or two before my departure, which takes 
 place to-morrow. The director of the Leipzig theatre 
 has just been to see me. The matter is arranged. 
 Send him at once a score and a book of words (with 
 the remark that the copies for the booking office are to 
 be procured through X. at a discount). Further, beg 
 Hahnel in my name to send back at once the designs 
 of the decorations, which he has now at Wiesbaden, 
 and then to lend them to Wirsing in the same way as 
 to Schindelmeisser. Then beg Heine, who has now 
 returned to Dresden, to lend his costume-sketches 
 likewise to Wirsing. He will arrange everything for 
 his theatre according to these patterns. Tharik Heine 
 for his letter; I will try and write to him on my- 
 journey (?). 
 
 I have written to Basle, to decline : I can no longer 
 endure such a fuss. Your letters will be sent on to 
 me, so continue to write without worrying yourself. 
 Still you might address your next letter to Lugano, 
 Canton Tessin, poste restante. 
 
 Farewell. Your 
 
 July 9//i, '52. R. W. 
 
 16
 
 242 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 6 9 . 
 
 DEAREST FELLOW, 
 
 Your little letter reached me yesterday, just as 
 I had come down from the Bernese highlands. 
 
 A piece of business information appears important 
 to me, and little as it suits my present surrounding 
 and frame of mind, yet I will give it to you at once ! 
 
 The lithographing of the decorations we will leave 
 alone for the present, and, instead, each theatre must 
 purchase the sketches for nine thalers. I have written 
 in this sense to Schmidt at Frankfort : he must, apply 
 to you, and you must be good enough to order the 
 designs through Hahnel (to whom my cordial greet- 
 ings). The designer could, in order to avoid delay, 
 always hold in readiness one or two copies. 
 
 About a second score to Schmidt I know nothing : 
 this is probably one procured formerly through the 
 bookshop. 
 
 I have continued to dilly-dally about the few sheets 
 for Tannhauser: do not be angry about it; when I 
 return I will send them on. 
 
 I have now been travelling for six days : I can 
 count each day by my treasury, for each one costs 
 me regularly a twenty-franc piece. It is splendid here, 
 and in thought I have travelled much with you. 
 Yesterday I descended from the Faulhorn (8,261 feet). 
 There I had a tremendously grand view of the moun- 
 tain-, ice-, snow-, and glacier-world of the Bernese 
 Oberland, which lies straight before one, as though one 
 could take it in one's hands. I walk well, and am 
 sound in my legs ; as yet, however, I am not satisfied
 
 TO UHLIG. 243 
 
 with my head ; the nerves of the brain are terribly 
 strained ; excitement and lassitude never true rest ! 
 Shall I really never be much better ? No cure in the 
 world is of any avail where only one thing would help 
 viz., if I were different from what I am. The real 
 cause of my sorrow lies in my exceptional position 
 towards the world and towards my surroundings, 
 which can no longer give me any joy ; everything for 
 me is martyrdom and pain and insufficiency ! How 
 again, on this journey amidst wonderful nature, have 
 the human canaille annoyed me : continually must 
 I draw back from them in disgust, and yet I so long 
 after human beings ; but this pack of rogues ! Devil 
 take them ! ! 
 
 There are magnificent women here in the Oberland, 
 but only so to the eye ; they are all tainted with rabid 
 vulgarity. 
 
 Liszt has duly sent me one hundred thalers for the 
 Dutchman honorarium ; these I am now spending in 
 travelling. Every day costs me a Number of the 
 opera. 
 
 Farewell, and get your stomach in proper" order; I 
 cannot, as a rule, digest milk ; it gives me heart-burn. 
 
 I shall expect a letter from you at Locarno. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 MEIRINGEX, July i$th, '52. 
 
 Do read in Prutz's Deutsche Museum an article 
 " der Geist in der Musik " by Otto Gumprecht (I think 
 it is in the first June number) ; among other things you 
 will find in it a heavenly explanation of the A major 
 Symphony, in which everything is frenzy, despair, and
 
 244 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 God knows what else ! There's choice reading for 
 you ! It is inconceivable what a fine thing absolute 
 music is ! 
 
 X. was again glorious with his report. What a deal 
 of trouble the man takes to prove that he was always 
 an exceedingly clever fellow ! 
 
 70. 
 
 O, you Man ! Homo terribilis (Lix. ii. 53). 
 
 I really expected to find a good long letter here 
 from you, as you promised in your last note which 
 I answered from Meiringen : now I find only a few 
 lines on business. Well, I will not do much more 
 than answer your questions,' as my head, owing to 
 the journey and especially to the heat is all of a 
 whirl. So : 
 
 I cannot imagine that they were copies which 
 Hahnel sent to Schindelmeisser : I thought these were 
 the original Dresden designs on loan; so I meant 
 Hahnel should ask for them back at once, as they 
 were now wanted in Leipzig. Naturally, if he has 
 the originals in his possession, there is no further 
 need of the Wiesbaden copies, and Hahnel may now 
 see how he can get paid for them there. So to 
 Leipzig, new copies for nine thalers, to be paid by the 
 director. Full stop ! 
 
 The Dresden and Leipzig scores of the Dutchman 
 will probably agree, but if there is a difference any- 
 where, let the Dresden be followed, with the exception 
 of what I have lately changed, especially in the overture. 
 When will Liszt have the score ? 
 
 From sheer good-nature I will add a line or two
 
 TO UHLIG. 245 
 
 about my journey. The gem of it all was the march 
 over the Gries glacier, from Wallis, through the For- 
 mazza valley to Domodossola, which occupied me two 
 days. The Gries is a magnificently wild glacier 
 pass, a very dangerous one, and traversed at rare 
 intervals by people from the Hasli valley or Wallis, 
 who bring southern goods (rice, etc.) from the Italian 
 valleys. For the first time on my journey there was 
 mist on the glacier heights (over 8,OOO feet), so that 
 my guide had difficulty in finding a path over the cold 
 walls of snow and rock. But the descent ! leading 
 down gradually from the grisly ice-regions, through 
 many a sloping valley, through all the range of 
 vegetation of northern Europe, into the intense luxuri- 
 ance of Italy ! I was quite intoxicated, and laughed 
 like a child, as I passed out of chestnut groves through 
 meadows, and even cornfields, completely covered with 
 vine trellises (for that is how the vine is generally 
 cultivated in Italy), so that I often wandered under 
 a covering of vine similar to our verandahs, only 
 extended over whole acres, on which, again, every- 
 thing grows that the soil can produce. And then the 
 ever-enchanting variety of form of mountain and 
 valley, with the most delightful cultivation, charming 
 stone houses, and all through the valley a fine race 
 of men. Well, I cannot describe it all, but I promise 
 you to go again over the Gries glacier with you. 
 
 My first Italian conversation was grand. I could not, 
 for the life of me, remember what milk is called in 
 Italian, because this word, as you know, never occurs 
 in Italian opera, from which I have gathered all my 
 knowledge of the language. Soon I became quite a
 
 246 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Vestriy and if you recall that hot-blooded sun of the 
 south, you will have a good likeness of me. From 
 Domodossola, I went on in the evening by a "return- 
 carriage" to Baveno on Lago Maggiore. 
 
 This drive crowned the day. I was in a happy 
 frame of mind when I at last passed out of the wilds 
 into unchequered beauty. Unfortunately the next day 
 those rascals of men (Menschenkanaille) disturbed my 
 calm reflections : on the steamer full of Italian Phili- 
 stines, not bad specimens either poor fowls and ducks, 
 (which were being transported), were so vilely tortured 
 and left to the most cruel privations, that the revolting 
 unfeelingness of the men who had this sight constantly 
 before their eyes, again filled me with violent anger. 
 To know that one would be merel}' laughed at if one 
 attempted to interfere ! ! 
 
 But, dear friend, my opinion of the human race is 
 ever becoming gloomier; I cannot help almost feeling 
 that this species must inevitably go to ruin. 
 
 Here in Lugano again it is divine ; but my loneliness 
 torments me frightfully. Herwegh has not come (he 
 is now full of worry), and so I have written to my wife 
 to come with Peps. The Frankfort Tannhciuser must 
 provide me the money for this piece of extravagance. 
 
 Hartels, to whom I had addressed myself about 
 getting multiple copies of the manuscript of the 
 Nibelungen dramas, answered me lately, among other 
 things, definitely declaring that it would afford them 
 the greatest pleasure and honour if I would hand over 
 this work to them for publication when ready ; indeed, 
 that I need not think of any one else but them. 
 Well, there's plenty of time for that !
 
 TO UHLIG. 247 
 
 I am not thinking for the moment about resuming 
 work : my head, especially with this heat, will not 
 yet bear any continuous strain. One more interesting 
 note : on the Faulhorn I ate roast chamois, but in the 
 Formazza valley roast marmot ; I don't know whether 
 Rausse forbids both. Do look it up ! Greetings at 
 home, and soon write something decent to Zurich ! 
 
 Farewell. 
 
 R. W. 
 
 LUGANO, Jztly 22nd, '52. 
 
 71- 
 
 MUCH-WORRIED CHAMBER MUSICIAN ! 
 
 What a fearful lot of postage I must cost you 
 now ! Well, in return, I send you to-day a really 
 beautiful landscape-painting instead of a letter. , But 
 as I must answer a business inquiry, it shall be done 
 with all brevity. 
 
 I wrote at once to W. on the receipt of your news : 
 
 1 remonstrated with him for his impudence, and told 
 him plainly that if he was going to behave so shabbily 
 he had better at once give up the performance of 
 Tannhduser : and that, as he had not yet sent the 
 honorarium, he had only in this case to send you back 
 the score. All the same, let the copies ordered be 
 finished : if not for Leipzig, they'll do for some other 
 place. Now that I know the cost of the copies, I will 
 in each case quote people the price in figures. Kind 
 greetings to Heine ; I cannot write to him to-day. 
 
 I have had an application from Hildburghausen (as 
 per enclosed) : I find it out of place that / should 
 answer these people. Either I shall not answer at all,
 
 248 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 or you might undertake to call their attention to my 
 biography in the Zeitung fur die elegante Welt (1843), 
 and to my Vorwort (as supplement). If you are 
 willing to patch up something yourself, that's your 
 affair. It is not of much importance, and at best is 
 only a means of avoiding, or rather guarding against, 
 silly mistakes. 
 
 You will be astonished at the number of places I 
 have been to. I sent for Minna to come to Lugano : 
 then with her once more Lago Maggiore, over Domo- 
 dossola, Wallis, Martigny to Chamounix (see the draw- 
 ing), Mer de Glace, etc. to Geneva, where I found your 
 last letter. Now we are off home by Lausanne. 
 
 For this new journey I had set apart the twenty-five 
 louis d'or of the Frankfort honorarium, advanced to 
 me by Sulzer. I intended the Leipzig honorarium to 
 cover the present deficit you already know of in the 
 subvention I receive from the R.'s. And yet I am so 
 daring in my transactions with W. ! 
 
 I will write at length to you from Zurich ! Nothing 
 further to-day, except to say that the journey was a 
 success. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 GENEVA, August yd, '52. 
 
 (With a picture of the Chamounix Valley.) 
 
 72. 
 
 To-day I will add what may be necessary to the 
 few lines I sent lately : I have not much news. 
 
 For nearly four weeks I have .been on a journey
 
 TO UHLIG. 249 
 
 towards which I had long looked forward as to the 
 realization of a beautiful dream. I had many an 
 impression that was pleasing enough, taken by itself; 
 but I was always seeking after the right one, and I 
 could not find rest. It is all over; I have lost my 
 youth ; life no longer stands before me ; all my working 
 and doing is only now a protracted death. I have 
 learnt much during this journey. But I will spare 
 you ; why describe things which will not bear descrip- 
 tion ? 
 
 I have returned from my journey with one resolve : 
 as I can now only lead an artificial life i.e., a life for 
 art I will thoroughly do everything which can keep 
 me artificially on end. I now so ardently long to have 
 a little house with a garden, here in the country, far up 
 on the heights by the lake, to look after my little 
 property, to surround myself with flowers and animals, 
 and to set up a cosy nook where friends may visit me, 
 that I intend to carry this out at any cost. It is an 
 undertaking which I now feel compelled to carry out, 
 and when I survey my outward circumstances, I have 
 reason to hope that it will prove successful. There 
 is no longer any doubt that in the immediate future 
 I may look for substantial receipts from my operas. 
 Were I to wait till I had saved up the sum necessary 
 to purchase an estate, this considering the state of 
 my health would be folly : the " too late " would, in 
 my case, prove terribly true ; and, besides, there would 
 be the danger of never being able to collect the entire 
 sum, as I should probably fritter away the money in 
 other directions. I am therefore resolved and have 
 already spoken on the matter with my Swiss friends
 
 250 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 here to advertise at once for a suitable small estate, 
 the price of which should not exceed 10,000 francs. 
 
 As soon as I can pay down a deposit of 2,000 francs 
 the matter can be settled : out of my future receipts 
 I could pay the interest on the sum remaining, and also 
 gradually wipe off the capital debt. In any case, even 
 for the deposit money, I might well count upon the 
 assistance of a friendly hand. 
 
 When I reflect that my wife and I shall one day die 
 childless, and therefore a heritable property will be of 
 no value or use to us, I should much prefer if some one 
 could be found who would lend me the whole purchase- 
 money, upon the security of the estate, on the condition 
 that after my and my wife's deaths it should revert to 
 him or his, embellished and enriched by my care and 
 at my cost. I could then employ my expected receipts 
 in a still pleasanter enjoyment of life, in travelling, 
 etc. That such a person could be found is not lightly 
 to be expected, and in any case I will not count upon 
 it. 
 
 (A letter has just come from you : I will read it 
 first.) 
 
 Best thanks for this letter, and its good humour in 
 spite of your indisposition ! (What is the matter with 
 you, you waterman, that you become ailing of a 
 sudden ? Set my mind at rest on the matter !) To 
 settle " business," only the following brief lines ! 
 
 I do not yet know how matters stand with Berlin : 
 I have demanded an honorarium of 1,000 thalers, 
 assigning good reasons for my demand, and have given 
 them clearly to understand that I will not prostitute 
 myself again for Berlin at such a cheap rate. Probably
 
 TO UHLIG. 251 
 
 they will decline : I must risk it. If I accomplish 
 anything, it can only be by terrorism. Make my 
 excuses to Heine for not writing to him. In order to 
 satisfy him I require to be very expansive ; and my 
 repugnance to all such empty scribbling is now 
 frightful. To D. also it is impossible for me to write 
 just now. Thank Heine in my name for his informa- 
 tion : it will probably not prove so incorrect ! If it 
 should still come to a definite acceptance, I will care- 
 fully see about the allotment of roles. You will 
 probably hear something definite from W. : do not 
 give him the designs without the money ! S. has 
 kept quite quiet : I have given him a sound scolding, 
 and warned him that by the next post I expect either 
 the news that the score has been sent back to you, or 
 the honorarium, with the assurance that the Dresden 
 designs will be procured. This is my last word ; there 
 is an end to good-nature. 
 
 The Moritz had long since written to me that she 
 was trying to get Tannhaitser played in Breslau ; so 
 that I was not surprised at your news about the 
 director there. 
 
 You did what was right about the score. So far 
 as I know, Seidelmann is a conscientious man, who 
 certainly had good reasons if he asked to look at the 
 score. 
 
 You can also conclude in my name with the director 
 Reimann : I. An honorarium of twenty Friedrich's d'or, 
 to be sent to you or to me immediately on the declaration 
 of acceptance : II. An undertaking to arrange the 
 scenery and costumes according to the Dresden designs, 
 which can be had through you for seventeen thalers.
 
 252 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 It seems that the Diisseldorfers really have a good 
 orchestra : see if you can get eighteen louis d'or from 
 Kramer, and, if not, let him have the score for ten 
 louis d'or. (But, to be paid immediately on receipt of 
 the same to you or to me 'tis no matter which.) 
 See if you can further manage to make Kramer procure 
 the designs from you : but that must not be made a 
 sine qua non. 
 
 It is possible you may also receive a demand for 
 Tannhdnser from Prague : if so, then the same con- 
 ditions as for Breslau, to which I shall have to keep 
 for all theatres of second rank : I see well that I 
 cannot ask higher. 
 
 There ! you will have your hands full ! 
 
 On my return, B.'s paper made me quite sad 
 again. I wrote at once that Brendel should be asked 
 whether he might not want letters from me on the 
 formation of the Alps. Great heavens ! What articles 
 this paper ought to contain, if there were only a trace 
 of comprehension of the task it had to accomplish ! 
 Your reviews are always excellent, and edify me, but, 
 good God ! what a heap of work there is to be done, 
 if one would only take in hand the right stuff, which 
 is never once offered, with all this reviewing. 
 
 I wish you would send a line or two to your 
 friends, at your leisure, begging them to be more 
 prudent in lending my manuscript of Young Siegfried. 
 I actually read lately in the Krenzcitnng a joke about 
 the dragon (Lindwurni) Fafner ! Such experiences 
 make me extremely averse to carry out my intention 
 of distributing copies of the whole poem among my 
 friends. When an opportunity offers, do see that the
 
 TO UHLIG. 253 
 
 Dresden score goes to Weimar for correction : this is of 
 the highest importance to me ! 
 
 As regards friendship, I grant you are right, and 
 certainly in the Cause you are right ; I am only sorry 
 that in this matter there is any question of right ! 
 You must not discuss theory with me any more ; it 
 drives me clean crazy to have to do with such matters. 
 The nerves of my brain ! there's the bother ! I have 
 cruelly taxed them : it is possible I may yet one day 
 go mad ! 
 
 But one line more, in conclusion : if there is one 
 thing about which I rejoice, it is your visit for next 
 year ! See betimes about leave of absence : the rest, 
 I hope, you will leave to my care! 
 
 Farewell ! Take care of your health, and hearty 
 thanks for all your friendship ! Best greetings from 
 my wife. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, August gth, '52. 
 
 P.S. I also have been thinking of the full close of 
 Tannhduser for Berlin : so get Wolfel to add the 
 complete ending with the Pilgrims' song, exactly as 
 you meant. 
 
 73- 
 BEST FRIEND ! 
 
 A line or two to-day on business matters ! 
 I have just had a letter direct from Breslan : I have 
 answered and made the conditions, such as I lately 
 wrote to you. So send thither the corrected score as
 
 254 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 soon as possible, and order the designs for costumes and 
 scenery. 
 
 Also, see at once about fresh scores and designs, for 
 I have just been informed that Hanover, too, by special 
 command of the king, is on the way towards Tannhduser. 
 If Wolfel is not enough, you must see about a second 
 copyist. 
 
 I have not yet received any money ; what is the state 
 of your fund for expenses ? Can you wait till the 
 autumn, or do you want money before then ? 
 
 Another request : as you have so often to write me 
 on business matters, do not pay the postage any more. 
 Am I to ruin you utterly ? 
 
 I have written to Heine to-day. My head is not 
 clear enough yet for work. 
 
 Farewell, good fellow. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, August nth, '52. 
 
 74- 
 BEST OF MEN ! 
 
 At the same time as your letter I received a 
 fresh load of trouble for you. A theatrical agent, 
 Michaelson in Berlin, informs me that no less than five 
 theatres have asked for Tannhduser (among them, 
 however, Dusseldorf is included ; besides, Riga, Stettin, 
 Dantzig, and Konigsberg). I think I will have nothing 
 to do with people of this sort, and accept the offered 
 mediation so as to be saved a lot of scribbling. I only 
 stipulate that the honorarium (after deducting commis- 
 sion) be sent to me beforehand. So get ready, you 
 unlucky fellow, to prepare more scores : if you have
 
 TO UHLIG. 255 
 
 not a sufficient supply, claim fresh ones from X. With 
 regard to the outlay, I am awaiting a statement from 
 you, and hold myself ready to provide you with money 
 in case you need it. (I have myself received nothing 
 tangible from any quarter. Please provide yourself 
 with copyists for the re-arranged scores.) 
 
 From Berlin I have no answer about my honorarium 
 demand. Leipzig has humbly apologized, and prayed 
 for pardon : again I have enjoined on them the necessity 
 of procuring the designs for the scenery. With regard 
 to Berlin I have written to Heine and Liszt about the 
 transfer of the " alter ego " to them. 
 
 Now something important ! As I cannot possibly 
 address myself separately to all the conductors and inter- 
 preters in spe of Tannhauser, I am busy working at a 
 concise address, respecting the performance and the way 
 in which I wish it carried out. It will contain ample 
 details, and, for many reasons, I think its public 
 appearance will be of advantage. 
 
 Hence I intend this pro memorid for Brendel's journal, 
 where it should appear either as a leading article, or 
 better still, as a special supplement, but in either case 
 in full. Give notice of this to Brendel, who indeed 
 wished to have something of the sort from me, and pre- 
 vail upon him to keep space open, so that the article may 
 come out without delay. Unfortunately I can only work 
 very slowly, as any work now tries my head extremely. 
 Yet I hope to have done in four or five days, at latest ; 
 I will then send the manuscript direct to him (to save 
 time), and stipulate that you correct the proof, whereby 
 you will gain an opportunity of reading it before it 
 appears in print.
 
 256 RICHARD .WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Now farewell for to-day ! You will soon have more 
 news from me ! By the beginning of the winter your 
 trouble will probably be over. 
 
 R. W. 
 
 August l^t/i, '52. 
 
 75- 
 
 DEAR UHLIG, 
 
 Again a red i.e., a business letter. The director, 
 J. A. Stoger, at Prague, wants the score and book of 
 Tannhauser, and so I beg you to let him have them at 
 once. By this time you have probably received the 
 missing " sheet " through my parents-in-law. 
 
 From no quarter have I received an honorarium, and 
 I think of soon giving rather a rough reminder to the 
 Leipzig director. No answer from Berlin. The director 
 of the Wilrzburg Theatre has lately inquired about 
 Tannhduser. 
 
 Only to-day have I finished the manuscript of my 
 "address on the performance of Tannhanser." It had 
 to be more detailed than I at first thought, and I am 
 now glad that I hit upon this way of removing a 
 great weight from my mind. I am again much ex- 
 hausted by the work, and I must now try to thoroughly 
 recover from the effects. After ripe reflection, I found 
 it necessary to give the manuscript at once to be 
 printed here, so as to be able to send as quickly as 
 possible a sufficient quantity of copies to the theatres 
 (privatim and gratis}. I have ordered two hundred, of 
 which I will at once send you a good share, so that 
 you may be able to deliver them to the theatres, to 
 gether with the scores ; the number in each case to be
 
 TO UHLIG. 257 
 
 determined by me. But in this matter I wish to appeal 
 to the public also, and, as soon as it is ready, will send 
 a copy to Brendel to put in his paper. 
 
 Hartels have sent me copies of the score of Lohengrin, 
 of which I keep three for presentation. In any case 
 you will receive one (as you seem to have received none 
 from Hartels) ; a second I think of presenting to Robert 
 Franz, and will send it to you to see that he gets it. I 
 have really been intending for a long time to write to 
 Franz. Heaven knows how one always puts off a thing 
 of the sort, however agreeable it may be. Kind greet- 
 ings to him, and assure him that I place great value on 
 the fact that he next to you and Liszt was the first 
 musician who showed me any friendship. 
 
 I cannot write any more to you to-day. My head is 
 again all confused. Rest ! rest ! (just like Reissiger ! ) 
 
 Farewell, and greetings at home. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, August zyd, '52. 
 
 Keep scores in readiness, for shortly there will have 
 to be a regular hailstorm of them ! 
 
 Peps keeps on barking. Auerbach was also here ; 
 but he did not bark. 
 
 76. 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 With the best will in the world, I was unable 
 yesterday to send off the parcel with the two scores and 
 one hundred copies of the Guide to the performance of 
 Tannhauscr, because I had no money for the postage : 
 thus do the shabby directors leave me in the lurch. 
 
 17
 
 258 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Fortunately, I have just received the fifty thalers from 
 the Wiirzburg theatre-director, and so for the moment 
 I am afloat again. You will have already seen what 
 cunning means I have hit upon to compel the managers 
 to pay of the acceptance-permits (Zwangsp&sse) which 
 I have given to them. You will probably have received 
 two for inspection from Wtirzburg and from Diisseldorf. 
 I shall stick to this for the future, and heartily regret 
 not to have invented this plan at the time when I first 
 became acquainted with the Leipziger. Probably the 
 permits did not come to you unprepared, and you no 
 doubt had warm rolls to hand to appease the voracity 
 of the theatres. 
 
 If only my head were in a better state ! I have done 
 for myself again with that cursed pamphlet, which I 
 rushed through in order to get everything finished in 
 hot haste. A sharp knife often cuts into the nerves of 
 my brain ; besides which I am weak and feverish in all 
 my limbs. But if my head recovers, then I feel better 
 at once. On it on this laboratory of the imagination 
 everything depends. 
 
 The matter with Berlin \vill be arranged, for I go 
 back to the tantieme. Hiilsen means quite honourably, 
 and is thoroughly well disposed towards Tannhduscr. 
 Under these circumstances I must withdraw my vote 
 of want of confidence in him. By the tantieme I shall, 
 with luck, gain more than a thousand thalers. But 
 more about this later on ! 
 
 I cannot decently have any more copies of " On the 
 Performance," etc., struck off: I should indeed be sorry 
 for some persons of whom I had to make mention in it 
 in terms of censure. But if you care to make an extract
 
 TO UHLIG. 259 
 
 from it, and publish this with a notice of the subject 
 this would possibly do much good. You could quote a 
 great deal : only certain matters of detail (the scene- 
 painting, etc.), and those scolding comments, need come 
 out. But you will understand what to do. 
 
 If Tannhattser should, after all, be given in Dresden, 
 hand over to Fischer three or four copies of the 
 pamphlet, so that he may give them in my name to 
 v. Liittichau, whom I beg to direct " specially the con- 
 ductor and the stage-manager " to pay careful attention 
 to the communication. I would ask Fischer kindly to 
 undertake this. If I only knew of a way altogether to 
 put a stop to the Dresden performance ! 
 
 In the case of future orders I will always let you 
 know whether and how many copies of the Address you 
 ought to send away with the score. For this very 
 purpose I send you half the edition. The theatres 
 up to the present I am supplying from here. 
 
 Now something of great importance ! 
 
 Let X. know exactly the places which now have the 
 score. I have stipulated with all the managers that the 
 books of words are to be had of X. Now, if he does 
 not bestir himself, they won't care a fig about asking 
 for them. So he must write quickly to Berlin, Leipzig, 
 Frankfort, Breslau, Prague, Diisseldorf, and Wiirzburg, 
 and ask for orders. He must also commission a busi- 
 ness friend there to keep a sharp look-out, so that no 
 books of words are pirated. For Berlin, if (which you 
 will learn) they give there the complete ending with the 
 Pilgrims' chorus there must be special copies of the 
 text printed off, with a newly arranged last page, 
 according to Hartels' edition. This page could be
 
 260 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 likewise stereotyped for any other theatres which may 
 follow the example. How sorry I am that all this 
 should be in the hands of such a glue-boiler ! ! 
 
 I must conclude. The packet is too heavy and ex- 
 pensive for the post, so I am sending it by goods-mail. 
 For you and Fischer (Liittichau) I therefore only 
 enclose five examples with this letter. 
 
 I shall send the Guide from here to Prague, Breslau, 
 Diisseldorf, and Wiirzburg. The other theatres are 
 already provided for, so I think there is plenty of time 
 for the transmission of the greater bulk. 
 
 Farewell ! Forgive me the many commissions ; but 
 if you do not take a double share off my hands, there 
 will be an end of me. Imagine it, this letter almost 
 kills me ! 
 
 Send news soon, and remain good to me ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, August y>th, 52. 
 
 77- 
 DEAREST ! 
 
 I can only tell you in two lines that Figaro has 
 again conducted himself admirably, and that I thank 
 him heartily for his performances. Reply I cannot at 
 the moment : I dare not write, because I cannot. That's 
 how things stand with me ! 
 
 For the rest, everything is at a standstill nothing 
 definite from Berlin yet. No money from any quarter, 
 excepting Wurzburg. What can I do with the Leipzigcr, 
 who does not even answer my letter of reminder ?
 
 TO UHLIG. 26l 
 
 Wolfel will have enough copying to do, for I see you 
 are not provided with a sufficient number of Tannhduser 
 scores, as you have had to keep Prague waiting. Do 
 employ two copyists ! Let the one write the new ending, 
 and the other all the rest : thus a copy can be finished 
 in half the time (the original can be cut in half). 
 
 But I can no more ! Farewell ! the score to J. 
 Schaffer shortly. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, September $th, '52. 
 
 7 8. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 A few days ago the highly conscientious Prague 
 director sent me the honorarium even before receiving 
 the score : / hope he has got the latter by now ? To-day 
 Breslau also sends its golden tribute. I have lost all 
 patience with Leipzig. Already a few days ago I wrote to 
 Rietz to remind W. ; but I presume even that will be of no 
 avail, and I therefore beg you (are you angry ?) to carry 
 out the enclosed " commission " through some acquaint- 
 ance of yours (perhaps the first musician you come 
 across). I am getting in a rage with this director : he 
 does not answer at all. 
 
 To-day I forward you also a score of Lohengrin, which 
 I request you to send to Julius Schaffer (whose address 
 I do not know). 
 
 This is all I can write to-day ! Take it not ill ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, September 8tk, '52. 
 
 Keep scores still in readiness. I have just received a
 
 262 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 letter from Cologne : I have drawn an acceptance-permit 
 for ten louis d'or. 
 
 79- 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 Some business, so that you may not get out of 
 practice ! I enclose the sketch of my last letter to my 
 Berlin brother, from which you will see how it stands 
 with the Tannhauser matter there. Let Heine see this 
 draft at once, and then send it back to me. 
 
 As things now are (they have suddenly discovered 
 that Tannhauser cannot be given on any one of the 
 Royal birthdays), it is advisable meanwhile that X. 
 should write about the books of words to Berlin (to the 
 general intendant of the royal theatre). You must com- 
 pose the letter for him (he is an ass). This is the state 
 of things : My brother writes : "A family, Jacoby by 
 name, received from the late king, Heaven knows for 
 how long, the privilege of printing and selling all books 
 of words for all operas. The family receives therefrom 
 a yearly income of 1,800 thalers : to take away from 
 them the books of words of Tannhauser would result in 
 a law-suit and all kinds of things. However, it could be 
 arranged by means of a discount (25 per cent.) : they 
 would not then need to print them, and could always 
 sell them to advantage. Hiilsen will speak to the 
 parties. If the parties are unwilling, nothing can be 
 done." So far my brother ! 
 
 I would have you notice that the (wretched) Berlin 
 books of words are always sold for 5 Silbergroschen, 
 whereas the price of the Tannhauser books was fixed at 
 3 Neugroschcn. X. ought therefore to send to Berlin
 
 TO UHLIG. 263 
 
 copies on which the price is not marked, or on which it 
 is marked as 5 Silbergroschen (for smaller places the 
 lower price could remain). X. could let the Jacoby family 
 have the copy for 2\ Silbergroschen , that is at 50 per cent, 
 discount. Thus the people will be perfectly satisfied, 
 and it will make no difference to our receipts. 
 
 Should it be impossible to make an exception in the 
 price, or, for any other reason, to mark it at 5 Silber- 
 groschen, and so the 3 Silbergroschen have to remain, X. 
 would have to reduce the discount somewhat, perhaps 
 to 35 or 40 per cent., in order to make these people 
 amenable. We shall not let it come to a law-suit ; on 
 the other hand, even without gaining much profit, we still 
 preserve our rights over the property. 
 
 My head is still bad, and as the result of my continual 
 agitation by the invisible land outside, I am in a very 
 nervous state of health. 
 
 Rockel's letter of yesterday caused me great, great 
 joy ! He bears himself in first-rate style, staunch, and 
 cheerful. I shall answer him to-morrow. 
 
 The " three opera-poems," which he supposes to be 
 already here from Hartels, he has not yet received, 
 neither has he yet had Oper und Drama, about which 
 he has much to say. Now I had begged you to send 
 a copy to Rockel as soon as it appeared, and you also 
 wrote that you had attended to it : could you not inquire 
 through your legal friend in Waldheim ? Hartels appears 
 to have paid no attention to the matter, for he is even 
 still asking for the pianoforte score of Lohengrin. By 
 his wife I am sending him my last copy (already bound 
 for myself), but will you please inquire about the " three 
 opera-poems "?
 
 264 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 You may possibly soon receive an acceptance-permit 
 from Cologne for the Tannhduser ; keep scores ready ! 
 
 Farewell, I must stretch myself on the lazy-couch, in 
 order to close my eyes ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, September \ \th, '52. 
 
 80. 
 
 DEAR UHLIG, 
 
 With your letter I received also one from 
 Michaelson, who asks for a book of Tannhduser for 
 Riga, because this must be examined at St. Petersburg 
 by the censor before the director can buy the opera. 
 So please send to " Herrmann Michaelson (Theater- 
 kommissionsgeschaft) Leipzigerstrasse 42 in Berlin " 
 half-a-dozen books of words (I suppose X has some 
 in stock ? ), and tell him from me that the books of 
 words for the theatre are only to be obtained through 
 X. Besides that he will receive the score through you, 
 but only upon advice from me ; I shall have already 
 communicated to him what he must do to obtain such 
 order (payment in advance). 
 
 I have no money yet from Diisseldorf : I have a 
 presentiment that as you have already sent off the score 
 (you unprincipled man !) there will be no end of trouble 
 about the money. 
 
 Miihling (not Schmidt's father-in-law) has left Frank- 
 fort, and Hoffmann has taken his place : the latter 
 wishes to give Tannhduser with unheard-of splendour, 
 as his inaugural opera. 
 
 Hence the delay. I shall receive money as soon as 
 Hoffmann has arrived in Frankfort.
 
 TO UHLIG. 265 
 
 I cannot write any more to you to-day : I have 
 already devoted my whole writing power to ROckel, 
 to whom I have just addressed a long letter. I am 
 also sending him a Lohengrin score, which had been 
 bound for myself (as duplicate). 
 
 You have misunderstood me. 
 
 As to the purchase of an estate, I had no one specially 
 in my mind : do you consider me so obstinate in my 
 superstition ? As Berlin seems to have smashed up, 
 my scheme has again disappeared into the dim 
 distance. 
 
 Now listen : 
 
 Man ! man ! man ! 
 
 Get hold of Hafts (" Poems of Hafis," collected by 
 Daumer). 
 
 I. At Campe's in Hamburg. 
 
 II. Lately issued in Nuremburg. 
 
 This Persian Hafis is the greatest poet that ever 
 lived and wrote. If you do not get him at once, I 
 shall hold you in thorough contempt : put down the 
 cost to the Tannhduser account. 
 
 Only be thankful for this recommendation ! 
 Farewell. Look after wife and child, and do all 
 in your power to stop Tannhduser at Dresden ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, September \2th, '52. 
 
 81. 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 Immediately on receipt of your letter I must 
 devote a little writing power to you : already last Tuesday
 
 266 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I felt moved to thank you for your last " choice 
 reading." Good heavens, how proud you will make 
 me! So I am indeed a "musician"! If you only knew 
 how many things passed through my mind on reading 
 that ! Altogether, I could really write sheets full to you 
 every day. There is (unfortunately) a terrible quantity 
 of matter for correspondence : day by day I learn more 
 and more, so that I no longer know what to do ! But 
 the cursed writing ! ! I reserve everything till next 
 summer, when, in any case, you will pay me a visit : 
 we will not be lazy then ! 
 
 I am not one jot better ; only I accustom myself 
 gradually to a fresh degradation of my state of health ; 
 I am resigned, and manage accordingly : I work now 
 every day a short hour ! so, good Heine rejoices at my 
 good spirits ? He is right ; complaints from me shall 
 never more be addressed to friends such as he is ! 
 
 I wrote (very briefly) to D., just to clear up ! And 
 ought I also to have written to X. ? That cannot be quite 
 a correct story. I presume, however, that he confuses 
 my Berlin brother with myself. He, as he announced to 
 me, has written to X. about the books of words. This 
 matter, I hope, is set straight by the last instructions I 
 gave to you still I should like to hear something about 
 it. With Berlin I am now also straight : had my brother 
 informed me that this time, by way of exception, 
 Johanna was remaining in Berlin till the end of May, 
 my objection would, naturally, have been removed, 
 and with this news I should have been quite satisfied ; 
 but, over and above, Hiilsen assures me by letter, that 
 before the spring he hopes to give the opera more than 
 ten times, and undertakes also to arrange for six
 
 TO UHLIG. 267 
 
 performances during the first month. In short, the 
 matter is in order : do tell this also to Heine ! 
 
 That Reissiger has at once hit upon the idea of 
 " cuts " is delicious ! If you only knew how indifferent 
 to me is this Dresden performance ! The best means 
 to prevent it would be, if a certain person happened to 
 read my pamphlet : he would probably be offended by 
 it, and my opera would be abandoned. I know the 
 people I have to deal with ! 
 Has Luttichau got the copies ? 
 
 Why I am so eager after the "wretched" Leipzig 
 honorarium ? I. Because W. outrageously annoys me. 
 II. Because I am greatly in want of money. What 
 do you think ? I owe twenty-six louis d'or to Sdlzer 
 for my summer tour : twenty louis d'or to my wife, to 
 cover the deficit in our last year's money. I am much 
 in debt, too, with my new establishment here. Then, 
 lastly : how can you imagine I ever have enough money ? 
 In the dog's life to which I am condemned I cannot 
 get a scrap of distraction, well-being, or whatever 
 you like to call it without money ? It is all very well 
 for you to talk. You have children ! Don't make your 
 hair turn grey over my too much money ! I assure 
 you, on the contrary, that I am possessed of quite a 
 vulgar greed : I am now on the hunt for the Nibelungen 
 hoard, I have given up the Graal. Shall I again 
 write down for you my last recipe ? 
 
 Well, don't think of me as more common than I really 
 am : there are still a few noble sides to my character ! 
 So, for example, be assured that I should gladly have 
 given up Berlin, had not the intendant there shown 
 himself so amiable towards me as he has, etc.
 
 268 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Do you believe it cost me no effort, lately, to refuse 
 Tannhauser to a travelling director in Rudolstadt ? I 
 am convinced the man would have paid me four louis 
 d'or. (Do nothing with Cologne without a postal 
 receipt !) They have written to me from Schwerin 
 about Lohengrin. Tannhauser has pleased them : in sc 
 short a time it has drawn nine full houses ! Heavens ! 
 what more does one want ? 
 
 If only Fe'tis pere knew that ! 
 
 I have also received the Ballenstadt Musical Festival 
 pamphlet. This work is noble and elevating, only I 
 am terribly annoyed that in it they make me a year 
 older than I am ! When will people know once for all 
 that I was born in 1813 ? I see my friends still do not 
 work sufficiently in my interest ! 
 
 Franz has written to me : so, as I have a good 
 pen, I will write to him, and this shall soon be set 
 about. Best greetings to him for to-day from me, if 
 you are writing to him. 
 
 What continual delight the Neue Zeitschrift fur 
 Musik always affords me, when I open my postal 
 copy, and read " Chamber- and Home-music ! "- 
 The very title annoys me. When I have got over 
 this annoyance, I naturally go on reading with great 
 pleasure ; thus I accustom myself to the ruin of 
 my nerves : one might, however, use them to better 
 purpose ! 
 
 You must have Hafts and Rausse bound together : 
 the fire- and the water-prophet : won't there be a 
 hissing ! 
 
 But God bless you ! To-day is the confederate 
 day of penitence, and during the past week the south
 
 TO UHLIG. 269 
 
 wind has been raging in a manner to destroy even the 
 devil's nerves ! 
 
 Farewell, you favourite of my wife's ! (No joke !) 
 Greet, think, fiddle, and soon write again to 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, September igth. 
 
 82. 
 
 BEST FELLOW AND FRIEND ! 
 
 A fair is being held in Zurich, and a foreign 
 linen-merchant brought such excellent and ridiculously 
 cheap linen to market, that the Wagner couple could 
 not resist realizing a wish they had long, but vainly, 
 cherished, to reform their very much-reduced washing. 
 I had already done everything that appeared feasible to 
 get in honoraria in arrears, but I so definitely counted 
 on a prompt settlement on the part of the Leipzig 
 
 S , that, unsuspecting man as I am, I not only 
 
 gave away my whole stock of louis d'or, but also 
 gave my wife permission to spend all her house-keep- 
 ing money, in order to make thorough use of the 
 really unique opportunity for thoroughly fitting our- 
 selves out with linen at an exceptionally cheap rate. 
 Consider, then, what a crime you have committed by 
 taking the Leipzig affair in so easy-going a manner ! 
 After I had waited a full week for the Leipzig money, 
 amid ever-irtcreasing lamentations on my wife's part 
 over her empty housekeeping purse, there comes 
 at last your letter of yesterday, treating this matter 
 with such cold, calm composure, and opening up the 
 prospect of seeing the matter settled in a week ! Well,
 
 270 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 heaven will teach me how to bear even that! But 
 may it enlighten you, and always keep you in the under- 
 standing that in money-matters I only recognize the 
 equation: M. M. o = 120. Besides Leipzig, I now 
 definitely expect money only from Frankfort ; excuses 
 have been made to me from there on account of the 
 change of directorship. Dusseldorf, in paying, an- 
 nounced to me, that they had sent the postal receipt to 
 Dresden for your inspection : I therefore held it quite 
 unnecessary to say anything to you about the receipt 
 of this money. Probably Riga also will give an order ; 
 Cologne appears unable to raise the ten louis d'or. 
 For the rest, I am of opinion that the score-storm has 
 come to an end for the present. If by Christmas 
 Tannhauser has succeeded in a few places, the opera 
 will probably be wanted for other theatres during 
 the second half of the winter. Previous to that I 
 think you will have a little rest, on which I heartily 
 congratulate you. I am sorry for X. : if I could suppose 
 that my pamphlet had at the same time instructed him, 
 the fright would have been only salutary for him ; but 
 as there is not the slightest hope of this, the whole 
 thing must have appeared to him nothing but a humili- 
 ation, that I caused him with a certain and for him 
 useless cruelty, and for which I cannot for the life of 
 me understand how he will set about forgiving me. 
 For me, it was a necessity to protest against the 
 Dresden performance of Tannhanser, and against the 
 opinion that it had satisfied me ; this was still tingling 
 in all my limbs. 
 
 Concerning Rockel, inquire of H artels whether they 
 have sent to Waldheim the things (three opera-poems,
 
 TO UHLIG. 271 
 
 and pianoforte score of Lohengrin) ordered or asked for 
 by R.'s sister ? If they have, then inquiry would have 
 to be made at W., as to what had become of them ; 
 and with this I have already commissioned R.'s wife, 
 so that you would have nothing to do with it. Only 
 if Hartels have not sent, I would ask you to see that 
 Frau Rockel in Weimar receives the " three opera- 
 poems " (for her husband) : not the pianoforte edition, 
 for I have already sent the score. 
 
 With regard to a notice about Berlin, do be most 
 careful ! The very passage from my letter to my 
 brother, of which you wish to make public use, was 
 one which my brother hesitated to communicate to 
 v. Hulsen, through fear of offending him. How sur- 
 prised would this intendant now be to learn of this 
 suppressed passage through a public paper ! It might 
 appear more hostile than I had really meant it to be ; 
 I should therefore be glad to hear your notice were 
 not yet printed, and that you could modify it in con- 
 formity with my communication. 
 
 Your last "Chamber- and Home-music" article I 
 read with much interest : perhaps, though, you might 
 have ventured to show up and call attention to some 
 more foolish mannerisms, besides this certainly most 
 characteristic cadence trick (Schlusstnoment). When 
 you attacked male part-singing, it was a great conso- 
 lation to me : write something wholesale about it 
 one day, and point out to the cunning blockheads, that 
 in modern male-singing there is revealed no momentum 
 coming from below upwards, but one coming down 
 from above, and indeed " coming down " in every sense 
 of this word. In order to show what one may expect
 
 2/2 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 from this male musical mess, ask that one member should 
 come forward, and sing something : from the faint- 
 hearted and pitiful bearing of this individual, you 
 may then conclude with what filth the whole thing 
 is kneaded together, letting itself have howling a quatre 
 drummed into it by schoolmasters, and thereby de- 
 veloping new art germs for the future ! 
 
 Pray do this. In consequence of a chill, I have been 
 seized with a very bad catarrh : if I could properly 
 nurse it, I might promise myself some good from it; 
 but just now, I am again saddled with a virtuoso, 
 Vieuxtemps, whom I know and like well of old, and 
 in his company I must daily spend my time. With 
 him is Liszt's agitator, my Parisian acquaintance Belloni. 
 From the latter, I learn for the first time how it 
 happened that the Parisian newspapers fell upon me 
 in so solemn and so terrible a way. Belloni was 
 ordered to spread broadcast in Paris Liszt's pamphlets 
 on my operas, and naturally there arose a halloo in 
 the camp of Israel. Belloni tells me now that my 
 name at the present moment is famous in Paris beyond 
 belief, and that I have only to go there to be certain that 
 scandal would arise. I had really already conceived the 
 idea of taking my wife to Paris this winter if there 
 were enough money for a few weeks' amusement, etc., 
 and if I could manage the expense. I thought of 
 engaging an orchestra for a while entirely for myself, 
 and a few friends and having some things from Lohen- 
 grin played over, so that for once, at least, I might hear 
 something from it. This fuss naturally makes the plan 
 a doubtful pleasure. 
 
 Yesterday I saw a beautiful little estate : if I only
 
 TO UHLIG. 2/3 
 
 could have it ! Tell that to Liittichau ! I have sent 
 a short answer to Franz. If I could only get a little 
 agreeable rest. Yesterday, a young lady told me what 
 would cure me : she was very bold, and was right. 
 Heavens, what a downright stupid fellow I am, to be 
 such a crotchety beast ! But so 'tis ! 
 
 Farewell for to-day, Siegmund, father of Siegfried ! 
 Study Hafis ! That is my advice to you ! 
 
 Adieu. 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, September 2jth. "52. 
 
 Here you have a couple of epigrams, a la Schiller- 
 Goethe, which might be used as mottoes : 
 
 I. This is music to think over. So long as one listens 
 to it, one remains cold as ice ; only four or five hours 
 afterwards does it produce the right effect. 
 
 II. Superscription for melodies: 
 
 " Chill and heartless is the song, but singer and 
 player are politely requested to fill it to the brim with 
 feeling ! " 
 
 S3- 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 Sometimes everything seems bewitched, and I 
 only need desire a moment's luxury to be certain that a 
 box on the ears will at once remind me of my proper 
 place in this world. I wrote to you lately how it was 
 that now, above all times, I was looking anxiously for 
 money : good. To-day W.'s letter arrives, which 
 announces to me, that having taken cognizance of the 
 Guide to the performance of Tannhciuser, the Leipzig 
 
 18
 
 274 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 theatre must give up that opera : that the score had been 
 sent back to you good ! Then of a sudden my wife 
 strikes in with a lament that to-day is already the first of 
 October, and that she is in despair at not being able to 
 send the rent-money to her parents ! That, indeed, is 
 the hardest case of all ; for the moment 7 have no money, 
 and if Frankfort does not send soon I shall be in a sorry 
 plight. Now you spoke to me about your children's 
 money-boxes, of a father-in-law who would help in case 
 of need, etc. Do say if you could advance me ten thalers 
 until the beginning of November (when you will again 
 receive R.'s money for me), and give them in my name 
 to my mother-in-law. That was the first idea that 
 occurred to me. If you cannot, perhaps I may light on 
 another expedient. It is really too absurd that I should 
 be just now in such a fix : that ridiculously-cheap-linen 
 affair is the cause of it all. If I could only conquer my 
 propensity for buying bargains ! 
 
 The Leipzigers are a nice lot ! Master Rietz has not 
 managed even to write a single line. Well, they might 
 all be carried off in a sack, for aught I care ! Good 
 riddance to them ! 
 
 Belloni is again giving me plenty to do : he particularly 
 wants me to go to Paris, where he says people would 
 now make a mighty fuss about me. As he cannot attain 
 his end in any other way, he is trying to tempt me with 
 Tannhanser in French for the Grand Opera. 
 
 Herwegh, who also is much in favour of that, wishes 
 to make the prose translation. One thing sets my blood 
 a-tingling : Roger (so far as I know him) would be the 
 only singer who could play Tannhauscr to my heart's 
 content : he is the right sort of man, and, besides, under-
 
 TO UHLIG. 275 
 
 stands German. And Johanna, too, in Paris : you see 
 something is being whispered about but anyhow I won't 
 give an answer for the present. Keep the whispering 
 all to yourself! 
 
 You know that I have renounced belief. Shall I not 
 soon receive a letter from you again ? Only write some 
 amusing tale, something real good: you're a hand at 
 telling fibs. Farewell, and ! 
 
 (Peps is now playing the bassoon.) 
 
 These are the wishes of 
 
 Your affectionate ami, 
 
 R. W. 
 
 October 1st, '52. 
 
 8 4 . 
 
 MAN AND BENEFACTOR, 
 Two lines ! 
 
 To-day I receive a letter from lawyer Steche in Leipzig, 
 who tells me that W. has also replied to him, that the 
 score has already been sent back ; Steche still has doubts 
 about it, as W. is known to be a liar. You, too, do not 
 write to me ? If you have received the score, well and 
 good : if not, let Steche (or Brendel) know at once, so 
 that it may be got in. Sulzer thought W. imagined that 
 I should write to him again, and come down a peg or 
 two : it would be funny if he really expected that ! 
 Cologne announces the ten louis d'or for me between 
 the 2Oth and 24th of October, and requests at the same 
 time to have the score got ready. Good but not without 
 a postal receipt ! 
 
 I am pleased with Schindelmeisser : now he has read 
 my Guide he will begin the study of Tannhduser afresh,
 
 276 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 and in the right way. That sounds quite different from 
 the Leipzig folk ! 
 
 I am most eager for the continuation of your last 
 " choice reading " : to-day's opening against Hagen has 
 my full sympathy. I have been amused to find that 
 in spite of all the blowing-up I gave the departed M tiller 
 about careless correction a fault has so ensconced itself 
 in the Programme to the gth Symphony that even the 
 Zeitschrift fur Musik reprints it. The quotation from 
 Tieck should be : 
 
 "Bald siegend aus den Wogen ruft," 
 
 instead of which the printers jog along with their : 
 " Bald siegend den Wogen ruft " (without " aus "). 
 
 you unprincipled brood ! 
 
 Johanna lately sent me her portrait, which is really 
 excellent ! I am delighted with it ! 
 
 1 hear Schnorr is now painting you for a Nibelungen 
 sheet ; is that true ? Have you become a giant ? 
 
 I will write nothing to you about my work ! It goes 
 slowly, but well ! 
 
 Farewell, and healthier than I : I shall soon go mad. 
 Greetings to August Burck ! 
 
 Always your celebrated 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, October $th, '52. 
 
 8 5 . 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 I really do not know how to answer your im- 
 mense letter in a worthy manner. The reason why I 
 wrote to you to-day without pressing occasion is, 
 after all, this : that I wish to make a determined break
 
 TO UHLIG. 277 
 
 in my poetical work, so as not, by uninterrupted toil, 
 to fall again into the fatal condition from the painful 
 effects of which I have scarcely yet recovered a little. 
 But letter-writing thoroughly > exhausts me, as I have 
 now found out, and you may consider it a high honour 
 if I even fill this sheet. Were it not for the continued 
 bad weather I should have gone off for a few days' 
 tramp. I had already mapped out a tour to Glarus 
 and Schwyz. However, with this perpetual grey sky 
 and damp atmosphere, I must give up all idea of a 
 pleasure-trip ; though, even in the pouring rain, I keep 
 up my midday walk of at most three or four leagues 
 with a sorry sort of enjoyment. Thus I come to the 
 chapter of health, and I must tell you at once that your 
 account of your own condition has really given me no 
 comfort. Believe me, dearest friend, you exact too 
 much from yourself. With your extremely delicate 
 constitution you ought to lead quite a different kind of 
 life and occupation if you would prosper. You " serve " 
 to your own hurt ! I get my strongest proof of what 
 suits you from the fact that you were so well last year 
 when you came to Switzerland, and lounged about in 
 proper style. From that you can see what does you 
 good. Your dispassionate temperament preserves you, 
 in the contact with your manner of life and occupation, 
 from violent convulsive attacks, such as I from time to 
 time am subject to ; but, instead of that, you pine away, 
 imperceptibly, but chronically. Man cannot live by 
 irony alone ; yet in everything which you attempt or do 
 that is the only thing which can help you. You ought 
 to be able to lead a pleasant, easy-going life, entirely 
 according to your inclination. How to accomplish
 
 278 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 that is a matter for you to study as speedily as pos- 
 sible. How I wish I already had a great practical 
 success, to be able to assist you to that which you 
 cannot afford out of your own means alone ! For the 
 present, as I cannot help you, I can only take the next 
 best course, and determine you formally backed up 
 by medical opinion to get a change in 3 r our appoint- 
 ment, so that you might have (at least) two clear 
 months' leave of absence every summer. If you cannot 
 obtain this, or if an attempt is made to squeeze some- 
 thing out of this minimum, then give up entirely your 
 present position, in which you have the least facility of 
 'all for getting away, and become again simple fiddler, 
 yet with the silent resolve to take things easily, as 
 others (ti la K.) do i.e., when you find fiddling over- 
 taxes you, or that disgust for it is becoming too strong 
 for you to resist, then get on a loose end for weeks or 
 months, just because you could not endure it any longer. 
 But in summer take three months' leave of absence, 
 and when, finally, people begin to kick a bit well, get 
 a pension, come to me with your bag and baggage, and 
 we together, with your whole family, will manage some- 
 how or other. Surely you will not be so foolish as to 
 be prevented by any feeling of ambition. I even hope 
 that in this matter you have no scruples of honour, for 
 these conditions have nothing in common with honour. 
 Therefore I urge upon you, give up your present 
 position ; if you cannot arrange it quite to suit your 
 own ease and with // this is absolutely impossible 
 then make yourself at ease in whatever service you 
 take, even if your loitering should end in your having 
 a pension thrust upon you. This is the only possible
 
 TO UHLIG. 279 
 
 way of keeping yourself right. Without it, in all pro- 
 bability, you must soon be quite used up. Reflect 
 whether it can possibly be otherwise. I entreat you to 
 give up this abject feeling of duty. Be unbeseeming 
 that alone can save you ! I am glad to hear that the 
 wet packing has been of good service for your hoarse- 
 ness. Take care of yourself ! So long as this hoarseness 
 lasts, give up all official work. / bind you to this, if you 
 have any love for me. Do it for my sake : go gaily off 
 till your throat is perfectly well again. I know how it 
 was that some time back Lehrs, one of my dearest 
 friends in Paris, came to grief. The poor wretch, who 
 was afflicted in a similar manner, could not stop work 
 and give himself up to pleasant idlings, when he could 
 easily have been cured. Do what I tell you ! I shall 
 write no more to you, unless you can announce to me 
 in your next letter that you have said farewell to all 
 service for the present. Think ! this must be done, 
 whatever happens ! Listen to my entreaty ! 
 
 I much long to go to Paris, to make personal 
 acquaintance with Lindemann. For the present 
 Hcrwegh is my physician. His physical and physio- 
 logical knowledge is great, and in every respect he is 
 more sympathetic to me than any doctor. In suffer- 
 ings such as ours none but a friend can advise us, and 
 a physician only if he is this as well. 
 
 I also have been in a bad state as regards my 
 stomach, and this was chiefly the result of that cursed 
 77/27-drinking. I now share the conviction of all who 
 regard milk diet as, folly. Milk is the food of sucklings, 
 yes, and drunk warm from the mother's breast ; but 
 every grown-up suckling feeds on developed and
 
 28O RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 intermediary substances. No animal drinks cold milk, 
 neither does any natural man. The cattle in the Alps 
 eat cheese or a fermented drink prepared from milk. 
 How can we be so foolish as to offer to the same 
 stomach which, on the one hand, takes prepared food 
 (even prepared meat), this other entirely raw substance ? 
 And we, too, with our terribly intense brain activity, 
 and the whole manner of our life ! The right thing for 
 us is enjoy everything, but within the bounds of mode- 
 ration, as taught by self-observation and experience. 
 As coffee (generally) is hurtful to my nerves, I take 
 roast meat preferably game early in the day, with 
 a draught or two of good wine. Your oatmeal gruel 
 does not please me : do take game hare ! Game, 
 while providing a maximum of nourishment, requires a 
 minimum of digestive power ; and it is imperative for 
 you to gain strength through nourishment. 
 
 My warm baths, of 24, for half an hour before 
 going to bed, suit me well now. It would have been 
 all up with me but for this bath. It soothes my nerves, 
 and always gives me sound sleep. Lindemann advised 
 me, if I wished to recover quickly, to take a half-hour's 
 bath of the same kind in the morning, instead of my 
 present short bath in water chilled to 20. I wet 
 my head (at every bath) repeatedly with cold water. 
 Perhaps I may yet have recourse to the full early bath. 
 Our hydropathic physicians, collectively and indi- 
 vidually, do not know enough about nervous disorders. 
 To constitutions like mine warm baths alone are of any 
 use, while cool ones entirely ruin them. If once I can 
 get my nerves right, I shall be quite a different man. 
 
 Well, enough of this. It would be enough to fill the
 
 TO UHLIG. 28l 
 
 whole sheet, to which, however, I must add one thing 
 more. This very moment the postman interrupted me, 
 and brought me an immense delight a letter from the 
 Breslau Capellmeister about the extraordinary success 
 which the first performance of Tannhduser has had 
 there. The man writes quite beside himself with joy 
 and satisfaction, and I am so enraptured by it that I 
 cannot write any more to-day to you, as the quiet for 
 that has quite gone from me, and this time in so 
 pleasant a manner. 
 More to-morrow. 
 
 October llth. 
 
 You have probably received the Breslau news direct. 
 How much it rejoiced me I told you yesterday. I 
 will now conclude the letter with a few quasi-business 
 matters. 
 
 I had thought by now to receive news from you 
 about the Leipzig matter. Perhaps it may come to- 
 day. I mean whether the score is sent back. 
 
 The Dresden Tannhduser is no advertisement for 
 me : they may even do there what they like with the 
 ending ! Dresden can be of no more use to me, as it 
 has never been of use it has, indeed, harmed me ; but 
 it cannot even do that any more. It can only sink 
 deeper into my indifference. Enough ; the remem- 
 brances of the Dresden Tannhduser are a torture to me. 
 Now, with regard to the new performance, I have 
 
 arrived at a : completely. So give yourself no 
 
 trouble about the ending at least, not for my sake. If 
 you wish to remonstrate with L. for his insolence to me, 
 let this be a matter quite apart.
 
 282 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I enclose the correction of the " leap " in the vocal 
 part. You will recognize my astounding talent for 
 polyphony 
 
 If only Brendel could alter the title : Chamber- and 
 Home-Music ! My fate compels me to take into my 
 hand every fresh number of the paper. But this super- 
 scription is the ruin of me : it is every time a heavy 
 blow to me ! 
 
 I have, Heaven knows, nothing more to tell you. So 
 I will wait for the postman : perhaps I may then find 
 something further to say to you. 
 
 (Lachner is seen to. J. Schaffer has written to me. 
 When you write to him give best greetings from me, 
 and make excuses for me if I should not answer at 
 once. That kind of letter always exhausts me. Would 
 a score of Tannhauser be of any service to him and to 
 Franz ? Copies old version have you enough in 
 hand ? ) 
 
 Well, nothing has come ; only your fugue. I must 
 carefully study it before I reply to you about it. 
 Heavens ! you clever fellow ! Fugues and maps ! But 
 with your map you will not entrap me home. I am no 
 longer a kee Saxon ! But I have been nearly every- 
 where there. I have Lohengrin ned at Dittersbach (on 
 Schonhoe). 
 
 I should have liked to send a longer answer, but 
 time is up, as in the meantime I had to write to Berlin. 
 Johanna had written a long letter. 
 
 Farewell, and soon send me good news about yourself, 
 especially that you will obey me do you hear ? 
 
 Good-bye ! Your 
 
 October \2th, '52. R- W.
 
 TO UHLIG. 283 
 
 86. 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 You must make much of the fact that I write a 
 few lines to you to-day ! I wished to work, but found 
 myself in such a bad state that I was forced to spend 
 the whole of the forenoon on the lazy-couch, half asleep 
 and half awake. A change must be brought about : 
 something must happen to tear me from this mere world 
 of thought ! This occupying myself with art par distance 
 is death to me. No joy is lasting not even the Breslau 
 news for I cannot satisfy myself with mere " news." 
 What the change shall be I cannot conceive, for not at 
 any price would I apply for an amnesty ! But this I 
 know, a flying trip to Weimar or Berlin, to hear my 
 operas and do something real for them that would 
 have a highly beneficial effect on me. 
 
 I thank you for seeing to my mother-in-law : let a 
 Tannhauser ticket reward your good wife for her trouble ! 
 When you receive the R.'s money for me, take at once 
 twenty thalers from it, and give them to the old Planers. 
 Don't forget this ! Don't be uneasy about my present 
 money-wants ; but you are squandering a fortune on 
 your letters ! Whatever does your wife say to it ? 
 
 Everything is in the best order with Berlin : they are 
 even thinking of soon following up with Lohengrin. 
 The Princess of Prussia saw it again lately (October 
 2nd) at Weimar, and has probably made things hot for 
 Hulsen. You have done well to write to S. : the score 
 must b6 snatched from the rascal's teeth. I have declared 
 to S. that on no terms do I now give my consent to 
 Tannhauser in Leipzig, so long at least as the present 
 theatrical conditions are in force.
 
 284 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 What you write to me about X. again begins to touch 
 me : above all am I affected by the adherence to the new 
 ending, which X. never liked. 
 
 Your Miniature choice-reading I have not specially 
 mentioned because I found the matter altogether too 
 trifling and commonplace : I have nothing to say about it. 
 
 Liszt sent me lately at my request my Faust Overture, 
 with a delicate and intelligent remark, a wish for some- 
 thing lacking in it. Remind me to tell you about this 
 another time ; to-day I feel exhausted. 
 
 I much covet your soda-water machine : I will inquire 
 whether I can get one here, if not, you must send me 
 one. We have already made exchanges in matters of 
 medicine and diet. I am very glad that your hoarseness 
 has gone. Now there only remains my last orders about 
 your appointment. 
 
 In the abjectness of our life and of our occupation lies 
 at the present the determining cause of our prostration. 
 In spite of Schlurk, I will never become acquainted 
 with the " Ritter vom Geiste." In that matter I stick to 
 a terribly severe diet ! I have not even read Heine's 
 Romanzero. I anticipate my complete ruin if I took to 
 that sort of thing. 
 
 My principal care is still the Nibelungen poem : this 
 is the only thing that really and powerfully elevates 
 me whenever I give myself up to it. The thought 
 of posterity is repugnant to me, and yet this vain 
 illusion comes before me unawares from time to time, 
 when my poem passes from my soul into the world. 
 All I can and all I have is contained in this one 
 thought : to be able to carry it through and have it 
 performed ! ! !
 
 TO UHLIG. 285 
 
 I have now decided on the titles : Der Ring des 
 Nibelungen, a festival play (Biihnenfestspiel\ to be per- 
 formed in three days and an introductory evening. 
 Introductory evening : Das Rheingold. First day : 
 Die Walkiire. Second day: Der Junge Siegfried. 
 Third day : Sieg fried 1 s Tod. The introductory evening 
 is really a complete drama, fairly rich in action : I have 
 finished quite half of it. The Walkiire, entirely. The 
 two Siegfrieds, however, must still be thoroughly revised, 
 especially Siegfried's Death. But then it will be some- 
 thing ! ! 
 
 I was fearfully depressed at not being able to work 
 to-day ! How willingly would I have gone off for a 
 few days, but the weather is too bad quite December 
 2nd! 
 
 If there is anything I have not noticed, or which I 
 have forgotten, please forgive me ! And make my 
 excuses also to J. Schaffer ! 
 
 Frau R., of course, had written to me, as always, in 
 the kindest manner. We visited the Kummers at 
 Tiefenau near Elgg, which delighted them : but it is a 
 fearful place. Heaven preserve me from such a water- 
 establishment ! I would rather burn away in fire 
 best of all in that of Hafis. Do study Hafis carefully : 
 he is the greatest and most sublime philosopher. 
 Certainly no other writer has given the great question so 
 sure and irrefutable an answer. There is only one thing 
 that which lie commends : and all beside is not a 
 farthing's worth, however high and noble it may call 
 itself. 
 
 Something similar to this will also be shown in my own 
 Nibelungen.
 
 286 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Farewell ! Be precious cunning, and take things in 
 a wickedly easy way ! 
 
 Ever your friend, who truly prizes and honours you, 
 
 R. W. 
 
 October \ifh, '52. 
 
 8 7 . 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 You will only get a few lines to-day. After 
 some interruption (through indisposition) I am now 
 bent on devoting all my working power to the com- 
 pletion of the Rheingold, and I will not make a break 
 by long letter writing until I have finished : this will 
 happen, however, in the present week, and at the end 
 of it I therefore promise you a real letter. So you 
 must have patience with me. 
 
 So to-day (after my working time) only two words ! 
 
 Health. I am glad that I have alarmed you ; for 
 this was just my aim. More about this shortly. 
 
 Business. Send to Michaelson the score for Riga, 
 with four copies of the Guide to performance : they are 
 paid for. If he writes to you about Rostock (! !), and 
 encloses a postal certificate, send likewise a score and 
 four pamphlets. He asks me besides for some books 
 of words ; send him half a dozen. Tell X. to be 
 always on the look-out about the books of words ; he 
 ought at once to assert his rights at each theatre. 
 (Has he not done this at Wiesbaden ?) 
 
 For Heaven's sake spare me the threatened vouchers 
 for your disbursements ! Pedant, what am I think of 
 you ? Also I do not want the Dresden Tannhdnser 
 literature. 
 
 Neither do I want the machine : there is here an
 
 TO UHLIG. 287 
 
 improvement on it by Liebig. You acted quite 
 sensibly in keeping part of the money : I had 
 forgotten it. 
 
 See to three tickets, third tier, for the next Tannhauser 
 performance, for my wife's family. Your own is to go 
 to the amphitheatre. Had not a dressmaker's assistant 
 written at once about it to my wife, I should have 
 known nothing whatever about the performance. 
 
 Do you feel inclined to make the pianoforte score of 
 Iphigenia in Aulis from my arrangement (Bcarbcitung) ? 
 I have offered it to Hartels. 
 
 Mosevius has \vritten to me in a touching manner ; 
 under his own name he has also written about Tann- 
 hdnser in some Breslau paper. Would you like to 
 have it ? 
 
 Nothing more to-day ! Take for breakfast Cacoigna, 
 cocoa purified from all fat : I do so most easy to 
 digest and very nourishing. 
 
 At the end of the week, more details ! Till then, 
 have good courage, and hold in kind remembrance 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 November 6th, '52. 
 
 88. 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 You must lately have definitely expected a big 
 letter. I could not write it. I certainly had finished 
 my work by the middle of last week ; yet I was much 
 exhausted, and as the weather quite unexpectedly turned 
 fine, I made a three days' excursion among the Alps 
 with Herwegh and Wille(a Hamburger who has settled 
 here by the lake) : to Glarus, Glarnisch, also the Klon
 
 288 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 valley and the Wallenstadt lake. Unfortunately I was 
 the worse for the excursion, as in the first inn where 
 we spent the night I could not sleep at all, and then 
 on the following day in spite of my terrible exhaustion 
 for my companions' sake I made a forced journey, 
 which like everything forced quite upset me. So I 
 only now set to work to write my " big " letter : it 
 will probably not be extraordinarily " big," for I 
 would rather not force myself once more, and with 
 my complete lack of life, I have so little worthy of 
 communication. 
 
 But first of all, the " chapter of health." 
 Dearest old friend, let us be sensible, and calmly 
 recognize that each one of us nourishes within himself 
 the germs of his own death, and knowing this, it is 
 only a question of warding off, as long as possible, from 
 the body this certain specific death. With me, for 
 example, everything points to a death by wasting 
 of the nerves : my special and characteristic mode of 
 life consists, to a certain extent, in avoiding the necessity 
 of this wasting. This death though it finally result 
 from an apparently remote and secondary fatal illness 
 is to me a certainty, as certain as the speciality of 
 my life ; and the only question is, shall I fall a victim 
 sooner or later ? So long as I have still an aim in life, 
 I wish to keep death from my throat, and therefore 
 adopt all possible measures to preserve myself. I 
 intentionally avoid all over-exertion, go as much as 
 possible out of the way of over-excitement, seek to 
 regulate my digestion and nourishment, and, above all, 
 aim at the utmost comfort, rest, and agreeable impres- 
 sions so far as lies in my power.
 
 TO UHLIG. 289 
 
 That I can endure for some time yet, if I stick close 
 to this diet, is what many assure me, and what from 
 analogy seems credible to myself. Now look at yourself: 
 your whole long and meagre body tells you that you pos- 
 sess very deficient nutrimentary powers : by a foolishly 
 inactive and sedentary mode of life in youth, you have 
 increased that constitutional defect to a degree which is 
 now causing you anxiety. Realize your condition, and 
 attack it from the right point : if you commence pro- 
 perly, you are just the man to easily succeed and (owing 
 to your colder temperament) easier than I in forcing 
 the duration of your life, with a little display of energy, 
 to follow your own will. Look, above all, to your 
 nourishment ! I am glad that you are already on the 
 right road. Simple nutrient substances are not for folk 
 of our sort : we require something complex, substances 
 which combine the greatest amount of nutrient matter 
 with the smallest demand on the digestive organs. Our 
 rule should be to eat often, little, and well, and besides, to 
 avoid every great exertion, even in movement ; while on 
 the other hand studying comfort and agreeable rest. 
 Considering your general state of bad nutrition, it is 
 natural that your throat suffers most, for the throat is 
 the weakest, tenderest organ. You lack (these are 
 Herwegh's words) sufficient fat- formative power, and 
 you should take everything that will help to this, even 
 cod liver oil, which in such cases is said to have worked 
 wonders. So reflect, best friend, that you have your 
 health, your life, entirely in your hands ! But let go every 
 consideration which would hinder you from the mode of 
 life which to you is a necessity. Above all this I 
 conjure you take three months leave of absence next 
 
 19
 
 290 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 summer, and spend this time with me (Franz is coming 
 also). Simply get a certificate from the doctor, that you 
 require it : he cannot possibly refuse it, and then the 
 leave of absence cannot possibly be denied you. I must 
 agree with you in your unwillingness to exchange your 
 official position : but I can only advise you to to stick to 
 it, on the condition that you know how to subdue your 
 official conscience, and can thoroughly make up your 
 mind to take matters easily. Otherwise, if the worst 
 comes to the worst, rely on me, I mean on my future, 
 from the success point of view. With a fair amount of 
 certainty I may venture to assume that I may expect 
 good profits in the course of the next few years : you 
 know the necessities of my life are now ensured, and as 
 for "luxury" I earnestly beg you in advance to consider 
 yourself a sharer in that with me. It would be folly 
 if I were now to fall a-boasting ; but so much you must 
 understand, that even now, as soon as I was forewarned 
 of your exact situation, I could help you right well. Now, 
 I merely mean that in forming a resolution, you must 
 take into consideration this possibility also of providing 
 for your life ! And for the present enough of this ! 
 
 I have not much more to tell you that would need a 
 spun-out tale. The Dresden " event " has become 
 epecially interesting to me, in that from among all my 
 " friends " I have scarcely received any news about it : 
 with your exception, there was as I said only a dress- 
 maker's assistant, who informed my wife ; otherwise, 
 unless I include the horrid correspondence-notes of the 
 Brockhaus newspaper, I had no news from any one ; 
 neither R. nor H., nor F. and so on, has sent me a line. 
 
 Well, after all, I do not get much from news of that
 
 TO UHLIG. 291 
 
 sort. But I think I can explain in quite a way of my 
 own, why F. and H. do not write to me: iheD. A. Z. 
 writes definitely about an intended performance of 
 Lohengrin at Dresden. Now, these two old fellows 
 know that I will not consent to this performance : and, 
 so that I may not prevent it, they will not write anything 
 about it to me, which they would of course have to do 
 if they wrote to me at all. But I beg of you to tell me 
 exactly what you can learn about it : if it is really so, 
 I am determined to write to Liittichau himself and enter 
 protest. I will not have the distress of knowing that 
 this opera is maltreated by K. or R. : they shall not do 
 that until Lohengrin has been given at other good places, 
 where I can gain an influence over the conductors. 
 
 My " ingratitude " might almost have determined me 
 to draw the pen against a third person on this subject ; 
 in order to ask quite quietly, whether I had not returned 
 "thanks" for " benefits " received, through the simple 
 service for which I received them, through my artistic 
 activity in Dresden : whether this then was a ? 
 etc., etc. 
 
 Only I have no inclination any longer for these stale 
 wares : it may be otherwise with those who are in the 
 thick of it ; but then they are merely fine Dresden 
 " friends." 
 
 Schindelmeisser (who will produce Tannhauser 
 on the 1 3th November, for the first time) causes me 
 great joy : my Guide has had a splendid effect on him, 
 and I believe his performance will be a really good one. 
 He writes me that he is " amazed " at this music, and 
 cannot find expressions of "rapture" sufficient to de- 
 scribe the revolution which is taking place in him.
 
 292 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 You will have received the Michaelson commissions : 
 be prepared to receive an order from Freiburg in 
 Breisgau. For there are desperate enthusiasts of mine 
 there. Apropos ! If one could keep a strict eye on 
 the whining X. : from time to time I hear of an already 
 very wide circulation of my pianoforte scores ! That 
 the fellow always says he has made no money out of 
 it, really makes me somewhat suspicious. My creditors 
 deserve a good hiding, if they do not keep X. under 
 control : I can do no more in the matter ! 
 
 Brendel's Zeitschrift becomes more and more 
 delightful ! Tell me, how can you get consent to 
 your articles being always so cut asunder ? With 
 the last choice reading it was a regular mess ! How 
 can anything have effect that way ? Even the " Pro- 
 gramme" article he completely mutilated by this 
 dividing and interrupting ! I was really sorry that you 
 did not take Gumbrecht to task for his explanation of 
 the A-majpr Symphony. 
 
 Your " Characteristik " has pleased me very much, 
 although it was in fugue style ; this will set your back 
 up, for that you make your strong point ! But I no 
 longer understand anything about fugue : it is no longer 
 point d'honmur with me, in itself it is distasteful to 
 me. It was the musical life, the expression itself, 
 which pleased me most in your composition. I cannot 
 say this to you properly. 
 
 Franz has sent me his Lieder ; as yet I have not 
 looked at them, but I am promising myself great 
 pleasure when I do. Please give him best greetings 
 from me when you write. 
 
 It is astonishing to me how quiet Brendel keeps over
 
 TO UHLIG. 293 
 
 the Leipzig Tannhauser affair : yet this is an occasion in 
 which one could thoroughly expose the whole miserable- 
 ness of the Leipzig music-makers' guild. Hartels wrote 
 to me in great concern : the director, etc., had declared 
 that my operas contained insoluble difficulties, and 
 " there were the same complaints " (so said W.) " from 
 most of the theatres." Nice sort of fellows ! 
 
 Well, my soda-water machine is splendid : so, I am 
 satisfied with it ! With the little estate, it stands so so ! 
 I am no longer thinking of purchasing (and indeed for 
 many reasons) : but I would willingly take on hire, for 
 a fairly long time, a pretty country house with a nice 
 large garden. I am on the look-out for it, but can't 
 find anything suitable as yet. But I won't give up, 
 and hope next summer to be able to offer good shelter 
 to my guests. 
 
 Your packet (the great letter) has just come ; I will 
 send for it to the post-office, and then conclude. 
 
 I have read your letter, and thank you heartily. 
 
 I do not find much to answer, and as it is twelve 
 o'clock, and writing of an afternoon is impossible to me, 
 I will only add a few brief lines by way of close, so 
 that it may go off to-day. The Alcibiades I will read 
 through in the evening. The news about your health 
 is welcome, and welcome as only it can be. Think 
 above all of leave of absence and the Swiss journey. 
 Hartels have not yet answered about Iphigenia (the 
 revised copy of the score is the one belonging to the 
 Dresden Theatre). With regard to the Tannhauser 
 news, I begin to be struck with admiration at L.'s 
 revolutionary position : it really needs a sort of love
 
 294 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 of the thing, to oppose such a storm. That the kernel 
 of the matter will be brought out on this occasion, 
 makes this Dresden "event" gradually interesting to 
 me. The ways of Providence are indeed wonderful ! 
 Your vouchers, my good fellow, will not be looked 
 at ! Farewell ! Greetings to the wife ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, November loth, '$2. 
 
 8 9 . 
 
 DEAR FRIEND ! 
 
 The postman comes every morning about 
 eleven o'clock ; I generally work from nine o'clock 
 up to this time, and when the letters arrive I am 
 already somewhat exhausted and in need of rest. 
 So is it to-day, when I have just received your 
 last letter. Now, each time I am placed in the 
 dilemma, of either not answering at all, or of doing 
 this as briefly as possible. If I put it off, the same 
 thing occurs each next day ; unless I gave up my work 
 for a whole morning, as happens when I make up my 
 mind to write a longish letter. (Only under extreme 
 necessity do I write a single line between twelve o'clock 
 and bed-time.) I explain this to you once for all, so 
 that you may explain to yourself why I write briefly 
 to you when I answer by return, which I am always 
 glad to do, so as to get rid of what requires answering 
 and to induce you to keep our correspondence going. 
 
 Not to forget small matters, I will think of them 
 at once. Mosevius sent me his article cut out of the 
 paper, so that I do not know where it really comes 
 from : he only told me it was in a Breslau Conservative
 
 TO UHLIG. 295 
 
 paper. (The article in itself is, after all, of no great 
 importance, but it becomes interesting through bearing 
 the signature of Mosevius.) Fabulous news has lately 
 reached me from Breslau : Michaelson wrote a little 
 time ago, of eight performances having taken place 
 there to overflowing houses : now Frau Moritz announces 
 to me (from Wiesbaden) that a friend has just written 
 to her from Breslau that in a little over four weeks 
 Tannhduser had been given there twelve times, and 
 always to crowded houses. Is this really possible ? 
 
 There was a famous success on the I3th inst. at 
 Wiesbaden. Schindelmeisser had already written to 
 me beforehand (at the same time also about Lohengrin) 
 that it was no longer possible to repress the enthusiasm 
 of the singers and of the orchestra, at the rehearsals. 
 From all this I gather that Schindelmeisser's study 
 was beyond all praise. Both he and Frau Moritz tell 
 me of an unprecedented furore after the performance. 
 (Perhaps you have already read something about it in 
 the Frankfort papers ?) I pass over individual details 
 to which this "furore " bears witness : above all I 
 rejoice at Schindelmeisser himself (formerly stirred up 
 against me by R.). 
 
 After the success merely of the rehearsals, he had 
 resolved on Lohengrin. Frau Moritz assures me the 
 precision was unsurpassable. The railway brought 
 many friends from Cologne (Bischoff! !), Mainz, Frank- 
 fort, Darmstadt, etc. The factotum of the Munich 
 Intendant was there, with instructions to at once send 
 home news. In any case Munich will soon give 
 Tannhduser. 
 
 You did quite right about Stuttgart. Tannhduser
 
 296 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 will be given at Frankfort in December : but I have 
 not yet got the honorarium : I am daily in expectation 
 of a letter from Hofmann. 
 
 H.'s wrote to me lately (in answer to my offer of the 
 Iphigenia and the Faust Overture for publication): they 
 were very much out of sorts and discouraged by my 
 behaviour, as I always made it so difficult and almost 
 impossible for the theatres to give my operas : my deal- 
 ings with regard to Leipzig were far too tyrannical, my 
 demands for mounting the works too inconsiderate, etc. 
 Thereupon I spared no pains to put before them in 
 detail my whole intercourse with W., Rietz, etc., 
 and to show them how, on the one hand, W.'s 
 shabbiness in the matter of payment, on the other 
 hand Rietz's evident disinclination to submit to my 
 purely artistic demands, were the sole causes of the 
 rupture, which for the rest was a solitary exception : 
 whereas even the smallest theatres continued to stand 
 on the best footing with me, etc., etc., etc. Finally 
 I said to them that, through the easy credence 
 which they gave to a man known throughout the town 
 as a liar, they appeared to have fallen into so fatal 
 a frame of mind towards my works that I did not 
 wish to disturb it by any further requests, and therefore 
 withdrew my offers. I shall not get very far with 
 these Philistines : they have no conception whatever 
 of the position and future of my works. Besides I 
 have so spoilt them by my almost no honorarium- 
 demands, that they are now na'ive enough to imagine 
 that they would never have anything more to pay me 
 than, perhaps, a tiny honorarium-pittance ! 
 
 I must write to L. about Lohengrin as soon as I
 
 TO UHLIG. 297 
 
 know anything definite. (I never presented my opera 
 to him : that I never did so, was just what annoyed 
 him, as my policy always consisted in leaving him to 
 approach me. I only agreed to sell him the copy, 
 should he ever desire to produce Lohengrin.} Natur- 
 ally I have no intention of appealing to the law-courts 
 in this matter- 
 Well I must stop : my head is getting bad. What 
 I have forgotten I will make up another time. Come, 
 have you not forgotten my admonition respecting the 
 X. publishing affair ? Or ought I no longer to burden 
 you with such matters (owing to your unfortunate 
 state of health) ? Be candid ! But, above all, think 
 about the long leave of absence for next summer ! If 
 everything goes well and according to my desire, I 
 can receive you in a magnificent garden and country- 
 house. 
 
 The Musical Society in Utrecht (Holland) has been 
 the first to reply to my last notice in the Neue Zeit- 
 schrift fiir Musik. The article on Tannhduser from 
 Dresden is really good : who then is the writer ? 
 
 I am now working at Young Siegfried. I shall soon 
 have finished it. Then I attack Siegfried's Death this 
 will take me longer : I have two scenes in it to write 
 afresh (the Norns and the scene of Brynhilde with the 
 Valkyries), and above all the close : beside these, 
 everything needs most important revision. The whole 
 will then be out with it ! I am impudent enough to 
 say it the greatest poem ever written ! 
 
 About my health another time : I am obliged to 
 avoid all fatigue, that of excessive walking also : 
 only in luxurious comfort can this artificial man,
 
 298 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 myself, now prosper ; who knows if I completely shift 
 the saddle, if I quite forswear my youth, and con- 
 sciously adopt a brand-new rule of life, perhaps I shall 
 see my way to a little further existence. (Leave 
 sophistries and polemics alone ! Hope in me !) 
 Good-bye ! 
 
 Your Nibelungen prince, 
 
 ALBERICH. 
 
 (I will tell you something amusing about Munich 
 next time.) 
 
 90. 
 
 Do you know that the revival of Tannhauser at 
 Dresden has had quite an uncomfortable effect on me ? 
 From all my information, I am convinced that even now 
 Tannhauser has won no right and genuine success in 
 Dresden. Do you remember that of old Tannhauser 
 only drew a full house when it had not been given for 
 some time, whereas the theatre was always but thinly 
 filled when it was repeated at short intervals ? I then 
 saw from this that the opera was like an extraordinary 
 riddle to the public, to the solution of which they felt 
 impelled by curiosity ; but that it always caused a cer- 
 tain unpleasant effect which scared them away when, 
 after renewed attempts, it remained unsolved. The chief 
 blame for this, I maintain, lies in the defects of the 
 performance, already censured by me : the real Tann- 
 haiiser is not made manifest at all, no sympathy is 
 aroused for it. But if they have a presentiment of the 
 significance of " Tannhauser" our good Dresden folk 
 find it, of necessity, hazardous to have anything to do
 
 TO UHLIG. 299 
 
 with it. All this rose up again before me when I learnt 
 from you that the second performance was by no means 
 over-crowded. But now I read (by chance) in a notice 
 (certainly unintelligent and unfavourable) in the Ham- 
 burg theatrical paper, that the unprecedented interest of 
 the public in the first performance proceeded from the 
 expectation that some scandal might take place : at least 
 this may explain why the succeeding performances were 
 by no means so well attended. I stick to my opinion : 
 I am right ! This Dresden, had I remained in it, would 
 have become the grave of my art ! What, on the other 
 hand, shall I say about Weimar, Schwerin, Breslau, 
 and Wiesbaden ? Everywhere the first performance at 
 once hit home, which has certainly not happened in 
 Dresden. Seydelmann wrote to me lately that in spite 
 of many interruptions through illness they had, up to 
 the previous Sunday, given Tannhduser eleven times, and 
 always to full houses and with like applause. This 
 much is certain : I have a presentiment that Dresden 
 will now do harm to my Lohengrin, if it comes out there : 
 I shall therefore try all means to prevent it, as soon as I 
 hear any thing for certain. 
 
 In general, I begin to be afraid of performances in chief 
 towns. I shall never find such goodwill there as in the 
 smaller towns, especially not among self !-opera-com- 
 posing Capellmeisters. Do you really know what 
 happened with the Tannhduser Overture in Munich ? 
 The applause was " very divided." But I must tell 
 you a joke from there. I had sent the Programme to 
 Lachner, and had received no answer : after I had read 
 about the performance, I reminded him of it. Then I got 
 for answer that they had not ventured to make known
 
 300 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 the Programme, but that they had added the follow- 
 ing notice to the concert-programme : " Holy, serene 
 frame of mind ! Night draws on The passions are 
 aroused The spirit fights against them Daybreak 
 Final victory over matter Prayer Song of triumph/' 
 consequently they now say I can rest assured that 
 my composition was completely " understood." (Is that 
 not delicious ?) 
 
 Liszt's remark about the " Faust Overture " was as 
 follows : he missed a second theme, which should more 
 plastically represent " Gretchen," and therefore wished 
 to see either such an one added, or the second theme 
 of the overture modified. This was a thoroughly refined 
 and correct expression of feeling from htm, to whom 
 I had submitted the composition as an "Overture to 
 the first part of Goethe's Faust." So I was obliged 
 to answer him that he had beautifully caught me in 
 a lie, when (without thought) I tried to make myself 
 or him believe that I had written such an overture. 
 But he would quickly understand me if I were to entitle 
 the composition " Faust in Solitude" In fact, with 
 this tone-poem I only had in my mind the first move- 
 ment of a Faust Symphony : here Faust is the subject, 
 and woman hovers before him only as an indefinite, 
 shapeless object of his yearning ; as such, intangible 
 and unattainable. Hence his despair, his curse on 
 all the torturing semblance of the beautiful, his head- 
 long plunge into the mad smart of sorcery. The 
 manifestation of the woman was only to take place in 
 the second part ; this would have Gretchen for its sub- 
 ject, just as the first part, Faust. Already I had theme 
 and mood for it : then I gave the whole up, and
 
 TO UHLIG. 301 
 
 true to my nature set to work at the Flying Dutchman, 
 with which I escaped from all the mist of instrumental 
 music, into the clearness of the drama. However, that 
 composition is still not uninteresting to me ; only, if one 
 day I should publish it, it would have to be under the 
 title : " Faust in Solitude" a tone-poem. (Curiously 
 enough, I had already resolved upon this " tone-poem " 
 when you made so merry over that name with which, 
 however, I was forced to make shift for this occasion.) 
 
 November 2"jth. '52. 
 
 December 6th. 
 
 You see by the accompanying how I waited every 
 day for a letter from you : at last I was in dreadful 
 torment for naturally I felt obliged to account for every- 
 thing by an aggravation of your illness. My joy was 
 indescribable on receiving to-da}^ a letter in your hand- 
 writing ; but how sad the contents have made me \ 
 Poor friend, you ar - suffering so much, and I cannot 
 help you at all, nor relieve you in any way ! It was 
 certainly a great strain for you, even to write to me : 
 have you no one near you who would give me more 
 frequent news of your state ? I have already begged 
 Frau R. to do so. I cannot bear that you should in 
 any way be disturbed now about my affairs, and I 
 therefore request you to hand over the whole theatre- 
 score-business to old Fischer. Yet I will not write to 
 him until I know from you that you are willing to give 
 up the matter for the present : but if you feel that it is 
 necessary for you to be rid of these cares, only send by 
 hand the Tannhauser and the Dutchman to Fischer, and 
 tell him why I (and you) ask him. 
 
 For the moment I know nothing else that I could
 
 302 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 consider fitting to write, however great my inclination 
 to chatter to you. My inmost sympathy with your 
 suffering state makes everything beside appear by far 
 too unessential. Ah, were I only near you, to see, to 
 help, or at least to be able to cheer you ! You are 
 certainly in a terribly critical state, which you can 
 only make bearable by the best of spirits and complete 
 tranquillity of mind. 
 
 I must keep from all inquiries as to the principal seat 
 of your malady, and yet I would so like to have a 
 clear idea about it. Could you not prevail upon your 
 physician to give me a friendly word of information ? 
 Ah God ! the more I write to you the more I feel how 
 necessary it is above all to learn something further from 
 you first ! Now, I can only say to you : Keep firm, have 
 a good courage, and as soon as you are well again take 
 care not to exert yourself so much, even by running, as 
 you did last summer : I also must give up everything 
 forced ! Hold on till next summer : if I once get you 
 again here we will put you all right again. Hearty 
 greetings to wife and children, and especially to our 
 Siegfried ! Courage ! Courage ! this is the deep, sympa- 
 thetic cry of 
 
 Your friend, 
 
 RICHARD. 
 
 The Flying Dutchman is to be sent to Breslau that 
 is, if they now ask for it again for it has my sanction. 
 
 91. 
 MY DEAR OLD FRIEND ! 
 
 You cause me terrible anxiety, and especially as 
 I so seldom receive news from you. Frau R. whom
 
 TO UHLIG. 303 
 
 I thank most heartily wrote to me about a fortnight 
 ago in somewhat comforting terms : what would I not 
 have given, not to have been again compelled to wait so 
 long ! Above all, I do not know whether and what I 
 I ought to write to you. That you are now fearfully 
 weak is too evident : does this weakness only interfere 
 with your writing, or does it fatigue you also if your 
 mind is in any way unsettled by news received from 
 any quarter ? It is just this which makes me so un- 
 certain, and makes every encroachment upon you, in 
 your present state, appear almost a crime ; so that I 
 always hesitate when I would fain begin a letter, and 
 prefer to wait until I have received news from you. 
 Now, especially on this point (namely, whether excite- 
 ment by communication with the outer world, and 
 particularly letters, are hurtful to you ?) if you yourself 
 are still too weak let me have definite information 
 through some person or other of your surrounding, 
 perhaps your good wife or Dr. Schulze. With the 
 above-mentioned fear, I feel almost disposed to write 
 you nothing further beyond this request. 
 
 So you do not appear as yet to have given up 
 business matters ! So then, / must in obedience to 
 your wishes address myself to you with the news that 
 I have written to Weimar, and much wish that, besides 
 the arranged copy of the Flying Dutchman to be sent 
 as soon as possible to Breslau, a second ditto be forwarded 
 to Schwerin. But I beseech you, if looking after these 
 matters is in the least harmful to you, to give up 
 everything at once to old Fischer. 
 
 Try, you good, dear friend, to "recover your strength 
 right soon. When you are once more fresh and joyful,
 
 304 RICHARD WAGNER S LETTERS 
 
 you shall rejoice also over my Siegfried, for it is now 
 
 ready. 
 
 I am after all fairly well. But you 
 
 Let me quickly have an answer to my question above : 
 
 otherwise I know not whether with every line I compel 
 
 you to read I am doing you harm ! 
 
 I hope you are able to sleep now. This is above all 
 
 the most heartfelt wish of your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 December 2T,rd, '52. 
 
 92. 
 
 MY DEAR FRIEND ! 
 
 Ascribe it to the too great obstinacy of your 
 friendship, if I must again worry you to-day. The 
 Schwerin Theatre has just written in the most pressing 
 manner for the score of the Dutchman. I must there- 
 fore implore you, as soon so you have the Weimar 
 music-score, at once to get 2 (two) copies arranged, of 
 which the first is naturally to be sent to Breslau, but 
 the second as quickly as possible (without previous 
 notice from me) to Schwerin, addressed to the Court 
 Theatre there. 
 
 You see, dear friend, you have brought this on 
 yourself! ! ! ! 
 
 Only rejoice me soon with consoling news of your 
 improvement ! With deepest sympathy, 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, December z^tfi, '52.
 
 LETTERS 
 
 TO 
 
 WILHELM FISCHER, 
 
 18411859. 
 
 20
 
 LETTERS 
 
 TO 
 
 WILHELM FISCHER, 
 
 18411859. 
 
 i. 
 
 MOST HONOURED SIR, 
 
 I well must doubt, that you will recollect my 
 unimportant self at the time when, as a young man, I 
 first devoted myself with wild enthusiasm to music, but 
 nevertheless had already enough intelligence to be able 
 to appreciate your efforts as choir-master at the Leipzig 
 Theatre. Once since then have I had an opportunity of 
 admiring the fruits of your diligence and of your extra- 
 ordinary address : this was at a peformance of La Juive 
 in Dresden. After that, I heard this opera in Paris, 
 and while noticing the difference between the Dresden 
 and the Paris chorus, I could not help thinking of you ; 
 although it made me sorry for the Paris Opera, which 
 did not show to advantage in this comparison. 
 
 Chance and good-fortune have so willed, that I should 
 be placed in the position to lay claim to your valuable 
 services to my own advantage. 
 
 The general management of the Dresden Theatre
 
 308 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 has lately notified to me the definite acceptance of an 
 opera, Rt'ensi, which I had sent in, and I have been 
 assured that it will be produced as speedily as possible. 
 Through one of my friends I know that you un- 
 solicited by me have shown a friendly interest in 
 my plans and wishes, and as I am assured that your 
 own vote was recorded on the question of accepting 
 my opera, so, by the favourable result, I have to flatter 
 myself that your decision was not hostile to me. From 
 all these premisses, I have to esteem myself truly 
 fortunate in now being able with confidence to sue 
 for your kind protection. Although the opera, in 
 whose auspicious " birth" yourself will take so great 
 and important a part, is not my first-fruits ; although 
 the style and fashion of its ruling conception of dramatic 
 music I only finally decided on after many an attempt 
 in other fashions ; and although I feel compelled to 
 protest against the opinion, naturally prevalent in 
 consequence of the obscurity of my name, that in 
 Rienzi I am making my first appearance with a first 
 attempt : still I shall be more than blind .and presump- 
 tuous, did I not of my own accord call attention, in 
 advance, to the fact that I count first on indulgence 
 in the judgment of my work. In this sense I approach 
 you, most honoured sir, when I declare that, during 
 my five years' practice as music-director, I became 
 most thoroughly convinced of the preponderance that 
 practical knowledge gives to judgment, and therefore 
 confidently place myself in your hands, as your many- 
 sided experience must be acknowledged by all. With 
 regard to the many difficulties which, perhaps not 
 without displeasure, you will have to encounter in
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 309 
 
 rehearsing my opera, be assured beforehand I implore 
 you of the fullest and heartiest thanks which any one 
 so convinced as I am of the greatness of the obligation 
 can offer in payment. My special views with regard 
 to the distribution of the choir in separate divisions, 
 etc., I will communicate to you shortly ; you will kindly 
 make use of any suggestions which you find practical, 
 while in everything which runs counter to your own 
 much riper views I, as a matter of course, entirely give 
 way to you. 
 
 May I succeed in preserving your interest and gain- 
 ing your respect ! Be assured that neither would be 
 the humblest reward to which, in my present purpose, 
 I eagerly look forward ! 
 
 With most sincere respect and devotion, 
 
 Your deeply obliged servant, 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 PARIS, September ^th, '41. 
 
 2. 
 
 MOST HONOURED SIR, 
 
 In the hope that the few lines have reached you 
 which I enclosed about a month ago in a letter to Herr 
 Heine, I take the liberty of addressing you again, and 
 this time, indeed, with a more circumstantial request to 
 grant me your kind interest, as well as your powerful 
 assistance. A large portion of my future lies in your 
 hands and in those of Capellmeister Reissiger : they 
 are the best hands, as far as power is concerned, and 
 the only point is to be sure of your good-will : it is 
 my study to woo its very core but, as in this wooing 
 I cannot possibly rely on merit, I hope to succeed
 
 310 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 simply by begging you right heartily for indulgence. 
 My request can, therefore, be most briefly expressed 
 it is : indulgence and patience. 
 
 Most honoured sir, I place my whole trust in the 
 high character for truth and uprightness accorded you 
 by all ; not because I can venture to count on any 
 recognition of my merit, but because true kindness and 
 bonhommie can but be considered inseparable from a 
 character such as yours. If you, therefore, can rest 
 assured that I, for my part, will place implicit trust in you, 
 that with all confidence I look forward to the fulfilment by 
 you of a great part of my best hopes, then I think I 
 may be certain of your kind indulgence and interest. 
 Assuming this, allow me now, once again, to return to 
 the object of my hopes, in greater detail than was last 
 time the case. In a letter from Councillor Winkler I 
 am assured that Herr von Liittichau has also given his 
 consent to my opera being put in rehearsal immediately 
 after the production of Reissiger's new work. 
 
 To my very great joy, I see then in this resolution the 
 earnest determination to carry out the promise given to 
 me, and nothing remains for me but to commend myself 
 and my wishes with regard to the forthcoming per- 
 formance to those on whom depends its fate. At first 
 I intended to put on paper my wishes and ideas re- 
 specting the cast and the settling of some debatable 
 particulars in my opera, so as to place them before you 
 and Herr Capellmeister Reissiger. But I soon found 
 that I should cause you quite unnecessary trouble in 
 asking you to read through this little Promemorid : 
 since, firstly, through the disadvantage of not being on 
 the spot, I should have been compelled to express my
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 3 I I 
 
 views in a very problematical and uncertain manner ; 
 and, finally, I should only have discussed at length 
 certain things which your insight would be in the 
 position to arrange for the best at the very first 
 glance. 
 
 I cannot deny that the difficulties, scenic and musical, 
 connected with the production of my opera are great ; 
 and to my regret I see, most honoured sir, that I am 
 loading you, as stage-manager and chorus-master, with 
 a heavy piece of work. It is, however, my consolation 
 to know with what promptitude and activity you are 
 accustomed to solve problems of perhaps greater diffi- 
 culty. It, therefore, only comes to this whether you 
 enter upon the task with pleasure or the reverse. My 
 opera may well be not altogether calculated to give you 
 pleasure ; and that, most esteemed sir, is, therefore, 
 the point where I must exclusively rely on your indul- 
 gence. Perhaps, however, the consideration that you 
 have on your hands the work of a composer who is 
 also a countryman of yours may inspire you with some 
 sort of affection for the matter; perhaps, too, with 
 your practised eye, you may see here and there many a 
 part which might gain in effect by being duly brought 
 to light, and the pleasure aroused by such an endeavour 
 may gradually waken pleasure in my work itself. 
 
 I spoke just now of difficulties. One of the greatest 
 of these I consider to be the skilful division of the male 
 chorus into the separate parties of Nobles and Plebeians. 
 As I do not know the present strength of the Dresden 
 choir, I can make no suggestions in the matter. The 
 task is to make the Nobles who in the first part of the 
 opening of the First Act are themselves divided into two
 
 3 1 2 RICHARD WAGNER S LETTERS 
 
 groups sufficiently strong, without thereby robbing 
 the People's chorus of its due strength. In this, as in 
 many other similar points, I much prefer to trust entirely 
 to your judgment, and am convinced that that is the 
 best thing I could do. 
 
 The choruses which are sung behind the stage viz., 
 the chorus in the Lateran (First Act), and the small 
 chorus : Vce tibi maledicto (Fourth Act) will probably 
 have to be sung by the Kreuzschule choir : at least, in 
 planning these scenes I counted specially on this means 
 for carrying them out, as the first chorus must have an 
 imposing body of voices, which would be quite impos- 
 sible were the theatre-choir divided. 
 
 The great tragic pantomime in the finale of the 
 Second Act presents another difficulty. According to 
 my views, the principal personages of the same 
 Lucretia, Brutus, Tarquinius, and Collatinus can only 
 be represented by members of the comedy staff who 
 are accustomed to sustain similar parts in spoken 
 drama. The carrying out of this, my wish, will no 
 doubt encounter difficulties and obstacles therefore, 
 most honoured sir, I lay this matter to your heart, and 
 earnestly implore you to use all your influence so that 
 my request, at any rate in its essentials, may be ful- 
 filled. 
 
 From among many other things which might ap- 
 pear to me worthy of further mention, I will refer 
 only to the chorus of the " Messengers of Peace," at the 
 beginning of the Second Act. As this is by no means 
 an easy chorus to sing with pure intonation, naturally 
 only the most musical and the best-voiced members of 
 the female choir ought to be selected. The good repute
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 313 
 
 of the Dresden choir leads me to suppose that their 
 number will not be found too small. Nevertheless, it 
 is scarcely to be expected that an unaccompanied chorus 
 can be sung to the end without falling somewhat in 
 pitch ! It would, therefore, be advisable to take measures 
 to support the tone-pitch now and then from the slips ; 
 and this, in my opinion, could best be done if a skilled 
 accompanist undertook to support the voices from 
 time to time on a chamber-organ placed some little 
 distance back. 
 
 Good heavens ! I perceive that if I continue in this 
 manner I shall finally rummage out the whole of my 
 foolish stock of wisdom in bespeaking my whims. But 
 I should necessarily weary you, and of all things in the 
 world I would avoid this, as I have too great need of 
 your good-humour. If you are disposed to make me 
 supremely happy, you will do me the great kindness to 
 honour me with a few lines very soon ; be assured 
 that I shall know how to value such a mark of distinction 
 most thankfully. 
 
 In any event, I commend myself to your kind good- 
 will, and once more to your indulgence, as your most 
 obedient servant, 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER, 
 
 No. 3, Avenue de Meudon a Meudon pres Paris. 
 
 MEUDON, October \$th, '41. 
 
 P.S. If your affairs will allow of your writing to 
 me before the 25th of this month, your esteemed letter 
 will reach me addressed as above. After that date, 
 however, I would beg you to send it to the following 
 address : No. 14, Rue Jacob a Paris.
 
 314 RICHARD WAGNERS LETTERS 
 
 3- 
 HIGHLY ESTEEMED SIR, 
 
 Yesterday, the 7th inst., I received by post from 
 Nancy your kind letter, which, from its contents, ought 
 to 'have reached me through Herr Leury : probably this 
 gentleman stopped there, and so posted on the letter. 
 
 With this preface I now hasten to offer you my cordial 
 thanks for the great interest and forbearance displayed 
 in your honoured lines. Pray be assured that I have 
 been truly refreshed thereby, and that I clearly perceive 
 how great will be my future obligation to you. The 
 hopeful view which you take of my work gives me 
 immense comfort, and I cling to it with all the greater 
 trust, coming as it does from you, a man universally 
 recognized as honest and outspoken. I am also 
 indebted to you for the careful manner in which you 
 have pointed out the disparities and uncertainties that lie 
 in the way of realizing my purpose : by this I am fully 
 convinced of your sympathy, and assure you that I feel 
 under double obligation to you. As this, however, is 
 the point on which you desire especially and, indeed, 
 in my own interest a more circumstantial reply, I 
 permit myself to devote the principal contents of these 
 lines thereto. 
 
 I hope that Herr Heine will shortly impart to you 
 several passages from my last letter to him, which were 
 principally intended for you, most honoured sir. They 
 concerned the difference which exists between your 
 estimate of the time which my opera takes in performance, 
 and that which I have arrived at after recent calculations. 
 Herr Heine wrote me that you reckon it at five hours,
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 315 
 
 while I put it at four. I much wish that you had known 
 this before you commenced your letter to me, because it 
 would naturally have greatly influenced your views as to 
 the shortening of my opera, and perhaps have effected a 
 change in them in many respects. Now, if I set about 
 writing once more in detail on this point, I am obliged 
 to place in the forefront this observation of mine con- 
 cerning the playing length ; for I reckon it a piece of 
 good-fortune to have won the conviction that you have 
 been led into a not unimportant, though easily account- 
 able, error. For otherwise, should your estimate prove 
 correct, I should not know how to set about shortening 
 my opera by a whole hour. 
 
 Most honoured sir and well-wisher, if we now agree 
 that a performance of my Rienzi(no\. } of course, counting 
 entr'actes) in its present form, would last four hours, then 
 a chief cause of apprehension is at once removed, viz., 
 that my opera would play much longer than, among 
 other works, Les Huguenots. But should we have 
 succeeded in imparting such interest to the dramatic 
 progress in the action of my opera, that there were no 
 danger of the audience becoming weary, I might perhaps 
 venture to assume that in my Rienzi this sympathy with 
 the progress of the action would outweigh the certainly 
 somewhat higher artistic interest that, for example, keeps 
 the public awake in the last Act of The Huguenots. A 
 glance at the compass of the various Acts of my score 
 will, however, show you that the last Act the one 
 which in long operas is always a source of fear is 
 almost disproportionately shorter than the others a 
 circumstance which we certainly should take into 
 account. (Pray do not think that I mention this because
 
 316 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I am under the foolish illusion that it is here a question 
 of talking you over to my interest ; on the contrary, I 
 know how amiably disposed you are towards me, and it 
 can therefore only be my intention to come to a clear 
 understanding of the matter by a mutual exchange of 
 our ideas. I consider this remark necessary, because I 
 should be most disconcerted if you thought you must 
 attribute so incorrect a motive to my objections and so 
 I proceed : ) 
 
 From the passage in your valued letter in which you 
 say that, feeling the great length of the numbers, you 
 tried to make cuts, but could never find the suitable 
 place where this could be effected, I perceive more than 
 ever that it is not individual lengthiness too wide 
 expansion repetitions, or superfluous embellishments, 
 that you complain of in my behalf, but only the excessive 
 length of the whole. While on this point, I must tell 
 you that during composition I found myself compelled, 
 by a survey of the proportions of my subject, to refrain 
 from certain purely musical amplifications, even where 
 they would perhaps have been of good effect. To make 
 myself clearer, I instance the first choral passage at the 
 commencement of the first finale: "Gegriisst, sei hoher 
 Tag " ; did not the subject here provide a good oppor- 
 tunity for an elaborate chorus of exultation ? In the 
 finale of the Second Act, the scene in which sentence 
 is passed on the nobles what material for a grand 
 ensemble? In the Fourth Act, where Rienzi approaches 
 the church, and, amid the muffled chants, perceives the 
 proclamation of excommunication the conspirators in 
 a state of indecision Adriano struggling with his better 
 self the horror-stricken crowd what use could not I
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 317 
 
 have made of all this to write one of those grand finales ? 
 In fact, it cost me here considerable self-restraint to keep 
 from broader musical development; and I think you 
 also will have seen that I never protracted a situation ; 
 that, on the contrary, I the rather felt compelled to pass 
 swiftly from one to the other. All the more necessary 
 was it, therefore, for me to express myself in a purely 
 musical way in those important finale sections that were 
 demanded by the situation ; and the two adagio move- 
 ments of the second and third finales, as well as the 
 rushing concluding passages of the same, demanded 
 throughout a more detailed treatment, in order to 
 restore the stream of music to its rights. 
 
 From that passage in your letter I now conclude that 
 you have felt with me, that of .actual long-windedness 
 (protractions, and repetitions easy to strike out) I say 
 this almost with regret there is not much to be found, 
 " with regret," because I see how difficult the business 
 of shortening is thereby made. Believe me, I would 
 far rather you had sternly pointed out to me extensions 
 and repetitions of this sort, and that I had nothing 
 further to do than readily to follow your suggestions. 
 
 Meanwhile, let us look at the matter for a moment 
 from the other side. Is a duration of four hours, with 
 a lively and uninterrupted action, really so unbearable, 
 especially when there are no spun-out passages to 
 complain of? Still, here and there, there will be some- 
 thing to strike out, and I myself make some proposals 
 concerning this upon the enclosed sheet ; further, as on 
 the whole I perceive the pantomime and ballet will have 
 to be considerably shortened, whereby again some time 
 will be saved. And then quite frankly : have your
 
 3 1 8 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 operas never played up to 10.15 or 10.30?? I fancy 
 La Juive can scarcely have lasted less time. 
 
 Now to something else. My proposals for the dividing 
 of the choir are also to be found on the enclosed sheet. 
 It is a great pity that I counted on the co-operation of 
 the Kreuzschule pupils ; is there then no other largish 
 choir whose services could be secured, if only for the 
 church-chorus in the First Act ? I fancied I had read 
 about such a choral union. 
 
 Concerning the pantomime and the ballet, you make 
 me most anxious ; at any rate, rather than present both 
 in an utterly inadequate way, it were better to curtail 
 them considerably. Is Dresden then really so badly off 
 in this respect ? I keep coming back to La Juive, for 
 this is the only modern opera of which I have a distinct 
 remembrance : I saw it there in the summer of 1837, arj d 
 confess that I found the by no means insignificant ballet 
 anything but bad, whether as regards arrangement or 
 execution. Also in Les Huguenots, I hear, one misses 
 nothing, and everything is well cared for. The panto- 
 mime, of course, must be entirely left out, if players of 
 importance do not undertake the three principal roles in 
 it. I will write in a few days to the general manage- 
 ment, and see if it be possible by its means to induce 
 the comedians in question to take part in my pantomime. 
 If this cannot be managed, the pantomime, as I said, 
 must be left out, and my suggestions in view of this 
 and other events I have set down on the enclosed pro 
 memoria. 
 
 In calling your attention to this document, I mention 
 here once more, that in it I have indicated everything 
 which could in any case be cut, but that this concerns
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 319 
 
 only short passages, which, in truth, would not much 
 diminish the playing length of my opera. On the other 
 hand, I leave to you and Herr Reissiger to cut out whole- 
 sale whatever may be cut without decided injury i.e., 
 long-windedness, wherever you may find it. 7, for my 
 part, am the most incapable person, and at the same 
 time the most prejudiced in a matter of this kind, and I 
 think I cannot do better than once again lay this matter 
 to your heart. 
 
 For the rest, pray do whatever you can to hurry the 
 thing on. Nothing is yet copied out ; whenever, then, 
 will it be given out for study ? This will certainly take 
 up some time, for I know well how many difficulties 
 there are in my opera ! Must it really be put off for so 
 long ? As it seems now that Emma de Vergey and other 
 Italian operas must be taken up again, cannot Guitarrero 
 wait till after JRieuzi ? At all events, get the music 
 copied at once, so that the singers can at least have their 
 parts ; long passages need not yet be cut out, and the 
 smaller omissions, which are often settled at the vocal 
 rehearsals, can easily be marked. Well, I trust entirely 
 to your goodness. 
 
 The enclosed small sheet contains, then, the little pro 
 memorid I mentioned : I have written it apart so that 
 you may make use of .it at your discretion e.g., com- 
 municate it to Herr Reissiger. How I wish you would 
 make the sacrifice of writing to me soon again, to say 
 what you think of my proposals and what you have 
 settled in my affair ! I earnestly beg, as the whole 
 affair is so entirely in my interest, that you will send 
 your kind letter unfranked ; however, that scarcely 
 needs saying.
 
 32O RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Once more my heartiest, deepest thanks for your 
 valued letter, for your kindness and friendly intentions : 
 I shall never cease endeavouring to show myself worthy 
 of your notice. With the request that you will give 
 heartiest greetings to Herr Heine from me, and that you 
 will continue to me your invaluable friendship, I com- 
 mend myself to you with deep respect and thanks, as 
 Your most devoted servant, 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 PARIS (14, RUE JACOB), December 8t/i, '41. 
 
 I . Suggestions respecting the Cast. 
 
 Rienzi, Hr. Tichatschek ; Adriano, Mad. Schroder- 
 Devrient ; Irene, Dlle. Wiist ; Steffano Colonna I should 
 prefer a certain Hr. Zezi for this part (is this 
 feasible ? ) ; Orsini, Hr. Wachter ; Cecco del Vccchio, 
 Hr. Risse ; Baroncelli, Hr. Schuster ; Cardinal (Filippo 
 de Gardia), Hr. Vestri; Messenger of Peace, Mad. Helhvig 
 (I do not, however, know her ; is her voice flexible and 
 fresh ? ). It is impossible for me to cast the subor- 
 dinate parts, as I am at present quite unacquainted with 
 this portion of the personnel; so I leave it entirely to 
 the judgment of the management. 
 
 2. Suggestions respecting the Distribution of the Choir, etc. 
 
 Act I. No. i. Introduction. Followers of Colonna 
 and Orsini, eight singers to each part ; People's chorus, 
 22 men. Very good ! After the followers of the Nobles 
 have left the stage, they will have plenty of time to 
 change their dress (perhaps by simply throwing on a 
 cloak), and reinforce the chorus of the People, with
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 321 
 
 which the introduction concludes, and in which male 
 voices predominate. 
 
 No. 4. Finale. If it is impossible to employ a special 
 choir of singers for the chorus in the Lateran Church 
 " Erwacht, ihr Schlafer " there are only two ways out 
 of the difficulty. Either : The chorus of the People 
 " Gegrusst sei, hoher Tag " must be sung on the stage 
 by only 22 men and 12 women, whereas the crowd of 
 People would have to be considerably reinforced by 
 figurants and supernumeraries. Sixteen men and 10 
 women would then sing the chorus in the Lateran ; at 
 the passage, " Seht wie er glanzt," where the musical 
 structure of this chorus is divided into two parts, the 
 five voices that enter one after the other as soli must 
 be doubled, and the remainder would have to sing the 
 sustained notes. These singers would then, of course, 
 rejoin the choir on the stage as quickly as possible. 
 But as the female voices would be the weaker in 
 number, the singer of the Messenger of Peace, and 
 perhaps one other female soloist not engaged in this 
 opera, might kindly consent to strengthen them. 
 Or: The whole choir of male and female singers must 
 first appear on the stage to sing the chorus, " Gegrusst 
 sei, hoher Tag." Then during the somewhat long 
 organ prelude, 18 men and 18 ladies would withdraw 
 from the stage, to sing the church chorus from behind 
 the scene. Considering the great amount of movement 
 on the stage, this could easily be concealed by imper- 
 ceptibly replacing the departing men by an equal 
 number of supernumeraries, and the ladies by as many 
 figurants. This might be arranged by any device of 
 suitable grouping (the People here should fall on their 
 
 2 I
 
 322 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 knees) ; besides, one could suppose the crowd were 
 moving to and fro, etc. Naturally, the principal thing 
 is for the stage not to be left too empty. In this case I 
 would add a short organ prelude, so that the singers 
 who had gone off would have time to get back to the 
 stage for the choral passage, " Rienzi ! Rienzi !" The 
 figurants who had for the time replaced them would 
 still remain on the stage, and, -by the advent of the 
 returning choristers, the whole would gain the appearance 
 as if the mass of the people were continually increasing. 
 This way of arranging the matter would be most to my 
 liking. 
 
 Act 2. No. 6. Terzett and Chorus of Nobles : 1 6 good 
 singers. 
 
 No. 7. Finale. The first chorus is to be sung by the 
 whole personnel, with all the reinforcement possible, 
 the Nobles, of course, not to be placed in the front. 
 
 In any case, the ambassadors must be represented by 
 figurants. It will be the task of the costume-designer 
 to distinguish each ambassador as much as possible 
 from the rest, by the dress and other insignia. Each 
 of these ambassadors must have a small following of 
 heralds, etc., and their train be made as brilliant as 
 possible ; each of them presents himself to Rienzi, and 
 hands him a scroll ; thereby the march might well be 
 given entire, but if the music is too long, the 24 bars in 
 G-major could be omitted. 
 
 If the pantomime must be entirely cut out, there 
 would only then remain the Warriors' dance, in 
 F-major 2/4, to be performed in old Roman costume ; 
 the combat of the Cavaliers, in mediaeval dress ; the 
 appearance of the Goddess of Peace, accompanied by
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 323 
 
 maidens, some in ancient, some in mediaeval attire ; 
 and the last great ballet, as a festival ensemble-dance, 
 illustrating the union of ancient and modern Rome, 
 with the final unfurling and blessing of the banners 
 (white and blue, with silver stars). The Warriors' 
 dance, for men only, will cause no difficulty. I re- 
 member formerly having seen a similar dance injessonda 
 performed in excellent style by the soldiers quartered 
 at Dresden. I can wish for nothing better than some- 
 thing like that. The concluding ensemble-dance would 
 consist, for the most part, of a sort of chain-dance ; the 
 premiere danseuse would, however, have an opportunity 
 of showing herself. I should assign to her the passage 
 in 6/8 time G-major, and that in 3/4 time C-major to 
 the two solo dancers. 
 
 The bass passage, Misereat dominum, can be sung by 
 the Nobles themselves behind the dropped curtain ; for 
 the Monks are only seen when they have nothing more 
 to sing, and so can be represented by supernumeraries. 
 
 During the Fina/e, 16 Nobles, 22 men for the People, 
 as before. 
 
 Act 3. No. 8. Introduction. Full male chorus, with 
 auxiliaries. 
 
 No. 10. Finale. War Hymn. The men-at-arms are, 
 for the most part, to be represented by figurants, and 
 perhaps only 22 singers should be employed here, so 
 that at least 16 may remain for the Priests (or, on 
 account of the censorship, aged Citizens past service in 
 the field), who naturally will join in the hymn ; for they 
 accompany the military procession as it leaves the stage, 
 and afterwards return with it, so as to sing with the 
 women the small chorus, " Willkommen, Roms siegreiche
 
 324 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Sohne," in which the Warriors naturally take no part, 
 although it would not be very remarkable even if some 
 out of the military procession were to strengthen the 
 above-named passage. 
 
 Act 4. No. n. Terzett and Chorus. For the Conspi- 
 rators, the 22 theatre-choristers. 
 
 No. 12. Finale. In the procession the men are only 
 to be represented by figurants and supernumeraries. 
 Song of the Priests in the interior of the church, " Vce, 
 vet, tibi maledicto : " all the basses of the auxiliary choir. 
 The passage for the Cardinal, " Zuriick, dem Reinen 
 nur," to be strengthened by these. 
 
 Act. 5. No. 1 6. Finale. Chorus of the People : the 
 whole of the theatre-choristers, with auxiliaries. The 
 final group of advancing Nobles to be represented only 
 by figurants. 
 
 3. Suggestions for Cuts. 
 
 Act 2. No. 5. Introduction. Prelude to the chorus of 
 the Messengers of Peace : After the thirtieth bar from 
 the commencement, the next 27 bars can be left out : the 
 song would then only begin with, " Ihr Romer hort die 
 Kunde." If, on the repetition of this chorus, while the 
 Messengers of Peace are departing, something must be 
 omitted, let it be the eight bars from " in diistre 
 Felsenschluchten " to "denn Friede ist gekommen," 
 although this will not answer very well, on account of 
 the text. 
 
 No. 6. Terzett and Chorus. The repeat after the close 
 is to be left out, perhaps also something in the middle 
 of the ensemble; but here I must ask Herr Reissiger to 
 make the cut for me, as in that matter I am too preju-
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 325 
 
 diced to find the right point. I should, least of all, like 
 the passage for the basses : 
 
 ' Gesch - woren ist ihm Tod," etc. 
 
 to be cut out, as thereby Adriano would be made too 
 insignificant. 
 
 No. 7. Finale. In the March of the Ambassadors, 
 24 bars, G-major, are to be left out. 
 
 Should the pantomime be performed, the cuts could 
 best be indicated by whoever arranges it. In this case 
 the dance of the women, E-flat major 3/4, must naturally 
 be preserved, though probably as a mere solo dance, 
 with groupings. Then the whole 32 bars of A-flat, 
 and the first 31 bars of the following E-flat, could be 
 omitted. If the pantomime is entirely done away with, 
 the ballet would open with the Warriors' dance, F-major 
 3/4 : in this event, instead of the Herald's recitative, I 
 must precede it by a short instrumental introduction, 
 for tonality's sake at most eight bars. The following 
 cut is, however, to be made in this ballet-number : 
 After the first 96 bars the D-major, B-major, and 
 F-major are to be left entirely out, and the music 
 passes at once to the C-major 6/8. If the third ballet- 
 number i.e., the final grand ensemble-dance cannot 
 be performed, then, after the G-major 6/8, the Tempo 
 i mo C-major 4/4 is to be left out, and one must proceed 
 with the E-major 3/4. dosing section of the Finale. 
 Here again, in spite of the extent of this piece, it is im- 
 possible for me to find the proper point for cutting. At 
 best in the Presto, where, after the forty-third bar,
 
 326 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 24 bars can be struck out, which, however, does not 
 amount to much, and only robs the close of its force. 
 
 Act 3. No. 8. Introduction. At the close of this, the 
 reprise of seven bars can be omitted. 
 
 No. 10. Finale. Closing section. Allegro motto : E-flat 
 major. After the first 82 bars, eight bars can be struck 
 out ; the next 54 remain, and then again 16 may be 
 skipped. In the piu mosso, after the first 16 bars, the 
 next 1 8 can be left out. 
 
 Act 4. No. II. Terzett and Chorus. In the ensemble, 
 the first eight bars from the piu stretto onwards can be 
 left out ; in Adriano's part the last bar before the piu 
 stretto must then be changed, so as to correspond with 
 the eighth of the omitted bars. 
 
 No. 12. Finale. The march at the beginning, without 
 repeat. 
 
 Act 5. No. 13. RienzVs Prayer. Here I beg Herr 
 Capellmeister Reissiger to cut as he pleases in the 
 opening and concluding symphonies. 
 
 In the introduction of the overture, I can also shorten 
 the solo of the 'cello and double-bass ; but I would 
 prefer not to do that until I have convinced myself at 
 an orchestral rehearsal that the nuances of phrasing 
 indicated by me are not sufficient to prevent this 
 passage from being wearisome, which, with a perfectly 
 bald execution, would happen without a doubt. 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 PARIS, December Sift, '41. 
 
 4- 
 
 MOST HONOURED FRIEND AND WELL-WISHER ! 
 
 Accept my heartiest thanks for your valued
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 327 
 
 letter of January 25th. Though the immediate occa- 
 sion of sending it was far from consoling, and though 
 this endless putting-off of the first performance of my 
 opera disturbs all my plans, yet, on the other hand, I 
 should be very wroth with myself, if I were unwilling 
 to lend a most attentive ear to the reasons which you 
 bring forward. As matters stand, I must honestly 
 evince my gratitude that you from an inclination 
 towards my work, as I must indeed flatter myself 
 have at last definitely declared that my Rienzi ought 
 not to come out under such unfavourable circum- 
 stances ; and you may rest assured that even though 
 it be to my momentary regret I recognize herein the 
 most convincing proof of your truly friendly intentions 
 towards me, and heartily rejoice thereat. For certainly 
 it is of unspeakble importance to me that, above all, 
 the first performance of my opera should be as free 
 from fault and as perfect in all its parts as possible. 
 I have too long delayed to do anything for my reputa- 
 tion, and indeed for this single reason, that I could not 
 but regard a bad performance of my compositions, 
 such as of necessity must have been their fate at a 
 provincial theatre, as the decisive death of what was 
 born of fullest life : aware, as I was, how many a 
 noteworthy talent had already found its early ruin by 
 sending its productions into the world disfigured and 
 past recognition. 
 
 For the last eight years since the time when I 
 felt myself equipped to appear before the public 
 I have therefore maintained unbroken silence, and 
 have always refused every opportunity of appearing 
 only in an imperfect manner ; so much the more then
 
 328 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 must it be my object that this, at last, my first 
 appearance should be as successful as possible. For 
 this reason was I so much rejoiced to see my work 
 accepted for performance on the Court stage of their 
 city through the recommendation of my Dresden 
 friends. 
 
 On account of its public, and their more or less 
 determinative opinion, Dresden could naturally weigh 
 little with me, or, rather, weigh less than Berlin or 
 Vienna: still it is of the utmost weight to me on 
 account of the character of its performances, which 
 I know for certain can nowhere be more complete 
 than at the Court Theatre of that city. With regard 
 to Dresden, therefore, it is almost of less importance 
 to me how my opera will be received there, than how it 
 will be given there. You may guess from these my 
 feelings, whether I know how to value the service you 
 rendered me when you declared that the performance 
 of my opera could not take place just yet. 
 
 That you should at last see yourself compelled to make 
 such a declaration, this, I confess, however, rejoices 
 me somewhat less. I perceive by the whole delay, by 
 the complete want of respect with which the general 
 management treated my opera, that I should, perhaps, 
 have been sold and betrayed in Dresden, unless you 
 alone at least amongst the immediate management 
 had taken interest in my affairs. The vacillating 
 behaviour of the Herr Intendant is quite incompre- 
 hensible to me : to accept an opera for performance, 
 not indeed through any personal considerations, but 
 because it was recommended to him as worthy of pro- 
 duction, and afterwards entirely to disregard it, is, in
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 329 
 
 my opinion of things supposing there lie at bottom 
 no other unknown motives for his action a perfectly 
 senseless proceeding, however often it may occur in 
 practice and gain an understanding. The doubt im- 
 plied in this behaviour ought, of course, to be removed 
 before a work is accepted. Unfortunately, with my 
 total want of fame, I cannot complain : on the contrary, 
 I must regard it as a rare piece of good-fortune to have 
 at least found in you a warm friend. Yet the tact- 
 lessness and instability of the German repertoire is a 
 sad truth, which one must recognize with real shame, 
 as soon as one casts a -glance at the management of, 
 e.g., the French Theatre. No one, however, can suffer 
 more under this than persons such as yourself, most 
 honoured friend; and therefore there can be no 
 possible necessity for me to express myself at further 
 length to you under this unsavoury heading. Pity 
 'tis so. 
 
 However to return to my Rienzi. Heaven grant 
 that it may at least come out by the time you mention. 
 See to it, please, that after the return of Mad. Devrient 
 nothing else is studied before my opera, for even if 
 this is settled, I shall still be constantly exposed to 
 great uncertainty : how easily might Mad. Devrient 
 return indisposed what might not happen to Herr 
 Tichatschek ? I wrote once last autumn to this 
 gentleman, but naturally received not a syllable of 
 answer. What is his opinion ? does he know his 
 part ? or do you think this will really suit him ? You 
 write to me, that in spite of the long procrastination, 
 you will be good enough to let the preparatory work 
 for Rienzi proceed slowly ; that is fine, for in this way
 
 330 RICHARD WAGNERS LETTERS 
 
 we shall not be taken by surprise again ! Above all, 
 I presume that my opera has been given out to be 
 copied, and in this case I beg you to have the full 
 score copied first, as my manuscript is the only one, 
 and I shall soon want it, since I have only kept back 
 the rough sketch. 
 
 Councillor Winkler writes to me on January i/th 
 about the great splendour with which the general 
 management had resolved to put Rienzi on the stage : 
 two scenes were to be quite new, and the costumes 
 were estimated at 537- Well, there is still plenty of 
 time, and we will soon speak about it. Though much 
 has changed with me and with my plans, through the 
 fresh putting off of my opera, still I shall not change 
 my travelling plans. First of all, after five years' 
 absence from Germany, I long for my dear fatherland, 
 and then I wish my wife to take the Teplitz mineral 
 waters ; so that I feel sufficiently determined to yield 
 to the further wish of talking over matters in person 
 with you and our friend Herr Heine. I think of 
 starting from here about Easter. Nevertheless, 1 
 beg you (however unimportant this may appear 
 to you), for the present, to let my intention of 
 visiting you in Dresden be known only to you and 
 to Herr Heine ; I think I have good reasons for 
 this wish. 
 
 Please greet Herr Heine heartily for me ; you 
 might both, my dear friends, write once more hither, 
 so as to make me quite happy. I should also very 
 much like to know how little Marie is. 
 
 Farewell, my most honoured friend ; be always 
 well disposed and sympathetic towards me, and rest
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 331 
 
 assured that I shall never forget how much I am 
 indebted to you for your great kindness. 
 With deepest thanks, I am 
 
 Your truly devoted 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 PARIS, January $th, '42 (? February. Tr.), 14, RUE JACOB. 
 
 Herr Kratz, who was highly delighted with your 
 greetings, thanks you very much, and sends his kind 
 regards to you ! 
 
 I had intended to write to Mad. Devrient ; but, on 
 reflection, I think I can fairly spare her my letter, 
 and therefore beg you to commend me in the humblest 
 manner to her kindness. 
 
 5- 
 
 MY MOST ESTEEMED FRIEND AND WELL-WISHER, 
 
 As you know me and have already suffered in a 
 most unheard-of manner by my worryings, it will not 
 surprise you if I now again keep you wide awake on 
 the exercise of that most heavenly of virtues, patience. 
 I grant that you are the victim of my fussiness : but 
 reflect, that he who suffers untold sorrows in this world, 
 has to look forward to repayment out of all proportion, 
 by joys in the world to come. And even here below, 
 reward is not entirely forgotten : out of pure sym- 
 pathy for your sorrows I have, for instance, resolved 
 not to return to Dresden until the end of this month. 
 Understand that thereby the joy is prepared for you 
 of seeing me for three weeks less than, according 
 to my former plan, you had to fear ! I am preparing 
 for you the joy of not having anything to do with me
 
 332 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 personally until the end of this month, so that it ought 
 to appear to you only fair to show me some gratitude, 
 t.e., to allow me to worry you somewhat this time by 
 letter. Permit me then to-day to ask this question : 
 " Have Mad. Devrient and Herr Tichatschek already 
 arrived in Dresden, and are the parts of my unfortu- 
 nate opera distributed ? " In order seriously to make 
 known to you my frame of mind, I must assure you 
 that if it remains settled that before my opera no other 
 new one is to be put into rehearsal I would certainly 
 force no one and ask for no hurrying on of the perform- 
 ance (for it is fairly indifferent to me whether it come 
 off a month sooner or later). 
 
 Only since we shall in some measure be forced 
 to be ready at latest by the beginning of September, 
 owing to the unfortunate circumstance that the fortnight's 
 absence of Tichatschek in the latter half of that month 
 would be detrimental to a later rehearsal of my opera I 
 am so persuaded of the importance to us of a right early 
 and undisturbed commencement of study, that I may be 
 forgiven if I am somewhat anxious about the matter. 
 
 Most honoured friend and well-wisher, this time you 
 shall not be troubled with further questions ; my poor 
 understanding feels only too little qualified to give 
 lessons to you, and so I only add one inquiry respect- 
 ing the health of your good spouse, who was indeed 
 better, but not fully restored, when I left. 
 
 It is to be hoped that our excellent friend Herr Heine 
 is quite well : I hope that in return for the forbearance 
 which I show him by not writing to him also, he will be 
 grateful and bestow upon me his fullest protection ; be 
 kind enough to give him heartiest greetings from me.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 333 
 
 If Mad. Devrient has already arrived, I ask you 
 likewise to give her my respectful remembrances ; may 
 she be and remain favourably disposed towards me ! 
 
 From your extraordinary affability, may I venture to 
 expect that you will let me have a line or two to set me 
 at ease ? I expect this as a fresh proof of the un- 
 deserved affection which you have bestowed on me, and 
 for which I am bound to deepest lifelong thanks. Be 
 assured that at least this feeling will never die within 
 me, even though my power should be too little to 
 thank you in deed. 
 
 With the heartiest wishes for the prosperity of yourself 
 and wife, I am ever 
 
 Your most grateful and devoted 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 TEPLITZ, July jf/i. '42. 
 
 " Zur Eiche:" Schonau, near Teplitz. 
 
 6. 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 For certain reasons of which I beg you to give 
 credit above all to this one, that in consequence of 
 something which has occurred I am particularly 
 anxious to be free from all duty on the mornings 
 required for rehearsal I have requested Herr Reis- 
 siger to conduct the forthcoming choir-benefit concert 
 in my place, and I have therefore forthwith sent him 
 Handel's score. Decidedly not the least change will be 
 made in the affair, whether Reissiger or I conduct the 
 orchestra. Nevertheless, I am anxious that you should 
 not imagine that any sort of discourtesy on my part 
 lurks behind.
 
 334 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I am sure your good opinion of me will protect me 
 from this ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 DRESDEN, November yd, '48. 
 
 7- 
 (Address : Herrn Alexander Mutter, Professor der Musik 
 
 in Zurich.} 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 Unfortunately I must cause you the sorrow of 
 seeing that I am not yet hanged : on the contrary, I 
 have to assure you that I only feel one honest grief, 
 that of knowing myself separated from the few but 
 dear friends, whom, in spite of my wildness, I won to 
 myself in Dresden. Yes, dear, good old Fischer! I 
 would gladly see you once more, to thank you heartily 
 for your faithful and honourable friendship ! Well, I 
 shall see you again some day, even were it for the 
 first performance of a new opera in Paris, whither we 
 should despatch you by steam. Only remain good to 
 me, and always think the best of me : so shall we, 
 though at a distance, remain always together, and 
 gladly meet again one day. 
 
 My wife must have given you news of me from time 
 to time : so I tell you nothing further about myself ; 
 should indeed not know what to tell, except that I am 
 industrious, and am working for the future, in the best 
 of spirits. 
 
 I have only one great request. You can easily 
 imagine that my chief care was anxiety about my 
 poor wife. She has now so far recovered that she at
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 335 
 
 last can come, and I am in daily expectation of a letter 
 from her, announcing her immediate arrival. Daily 
 I wait in vain, and I begin to worry myself as to 
 whether anything has happened to her ? 
 
 Dear Fischer, would you be so kind as to inquire 
 at once whether my wife is still in Dresden, and let me 
 know at once if perchance she should not be well? If 
 you find her still there, please tell her that I had not 
 written again to her because I daily expected the news 
 of her arrival : otherwise I would have let her know 
 that my prospects continued to improve, that I had 
 good news from Weimar, and also that I had seen to 
 everything here for the immediate future, so that she 
 need not in any way be anxious ; that 300 gulden had 
 been advanced to me on the score of Lohengrin; 
 besides I have been asked by several admirers to give 
 a private but well-paid reading of my latest opera- 
 poems in the autumn, and later to give a concert with 
 selections from my compositions. Thus she will see 
 that the immediate future is provided for, and by the 
 winter Liszt will be ready with that which has only 
 been delayed for the present ! In short, she must be 
 in good spirits and come quickly ! 
 
 Yes, my poor wife is my only care ; but this 
 splendid Switzerland will, I hope, prove on her its 
 wonder-power. 
 
 Now heartiest greetings to poor Heine from the 
 bottom of my heart. Shortly so tell him I will 
 write to him : then I will enclose another letter to you 
 also, dear Fischer. You would much oblige me if you 
 would send news of yourself and Heine ! Ah me ! 
 when I think of you, it gives me deep pain to be so
 
 336 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 far from you. Well, let us often think of one and 
 another, and write from time to time ! Good-bye, 
 dearest, faithful friend ! Be assured for ever of 
 my most grateful remembrance, and do not exclude 
 me from your friendly memory ! If anything can 
 make you easy about myself, I repeat once more to 
 you that, once my wife is with me again, I regret 
 nothing, desire back nothing, except the few dear 
 friends, among whom you and Heine almost alone- 
 are included. For the rest, I am happy and in good 
 spirits, were it only that I am satisfied to have saved 
 my liberty, and that I am no longer compelled to 
 squander my strength in vain, as was formerly the case. 
 I live now entirely for my art. So farewell, be easy 
 about me, and with your health preserve likewise your 
 friendly remembrance of me. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, August loth, '49. 
 
 8. 
 
 [In this letter "Du" replaces for the first time the 
 more formal "Sie." Tr.] 
 MY toEAR BROTHER FISCHER, 
 
 Your heartfelt letter, in which you have made me 
 your brother, I ought to have answered at once, in order 
 to express to you my joy thereat ; but was I not right 
 in assuming that I need not assure you of this joy, that 
 your own heart would tell you better than pen, ink, and 
 paper how thankfully and gladly I received your out- 
 pourings, how happy they have made me ? Heine has 
 given you my greetings, embraces, and exclamations,
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 337 
 
 and probably told you generally how I am. You can 
 get quite recent news from him about me, which I 
 have thus no need to repeat here ; I am therefore glad 
 not to have to speak much about myself, and I will 
 instead now sing your song of praise. 
 
 How is it that we have held and still hold together, 
 in spite of so many points of difference ? That under 
 other conditions you wish such people as myself to the 
 devil, but me you love, and wish me well ? That I 
 would unmercifully fall tooth and nail upon many a one 
 who in some respects resembled you, yet now desire 
 nothing better than right fervently to embrace your 
 portly body ? I will tell you exactly the reason. It 
 is this : that everything in the one of us which does not 
 please the other is not his inmost being, but only cer- 
 tain peculiarities brought about by our conditions of life, 
 which in our contact with this life now assume this 
 and now that surface which we present outermost as 
 we run against and jostle one another in this world. 
 Now, when a violent collision has taken place, a moment 
 arrives when it must be decided whether or no the one 
 shall break deliberately and completely with the other ; 
 and it must as often have happened to you as to 
 myself, that after one single jostle with certain persons 
 we have found it better to leave them quite alone, 
 recognizing by that occasion that our whole inner being 
 is essentially different, that the one acts from a warm 
 impulse of the heart, the other from consuming egoism. 
 But when we feel inclined to have another bout with 
 one another and send the hair a-flying, it is because we 
 long to see what the man looks like without his hair ; 
 for we know that this man is just of our own kidney, 
 
 22
 
 338 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 
 
 and the hairs which one lets fly are nothing more than 
 outer coverings, which have settled on us from differ- 
 ence of age, of bringing up, mode of life, position, etc., 
 and which in such a violent encounter go off thither 
 whence they came in a measure to the devil. 
 
 I have often called you a. Philistine; but then we have 
 also called R., for example, a Philistine. Are you R.'s 
 companion and like to him ? Heaven forfend ! R.'s 
 essential nature is as repulsive to you as to me ; and 
 why ? Just because the Philistine nature is the essence 
 of his being because, with all his gifts, he is without 
 character, envious, cowardly, and submissive ; because a 
 man of his weakness and want of courage, for love of 
 never a Cause, but only of his own dear Self, which he 
 does not even know how to defend, would fain have 
 everything maintained just in the way most comfortable 
 to himself and his lukewarmness. Adieu ! let such 
 persons flock with birds of their own feather ; but no 
 one else can make common cause with them. Now, 
 dearest Brother Fischer, that is the very opposite of 
 yourself! For what has always kept us together, but 
 love of and joy in this our art ? One of us understood 
 it so, the other so ; but we always understood it from 
 our very hearts ; for us it was always an end, and not 
 a means. Your life, your age, and your experiences had 
 placed you there, where confronted with the wretched 
 art-tavernry of our time, you thought but of preserving 
 the good which you have rescued for yourself therefrom : 
 you would leave the scoundrels lying strewn on right 
 and left, and gather the sound thing wherever you might 
 meet with it, so as to refresh yourself therewith as with 
 a sweet remembrance and to keep yourself personally
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 339 
 
 from the general rottenness. With all your love for the 
 Cause, you have yet become hereby somewhat of an 
 egotist. You think : pshaw ! let the muck remain muck; 
 as for me, I shall still hold on to what is good and in- 
 vigorating to the heart. You were in danger here of 
 becoming a downright self-opinionated man, nay, a true 
 Philistine had not another, a younger and a wilder 
 fellow, come who will not let the muck remain muck, 
 and seeks with both his hands to sweep it away. For 
 the present he is raising a stench about you : you are 
 annoyed, and want to fall upon the disturber of peace : 
 now the hairs fly about, you recognize your man, and 
 at last are driven to take the peace-disturber to your 
 heart, as affectionately as you have done me. So it is : 
 chance things alone divide us, such as age and the 
 externals of life, perhaps even of our faculties ; but not 
 that which is indispensable in both of us, and that is 
 the inner nature. You love the same thing that I love. 
 You only see it otherwise than I, because you use quite 
 a different pair of spectacles : you want, above all things, 
 rest ; I, above all things, unrest. That you are able to 
 love me, that saves you from the Philistine egoism into 
 which the devil would willingly draw you, but from 
 which your fresh, warm, true heart preserves you. 
 But for me nothing can be more blessed than to be 
 beloved by a dear, honourable fellow like you, and from 
 this you may judge of the degree in which I return 
 your love. Get leave of absence, and convince yourself 
 if you will not believe it. 
 
 Heine will tell you how I am. The earnestness of 
 life announces itself i.e., I do not quite know what I 
 shall really have to live on ; that, indeed, is nowadays
 
 340 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 the "earnestness of life," and people understand the 
 term no other way. Does my Paris opera interest you 
 so much ? Yes, it is not so bad a scheme, only in the 
 best case it is not an affair which can be settled quite 
 so quickly. I cannot write music to the first French 
 libretto that comes : of my ideas for a text not one is 
 suitable for Paris at least, not as it is now. If things 
 there were as they ought to be, and as they very pro- 
 bably soon will be, then I should know what to be 
 about. You will be alarmed when you hear it, so let 
 Heine present it to you with a little of his costume- 
 ornamentation. I have already given up the plan of 
 taking yourself, as choirmaster, for the subject of an 
 opera. If it is possible, i.e., if I have money, I will 
 travel to Paris in January : there the overture to 
 Tannhduser shall be played at a Conservatoire concert, 
 and perhaps on this occasion I shall settle with my 
 poet on a plan. I have not a great desire for 
 Paris : reflect a little about it, and you will understand 
 why. 
 
 There is a concert here to-day, in which the great 
 duet from the Second Act of the Flying Dutchman will 
 be given, also a fantasia for pianoforte and clarionet on 
 Tannhciuser. For the rest, I go on living here in my 
 usual way, i.e., in a homely and retired fashion, and I 
 am glad that my good wife is with me. My surround- 
 ings consist entirely of resident Swiss folk : I scarcely 
 note that there are German exiles here. It is beautiful 
 here, and I would work to my heart's content if I were 
 only a little assured as to my livelihood. I have many 
 plans in my head, which probably will in time find the 
 proper way to publicity. I have just finished my last
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 341 
 
 literary work : now my order of the day is, nothing but 
 artistic work. 
 
 My wife would not part with your portrait : it hangs 
 before her over the work-table, and rejoices my heart 
 every time I look at it. Ah me ! what is going to 
 become of our dear Germany ? I know of nothing that 
 goes on in the world, for I scarcely ever read any news- 
 papers now. Shall we ever see each other again ? Let 
 us, at least, hear often from each other : that makes up 
 for it to some extent ! 
 
 Let us hope ! He who has his heart in the right 
 place, to him belongs the future: he who is faint- 
 hearted, he has his portion, and always carries it about 
 with him I mean in his heels. When first I become 
 faint-hearted then, farewell world ! Better dead than 
 living ! Dear brother, should things remain as they 
 are, and you ever get your pension, come then and 
 settle down with us in Switzerland. Farewell for to- 
 day ! Receive affectionate embrace, and hold me in 
 kind remembrance, which becomes you thoroughly well, 
 especially in my eyes ! Minna sends quite immense 
 greetings ! Farewell ! and soon send news to your 
 faithful brother, 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 ZURICH, November 2Oth, '49. 
 
 DEAREST OLD FRIEND, 
 
 You are probably downright angry with me ? 
 Heine, at least, has not replied to my last letter : I 
 wrote him with the request to communicate the contents
 
 342 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 to you. I suppose this has been done, and also pre- 
 sume that you know how Paris and also all who, with 
 well-meant but badly informed zeal, thrust me towards 
 Paris brought me almost to death's door, and in any 
 case to complete despair. This was a decisive turning- 
 point in my life, which now, at least, has turned to 
 good, in that I have become determined in both my 
 resignation and my will. I am looking out how to 
 support myself, and at the same time only apply myself 
 to my art in such a way that I may retain my pleasure 
 in and love for it. For the rest, I reckon no more on 
 strokes of good-fortune, and only hope, under the pro- 
 tection of noble and truly sympathetic friends, to 
 maintain myself in as sound a state as possible, so as 
 to show myself useful to art according to my strength 
 and circumstances. 
 
 It would heartily rejoice me soon again to have some 
 news of you and Heine : of you I only know that you 
 were near attending a performance of my Lohengrin at 
 Weimar.. Now, in any case, I remain here in Zurich, 
 where I have found a circle of very dear friends. 
 When one day you put yourself on the shelf, you ought 
 really to be so sensible as to do it here. I have no 
 words to describe the pleasantness of this place ; in Paris 
 I was completely Swiss-homesick ! The sturdy, honest 
 race of men would please you very much, and one can 
 also live cheaply here. 
 
 Next spring I shall set earnestly to work at the 
 composition of my Siegfried, of which, should circum- 
 stances prove favourable, I expect quite a special 
 representation. 
 
 Now to a matter of business !
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 343 
 
 A lawyer, Blechschmidt, in Dresden, has written to 
 me about a singing daughter of his, whom he would 
 like to be trained according to my advice : he says you 
 have been her teacher hitherto. I pray you, what shall 
 I write to the man ? I -enclose a short letter, in which 
 I refer him to you, as you indeed ought to give your 
 opinion as to whether she really shows sufficient talent 
 to be in need of exceptional training ; in which case, he 
 ought, in my judgment if he has enough money for 
 that purpose to seek out the best teacher he can get, 
 for which I certainly give my vote to Garcia. Will you 
 arrange the matter with the man ? 
 
 One thing more ! An unfortunate Prague composer, 
 H., once, ages ago, sent me an opera of his, which later 
 on he asked to have back again. Some one was to 
 fetch it ; he did not come, and I forgot all about the 
 matter. Now he writes to me here. My wife declares 
 that she gave to you and Albert all music of the kind 
 that she found among the things I left behind me. I 
 presume that whatever my brother received was handed 
 over to you when he left Dresden. Do look one day 
 
 and see if this c d opera is amongst the music : it 
 
 was only a pianoforte score, and I think bound in 
 red. If you do not find it, perhaps it is with Professor 
 Hahnel, who would hand it over to you if you showed 
 him this letter. The unfortunate fellow has not even 
 written me his address, and I am therefore asking him 
 at the same time to send it you exact to Dresden. 
 Then be so good as to send him this opera. 
 
 Sweet remembrances ! 
 
 So you are all getting on remarkably well at Dresden. 
 I hear much about Martha that the performance is
 
 344 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 going smoother and better. Ah ! how I regret being 
 no longer there ! 
 
 Good, affectionate, old, faithful friend ! Arrange to 
 spend your old age with us by the Lake of Zurich : you 
 will not regret it ! A thousand hearty greetings from 
 myself and wife, who is quite well, and become a regular 
 Swiss ! Farewell ! and be no more angry 
 
 With your thankfully devoted 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, November gth, '50 (STERNGASSE, ENGE, ZURICH). 
 
 10. 
 
 WELL-BELOVED BROTHER FISCHER, 
 
 There has again been a long pause, for which 
 I can scarcely forgive myself, as your last letter indeed 
 caused me very great joy. Well, I had really nothing 
 very pressing to say to you, except to thank you for 
 your letter, and to send heartiest greetings : these I have 
 always sent in my mostly business letters to Uhlig, 
 and I hope you have always been duly served with them. 
 Now I have cleared up several by no means "political" 
 works : spring is at hand, and with the beautiful 
 month of May I wish to set to the composition of my 
 Siegfried: but I will first pay my debts so far as 
 I can with pen and ink ! and so I am going to write 
 to you and Heine. The most difficult of all was to 
 write intelligently to Heine poor fellow ! So I first 
 commenced with him, and gave him all the news about 
 myself, which I should then have had to repeat to you, 
 had I not hit on the ingenious scheme of sending 
 Heine's letter unclosed to you, so that you might read
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 345 
 
 it through and then send it on to Heine. Please do 
 this ! Does Heine still live in the Jagerstrasse ? You 
 will write the address, won't you ? 
 
 Now you have learnt how I am ; and if you are 
 satisfied with that, I must first of all assure you that 
 nothing in your letter rejoiced me more than your wish 
 that you might come to me here in Switzerland, when' 
 you receive your pension. That is the most sensible 
 thing you can do ! Believe that, and sleep over it 
 every night until you come. In spite of all temporary 
 misere, I feel here the courage of a dog who has 
 got over a whipping ; by a whipping I mean the 
 eternal soul-and-body-destroying, aimless, and useless 
 fight with Impossibility, such as I had to carry on 
 for six long years in Dresden, in my relations with 
 ignorance and insolence. Now I only do the possible, 
 and am therefore in inner harmony with myself, from 
 which at last something or other shall come forth ; for 
 from here I can exert a far -more decisive influence 
 upon our art-doings than there, where in everything, 
 even in my own thoughts I was fettered. Only wait : 
 the ice shall yet break. In Dresden I should, as Capell- 
 meister " loci," have become thoroughly rusty, because 
 always spitefully attacked, pulled to pieces, and therefore 
 rendered powerless. In my book, Oper und Drama, 
 which will appear shortly, you will, moreover, read to 
 your comfort, that I do not consider true art possible 
 until politics cease to exist. Won't this make you 
 smirk ? 
 
 I have read your last letter through again, and 
 perceive that I owe you many thanks for looking after 
 the matter concerning the Prague composer : with that
 
 346 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 you have lifted a weight off my heart, for the Bohemian 
 tone-poet really imagined I wished to commit an 
 artistic theft on him. With regard to the music I left 
 behind, I think the shortest way would be for you to 
 take the stuff into your own hands. Only, if you did 
 not know what to do with it, and the things were in 
 your way, I should after all be glad if they remained 
 at Professor Hahnel's ! But if you really will trouble 
 about it, do whatever you think fit : Hahnel, at any 
 rate, will be only too glad to be rid of the stuff. You 
 will probably not need a special authority : I think it 
 will be sufficient in any emergency to show this letter. 
 Perhaps I may ask you for one or two of the numbers. 
 The whole lot you could place, my good, careful friend, 
 wherever you think fit. If you come to Switzerland, 
 then we will make further arrangements. 
 
 The principal thing is for you to gradually train 
 down the Dresden choir to such a pitch of badness, that 
 Krebs will exert all his power to get you pensioned : 
 that settled, you will come to the Lake of Zurich. You 
 will not be the only one of the colony : others are 
 thinking about it. Who knows but what we then may 
 both begin to give rehearsals ! In any case, you shall 
 lead a comfortable, independent life here with us. 
 Give greeting from me to the old . . . . I mean old X. 
 With this poor, careful man I have endured no small 
 trouble. Oh that I should ever have thought of making 
 anything by my compositions ! Anyhow, that kept the 
 pot a-boiling. Yet I hear that the business is not doing 
 so badly after all : if it were indeed to prosper, I should 
 for many reasons be heartily glad. Kind greetings to 
 yours from us, especially to your daughter who is with
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 347 
 
 you. Rejoice us soon with news of your welfare, but, 
 best of all, of your arrival. 
 
 Farewell, my good old friend ! Remain good to me, 
 and soon get your pension ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 Heavens ! if I could only see the dear, honourable D. 
 once again. I almost fear you do not greet him from 
 me. I would willingly hear from Ed. D. Give a right 
 hearty kiss to L. from me ; but press R. to your heart 
 for me. 
 
 II. 
 
 BEST BROTHER FISCHER, 
 
 In hot haste to-day before post-time a line or two 
 with a pressing request ! 
 
 I am asked for the Tannhauser. Get the theatre 
 score of Tannhauser given to you from the office, and 
 hand it quickly to a good copyist, so that he may copy 
 me the new ending of the Third Act, and as speedily 
 as possible. -- Then get my music given to you by 
 Hahnel ; take from it two copies of the Tannhauser 
 score, pack them up and send them with the copied new 
 ending by mail-coach (at my expense, of course) to me 
 here. You also might have a second copy made of the 
 ending, which you could send to me later on. If Hahnel 
 gives up the things and you are willing to be troubled 
 with them take everything to your house, or do what 
 you like with it ! So much, to-day, in haste. 
 
 How your letter (through Uhlig) has rejoiced me ! 
 Of that you can form no idea ! You shall receive an
 
 348 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 answer ; that I promise you ! Greet also Tichatschek, 
 who has also heartily rejoiced me : he too will soon 
 receive an answer. Farewell for to-day, and do not be 
 angry with me for giving you such a lot of trouble. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ENGE, NEAR ZURICH, July nth, '51. 
 
 12. 
 
 DEAREST BROTHER FISCHER, 
 
 Again a telegraphic despatch ! Do not be angry ! 
 In Brussels they wish, with the energy of the very 
 devil, to translate and perform my Lohengrin. I shall 
 take all precautions that nothing foolish is done with it. 
 Now I want, as quickly as possible, a score. So be 
 kind : go to L. with the enclosed formal letter to you, 
 show him the lines written specially for the purpose, and 
 request him in my name to hand over to you the score 
 of 'Lohengrin under the conditions therein named. When 
 Uhlig once asked him for the score, L. desired some- 
 thing in writing from me to himself. Give him to 
 understand that I had hinted to you that I thought it 
 impossible L. should desire a letter from me to himself] 
 as he, as well as I, must surely feel how painful that 
 would be. Then let me know the result of your trouble, 
 so that we may proceed farther. If L. lets you once for 
 all have the score for the copying expenses, thirty-six 
 thalers, you might send it off (naturally unfranked) to 
 the following address. (Stop, no ! Only let me know, 
 and wait for further instructions from me /) You ought 
 to receive the money from Frau R., Waiscnhaus-
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 349 
 
 strasse, No. 4. If L. will not give up the score entirely, 
 but only lend it for a copy to be made, get Wolfel to 
 attend to this copy as quickly as possible. (With the 
 money the same arrangement holds good !) 
 
 You were right again in your hesitation about Tann- 
 tiauser. Of course the introduction to the Third Act 
 must be copied from the altered form ; if you will besides 
 mark down the cuts and abbreviations with pencil, you 
 will put me under great obligation. 
 
 Good heavens ! some one is waiting for me ; so I 
 must be brief! Do not be angry with me for bothering 
 you so ! A hundred thousand greetings to Heine best 
 thanks for your brotherly care, and farewell for to-day. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ENGE, NEAR ZURICH, July 22nd, '51. 
 
 (In my official letter to you I treat you according to 
 old custom : I thought you would deem that best.) 
 
 [Enclosure to former letter.] 
 
 I am asked for the score of my opera Lohengrin. 
 I only possess my original score, and a copy of it 
 made here would be very expensive, besides being done 
 badly and slowly. Now, Herr v. Liittichau possesses 
 a copy of this score, for which, at the time, he paid 
 the expenses of the copying thirty-six thalers. As I 
 have already ascertained, his Excellence has no inten- 
 tion of keeping this copy as a sort of pledge for what 
 I unfortunately owe to the treasury of the Royal 
 Court Theatre ; but on receiving back what he spent
 
 350 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 for the copying, he would hand it over to me as my 
 property, as soon as he were thoroughly assured that, 
 at my wish, it would be delivered to me or to my 
 order. 
 
 Now, I presume that if this letter is shown to his 
 Excellence, he will be assured on that point, and there- 
 fore beg you to betake yourself to Herr v. Liittichau, 
 and ask in my name and at my request, that the score 
 may be put into my possession in return for the pay- 
 ment of thirty-six thalers ; for this, indeed, is of great 
 importance to me. 
 
 I pray you for speedy news about this, and thank- 
 fully remain, 
 
 Yours most truly, 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 ENGE, NEAR ZURICH, July 22nd, '51. 
 
 14. 
 
 O YOU MOST EXCELLENT FELLOW, MAN, BROTHER, 
 FRIEND, CHORUS-DIRECTOR AND MUSIC-COPYIST ! ! ! 
 
 I have just discovered what a piece of work 
 you have done for me and indeed without saying a 
 word to me about it ! For only now have I had occa- 
 sion to open the packet which Heine sent me some time 
 ago, commissioned by you ; and as I now look through 
 the score, I recognize with deep feeling and astonish- 
 ment that father-brother Fischer has with his own 
 hand undertaken and carried out the copying job, 
 which I thought had been attended to by a certain 
 "Wolfel," and for the finishing of which I expected 
 an account, which, after all, I must now ask from
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 3 5 I 
 
 Wilhelm Fischer, Sen. You are indeed a good fellow ! 
 What now shall I say ? To have given you so 
 much trouble ! It is indeed more than touching ! 
 Well, for the present : best thanks ! If I am able, I 
 will one day do more, or quite another sort of thing ! 
 
 The reason why I formerly asked you to see to the 
 Tannhduser scores was, that the present Frankfort 
 Capellmeister, G. Schmid (i.e., Prince Eugen), applied 
 to me with an enclosed letter from the management 
 and wished to have the opera for Frankfort. I 
 answered him, that I certainly had no reason to oppose 
 the performance of my opera, except where I failed to 
 find either in the artists or in the taste of the public 
 the conditions for an intelligent and good performance ; 
 that I had no inclination to be scoffed at ; but, on the 
 other hand, Frankfort seemed disposed to that. He 
 must therefore his hand on his heart answer this 
 question : whether he felt capable of maintaining that 
 earnest mood among the singers which the task de- 
 manded, and, on the other hand, of so influencing 
 the public that this earnest effort would meet with its 
 reward ? I promised to keep a score in readiness. 
 Prince Eugen still owes me a reply and the scores 
 remained unpacked.- But a short time since, the 
 Schwerin Court Theatre applied to me : I racked my 
 brains as to who could have happened on the thought 
 of Tannhduser; then it occurred to me that Rockel's 
 sister, the Frau Moritz, is in Schwerin ; she is a highly 
 intelligent vocalist and actress, and has certainly 
 suggested the performance of Tannhdtiser, an opera 
 which she knows ; this rejoiced me, and afforded me 
 a certain guarantee. I consented, and received twenty
 
 352 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 louis d'or: then I opened the packet. They want to 
 give Loghengrin at Leipzig : I will see if they agree 
 there to give, first, the Dutchman then the Tann- 
 hauser, and only then the Lohengrin; for thus only 
 can the public become acquainted with me and learn 
 to understand me. I would rather have nothing to do 
 with Dresden. First of all, you have no conductor 
 there who has the requisite intelligence and good-will ; 
 secondly, no lady vocalists such as I require ; and, 
 thirdly, I cannot and will not have anything more 
 to do with the whole Dresden management, from A 
 to Z. 
 
 How stood matters formerly, when I was still there 
 I who had written this opera specially for Dresden, 
 and the then members of the company ? Then folk 
 thought good to chicane me a little : already the orders 
 for scene-painting had been given to young Heine, 
 when it suddenly occurred to L. to countermand every- 
 thing. I was silent at the time : but you did not know 
 how miserably depressed I felt to find myself and my 
 artistic efforts so dependent upon circumstances, that 
 only as a hypocrite and sycophant could I see any 
 prospect for my art. Pish ! any one with a grain of 
 honour takes himself off. 
 
 Well, these are old tales of the past ; they have 
 become indifferent to me, and lately one has received 
 sufficient absolution ; one has now the pope (or even 
 two popes) at hand. 
 
 My dear old friend ! Once for all, I am built on 
 different lines from what you all suppose, with your 
 use and wont ; in me you have to reap a new experi- 
 ence, and that is why God sends new blood into the
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 353 
 
 world. They shall not drag me down into the swamp 
 of old tradition and traditional commonplace. 
 
 Many disclosures as to myself and the connection 
 between my life and my art will be offered you in a 
 very circumstantial " Address " (Mittheihmg) that I am 
 drawing up as a Preface to my three older opera-poems, 
 which will soon be issued by Hartels. Your love for 
 me convinces me that this will much interest you. 
 Also Opcr und Drama will soon appear at J. J. Weber's. 
 I have just written the poem of a " Young Sieg- 
 fried" (of bright contents), and will now set to work 
 at the music. But I am resolved first to be in 
 thoroughly sound health, so that I may also write good 
 healthy music. For this purpose I am going on the 
 1 5th of this month to a hydropathic establishment in 
 the neighbourhood : there will I wash out my body, 
 as now by my literary work I have washed clean my 
 intellect 
 
 In case I should again want a Tannhauser score, I 
 have commissioned Uhlig to get a dozen copies from 
 Meser. So please for the future get him to attend to 
 the scribbling, etc. ; he is able, younger than you, and 
 can better bear my plaguing. But you, my dear old 
 fellow, I wish you had long since tried the water cure ; 
 you would not then have found it necessary to ruin 
 yourself by going to Carlsbad. For these mineral 
 baths do no good : they only weaken one more and 
 more. 
 
 With your strong and powerful constitution, I am 
 convinced that even now a water cure would free you 
 from your complaint, at least that you would be in 
 sounder health instead of getting worse. Listen to
 
 354 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 my advice ! Get your pension, come here, and try 
 water in the presence of and amid the air of the 
 glorious Alps ! 
 
 Is there any more honour, joy, enjoyment, to be got 
 out of your surroundings ? And how long do you 
 people think then that your present state will still go 
 on ? Truly I trouble myself no more about politics ; 
 but even a blind man unless he is stuck in the thick 
 of it can see that the end will be terrible ! 
 
 (Peps confirms this by a sneeze !) 
 
 Now, do not be angry with me if I spoil the joy 
 which Lohengrin in Dresden would certainly have 
 caused you. But reflect, that nothing any more can 
 cause me joy except what is genuine. The whole re- 
 solve of L. is not genuine ; it is a mixture of a thousand 
 " I-could-wishes " and " I-would-likes," but not the 
 firm will of a man who knows what he wills and whom 
 it concerns. Or is perhaps R.'s wish to produce my 
 opera genuine ? Get along with all these . . . and 
 turncoats; they shall not annoy me one hour longer. 
 
 If I now expect to be able to get quite well, it is 
 because I live as pleasantly as it is possible in my 
 situation and in my relations to our present art-world : 
 I live protected by the true and genuine love of men 
 who know me as I am, and who would not have me a 
 jot otherwise. I am only to be envied. 
 
 Now, one thing more. I intended writing to Heine 
 at the same time as to you. As I have not received his 
 letter (the one sent through the Elberti), which was to 
 contain fuller details, I could not in the principal matter 
 i.e., in the communications about myself write any- 
 thing further than what I have written to you. Now,
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 355 
 
 to save a duplicate, will you not be so good as to send 
 this letter with the enclosed lines to Heine, for him to 
 look through ? 
 
 Do make me happy by writing very soon again : you 
 cannot think how much I am edified by your true and 
 hearty friendship ! Heartiest greetings from Minna and 
 self to you and your daughter. Farewell ! get strong, 
 and always think kindly of me. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 If you do not write to me for some little time, my 
 address will be : Albisbrunn, near Hausen, in the canton 
 of Zurich. 
 
 15- 
 
 GOOD, DEAR FRIEND ! 
 
 I have been in debt to you for a long while for 
 your last letter, which I received at the hydropathic 
 establishment. With regard to its principal contents, I 
 never quite knew what to answer you. You reproached 
 me for my behaviour towards the Dresden Theatre 
 management, and showed me in detail that it was 
 unwise and ungrateful to oppose their wish to produce 
 Lohengrin. Dearest brother, have you not quite mis- 
 understood the real state of this matter ? I hear that 
 L. intends to give my opera ; as I care little for the 
 mere giving, but only that it shall be given well, I take 
 my own measures to. guarantee this, and to prevent my 
 work from being presented in a completely unintelligible 
 fashion. At the same time, I naturally presumed that 
 the management really intended to give the opera ; had
 
 356 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 this been the case, they presumably would really have 
 tried to satisfy my wishes. But what is the real truth ? 
 They are not thinking seriously of giving the opera at 
 all. There you have the whole story, and I have only 
 made a fool of myself in believing that they were serious 
 in the matter. Have you at present heard anything 
 more about a performance of Lohengrin in Dresden ? 
 Certainly not. Well, why all this fuss ? as if I alone 
 out of sheer obstinacy prevented everything, when 
 everybody else was all aflame to take up the work. 
 Fiddlesticks ! leave me in peace with your Dresden 
 Theatre rabble. 
 
 You have deeply touched me, however, by so cun- 
 ningly attempting to produce again in public a com- 
 position of mine, and I sincerely thank you for this 
 proof of your great love ! By sending me the pro- 
 gramme you have caused me great joy, and I had to 
 laugh heartily over it. But I hope you thought of no 
 further result. 
 
 You see, they have after all given my Tannhduser in 
 Schwerin, and the performance must really have been a 
 good one ; otherwise I cannot comprehend how the suc- 
 cess, of which I have received clear proof, could have 
 been so great. 
 
 For the rest, even this does not inspire me with any 
 hope that my operas will really spread now : I know 
 these are only quite solitary phenomena, brought about 
 by a few isolated individuals. Our real theatrical 
 market remains intentionally stuck in its beloved mire, 
 and therefore I have nothing at all to do with it. 
 
 As you already know, the theatre-director Lowe is 
 worrying me here about the Flying Diitclunan. The
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 357 
 
 man is ready for sacrifices of all kinds : he wishes to 
 send specially to Munich for a scene-painter, strengthen 
 the orchestra, etc., etc. Nevertheless, I am trying to 
 be rid of the matter ; but this becomes more and more 
 difficult, owing to the pressure of my friends here. 
 Fortunately, the musical director Schoneck is a tho- 
 roughly capable young fellow, on whom I can rely for 
 the chief part of the labour. So now it is almost a 
 mere question how we can borrow the orchestral parts, 
 for here they understand well enough how to copy parts, 
 but not how to copy them out from full score. I cannot 
 apply to L., as you will understand : so it comes to this, 
 whether you, or perhaps Tichatschek, would ask for the 
 parts for yourself, and give a guarantee ? The reason 
 could be assigned that the theatre-director Lowe had 
 applied to you ; then he in his turn would give you 
 a guarantee. Do see if this can be managed ! 
 
 Uhlig has now received some scores from me which 
 were in Brockhaus' hands ; he must keep me scores 
 ready for any emergency, especially of the Dutchman, 
 of which I have somewhat retouched the instrumenta- 
 tion. He now asks whether it would be more sensible 
 if he took over everything, even what is in your hands, 
 so as to keep a proper account of all that I left behind ? 
 As I am really bound to think that the storage of 
 my things must only be a worry, and certainly no 
 pleasure, I almost consider I shall be doing you a good 
 turn if I get you to deliver everything over to Uhlig. 
 That, nevertheless, you can do as you like in the matter 
 need scarcely be said. 
 
 For the rest, we are going on tolerably well ; and if I 
 get quite strong again, which I hope will be this spring,
 
 358 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I cannot, under present circumstances, wish for any 
 better existence than that I now lead. How are you ? 
 Are you still angry with me about the Lohengrin affair ? 
 My wife greets you heartily, good friend ! Farewell ! 
 
 and keep us in kind remembrance. 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 16. 
 
 DEAR BROTHER FISCHER, 
 
 I could not answer you before now, as the Flying 
 Dutchman affair here remained in uncertainty. I always 
 hoped to get clean rid of the matter, and there was, 
 indeed, some prospect of that, as the Munich scene- 
 painter who had to stage the opera here declared that 
 there was not now sufficient time. My joy at this, 
 however, was to be troubled, for the theatre-director 
 here hunted up a wandering scene-painter and machinist, 
 who has had to make sketches for him which certainly 
 show much ability. As besides and this is the chief 
 reason for me my friends here, after I had let them 
 hear the Tannhauser Overture (really extremely well 
 done), quite seized me by the throat, insisting on my 
 producing one of my operas : I at last said yes, and 
 can no longer draw back. So the Flying Dutchman is 
 to come out in the second half of April, and now for 
 honour's sake I am anxious that the performance shall 
 not be bad. The singers that I required for this opera 
 are really quite good, especially the soprano and the 
 barytone ; whatever else has to be procured will be 
 attended to. So, now I must ask you to see to the 
 orchestral parts. I enclose the desired lines to Tichatschek.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 359 
 
 for L., and request that you will see that they are 
 despatched with all haste. 
 
 The vocal and chorus parts are already copied out, 
 and rehearsing has commenced ; so I only want the 
 orchestral parts. But as it will be impossible to copy 
 the parts by the time the orchestral rehearsals begin, 
 of which I must hold a great number, I beg you also 
 to send the duplicate parts : three first violin, two 
 second, two viola, three 'cello and double bass parts, and 
 all for the wind instruments. 
 
 So as not to give you too much trouble, I advise you 
 to get Uhlig to see to the packing and sending off; I 
 know he has a large supply of packing canvas. Any- 
 how, now that it has got so late, the packet must be sent 
 direct by post and not by carrier, and to the address of 
 theatre-director Lowe in Zurich. So I count on having 
 the parts here at latest by the end of this month. 
 
 Now, do not be angry with me about this vexa- 
 tion ! 
 
 But whenever are you coming to us in Switzerland ? 
 My wife and I count for sure on having you here once 
 again with us. Let us know your plans about this ! 
 What great pleasure can you still get from Dresden ? 
 A nephew of yours is already here, and is now a 
 low-comedian at the theatre. Candidly, I wish him an 
 engagement with a good troupe ; he is excellent, full of 
 talent, and quite a different sort of fellow from your 
 ordinary buffoon. ... I often go to the theatre when 
 he acts. Tell this to your brother. (The family likeness 
 to yourself has quite touched us !) 
 
 I wish Heine would again let me know something 
 about his son's fate : I have nothing interesting to tell
 
 360 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 him, but certainly he has to me. Do you know any- 
 thing about his Wilhelm ? 
 
 Good-bye for to-day, you good old friend ! Forgive 
 me these mere business letters ! Soon more from your 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 MY DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER, 
 
 I must heartily thank you for the fresh act of 
 friendship which you have just shown me by seeing 
 to the parts of the Flying Dutchman. Director Lowe 
 has assured me that the full score and parts are on their 
 way to Dresden, addressed to you, and sent by goods- 
 mail, as I myself advised ; for, on the one hand, the 
 packet could not be addressed to Dresden per post ; on 
 the other hand as far as I know there was no special 
 hurry. You people will probably never want the parts 
 there again, and thus never settle the debt which 
 Dresden has to pay me for this opera. For now more 
 than ever have I recognized how bad was the performance 
 which Dresden gave of this my work, inasmuch as I 
 have been forced to recognize without any illusions 
 that even in such a hole-and-corner theatre as the one 
 here it was possible to bring about a thoroughly efficient, 
 and therefore effective performance. When I recall 
 what an extremely clumsy and wooden setting of the 
 Flying Dutchman the imaginative Dresden machinist 
 Hanel gave on his magnificent stage, I am seized even 
 now with an after-attack of rage. Herrn Wachter's 
 and Risse's genial and energetic efforts are also faith- 
 fully stored up in my memory ! That during my six 
 years' Royal Capellmeistership I could not succeed in
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 361 
 
 again bringing out this opera (with Mitterwurzer, etc.), 
 and getting it respected, can only be realized by one who 
 has some conception of what a Dresden Court Theatre is. 
 
 All the more, I must frankly acknowledge it, has the 
 hole-and-corner performance here rejoiced me. Certainly 
 I undertook it only and solely for the sake of some of 
 my friends here, who wished to form their own idea 
 of me ; naturally, I was highly indifferent as to the 
 public, success, etc., since I was only concerned to 
 bring the matter to light in as intelligible a way as 
 possible. Now, not only was I successful in this, but 
 I perceive the unusually strong impression which the 
 performance itself made upon the mass of the public ; 
 while the singers (especially the representative of the 
 principal role, the barytone Pichon) I so drew out of 
 themselves, that they not only astonished the public 
 by the novelty of their rendition, but often even gave 
 myself most lively satisfaction. The scenery was 
 naturally poor, coarse, and on a small scale ; but yet, 
 in obedience to my suggestions, everything was fully 
 indicated, and carried out in accordance with the aim ; 
 so that this performance might well serve as model 
 to the larger stages, which would only have to furnish 
 everything with greater refinement and wealth of detail. 
 The orchestra was reinforced, and was right good, 
 often quite excellent. The chorus, which was rein- 
 forced by all the comedians who had any voices, and 
 singers not otherwise engaged, was fresh and full 
 of life. Your nephew played the Daland and, indeed, 
 right well. 
 
 Although I had the misfortune at the first performance 
 that the principal singer was hoarse from the very
 
 362 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 commencement, the opera had, nevertheless, such a 
 success, that in eight days it was given four separate 
 times, to full houses, with subscription-list suspended, 
 and the prices raised as never before. The director was 
 quite unhappy that he had already booked the railway- 
 seats for the departure of his company to Geneva, for 
 he could now have counted on giving the opera yet 
 five times more in the following eight days, with the 
 same success throughout. 
 
 The trying work has certainly fearfully exhausted 
 me, for naturally this result was only possible by 
 means of the most terrible rehearsals. Still, I think 
 I shall soon get all right again, and shortly set to my 
 new work. So much, then, for this affair ! 
 
 Now, I particularly ask you to give me news of 
 Heine. I hear he has insisted on being pensioned off, 
 and is now returning to Dresden. He might write 
 once more, to give me news of himself, his family, 
 and especially of Wilhelm. Please impart to him what 
 I have told you here about myself. I send heartiest 
 greetings to him ; may he always keep me in kind 
 remembrance ! 
 
 With regard to yourself, I still stick to it that I ex- 
 pect you soon in Switzerland. A male choir of at least 
 two thousand will, I hope, suffice for your activity, and 
 that I can procure for you here. With this decoy- 
 song I will now conclude, and indeed with the very 
 best wishes for your prosperity from Minna and mjself ! 
 Thanks for all kindnesses, and ever remain good to 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, March gih, '52.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 363 
 
 P.S. Has your Wilhelm tannhausered at Cassel ? 
 I hope it has gone off well ? I no longer quite trust 
 old Spohr to conduct the Overture to T. : let us hope 
 W. helped him. 
 
 18. 
 
 DEAREST BROTHER FISCHER, 
 
 In the old year I rated you soundly through 
 Heine : in the new I must, on the other hand, wheedle 
 you into doing me a kindness. You know about Uhlig's 
 illness, and can well understand how painful it is to me 
 to load him now with commissions. But things have 
 got into fearful confusion ; at Breslau and Schwerin 
 they are anxiously waiting for the revised score of the 
 Flying Dutchman. For this " revision " tw r o pattern- 
 scores were necessary ; according to which the new 
 scores were to be prepared from the one, the Overture 
 and the instrumental close of the last Act ; from the 
 other, all the rest of the instrumentation. . Till now both 
 the scores were at Weimar, in order that the score there 
 might be arranged according to them ; when Uhlig asked 
 for them there was some delay, and only a few days ago 
 Liszt announced to me that they would be sent off. In any 
 case, I now presume that they have arrived in Dresden. 
 But in order that the two copies required (for Breslau 
 and Schwerin) may be more quickly arranged, there 
 occurs to me a score revised by my own hand which 
 gratis and of my own accord I sent to the Dresden Court 
 Theatre (at the time when this opera was to have been 
 put into rehearsal there). From this score I conducted 
 the opera last Easter here in Zurich : the Dresden Court 
 Theatre can have no earthly claim to it, as it already
 
 364 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 possesses an older score of the opera ; the new copy 
 was merely given by me to the office for the purpose of 
 having the parts arranged thereby ; moreover, I have 
 in no way given it into the possession of the manage- 
 ment. (It would be different if it were intended to give 
 the opera in Dresden: then I should say, "Arrange 
 the old Dresden score according to this one ! ") So this 
 second score belongs to me, and I beg you to make 
 clear my title to it and demand it back : God willing, 
 this opera also is likely to be more widely given, and 
 as I do not possess many copies of the score, this 
 detention is of special moment. Uhlig could keep 
 this score to serve as a model for the future, while the 
 revised copy (which we received back from Leipzig) 
 could be sent at once to Breslau. Thus it would only be 
 a case of speedily arranging a copy for Schwerin on the 
 lines of that obtained back from Dresden. For both 
 places Breslau and Schwerin there will only be one 
 thing further to see to namely, that the Overture, and 
 the instrumental close of the Third Act, should still be 
 specially revised according to that score, which I sent 
 last year to Uhlig from Zurich. (Mind, this change is 
 contained neither in the second Dresden nor in the 
 Leipzig score.) A correct model copy, as well as a 
 reserve theatre copy, must be prepared immediately 
 after this. 
 
 N.B. If L. makes difficulties about giving up the 
 score, it might be merely lent for the while ; if every- 
 thing is granted, then the old theatre score must also be 
 arranged at my cost : more he certainly cannot ask. 
 
 Do be so kind, old sinner ! Look after the forty- 
 year-old stripling for me ! I cannot now trouble
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 365 
 
 Uhlig with anything ! You will soon hear further from 
 me. Have you commenced the new year well ? Your 
 " unwise," " unpolitical " friend wishes you much health 
 and happiness. 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, January 2nd, '53. 
 
 19. 
 
 DEAR FISCHER, 
 
 I really thought you could bear a cuff better than 
 your touchy reply seems to show. I am sorry that you 
 took the few words to Heine in a more offensive sense 
 than they were meant. It is self-evident that we cannot 
 be of one mind in everything; and that you did not under- 
 stand my intention with the Guide to Tannhauser, could 
 not but become clear to me, in that you regarded it 
 altogether as a stupid stroke of work. But what of 
 that ? You are quite right one single conversation 
 would bring us to a better understanding, even on such 
 matters, than all our occasional scribbling ! There is, 
 however, no doubt between us as to the chief matter ! 
 So forgive me ! 
 
 Under the painful impression of the news of Uhlig's 
 death, I cannot say anything more to-day than what I 
 am compelled to from business considerations. 
 
 You will have received my lines of January 2nd, and 
 thereby the matter of the scores will have become per- 
 fectly clear to you. I am writing at once to Liszt about 
 the second score, in which last year I considerably re- 
 modelled the Overture (especially the concluding section), 
 and, in correspondence therewith, the ending of the last 
 finale. Meanwhile, it would be well to see if perchance
 
 366 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 this score is at Uhlig's. Moreover, I will send to-day 
 for the (theatre) score here. If the change is properly 
 entered, I will send off this copy by post to you this 
 very day ; so that, if the copy supposed to be at Weimar 
 (but certainly delayed) does not yet come, the Overture 
 and the ending of the last Act can still be set right by 
 the score from here. As Breslau has been waiting for 
 a long time, I advise you, as soon as one score has been 
 revised in other respects, to send it off at once, and at the 
 same time tell them that all the parts may be copied out 
 by it, except the Overture and the instrumental postlude of 
 the last finale (from page 409 and onwards). Cut both 
 these out of the score, and then send them on as soon 
 as they are corrected. But Schwerin, likewise, must be 
 
 attended to very quickly. That L has caused 
 
 me terrible confusion ! ! 
 
 Further ! ! If you are willing to take into your hands 
 all my things now lying in Uhlig's house, and to under- 
 take various commissions for me, respecting revision and 
 sending off of scores, nothing could be more welcome 
 to me. Formerly, I wished to spare you this. Heaven 
 witness ! ! The demand for scores will only last about 
 a year longer ; then Lohengrin will be obtainable through 
 Hartels. 
 
 So if you will, receive beforehand my best thanks and 
 my congratulations on your energy. I will soon write 
 more ! To-day- 
 Minna sends hearty greetings ! Greetings to Heine, 
 too, from both of us. Farewell and no offence ! ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, January S(h, '53.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 367 
 
 2O. 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 These lines will probably reach you at the same 
 time as the score I sent off yesterday. I will only add 
 something I omitted. Possibly you have already sent 
 off a score to Breslau : in any case, it is certainly best to 
 have the ending of the Overture and of the last Finale 
 written afresh : it is not much : eight pages in the Over- 
 ture from page 43 on and five pages in the Finale 
 from page 409 on. But in the case of the Overture 
 detailed instructions for the phrasing also must be added 
 perhaps in a textual note, indicating page and bar. 
 If you have not already sent off the score, you might do 
 this at once as soon as the rest is finished and say 
 that the other would follow. Good heavens ! I am quite 
 unhappy at the terrible delay through this dilly-dallying : 
 in Breslau the performance was to take place in the 
 middle of this very month, and the fault is owing to 
 that alone. 
 
 Do write without paying the postage. Good-bye ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 Mehner( extra musician) is a good and careful copyist. 
 Make haste about Schwerin too ! ! 
 
 21. 
 
 DEAR OLD FELLOW, 
 
 I was already about to write to you, when I re- 
 ceived a letter from Cassel, which doubles my reason 
 for writing. So Wilhelm has really managed to get me 
 from there an official order for the score of Tannhduser,
 
 368 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 ( Probably the recent success of the opera at Frankfort 
 lent a helping hand.) Now, I must ask you to send off 
 a completely revised score, of Tannhduser to the intendant 
 of the Court Theatre at Cassel. There probably is at 
 least one such copy in reserve inquire of Uhlig's 
 widow in case everything has not been sent to you. 
 Now, you will make a nice grimace ! ! ! for I also ask 
 you to enclose with the score Jive copies of the " Guide 
 to Performance " (pamphlet) : they are to be given to 
 the four principal actors and the stage-manager. (I 
 have never between ourselves expected that this 
 Guide would be followed to the letter : but partly it has 
 been and is a necessity to me, on such occasions, to 
 express my full intention; and, partly, I know that 
 people at least hereby receive a shock, which tears them 
 so much away from their customary humdrum ways, 
 as has been hitherto the case with all the recent per- 
 formances of Tannhauser much to the advantage of 
 the latter.) 
 
 Be so good as to let X. know about this new order ; 
 this is on account of the books of words ! 
 
 I thank you very much for seeing to the Dutchman 
 scores. With regard to this matter, I beg you to have 
 another pattern-score got ready quickly (with every- 
 thing complete), and to send me back the score which I 
 lately sent direct from here, as it does not belong to me, 
 but to the theatre-director Lowe. I then should like 
 to know how many scores of the Flying Dutchman you 
 have still in reserve. 
 
 Apropos ! Wilhelm writes to me that he has already 
 asked you for the Dresden sccnarium ; so will you be 
 good enough to see to the designs, etc. ?
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 369 
 
 Probably you will again need a reserve supply of 
 revised Tannhciuser scores : Uhlig always insisted on 
 having two ready. He sent me an account of the ex- 
 penses half-yearly. Now, please tell me how you wish 
 to, or can, manage in this matter ? Surely you will 
 prefer that I should give you something in hand for 
 your outlay ? Answer me quite freely on this matter ! 
 
 Kr. wrote to me lately ; for the moment, give him 
 kind greetings from me, and thank him for his letter. 
 Tell him, further, that I intend shortly to lay the 
 whole details of my Dresden indebtedness before a 
 lawyer (I think Schirmcr), and to get him in the 
 interest of my creditors to look carefully into the 
 publishing business of my operas. I had already re- 
 peatedly asked Uhlig to commission Schirmer to call 
 together my creditors, in order to receive authority 
 from them to supervise the business in their interest. 
 I fear, however, that it was never taken up with the 
 proper energy. Anyhow, X. has not made much by it 
 hitherto, for he has had from time to time to pay the 
 costs of carrying it on out of his own scanty pocket. 
 Now, it would be advisable if my creditors, by their 
 empowered attorney, were to get the business into 
 their own hands, and manage it for themselves. For I 
 feel certain that in time this publishing property would 
 fully satisfy my creditors. 
 
 I will then ask P. to withdraw for the present in 
 favour of Kr. : he can best do it, I suppose ? 
 
 Farewell for to-day. Hearty thanks. Greet the 
 Heines from us, and remain good to your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, Jamtarv 2isf, '53. 
 
 24
 
 370 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 It is possible that you may shortly receive back the 
 Berlin score of Tannhauser; for I have demanded it 
 back. Instead of nozv at fast taking up my opera, they 
 are studying there the Feensec and Flotow's Indra : this 
 is a downright piece of impudence. I now prefer to 
 break entirely with them ; for it is then positive that 
 next winter Liszt will receive a commission through 
 the Prince of Prussia to perform Tannhauser and 
 Lohengrin in Berlin. This to comfort Heine ! ! 
 
 22. 
 
 DEAR OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 A commission (not a request, because that, in 
 fine, you would not grant me : whereas I presume that 
 as my duly appointed manager you would attend to 
 my " commission " !) 
 
 So! 
 
 If by this evening you have not received back the 
 score of Tannhauser, then 
 
 I commission you 
 
 at once to write to the General-Intendant of the Royal 
 Theatre in Berlin, and request that the said score be 
 forthwith returned, as I have otherwise disposed of it. 
 
 But I hope you already have it : for I now know 
 for certain that in any case the Berlin people would not 
 have given the Tannhauser. 
 
 But all this will probably turn out well. Only 
 rely (you and Heine also) upon Liszt, as I do. 
 
 Good-bye for to-day, you excellent business-manager ! 
 
 Soon more from your godless 
 
 R. WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, January 2gt/i, '53.
 
 TO WiLHELM FISCHER. 371 
 
 23. 
 DEAR BROTHER ! 
 
 (In haste !) Genee in Dantzig wants Tannhauser: 
 I have asked ten louis d'or, and referred him to you 
 about the ordering. If he writes, you are to send it ; 
 so take the agreed honorarium as a postal advance on 
 the book and score together with four copies of the 
 Guide. Keep as much of the money as you think you 
 will require for disbursements, and give the rest to my 
 mother-in-law, Frau Planer (Hcrzogin-Garten, No. 7). 
 
 Good-bye! Soon more and much from your incor- 
 rigible but grateful 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, February 2^th, '53. 
 
 If you receive an order-slip with postal certificate 
 for ten louis d'or from Freiburg, send off at once a 
 Tannhauser score ! 
 
 24. 
 
 Now do say, my dear old freind and brother, 
 whatever can be amiss between us. I was surprised 
 enough to have received no news' from you for so long, 
 but now I am suddenly horrified by receiving a letter 
 from Dresden, in which, among other things, I am in- 
 formed that, some one having asked you for my news, 
 you answered that I (and Heine) did not concern you 
 any more ! Now, for Heaven's sake, tell me whether 
 anything has again happened ? Since our last rencontre 
 we had I thought got on very well ? You had 
 written your opinion, I mine, and everything was quite 
 in order ! Have you meanwhile had a quarrel with
 
 372 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Heine, in which I also am concerned ? If this should 
 be serious, it would indeed be sad ! But it is now 
 some time since I heard from either of you. So please 
 say what is up ? You cannot expect me to rest quiet 
 in such a state of matters ? Or how were it possible 
 that in your old age you should all at once bear me 
 a serious grudge ? I cannot possibly bear you one ! 
 
 So write to me at once ! Or else can I no longer 
 hang my opera-concerns about your neck. If you 
 are unwilling to have anything more to do with me, I 
 cannot at least remain any longer a burden to you, and 
 some one else must attend to the business matters. 
 
 But is it then really so serious ? ? I cannot 
 believe it ! Certainly some bee has again got into 
 your bonnet : how often has each of us spied out such 
 an insect before ! Put me at ease at once, and leave 
 me no longer in this uncertainty. 
 
 Hearty greetings from Minna. Your picture is well 
 preserved, and you look down from it far too good- 
 naturedly for me to believe that, blind with rage, and 
 roaring like the lion from the Midsummer Nights 
 Dream, you would tear to pieces my portrait, which 
 I now enclose. 
 
 Farewell, and set things straight ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, April I2th, '53. 
 
 25. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 Please pack up quickly a copy of the Ricnzi 
 Overture, which you will find separate in very elegant
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 373 
 
 binding among the music I left at Dresden, and send 
 it to Herr Musikdirektor Edele in Berne. I hope you 
 are friendly ? Good-bye. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 ZURICH, April 141/1, '53. 
 
 26. 
 
 DEAR OLD FELLOW, 
 
 I am sorry that your extreme conscientiousness 
 has caused Michaelson an unmerited delay : anyhow, 
 he was right in deducting one louis d'or. It is 
 naturally difficult to get money from these small 
 theatres, and I have therefore conceded M.'s request 
 for 10 per cent, commission, because (as was the case 
 with Genee) he mostly has to pay down cash, and then 
 wait some while before he can squeeze it back from the 
 management. 
 
 I thus have, at all events, the advantage of having 
 nothing to do with the pack of ragamuffins, and safely 
 receive my money in advance. Therefore, another time 
 you may place greater trust in Michaelson : up to now 
 he has always acted fairly with me ; if he ever plays 
 any tricks, it will be all up, and he will receive no more 
 scores. So for the future, even without special directions 
 from me, you can send him what he asks for, as soon as 
 he encloses a postal order for at least nine louis d'or. 
 He must, besides, send you the honorarium for Konigs- 
 berg (ten louis d'or without discount) ; take what 
 you want from it for expenses, and give the rest to 
 Heine, so that he may get a supply of decoration- and 
 costume-sketches (scenarium} ready. When they are 
 exhausted (Hamburg has already announced itself),
 
 374 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 only tell me, so that I may make further arrange- 
 ments. 
 
 Best thanks for your letter.: congratulations about 
 Teplitz ! My musical festival was certainly fine ; I 
 have never experienced a purer, pleasanter impression. 
 (Only think, the expenses amounted to over 9,000 
 francs !) Wilhelm ought to write to me how things 
 have gone off in Cassel ! I am glad he is with you. 
 You are a devil of a fellow : what stuff there still is in 
 you ! I, also, have hopes of my health : I shall soon 
 compose again. I think you are making the Nibelung's 
 ring your own. 
 
 Good-bye, you dear old soul ! I have such a 
 terrible lot of letters to write, that I must really cut 
 it short. 
 
 Cordial greetings to Heine and to your people from 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, June \^th, '53. 
 
 27. 
 
 DEAREST ! 
 
 I wrote to you yesterday ! To-day I answer 
 briefly what is necessary in reply to your letter just 
 received. 
 
 It is all right about Carlsruhe, although E. Devrient 
 may not have said anything yet about the honorarium, 
 which, for the rest, is a subordinate matter here. 
 
 Please have some more scores in readiness : you will 
 shortly have to send off a good number again. How 
 are matters with Darmstadt ? 
 
 In Hamburg they wanted the Tannhciuser on terms 
 of a royalty : thereupon I asked for fifty louis d'or in
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 375 
 
 advance (because I place no trust in the fellows). 
 They asked me to desist from this demand, whereon I 
 do not intend to answer them at all. 
 
 Things are moving too in Austria : for example, 
 Gratz ! (stupid affair !). I am glad that the royal Saxon 
 police make it impossible for me to attend the repre- 
 sentations of my operas, which would only cause me 
 vexation ! 
 
 What are we to do with Anton Apt in Prague ? As 
 I am no longer thinking of any performances of Rienzi, 
 I fancy we might let him have a score but only in 
 return for twenty-five thalers (for every copy has cost 
 me about this sum). If he sends the money, give it to 
 my old mother-in-law (Mad. Planer, Herzogin-Garten, 
 No. 7). If the price is too high for him, I will lend 
 him, on my behalf, a copy for a time. Get books of 
 words only from X. : they are quite the same. 
 Whenever shall I learn something about the state of 
 the business ? ! ! ! That X. still continues to dilly- 
 dally, I see, from the fact that a pianoforte score of the 
 Flying Dutchman was lately ordered from here, and 
 though four weeks have passed it has not yet come. 
 Of promptitude he knows nothing and how impor- 
 tant is this for the market ! 
 
 As soon as the ten louis d'or prove insufficient, let 
 me know ; I will then either forward your money, or 
 direct that the next honorarium-payment be made to 
 you ! 
 
 May the all-good God preserve you, you Lion ! 
 When shall I get any more news about Hi Ha 
 Heine ? The portrait has turned out very well ; the 
 lady-painter especially is very pleased with it.
 
 376 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I find the eyebrows and the mouth too strongly 
 marked. Yes my goodness ! if I had such eyebrows, 
 I should be quite another fellow, a second L. ! 
 
 Now, enjoy your cray-fish (krebse gut). I am 
 delighted with Wilhelm's letter ! 
 
 Kindest greetings from both of us ! 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, July is/, '53. 
 
 Please get the new ending done at once for Carlsruhe. 
 
 (See yesterday's letter !) 
 
 
 
 28. 
 DEAR OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 You will shortly receive, through Michaelson of 
 Berlin, an order from Cologne for Tannhauser, with 
 postal certificate for twelve louis d'or. I hope this will 
 not embarrass you. For the rest, you can always send 
 him scores, if he enclose you a postal receipt for at 
 least nine louis d'or. (He holds out a prospect of 
 Magdeburg and Ravel). I have just written to Wurda, 
 at Hamburg, and sent him a form of order on you, with 
 the stipulation that a postal receipt for fifty louis d'or 
 be added. So get into harness, and let my friend 
 Mehner set to his copying. 
 
 I have just had a wild week's revel with Liszt. On 
 Wednesday there will be a great torchlight procession 
 with music and song, for the presentation of various 
 honorary diplomas. 
 
 At Wiesbaden Lohengrin went very well. 
 
 Kind greetings to Heine ! How are his eyes ? Is 
 he working at Lohengrin ? It would be a good job if it
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 377 
 
 were finished. But he must not injure himself on that 
 
 account. Good-bye ! 
 
 Your reformed rake, 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, July nth, '53. 
 
 29. 
 
 DEAR OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 You will receive from the management of the 
 Hamburg Theatre a bill for fifty louis d'or, payable at 
 the end of November of this year, in return for which 
 you have to send off" Tannhauser to them. Then send 
 me the bill : there is some one from Hamburg here who 
 will buy it. 
 
 Nothing about X. and the business ? X. must really 
 not sell any more scores; we shall at last run short 
 of them, for fabulous applications are again pouring in 
 on me: 
 
 What is Heine doing ? 
 
 I sit here (between ice and bears) who loves me, 
 will take me away ! Good-bye ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ST. MORITZ (CAXTON GRAUB NDTEN), - /M/>' 2*]th, '53. 
 
 (Up to the I4th August I am still here ; address here 
 direct up to that date.) 
 
 30. 
 O FATHER, BROTHER, FRIEND ! 
 
 How can you believe that I could ever use strong 
 language when I think of you ! 
 
 Good gracious ! what bad manners you must now 
 be learning in Dresden.
 
 378 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Best thanks for your dear letter ! You ever valiant 
 fellow. Of your deeds as manager I had already read on 
 returning from the ice regions, where I had been taking 
 a mineral water. Heaven knows whether the care will 
 be of any use to me ! Only think that I must give up 
 snuff; for the last six days I have not taken a single 
 pinch ! The effect for the present is as though I should 
 go crazy somewhat thus must X. always feel when 
 you come near him. Concerning this muddle-headed 
 fellow, I truly fear he will yet become ripe for the lunatic 
 asylum. That fear it was that gave me the idea of 
 writing to Kr. to ask him to take the matter in hand. 
 Be so good then as to deliver the enclosed little letter to 
 Kr. You are indeed right to keep back the score of the 
 Flying Dutchman : you may at most lend it, but only in 
 return for a sufficient guarantee, to be invented by you, 
 that it will be given back in a certain time say four 
 weeks. The Dutchman will also have its turn (if you 
 let it alone in Dresden) they already want it also in 
 Wiesbaden. Rienztyou can always part with to private 
 individuals for twenty-five thalers under an agreement 
 that it will never be used for theatrical performances : 
 the money to my mother-in-law ! Warn Apt in 
 Prague that, should he not buy the score, he cannot 
 keep it over four weeks. So much for that ! Full stop ! 
 
 Stay I have still something to say about the Ballen- 
 stadt fellow ! He wrote to me, and I have dissuaded him ; 
 at least, he must pay me ten louis d'or : should he still 
 persist in his wish, I will in that case give him a con- 
 tract-order on you in the customary way (with the 
 condition of a postal certificate of receipt for ten louis 
 -d'or). Only in return for such a postal receipt, or for
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 379 
 
 the said sum itself, can he have the score. In general 
 I will never refer any one to you without such a written 
 order. For Olmiitz also you may expect a similar form. 
 Moreover, Darmstadt, Hanover, Brunswick, and Stutt- 
 gart will shortly fall into your hands. 
 
 Good heavens! there I am again with a shameful digres- 
 sion out of cursed covetousness for I intended only 
 speaking to you about your management. I have read 
 grand things about it in connection with Hans Heiling, 
 etc. I hope you will soon also produce Adolph von 
 Nassau. (This little volume interests me very much 
 on account of Wiesbaden.) 
 
 How does it strike that soul of a man, L., when you 
 keep bringing out fresh operas ? Does he not often think 
 of me, and how you stuck by me, and how R. drew in 
 his claws and was so energetic that he did not know 
 which way to turn ? 
 
 Some one has lately told me that you are in excellent 
 trim : according to that account, you really seem to be 
 leading a very sensible life, in spite of your secret whist 
 parties at A. R.'s with G. (O you secret sinner !) 
 
 I thank Wilhelm very much for his fine description 
 of the Cassel Tannhduscr; I will send him a special 
 answer shortly. The Prophetess is Heaven knows 
 where ; but I think I am on the track : the moment I 
 get hold of her, Wilhelm shall lay hands on her. Kind 
 greetings to him. 
 
 Minna is by no means well : she is taking remedies, 
 and is going again to the baths : her blood and nerves 
 are in a state of commotion. Fortunately she can now 
 have her little comforts for that I have indeed to thank 
 Tannhauser.
 
 380 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I am soon going off on a journey to the Mediterranean. 
 A thousand greetings to Heine ; he ought not to worry 
 himself and his eyes so much. The principal thing I 
 want is a good, easily comprehensible sketch of the 
 decorations and their manner of setting up. Good-bye 
 for to-day ! 
 
 Your most grateful 
 
 RICH. W. 
 
 ZURICH, August 17 th, '53. 
 Go on writing to Zurich : all letters will reach me. 
 
 31. 
 DEAR FISCHER, 
 
 I write only a few lines to set you at ease, 
 although you will already have received a letter an- 
 nouncing to you the receipt of the Hamburg bill of 
 exchange. (By the way, it was quite unnecessary for 
 you to specify this bill on the envelope : a bill is never 
 specified ; -at most, the letter is registered : mark that, 
 you man grown grey in business, and receive a lesson 
 from your reformed scamp ! !) 
 
 Yesterday I received five thalers from the Ballenstadt 
 director, so you will have this order to add to your load . 
 
 But all this does not make me soft-hearted enough 
 to give money to X., forsooth, for the new pianoforte 
 scores : what I now receive is once, and not again I 
 shall never again obtain a regular income and, with 
 exception of present receipts, I may whistle to the 
 wind. From the publishing business, however well it 
 may be managed, I shall never draw anything : I assign 
 it wholly and solely to my creditors, so it is for them to 
 take interest in the business on their own account just
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 381 
 
 as with the effects of a deceased debtor. If they want 
 the business to yield income, they must spend the 
 necessary working capital on it. If they won't do this 
 well, they have nothing to expect from me, when I 
 see that they allow the business my only real pro- 
 perty, which I hand over to them to go to ruin. I 
 have already expressed myself so definitely on this 
 matter, that I have nothing more to say. Perhaps it 
 will be somewhat better managed : God grant it ! 
 
 Go on writing to me to Zurich ; all my letters will 
 be speedily forwarded. I am off to-morrow evening : I 
 hope that the fulfilment of my long-cherished wish (to 
 see something of Italy) may turn out well : I now am 
 terribly in need of working power. 
 
 Farewell, best friend ! Greetings to Wilhelm and 
 the rest of your family. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, August 2yd, '53. 
 
 32. 
 
 DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 I now hear nothing more of you, so that I am 
 really becoming anxious ! Some time ago I wrote to 
 Heine, and sent you greetings. He does not answer, 
 and, with regard to him, I must unfortunately be 
 anxious about his health. But with regard to yourself, 
 I must fear that you are vexed with me ? If neither 
 supposition is correct, do please write to me ; or, rather, 
 in any case write to me ! 
 
 You have now much to do : I know you therefore 
 cannot do any useless scribbling; but I should much
 
 382 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 like to have a sign of life from you both, my good, my 
 only remaining Dresden friends. For I cannot surely 
 forget everything : when I recall the joys and sorrows 
 of the Dresden Court Theatre and band, naturally my 
 heart can but grow warm as I think of you. 
 
 Heine will have told you something about me. I 
 have again become quite the musician, and more than 
 ever. I am now writing the score of the Rhcingold 
 (first commenced in November). In the summer I go 
 to the Walkurc, in the spring of 1855 comes the Yunge 
 Siegfried, and in the following winter I think to take in 
 hand Siegfried's Tod, so that everything will be ready 
 by Easter of 1856. Then comes the impossible: to 
 erect my own theatre, in which I may bring out my 
 work before all Europe as a great dramatic-musical 
 festival. Then God grant that I may breathe my 
 last sigh ! 
 
 You see I am full of plans. In any case, I think no 
 more about " our " theatres. These may drag down my 
 old operas completely into the mire of commonplace : 
 I have abandoned them, and let myself be satisfied 
 with everything, because I expected nothing good : you 
 know my disgust ! My only interest is in the money 
 which I win from the German theatres by this my 
 
 prostitution : for the rest I have closed the books, 
 
 and am only astonished when from time to time I hear 
 anything good about the performances. 
 
 Have you seen to the Flying Dutchman for Wies- 
 baden ? 
 
 What is all this about Pesth ? I read in all the 
 papers that they intend giving Tannhaiiscr in the spring, 
 with Tichatschek : that is all very nice, and for
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 385 
 
 Tichatschek's sake I am glad ; but I should very much 
 like to know how they are going to come by the score. 
 Do ask Tichatschek, who is, I hope, no longer angry 
 with me : my kind greetings to him ! 
 
 I have heard nothing at all from Dresden for such an 
 age, that I do not know how your Wilhelm is getting 
 on. Is he satisfied ? Has he any prospects of suc- 
 ceeding in Dresden, of doing honour to himself and 
 art ? I should much like now to see you both. I can 
 picture to myself your smiling glance from the con- 
 ductor's desk at rehearsals. Hearty greetings to him : 
 I do not know what I should write to him in particular. 
 He has not sent me his opera-book : why not ? I should 
 be pleased if I could be of any service to him. 
 
 Now, perhaps you will once again let me hear some- 
 thing of you : do not put it off too long ! I often seem 
 completely abandoned in spite of all fame. 
 
 Farewell ! greetings from me and Minna to Heine 
 and your folk, and be good to your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, February I$th, '54. 
 
 Do not let X. sell any more Tannhduscr scores : we 
 want them all ! 
 
 33- 
 DEAR OLD FELLOW, 
 
 Do not be angry with me, if I do not write to 
 you to-day, but only announce an order to you. 
 
 Let the Coburg Court Theatre direction have the 
 Tcmnhciuscr, etc., as soon as possible. 
 
 In a few days I finish Das Rheingold, my first score 
 since ever so long. My zest for work at last became
 
 384 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 so great that I put off all letter-writing until I had 
 completed it. So expect shortly and Heine also a 
 proper letter (also a money-order). For the present 
 you must pay out ! Forgive me ! You understand ! 
 
 .Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, May 2Jth, '54. 
 
 34- 
 DEAR OLD FRIEND ! 
 
 You are certainly right when this time you 
 complain of my procrastination in writing, perhaps 
 louder even than I did last winter, when I wondered 
 at your silence. You answered me at last in detail, 
 and at the same time gave me so strong a proof of 
 your vigilant care, by sending me a catalogue of my 
 Dresden musical effects, that I was almost painfully 
 ashamed. Then I thought I ought in my turn to write 
 you a right substantial letter, but waited until I had 
 finished composing the first part of the Nibelungen, 
 with the final result that I was less disposed than ever 
 to write long letters. I get more and more out of the 
 habit of doing this ; for one thing, because I lead so 
 retired and exclusively industrious a life, and one with 
 such an absolute dearth of outward events, that I 
 should not really know how to fill a decent letter. Yet 
 I must frankly confess another thing : after your last 
 disclosures I ought again to have sent you money for 
 disbursements ; but just now, in fact, since last winter, 
 I have been so infamously hard up that I could not 
 spare anything, and all chance sums received were 
 so needed that I could not think of sending off any.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 385 
 
 So then I waited till orders should commence again, 
 so as to be able daily to set aside a little sum for you. 
 Yet up to the present I have waited in vain, and I 
 must now conquer my shame and at last write to you 
 even without money. In the course of this and next 
 month I think something must come in, and then you 
 shall be sufficiently provided for immediately. So 
 do not be angry with me ! 
 
 Best thanks for the catalogue, but it was really not 
 necessary for you to take all that trouble ! If it is 
 not in your way, let everything quietly remain in your 
 place : if I ever want anything, I'll ask you for it. 
 I should much like to have my arrangement of Pales- 
 trina's Stabat Mater : you might, at your convenience, 
 send it me one day. 
 
 For the rest, I get news of you through Noack, that 
 you are going on in first-rate style, and that in your 
 theatre management you are swimming along better 
 than ever. Now, that gives me great pleasure ; but 
 your pension, which you wished to spend with us in 
 Switzerland, seems a long way off yet. 
 
 I heard from Heine that, on the whole, he was in 
 good health : only his good wife was ailing. Deai 
 me ! it is a shame that I have not written to Heine 
 either for a long time ! But he must not look upon 
 that as any diminution of my love : we often, very 
 often, think about him and his, and, I assure you, 
 always with emotion. Tell him this, and give him a 
 thousand greetings. 
 
 About myself I have nothing to say to you. I live, 
 on the whole, a life full of sorrows, however little it 
 may seem so to many for I have become silent 
 
 25
 
 386 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 respecting my inner life. Since last winter, I have 
 returned to my music, and work is the only thing 
 which remains dear to me ; therefore I work to excess ! 
 To me the whole day only exists for the purpose of 
 setting me in a good mood for as much work as 
 possible. 
 
 I have finished the Rheingold, and the Walkiire is 
 already commenced. It too must be completed this 
 year. My wife will travel to Germany next week, to 
 see her old parents once more : she will not, however, 
 go to Dresden, but her parents will meet her at 
 Zwickau ; she will also visit Chemnitz, and pass 
 through Leipzig on her way to see a lady friend in 
 Berlin. If you could manage to go and say how do 
 you do to her anywhere, she would be uncommonly 
 pleased ! 
 
 I, for my part, would likewise wish to see my friends 
 again, and especially you ; but even that would not 
 tempt me to Germany, and I am really glad not to see 
 all the bad performances of my operas there, which 
 would probably break my heart. 
 
 So I will endure and work ! 
 
 Farewell, dear, good old friend. Ever thanks for 
 your faithful love ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 ZURICH, August Sth, '54. 
 
 35- 
 
 DEAREST OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 You will receive shortly through Walther the 
 theatre-director here ten Napoleons d'or for expenses.
 
 - TO WILHELM FISCHER. 387 
 
 To-day I beg you to send off as quickly as possible 
 a corrected copy of Tannhauser to the Intendant of 
 the Court Theatre at Hanover. 
 
 How are you ? Have you spoken to Tichatschek ? 
 Farewell. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, October 2%th, '54. 
 
 36. 
 
 ZURICH. December igth, '54. 
 DEAR OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 I can never once manage to write properly to 
 you : I have always so much to answer that it spoils 
 all my inclination for a sensible letter. So to-day I 
 have only to request you to send a Tannhauser as 
 soon as possible to Mannheim (to the theatrical 
 manager). Lachner, the Capellmeister of that place, 
 has been here to settle with me himself about it. 
 (Now that reserve of scores would come in handy !) 
 My wife, who went to Dresden quite behind my 
 back, was mightily delighted at seeing you. It quite 
 warmed my heart. She sends kind greetings. Give 
 greetings from us to the Heine family also. I will 
 certainly write one day quite intelligently. 
 
 You will soon receive my score of the Rheingold 
 from Liszt : I beg you to deliver it at once to IVolfel, 
 so that he may finish the copy already commenced. 
 
 I am diligent but not in good-humour ! Well, 
 there are reasons for that ! 
 Farewell, dear, good Fischer ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W.
 
 388 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 37- 
 DEAR OLD FELLOW, 
 
 I hear absolutely nothing more of you : are 
 you offended with me ? 
 
 I asked you recently to send a Tannhduser to Mann- 
 heim. They also want to give the Flying Dutchman 
 in Mainz; if the director, M. Ernst, sends in a postal 
 receipt for ten louis d'or, you can at once let him have 
 the score (corrected). 
 
 In conclusion, I have many requests to make to-day. 
 Among the music I left behind, there are 
 
 1. All the detached numbers from Rienzi 
 
 2. ,, Flying Dutchman 
 
 3. Tannhauser, 
 
 as they came out at X.'s in their time. I should much 
 like to have these sent by return. If they cannot be 
 found, please persuade Kr. to have the things presented 
 to me from X.'s store of publications. I am in bad 
 want of them. 
 
 Then could not the Dresden Court Theatre make 
 me a present of a good copy of the score of Iphigenia 
 in Aulis as I arranged it, so that I might at all events 
 have a souvenir of this work ? 
 
 Please see what can be done. 
 
 If L. is unwilling, at least have the overture copied 
 for me (at my expense), with the ending which I pub- 
 lished last year in the Leipz. Zeitsch. f. Musik. 
 
 Ah me ! I only get snatches of time for writing, 
 because I have always such an intolerable lot of letters 
 to get through. 
 
 I heartily long to see you once again and have a 
 chat.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 389 
 
 At the end of February I go for two months to 
 London, to conduct the concerts of the Philharmonic 
 Society, for which they expressly sent one of their 
 directors here to persuade me. As a rule, that kind of 
 thing does not suit me ; and as I am not to get much 
 pay for it, I would scarcely have consented, had I not 
 therein seen a chance of next year bringing together 
 in London under the protection of the Court a first- 
 rate German opera company, with which I could give 
 jny operas, and at last my Lohengrin. 
 
 For the rest, I am as stubborn as ever, am working 
 most diligently, and already scoring the Walkiire. 
 
 Has Liszt sent the Rheingold? If so, let Wolfel 
 copy quickly, so that, if possible, I may have my score 
 back before I leave for London. 
 
 Now, do please write once more ! 
 
 A million greetings from me and Minna. Farewell ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICH. WAG. 
 
 ZURICH, January 2ist, '55. 
 
 38. 
 
 MYSTERIOUSLY SILENT FRIEND, AND BROTHER IN THE 
 FAITH ! 
 
 t t t 
 
 See at once about Tannhduser being sent to 
 Munich: I have come to an agreement with Dingelstedt. 
 Give them also six copies of the pamphlet. 
 
 X. ought at once to assert his rights concerning the 
 :books of words.
 
 390 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Concerning sketches and scenarium, I have referred 
 them to you. 
 
 O you wicked fellow ! ! 
 
 Salute Heine ! 
 
 Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 39- 
 
 PARIS, March 2>td, '55. 
 
 But, dear old friend ! how heavy-hearted you 
 make me, with your extraordinary sensitiveness ! In 
 Zurich I could not manage to write to you ; but on my 
 very first leisure day in Paris I have sat down to give 
 you somewhat of a scolding, as this time you deserve ; 
 although, considering your hasty youth, you might be 
 excused. Let me just tell you how matters stand with 
 the score of the Rheingold. I had already promised our 
 young friend several years back that he should make 
 the pianoforte score of my Nibelungen. As this time I 
 was adopting a new method with the instrumentation, 
 whereby I did not first make a completely developed 
 preliminary sketch, I felt the want of an arrangement 
 from which I could play to any one. I therefore asked 
 my friend to go on with the pianoforte version, while I 
 was still writing the score, and so I sent him the de- 
 tached sections as soon as they were finished. At the 
 same time, he was to get Wolfel to make a copy, and so 
 arrange with him that both could work at the same time. 
 As soon as the copy and the pianoforte arrangement 
 should be simultaneously finished in this way, I intended 
 to gradually distribute both copy and score among my 
 friends for perusal, and I can assure you that you would,
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 391 
 
 not have been the last. Liszt learnt as did you that 
 his pupil had the score, and showed so much jealousy 
 that, as the latter would be stopped in his work for 
 some time by the mere fact of his going away, I com- 
 missioned him, when I sent him the remainder of the 
 score, to send it at once to Liszt, and thus interrupt 
 Wolfel's copying. At the end of four weeks Liszt was 
 to send back the score to Dresden, that you might first 
 get Wolfel to finish the copy, and then the young man 
 was to receive this copy so as to finish the pianoforte 
 arrangement. See, dear old fellow, that is how the 
 matter stands ; and you ought to see that there is no 
 question here of undervaluing your friendship. But 
 now, unfortunately, as I learn, Liszt has kept the score 
 an immoderately long time ; for he wrote me only lately 
 that he would now send it off to you. I hope that has 
 now been done, and I particularly request you to notify 
 me immediately on the receipt of the same ; for I am 
 really most anxious about this solitary copy ! ! So 
 that I may soon be set at ease, be also good enough to 
 hurry on Wolfel with the completion of the copy ; as 
 soon as this is finished, I will further ask you to send 
 the copy to Berlin, but the original score, after you have 
 satiated yourself with the sight of my beautiful hand- 
 writing, to me. 
 
 Well ! are you still angry ? ? 
 
 As you seem anxious to be rid of the music and the 
 wilderness of waste-paper, with which I have loaded you 
 up to the neck, I have made a selection as follows : 
 Send the following, at your convenience, by carrier : 
 i. Bach's eight-part Motets. 2. Beethoven's Ninth 
 Symphony. 3. Mozart's Third Symphony. 4. Bach's
 
 392 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 two Passions. 5. Marx's Moses. 6. Music for a New 
 Year's Prologue : score 3/4 C-minor (without orchestral 
 parts). 7. Three of my Overtures (score). 8. Libretto 
 of the opera Die Feen. 9. Of the opera Dels Liebesver- 
 bot. 10. Aria from Norma (Orovisf). II. Aria from 
 Maty, Max and Michel (bass). 12. Lcs Adieux de 
 Marie Stuart. 13. Les Deux Grenadiers. 14. Seven 
 compositions for Goethe's Faust. 15. Fantasia for 
 pianoforte. 
 
 I beg you further to take into your care and keeping 
 the scores of Rienzt, Flying Dutchman, and Tannhattser, 
 with the books belonging to them, etc. All the rest 
 you can destroy, burn, and use up as you like; thus 
 you will get a little more breathing-space. 
 
 For your last parcel my best thanks : I beg you to 
 send to London what has still to be forwarded to me. 
 Has then nothing further appeared of the Tannhauscr 
 pianoforte score without words ? I should much like to 
 have what is ready of it. Altogether, my heart bleeds 
 when I think of this publication business : what could 
 not be got from it, if it were conducted with zeal and 
 prudence ! Unfortunately, I hear nothing at all about it, 
 not even from my creditors, who ought to be interested 
 in the matter. 
 
 I shall probably never come back to Germany. You 
 are all so silent about this, that I must well believe there 
 is no prospect of it. Well, whatever our noble ministers 
 may determine, I shall accustom myself thereto ! But 
 if you want to see me once more before our end comes, 
 you must undertake a journey to Switzerland. I shall 
 be back again by the beginning of July. In London I 
 shall score the Walkiire ; from there, too, good Heine
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 393 
 
 shall at last receive another letter from me. Heartiest 
 greetings to him. Greetings also to your people ; and 
 amid all circumstances and doubts, keep in kind remem- 
 brance 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 My future address will be : Ferdinand Prager, 31, 
 Milton Street, Dorset Square. 
 
 . 40. 
 
 Best thanks, dearest old friendjf for your letter ! 
 I answer it at once, because you therein send me a piece 
 of news which certainly forces me to haste ! 
 
 Now, I beg you most earnestly to render me a ser- 
 vice of friendship, and rouse yourself at once. Point 
 out in my name the danger in which that business 
 hovers, and say that I have received a confidential hint 
 as to X.'s position, which has determined me to make 
 an immediate and fitting end of that wretched affair. 
 Those to whom I made over the ownership of that 
 cop} 7 right, until my debts to them were fully covered, 
 must declare through or by their lawyer whether they 
 wish to protect that right completely and against all 
 circumstances that are threatening it. Already have I 
 seen with despair how badly the business was conducted 
 under the present so favourable circumstances. As yet 
 the pianoforte score without words of Tannhduser has 
 not appeared, which is an irreparable loss. Here in 
 London I am informed that the pianoforte score of the 
 Flying Dutchman had recently been asked for but not
 
 394 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 received, because the old edition was out of print: so 
 there was no thought of bringing out a new one in 
 good time ! If things go on like this, and if I remain 
 without a satisfactory answer, I shall have to consider 
 my own property threatened ; and if my creditors do 
 not at once assure me through their lawyer, that on 
 their side everything possible shall be done to secure 
 the greatest advantage from the rights made over to 
 them, so that all the good may be got out of the 
 business which it now can offer, I shall find myself 
 compelled to employ another lawyer, who for his part 
 will protect my right, and though in the first place in 
 the interest of my creditors will take over the manage- 
 ment of the business, so as to conduct it in the manner 
 which I may consider the most profitable. I beg you, 
 dear old fellow, do me the kindness, and press for an 
 immediate answer ! 
 
 That property is indeed the only thing that can 
 afford me any profit. I have cast away those operas : 
 from them I ask for nothing further than that they 
 should bring in money. 
 
 It is otherwise with the works which I have now in 
 hand : for their creation I only took heart when I re- 
 solved to look away entirely from our theatres for their 
 performance, and to devote all my life's strength to 
 producing them one day, under exceptional circum- 
 stances, as a dramatic-music festival. If it is granted 
 to me in the future to acquire the means necessary for 
 this, well and good. If not, I shall content myself with 
 this : that I made the effort. But only such a prospect 
 gives me heart to trouble about my art : for our usual 
 theatre-repertoire with all its wants (to which Flotow
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 395 
 
 and Meyerbeer, etc., can best minister) I work no 
 more. This is my fixed opinion, my firm-set will ! 
 This will perhaps explain to you the form and fashion 
 of my present composition : it does not occur to me 
 while working at it to think of any existing theatre, 
 with which from henceforth I have nothing more to do ;. 
 for works like my new one shall not be given between 
 Martha and the Prophet. For the rest, I am surprised 
 that you should consider the mere constitution of the 
 orchestra the principal difficulty ! Nowadays one can 
 have for money as many instrumentalists as one wants,, 
 and Meyerbeer for the performance of his Huguenots in 
 Paris has seven harps : so make your mind easy on 
 that point. But singers who are not .... like your 
 theatre-rabble ; but true, intelligent, and energetic inter- 
 preters ! That is a much greater difficulty, and it will 
 probably cost me years of preparation before I can train 
 them up for myself from talented young people. How 
 I shall do all this must for the present remain my 
 secret : but though you do not yourself assist in a pro- 
 duction of it at Dresden, I hope, at least, that you will 
 hear it given under my direction to which performance 
 you are herewith most cordially invited. Now, con- 
 cerning the score of the Rheingold, I beg you to send it 
 at once by goods-post to my address here, together with 
 the copy so far as Wolfel has got with it. I am too 
 much in need of it to be able to wait any longer : I will 
 have the copy finished in Zurich instead, where 1 have 
 now hunted up a good copyist. I will settle Wolfel's 
 account with you at once. So, all that is arranged. 
 
 It was a great piece of folly for me to come to 
 London, for which I now atone by enduring until the
 
 396 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 last concert. Not, indeed, that I have to complain of 
 the public or anything of that sort : that is all just as 
 it is everywhere else, neither better nor worse ; and, 
 besides, the public of the Philharmonic Concerts is very 
 favourably disposed towards me : but, it is not in 
 my line to conduct concerts. A Beethoven Symphony 
 certainly gives me great pleasure : but a whole concert 
 of this kind, with everything which it includes, deeply 
 disgusts me ; and with great inner vexation, I see 
 myself compelled to conduct stuff which I thought I 
 should never have to perform again. Moreover, I see 
 that here in England I have no chance of anything, 
 under never so favourable circumstances. Even a 
 German Opera, with my works, would give me no 
 pleasure ; for no performance could ever be so good as 
 I should wish, for the reason that very few rehearsals 
 can be held, because everything is so frightfully dear. 
 So I only endure here, without joy or hope. I have 
 paid a visit to the Ney, and also heard her in Fidelia, in 
 which, however, she did not satisfy me. To-day she 
 sings in Verdi's Trovatore, in which she is certainly 
 more at home : I heard from the orchestra that she had 
 already had an extraordinary success at the rehearsal. 
 She is not allowed to sing at concerts, so long as she is 
 engaged at the Opera. 
 
 So I am spending my time in somewhat melancholy 
 fashion, amid people who are foreign and unsympathetic 
 to me ; and I rejoice at the thought of returning at the 
 end of July to my dear, glorious Switzerland, which I 
 hope I shall never leave again. Before I depart I will 
 write a thoroughly sensible letter to Heine : tell him that, 
 and give him a thousand greetings from us. Also
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 397 
 
 hearty greetings to yours : thanks for your faithful 
 friendship, and be assured of my constant love. 
 Farewell. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 22, PORTLAND TERRACE, REGENT'S PARK, LONDON. 
 41. 
 
 DEAREST OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 As always, so to-day another request ! When 
 you are buzzing ahead, do go to the cloth-merchant 
 Henniger, in the Old Market, and tell him from me that 
 this autumn he shall receive his money in one lump; 
 but that for the present all my earnings are accounted 
 for. Also it would be very nice of him not to charge me 
 any interest : this eternal paying of debts is the reason 
 that I can never hop upon a green twig. Please be so 
 kind ! ! 
 
 Has Liszt yet sent the Rheingold? Do let me 
 know; I so want to have the original score back soon, 
 and indeed in London. You shall hear another time 
 how I am : I have really nothing to do but conduct the 
 concerts of Philharmonic Society : for the rest, London 
 does not exist for me. The orchestra has taken a great 
 liking to me, and the public approves of me. To-day 
 is the second concert : selections from Lohengrin, and 
 the Ninth Symphony. Chorus wretched ! If only I had 
 my Dresden Palm-Sunday Choir ! Good-bye for to-day ! 
 Heartiest greetings to Heine and your family from 
 Your now soon forty-two-year-old 
 
 R. W. 
 
 22, PORTLAND TERRACE, REGENT'S PARK, LONDON.
 
 398 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS. 
 
 42. 
 DEAREST OLD FELLOW, 
 
 I write again at once : 
 
 Firstly : to congratulate Ernestine. 
 
 Secondly : to ask you to see to the copy of the 
 Rheingold being immediately completed, so that I may 
 at last get back the original score. But you must 
 make Wolfel write post-haste, so that, if possible, I may 
 have my score here by the end of May : I will write 
 to you then about the copy. 
 
 Best thanks for Henniger-Modes. People think now 
 that I am coining money : ah ! if they only knew ! 
 
 I endure here, like a passover lamb ; but it does not 
 suit me, and I hope this will be the last time I shall 
 come to London. I have nothing to seek here, and 
 the Jews may conduct their silly concerts for them. 
 Besides, much scandal is made of and about me. 
 I shall see the Ney. Otherwise everything as 
 before ! 
 
 Greetings to Heine and your folk. Keep stout and 
 hearty as ever, you Herr-Gotts-Tausend-Sakramenter ! 
 
 I shall not last so well nor so long ! 
 
 Adieu ! 
 
 Your crazy 
 
 R. W. 
 
 A3- 
 
 DEAREST OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 Cordial thanks for sending my score. I am 
 uneasy at your not enclosing a line, because it makes
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 399 
 
 me think you are angry with me. Do assure me soon 
 to the contrary. 
 
 The copy is, after all, so beautiful that I feel inclined 
 to let Wolfel complete it, and so will send you back 
 the score from Zurich. For the present, I really want 
 it here. 
 
 My best thanks to you for fulfilling my large request. 
 I see there is reason to be very cautious about X. I 
 therefore enclose a letter to that gentleman, and beg 
 you, before you close it and send it to X., to give it 
 to your friend to read, for it seems important to me 
 that my creditors should be exactly informed about 
 my relations to X., so that they may take measures 
 accordingly. Cordial greetings to P. also from us,, and 
 thank him for his forbearance, as well as for his 
 faithful friendship. 
 
 I am now somewhat more cheerful, as my London 
 visit is drawing to a close. At the next concert we 
 are to have the Queen of England : it will be certainly 
 interesting if I, as a high traitor with a public warrant 
 out against me, conduct before Her Majesty and the 
 Court. One might take a lesson from that. On the 
 3Oth of June 1 shall be back again in my dear Zurich. 
 
 Whenever will you come there, you old theatre- 
 mate ? 
 
 A thousand greetings to the Heinerei ! 
 
 Farewell ! and remain good to your much-afflicted 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 The Ney sang in one of our concerts, and certainly 
 her voice and style of singing both surprised and 
 delighted me.
 
 400 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 44. 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 Cordial thanks for your kind letter, out of 
 which for to-day I have only to answer the question 
 about the result of the concert given in presence of the 
 Queen. 
 
 The false reports about my quarrel with the directors 
 of the Philharmonic Society here and my consequent 
 departure from London are based upon the following 
 incident. 
 
 When I went into the cloak-room after the fourth 
 concert, I there met several friends, whom I made 
 acquainted with my extreme annoyance and ill-humour 
 that I should ever have consented to conduct concerts 
 of such a kind, as it was not at all in my line. These 
 endless programmes, with their mass of instrumental 
 and vocal pieces, wearied me and tormented my aesthetic 
 sense : I was forced to see that the power of esta- 
 blished custom rendered it impossible to bring about 
 any reduction or change whatever; I therefore nourished 
 a feeling of disquietude, which had more to do with the 
 fact that I had again embarked on a thing of the sort, 
 much less with the conditions here themselves, which 
 1 really knew beforehand, but least of all with my 
 public, which always received me with friendliness and 
 approbation, often indeed with great warmth. 
 
 On the other hand, the abuse of the London critics 
 was a matter of perfect indifference to me, for their 
 hostility only proved to all the world that I had not 
 bribed them ; while it gave me, on the contrary, much 
 satisfaction to watch how they always left the door
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 401 
 
 open, so that had I made the least approach they would 
 have tuned to a different pitch ; but naturally I thought 
 of nothing of the kind. 
 
 But on that evening I was really in a furious rage, 
 that after the A-major Symphony I should have had to 
 conduct a miserable vocal piece and a trivial Overture 
 of Onslow's ; and, as is my way, in deepest dudgeon I 
 told my friends aloud that I had that day conducted 
 for the last time ; that on the morrow I should send 
 in my resignation, and journey home. By chance 
 a concert-singer, R. a German Jew-youth was 
 present : he caught up my words and conveyed them 
 all hot to a newspaper reporter. Ever since then 
 rumours have been flying about in the German 
 papers, which have misled even you. I need scarcely 
 tell you that the representations of my friends, who 
 escorted me home, succeeded in making me withdraw 
 the hasty resolution conceived at a moment of despon- 
 dency. 
 
 Since then we have had the Tannhduser Overture at 
 the fifth concert ; it was very well played, received by 
 the public in a quite friendly manner, but not yet 
 properly understood. 
 
 All the more pleased was I, therefore, when the 
 Queen, who had promised (which is a rare event, and 
 does not happen every year) to attend the seventh 
 concert, ordered a repetition of the Overture. Now, if 
 in itself it was extremely gratifying that the Queen 
 should pay no regard to my highly compromised 
 political position (which had been dragged to light with 
 great malignity by the Times), and without hesitation 
 assist at a public performance under my direction, 
 
 26
 
 402 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 then her further behaviour towards me afforded me 
 at last an affecting compensation for all the con- 
 trarieties and vulgar animosities which I had here 
 endured. 
 
 She and Prince Albert, who both sat immediately 
 facing the orchestra, applauded after the Tannhdiiser 
 Overture with which the first part concluded 
 with graciousness almost amounting to a challenge, 
 so that the public broke out into lively and prolonged 
 applause. During the interval the Queen summoned 
 me to the salon, and received me before her Court 
 with the cordial words : " I am delighted to make 
 your acquaintance : your composition has enraptured 
 me!" 
 
 In a long conversation, in which Prince Albert also 
 took part, she further inquired about my other works, 
 and asked if it would not be possible to have my operas 
 translated into Italian, so that she might be able to 
 hear them, too, in London ? I was naturally obliged to 
 give a negative answer, and moreover to explain that 
 my visit was only a flying one, as conducting for a 
 concert society the only thing open to me here was 
 not at all my affair. At the end of the concert the 
 Queen and the Prince applauded me again most 
 courteously. 
 
 I relate this to you because it will afford you 
 pleasure ; and I willingly allow you to make further 
 use of this information, as I see how much mistake 
 and malice touching myself and my stay in London 
 has to be set right or defeated. The last concert is on 
 the 25th, and I leave on the 26th, so as to resume in 
 my quiet retreat my sadly interrupted work.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 403 
 
 Farewell ! Cordial thanks for your friendship, and 
 greetings to those who share it, from 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 LONDON. June i^th, '55. 
 
 I will deliver your greetings to the Ney. 
 
 45- 
 DEAR, GOOD FISCHER! 
 
 How are you? I am just back from a mountain 
 health-resort, where my wife (in wretched weather) has 
 been taking whey. I am only now really home again, 
 and thinking about work and business. First of all, I 
 am anxious that the interrupted copy of my Rheingold 
 should be finished, and to-day I send you the remainder 
 with the few prepared sheets troubling you with the 
 request to hand over the matter to Wolfel as quickly as 
 possible. I have only one remark to make : Liszt will 
 pay me a visit in October, and he might like to play 
 through the score with me ; so Wolfel must have finished 
 by the end of September, that I may have my score back 
 by the beginning of October. Otherwise I should have 
 to interrupt him once again ! Very well ! 
 
 Besides this I have nothing new to tell you about 
 myself except that the King can't help granting me an 
 amnesty shortly. 
 
 I must one day write a tremendous letter to Heine- 
 inann, and that's the awkward part of it, and why I 
 never do it. In fact, I have not much to say to him, 
 except that I would willingly be with him again and 
 have a good roast together ; we should find a grand 
 store, I warrant you.
 
 404 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I must put aside my joking to tell you that my Peps 
 died on the tenth day after my return from London ; for 
 this event has deeply affected myself and Minna. I 
 weep still when I think of the day the dear beast died. 
 
 Now I will set hard to work again ; but not overtask 
 myself. For this year I shall be content to finish com- 
 pletely the Walkure. Only in the spring shall I set to 
 work on the Junge Siegfried. 
 
 What do the gentlemen in Dresden think when they 
 hear of nothing but the Tannticiuser in Munich ? Do they 
 rub their hands for joy at preventing me from ever 
 attending such performances ? I presume so ! 
 
 Now please excuse this confused scrawl : it is the 
 sixth letter I have written to-day ! ! ! A thousand 
 greetings to your family and the Heinerei, and remain 
 good to your celebrated brother, 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, August \"}lh, '55. 
 
 4 6. 
 BEST FRIEND, 
 
 Nature has a cure for everything ! For several 
 days I have not felt well ; I feel heaviness in my limbs ; 
 I am disgusted with work, and only with difficulty can 
 I get through a part of my daily task ; which again puts 
 me out of humour, because only my work can cheer me. 
 So this morning early, I looked with trouble at my 
 music-sheets ; and yet I tried to force myself to work ; 
 then comes a bill of exchange from friend X. at Dresden, 
 payable fourteen days after sight 395 thalers. Well, 
 this unforeseen event cured me ; it reminded me that I 
 live in a world in which men make other demands on
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 405 
 
 me than those of art-creations ! I placed my music- 
 paper on one side ; a good loud sneeze escaped my nose 
 and I attended to my " business " ; also I have 
 written to Herr Henniger, as you will see by the en- 
 closure. 
 
 Pray say what has suddenly entered into the head of 
 this unfortunate man X. ? I did not know but what 
 he was well-disposed towards me. If he found that 
 inconvenient, he might have said so sooner. Some one 
 must be specially to blame for this sudden, quite unfore- 
 warned behaviour towards me. The business must be 
 in a bad state. Heavens ! how my heart bleeds when I 
 look on helplessly at this scandal from afar ; nor can it 
 afford me any consolation to have done everything in 
 my power to help. -But, for a reason like this, one 
 does not pounce upon an old friend one had else 
 treated with consideration. There must be some sort 
 of gossip at the back of it, and my supposition is surely 
 correct, that these people think that through my operas 
 (perhaps also London ? ? ! !) I am up to my ears in gold, 
 and living in riot and revel ! Well, I have written to 
 X., to set his mind clear on the matter. These sump- 
 tuous receipts are no longer mine ; but I have been 
 fortunate enough to find a friend to whom I could make 
 over this most uncertain revenue in return for a small 
 yearly allowance, which at least makes me certain as to 
 what I have and what I can spend each year. Still, if 
 I do not wish to contract fresh debts, I have only enough 
 to enable me to make both ends meet ; and the difficulty 
 of doing this is increased by the fact that I have still to 
 pay out of it some debts contracted here, from the time 
 of my flight and settling down. It is quite impossible
 
 4o6 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 to think of accepting such a bill of exchange. If, on 
 the other hand, I could only learn what state my busi- 
 ness is in ; there must be already some profit from it ? 
 This is really my only hope, for otherwise I do not at 
 all know how I shall satisfy the sudden importunity of 
 the man. 
 
 Please be good enough to have my letter sent ta 
 Henniger ; I do not know the address. 
 
 I suppose I must have patience with Wolfel : it is 
 really a tiresome piece of work. I do hope he will be 
 ready in the course of November say by the middle ; 
 then there will still be time, and by that date I shall 
 have money to pay him. 
 
 (Have you anything more of mine ?) 
 
 I hear the Heines are really thinking about America. 
 I also am invited there now, but for the present I have 
 had to decline. Yet America floats before me as a 
 possible money-source, if indeed one's sole aim were 
 the making of a small fortune. In two years I shall 
 have completed my Nibelungen, then I shall look around 
 for a whole year to see whether it is possible to bring to 
 pass a performance according to my ideas. If I see 
 that possibility, then I'll move heaven and earth to 
 carry it out. If, however, I am convinced to the con- 
 trary, I will have my scores beautifully bound, put them 
 away in my chest, and go off to America as I said 
 above to make a small fortune. Whether there or 
 here, I shall then become a Philistine, and say to the 
 world henceforth : . . . Here, I would then play the 
 Philistine in your company : there, after all with the 
 Heines. It would indeed be funny if we all played 
 the Philistine there together ! Tell that to the Heinerei,,
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 407 
 
 and assure them that, even if I do not write, every- 
 thing remains as of old. I am delighted to hear of the 
 fellow's tough health. 
 
 Farewell ! Hearty greetings to yours : study your 
 choruses, lead the life of a saint, and do not go in for 
 too much management ! 
 
 Ever your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 Would you be so kind as to send a book of words of 
 the Flying Dutchman to H. Michaelson (Leipzigerstrasse 
 42, Berlin) ? 
 
 47- 
 
 MY DEAR OLD FRIEND ! 
 
 I was still on my sick couch when what you 
 sent yesterday arrived, and there I have been ever 
 since I wrote my last letter to you. 
 
 I say nothing more ! 
 
 To-day I got up from bed for an hour, in order to 
 write to X., because the recent news about him left me 
 no rest. I prefer to have the letter sent through you : 
 first of all that X. may not be able to deny the receipt 
 of it, and secondly, that you may read it over first ; 
 you need then only to close it. It is really a pitiable 
 business ! ! ! 
 
 Many thanks for the copy ; it has turned out remark- 
 ably well. Tell that to Wolfel from me ! 
 
 Then I have still a great request. Be so kind and 
 ask Furstenau to send at once (by post) half a ream of 
 the same paper which Wolfel got from him. He could 
 receive the amount through the post-office ; or if that
 
 408 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 won't do you could perhaps settle it ; or, if even that 
 won't do, Fiirstenau might perhaps draw a bill on me. 
 Otherwise I would send him the trifling sum at once. 
 
 I can't keep up, and must go back to bed : I already 
 feel bad. 
 
 Greet me Heines, and hold in kind remembrance 
 Your thankful 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 48. 
 
 AH, YOU DEAR, GOOD, OLD FISCHER ! 
 
 I have had " roses " on my face again ; but still 
 my humour will not turn very rosy. During such an 
 illness letter-stuff always accumulates, and now to pay 
 off my debts I must manage as sparingly as possible, 
 so as not to impoverish my treasury of writing-inclina- 
 tion too markedly to the advantage of one creditor. I 
 thank you very much for thinking of me immediately 
 on the news of X.'s death ; but what can 7 do from 
 here in this case ? I should much like to know what 
 has taken place, and with what result. I fear, however, 
 that I can only consider that that copyright business 
 has again taken an ominous turn, in direct consequence 
 of X.'s death ! ! Ah ! how pleasant all that is ! ! At 
 last one makes a success with an opera to which so 
 much has been sacrificed, and then ! ! It's a real 
 
 joy! 
 
 Also your news about Lohengrin at Bremen surprised 
 me very much, since the management there has not yet 
 troubled itself about me the least bit in the world : it 
 gave the opera without saying a word to me on the 
 subject. I at once wrote, complained of such unloyal
 
 TO W1LHELM FISCHER. 409 
 
 behaviour, and demanded an immediate honorarium. 
 A fortnight has passed, and still I have no answer. 
 That is really the first time a theatre has played me 
 such a trick ! Tichatschek might do something in the 
 matter. Or shall I make a public scandal ? That 
 again is not very pleasant. That T. has at last sung 
 the Lohengrin gave me great joy ! I certainly was not 
 mistaken when, in writing that part, I foresaw that it 
 would be one of his best ! Only, what a pity that I 
 could not give a performance of the opera with him, 
 and, instead, must leave it to bunglers to create the- 
 part. I willingly believe, that even now Tichatschek 
 is the best in it, and again, willingly would I be present 
 when he sings it. If he had only employed his splendid 
 powers somewhere else ! I would rather it had been 
 Hamburg or Breslau. Perhaps that will still be pos- 
 sible for him ! Best greetings to him from me, and tell 
 him that in spirit here I stood upon my head, entirely 
 as he deserved ! 
 
 That I do not even manage to write to my good old 
 Heinemann is indeed dreadful : Heaven knows ! I 
 would like to write many sheetsful of good sense to 
 him, and that's just what makes it so difficult that I 
 almost always can't help preferring to settle the matter 
 with a right honourable and cordial greeting. 
 
 For a long time I have been constantly dreaming that 
 I was back in Dresden, but secretly hidden in your 
 house ; and just as secretly you brought me into the 
 theatre, and there I heard one of my operas, but all 
 wrong and out of tune, so that I became wild and 
 wanted to shout out loud, from which you, in great 
 alarm, were trying to stop me. Certainly, if ever I
 
 4i o RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 were permitted to return to Germany, and could so far 
 conquer my repugnance as to call at Dresden, it would 
 for sure be only secretly and for the purpose of sur- 
 prising you all one evening, and playing the fool with 
 you. Mamma Heine would have to get ready the 
 pickled herring, as on the Rienzi evening. Then indeed 
 would we see who had altered ! ! A thousand hearty 
 greetings for to-day ! 
 
 At last the Walkiire is finished : it has turned out 
 
 remarkably beautiful : I lately had a performance of the 
 
 1 First Act in my own house. I sang the Siegmund and 
 
 Hunding, and Frau Heine, an excellent amateur, the 
 
 Sieglinde : a friend accompanied. 
 
 Now, I shall soon set to work at Junge Siegfried. 
 In 1857 I shall perform the whole thing here : seats 
 are reserved for you. Get me a good tenor ! And till 
 then hold me always in kind remembrance, and be 
 thanked a thousand times for your faithful friendship, 
 which always gives me the highest comfort. Live well 
 and soundly. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, April 2<)th, '56. 
 
 49- 
 DEAREST OLD FRIEND ! 
 
 Do not be angry with me, if, after a lengthy 
 silence, I only send you to-day a hurried request. 
 Liszt, who is still with me, is pressing me for my 
 arrangement of Palestrina's Stabat Mater. I once 
 asked you to send it here with some other things. 
 Would you be kind enough to send me a parcel right 
 quickly, and, beside the Stabat, put in the Bach
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 4 1 I 
 
 Motets and Passion music, the Ninth Symphony, etc. ? 
 The score of the Iphigenia in Aulis that I asked for, I 
 would also much like to have : you said, you know, 
 that Liittichau had consented to let me have a copy. 
 
 So let me have the said things at once. I am more 
 and more satisfied with my health : my last cure was 
 highly beneficial to me, and I am well rid of the 
 wretched erysipelas. Also I have again commenced 
 working with great eagerness. Liszt's visit is now 
 engrossing my time. Whenever shall I see you again ? 
 And how are you ? Always active and jolly ? That, 
 etc., Tichatschek has not written me a word since his 
 visit : tell him he is a 
 
 And greet Heine, and hold me dear, as you always 
 are and will be to your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, November "jth, '56. 
 
 50. 
 
 Kindest greetings for the New Year, my dear 
 good old Fischer ! 
 
 Say, are you still angry with me on account of that 
 letter to L., that you always keep on grumbling about 
 it in spite of my detailed and (I think) satisfactory 
 explanation ? And ever again, as though I consider 
 you i.e., thee (?) incapable of giving the Lohengrin ? 
 If you happen a thing I certainly do not expect to 
 preserve my letters, do read through again what I have 
 already said to you in explanation on this point; and 
 do not be unfair with me, as though you did not know 
 what I had meant in my former letter to L. You know 
 that the countermanding of the scenery for Lohengrin
 
 4i2 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 so embittered me, that I lost all desire to see this very 
 opera performed at Dresden, which I had specially 
 calculated for that place, and that in consequence I had 
 still to get rid of a feeling of revenge against L. Now, 
 however, since I have discovered that L. did not of his 
 own impulse set aside my opera, but only did this in 
 obedience to a hint from above, I look at the matter 
 in quite a different light, and can no longer bear L. 
 a grudge about it. This I have requested Tichatschek 
 to tell him : if he has not done it that is his affair. 
 But, you wicked old friend, you should not always be 
 worrying about a mistake that has been cleared up. 
 Still I must tell you again that the performance of 
 Lohengrin under the direction of R. or K. is for me an 
 unpleasant and painful thought, however high may be 
 your opinion of these gentlemen. 
 
 So for the New Year I have now told you what 
 you astonished and vexed me with in the Old. 
 
 Best thanks for what you have sent. I have again 
 got a lot of silly stuff into my house ! How you really 
 manage to have so many worries with the rubbish, and 
 especially with me, is certainly a serious matter, and I 
 am sure any other but you would long ago have lost 
 all patience. Heaven grant that I may be able one 
 day so to thank you for your faithful, touching, and 
 helpful friendship, as is so often my heart's desire 
 when I am with you in my thoughts. How often do we 
 speak, Minna and I, of our good old friends Fischer and 
 Heine, and especially do we go back to the early days 
 of our arrival in Dresden, where we so suddenly found 
 these good, these best of friends ! That, too, is my most 
 refreshing remembrance of the Rienzi days. That this
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 413 
 
 love has now maintained itself so long, and far beyond 
 our separation, is certainly one of the most beautiful 
 experiences of my life. Most heartfelt greetings to you 
 and Heine. Do not be angry with me for taking 
 advantage once more of your kindness, with regard 
 to the sending of Tannhauser to Basle. Tannhduser 
 will probably soon have ended its fortunate course ! 
 
 Of Tichatschek you may hear somewhat further 
 from me, though it be but little. Farewell, and hold 
 me dear ! Anf Wiedersehen. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, January 2nd, '57. 
 
 51- 
 
 DEAR OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 Do please send at once a revised score of the 
 Flying Dutchman for the Carlsruhe Court Theatre, to 
 E. D. Give me an account of what you have laid out, 
 for you have certainly advanced money, and tell me 
 how much I shall send you, so that you may have 
 something in hand to go on with. 
 
 You are already accustomed to these flying notes, 
 so that I need not apologize. 
 With deep thanks, always 
 
 Your faithful 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, February 12th, '57, 
 
 52. 
 
 MY DEAR GOOD FISCHER ! 
 
 How are you, then, and how is Heine ? Did 
 he give you my greetings last summer ? I live now
 
 414 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 in the greatest retirement from the world, even from 
 Zurich, i.e., I seldom go into the town, but instead 
 live quietly in my pleasant little country house, watch 
 my wife attending to the garden, work, and go for 
 walks in a pleasant valley : that is my whole life. Yet 
 I have had German visitors : Ed. Devrient, Prager, and 
 Rockel (from England), Robert Franz, etc., etc., were 
 this summer with me for a longer or shorter period, 
 and we had a lot of music, Rheingold, Walkure, and 
 the two finished acts of Junge Siegfried. I am now 
 composing Tristan und Isolde, about which Heine has 
 probably told you something. I hope to finish it next 
 summer, and with this work to offer the theatres a task 
 easy to master. But I must first produce it somewhere 
 myself : otherwise I do not give it forth. I will wait 
 and see how it succeeds, and what the possibilities 
 are. 
 
 I have really little hopes of Dresden : the King is 
 personally averse to me. For the rest, I should think 
 my stupid Dresden game of nine years back has been 
 forgotten now ? 
 
 Meanwhile, as Heaven wills : if I should never 
 receive an amnesty, I must console myself with the 
 thought that I should never have got much joy from 
 the German theatres. 
 
 Greetings to Tichatschek from me. I do not really 
 know what to think of him. About Easter he wrote 
 to me that he was then leaving Dresden for several 
 months, and would be glad to see me again. Well, 
 I kept on waiting for his visit : I would have written 
 to him again about it, if I had only known where to. 
 For he went, in fact, on his travels. Now that he has
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 415 
 
 not come, and has written nothing further to me thereon, 
 I am as much surprised as grieved at heart. 
 
 Well, our Prague enthusiast, Apt, has also been here. 
 I was glad to get news of you through him. He wished 
 absolutely to buy a score of Rienzi, and I promised to 
 write to you about it. But I think I shall do better 
 to keep back the few scores still remaining ; the opera 
 cannot, after all, be smothered, and I will do nothing to 
 injure it, just out of consideration for K. and P., who, 
 by the circulation of Rtenzi, may be able to make profit. 
 I therefore ask you to lend a score to Apt ; he can keep 
 it for awhile, and have copied out of it what he wants. 
 
 You gave me hopes of a visit from the music- 
 publisher M. ; now, unfortunately, he has not come, 
 and, on the other hand, I hear of nothing but fresh 
 confusion and lack of energy in the management of the 
 business. The pianoforte arrangement without words 
 of Tannhmiscr (so profitable for the market) is still not 
 out ! Do persuade M. to write categorically to me 
 about the whole matter. 
 
 As regards Tristan, that must remain between our- 
 selves. I will not let anything leak out concerning 
 it. 
 
 And now, you good, bad old friend ! when shall I 
 at last see you again ? ? You and Heine must visit me 
 next summer and stay with me ; if you don't do that 
 I will never in my life write to you again ! But now, 
 last of all, a thousand greetings to yourself, and greet 
 Wilhelm, and let all of you hold me dear. 
 
 Adieu, good old fellow ! Your 
 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, October zgth, '57.
 
 416 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 53- 
 MY DEAR OLD FRIEND ! 
 
 Hearty thanks for your last letter ; your wonder- 
 ful activity has rejoiced me uncommonly, and the 
 promise of your visit next year gives me a hope that 
 warms my heart, and which you must not reduce to 
 nothingness. 
 
 But it is characteristic and touching, above all else, 
 that it should be left for an old fellow like yourself 
 to introduce Liszt to Dresden ! In this one sees what 
 youth and old age are, and whether it is a question of 
 years, or of heart and right understanding ! In this 
 you have again proved your metal, as once upon a 
 time with me : for without you I should never have 
 made my way with Rienzi. Honour to you, dear good 
 old fellow ! 
 
 About Heine's activity with a Conservatorium I know 
 nothing at all ? But that is altogether grand, for therein 
 I see that he also keeps himself fresh and active ; still 
 there is a good strong blend of my own egoism in it, 
 for thus I may venture all the more to hope to see you 
 both again, as the old fellows of former times. May it 
 only be soon at latest next summer, for then you will 
 both come to me ! 
 
 I am very glad that you have not yet communicated 
 to L. the last propositions I sent you, and I hope also 
 that nothing has been done since then. For should 
 you think as you hinted to me that that old debt 
 may be regarded as cancelled, and that in the case of 
 an amnesty they would not think of causing me any 
 further unpleasantness on account of it : in that case I
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 417 
 
 should be most thankful, and let the matter drop. For 
 this I say honestly the only thing that made me 
 think of offering myself again to the Dresden Court in 
 any capacity was the perplexity in which I was placed 
 by the idea that they might still expect from me a 
 satisfaction of that debt. 
 
 But apart from that, there is nothing I long for more 
 than to remain free, and never again to accept any 
 kind of engagement whatever. Dresden the theatre 
 L., etc., awake in me such a train of tormenting 
 remembrances, that I would like to be for ever con- 
 sidered there as dead. Only yourself and Heine 
 would I take from out of the place ! That you will 
 see ! So, let that be kept to yourself, and should the 
 occasion arise mention nothing of my propositions, 
 unless you perceive that they are going to demand 
 such a compensation from me. 
 
 Lately the Grand Duke of Baden sent me a message 
 that he had just written to the King of Saxony, in 
 order to obtain permission for me to visit Carlsruhe. 
 I am now waiting to see if he has in any way succeeded, 
 but naturally doubt it very much ! Yet I presume 
 that my affair is likely now to be taken up again ; 
 hence the above hint. 
 
 For the rest, I do not believe that anywhere in the 
 world are there such muddled-headed men as in Dresden. 
 You will easily guess that I refer again to the business 
 successors of the late X. ! If you should see the music- 
 publisher M., please tell him that, if his intentions are 
 friendly, he ought not to refrain from writing me, and 
 to some extent explaining the state of things. As 
 far back as last Easter the lawyer of Fraiilein X. sent 
 
 27
 
 4i 8 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 me the inventory, with the notice that the publishing 
 business had been handed over to M. But, as I have 
 transferred all my rights in the business, it was my 
 duty to hand over the whole matter to the attorney of 
 these two persons, and at the same time to express to 
 him my astonishment that he should look so badly 
 after the interests of his clients that the attorney of 
 the opposite party, in spite of the surrender, still 
 thought it necessary to apply to me and not to him ! 
 Now for a long time I have heard nothing at all until 
 at last M. returns me, through you, this unheard-of, 
 unexpected answer. It is enough to make one mad ! 
 But tell M. that all I want from him is information about 
 the technical part of the publishing ; because, though 
 I have no longer any present right to the receipts, I 
 still am anxious that the business should be conducted 
 in such a way that my assignees may derive the utmost 
 possible profit from it. 
 
 Yes, considering that I can get no other news about 
 the real state of affairs, I shall have to be prepared next 
 for being summarily sued again, especially if people 
 are always hearing such silly nonsense about my 
 income as appears from time to time ! O you 
 divinely practical men ! 
 
 Well, that is the old story over again much the 
 same as it has been told for the last six years ! Do 
 not be angry that I give it you to hear. But you 
 appear to me alas ! the only clear and intelligent head 
 amongst these stupid creatures. 
 
 Otherwise, dearest old fellow, I am well : I live 
 alone, work, read, and make good music. You may 
 take my word for it : Tristan will please even you,
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 419 
 
 although there are not many choruses in it ! A 
 thousand greetings to you and Heine from me and 
 Minna. 
 
 Good-bye ! Remain what you are. 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, December 2nd, '57. 
 
 I herewith commission Herr Chorus-master Fischer, 
 Sen., of Dresden, to send off at once a copy of the 
 score and of the libretto of my opera Rienzi to the 
 High Intendant of the Royal Court Theatre in 
 Hanover. 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 S, January i8th, '58. 
 
 54- 
 DEAREST FRIEND, 
 
 I beg you this moment to get sent here to 
 Paris the two copies I requested of the pianoforte 
 arrangements of my three operas that X. published. 
 I wrote about them last week, but on this point have 
 received no answer. The securing of the French copy- 
 right for these operas depends upon this step, and I 
 wish to ensure this result for selling to publishers 
 here should it come to that. If the things have not yet 
 gone (for with your people dawdling of all kinds is pos- 
 sible), they should be sent by post to the following 
 address : Monsieur E. Ollivier, Avocat au barreau de 
 Paris et membre du corps legislatif, 29, Rue St. 
 Guillaume, Fbg. St. Germain a Paris. 
 
 You could perhaps have this seen to by the present 
 publisher himself.
 
 42O RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Do not be angry with me. But you are the only one 
 on whom I can depend. 
 
 More shortly from Zurich. Here I am always in 
 horrible haste. 
 
 By the way, I read in the newspapers that my 
 Tannhauser is accepted for the Grand Opera here, and 
 that I have come hither for the rehearsals. Do con- 
 tradict this. Up to now no word of truth in it. I am 
 here to prevent its being used at other theatres (without 
 asking my permission) : but what is not, may be. 
 Adieu ! In haste ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICH. WAGNER. 
 
 PARIS, January 2Jth, '58. 
 
 55- 
 
 Ha ! I may as well write again to Fischer ! thought 
 I to myself yesterday. So listen ! 
 
 DEAR OLD PARTNER ! 
 
 I have just learnt, as the final result of my 
 inquiries, that according to the agreement between 
 France and Saxony of the year 1856, nothing more is 
 necessary to establish the copyright even of musical 
 works, than that the author or his publisher should 
 deposit for this purpose two copies in Leipzig itself, I 
 believe in the Booksellers' Exchange ; they will there 
 be registered under the terms of the treaty, and a 
 certificate to that effect will be sent to Paris ; which 
 certificate, once deposited in the proper quarter, the 
 right of publication is guaranteed for France. Perhaps 
 Herr M., the present agent for our publications, knew
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 421 
 
 of this, and therefore did not send the pianoforte 
 arrangements to Paris. 
 
 Now, I beg you (it is truly a shame that I should 
 always yoke an old and worried man like you to such 
 a heap of rubbish ! but it is because you are my only 
 refuge), so I beg you to tell M., with all speed, that 
 if the pianoforte arrangements have not yet been sent, 
 he need not do so now : but, if this has been done, I 
 will see about sending them back to Dresden. For the 
 present we have only to see at once about two other 
 copies for Leipzig, then to proceed in the manner indi- 
 cated above. I suppose M. has his agent in Leipzig 
 who attends to these matters : if not, he must have it 
 arranged by Breitkopf und Hcirtel, to whom I will write 
 to-morrow about taking over this commission. 
 
 But the certificate of registration should be sent to me 
 in Paris immediately it is executed, and, mind you, to 
 the address which I already gave in my last letter : 
 
 " Monsieur E. Ollivier, 
 
 Avocat an barreau de Paris, et membredu corps le'gislatif, 
 29, Rue St. Guillaume, Fbg. St. Germain a, Paris." 
 
 This gentleman Liszt's new son-in-law is my 
 lawyer, attends to everything for me, and is specially 
 commissioned by me to look after this copyright ; 
 while I, on the other hand, assign it to my creditors in 
 such a way that I undertake that all future proceeds of 
 sale or honoraria, which Parisian publishers shall pay 
 for issuing one or other of these three operas, shall be 
 handed over in their entirety, until the demands on me 
 .are fully satisfied.
 
 422 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Now, I am only curious as to whether I shall at last 
 hear anything from you, and whether the matter will be 
 set straight. 
 
 Yesterday evening I found in my room your last 
 packet, the Rienzi text-book, which I asked for. You 
 cannot think how delighted I am when I see your hand- 
 writing, you dear, good old fellow ! 
 
 Beyond that, there is not much to say about this 
 text. Merely this, that a translator has offered himself 
 to me who is said to be a good hand at his work. For 
 the rest, I have come here simply to prevent a possible 
 murdering of any of my operas at the subordinate 
 theatres without my being asked. I could only be 
 safe from this if the rights of ownership provided by 
 the International Treaty were secured for these operas. 
 On that basis I then gain this much, that I can also 
 prevent performances; and that was what I wanted. 
 Moreover, all here think that overtures will very soon 
 be made me on the part of the management of the 
 Grand Opera ; but I must quietly wait for this, for if 
 / offer myself, I tie my own hands. I will only allow 
 Tannhauser to be performed if it can be given in its 
 entirety, without mutilations. It is possible, nay pro- 
 bable, that that will come off next winter. So stand 
 matters ! 
 
 I travel back next week. Let me know soon what 
 is being done about Rienzi. Greetings to Heine and. 
 Tichatschek, and remain good and kind to me ! 
 
 Your fussy 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 PARIS, January 2<)th, '58.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 423 
 
 56. 
 
 DEAREST FRIEND, BROTHER, AND Regisseur, 
 
 To your noble Latin hand-writing I must reply 
 with my bad one as quickly as possible. 
 
 I am back, and thinking again of serious work. In Paris 
 I had nothing further to attend to than the recognition 
 of my copyright in my own operas. I was sorry to 
 supply a fresh occasion of confusion to my Dresden 
 confusion-counsellors. At the last moment I was 
 obliged to countermand my first request to send two 
 copies of my pianoforte editions, because it was only 
 then that I received definite information as to what had 
 to be done in conformity with the treaties. When I 
 was informed, however, that the music had, after all, 
 been sent off, I further wrote that the Dresden agent, 
 Herr M., must now arrange whether it should be sent 
 back again, or perhaps remain in Paris for other pur- 
 poses. Anyhow, I am now waiting for the news that 
 the required certificate regarding the deposition in 
 Leipzig has arrived in Paris ; for on that depends all 
 further movements. Do be so good, and sharpen up 
 the wits of Herr Musikhandler M. a little on this point. 
 In general, too, I should very much like to enter into 
 direct communication with this gentleman. I want 
 nothing but that my advice respecting the fructification 
 of the vested capital should be asked for and followed ; 
 and this I can only bring about by communicating 
 directly with Herr M. But he still puts off writing to 
 me. Meanwhile time is passing, and the pianoforte 
 edition without words still does not appear. In Paris, 
 on the other hand, I found in French families many
 
 424 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 copies of the full pianoforte score of Tannhciuser. They 
 must be selling wonderfully well. So please once 
 more earnestly pray Herr M. to write to me ; he can, 
 indeed, have all my proposals scrutinized by the lawyer. 
 If they delay longer with the pianoforte score without 
 words, I shall straightway fix a term within which I 
 then give myself the right to hand over this important 
 arrangement to another publisher ; for I can no longer 
 bear to see the object of publication so carelessly 
 exploited. 
 
 Besides this, I have lately wanted to impart to you a 
 wish, the fulfilment of which is now, however, rendered 
 more difficult by the unfortunate fact that, as you tell 
 me, the Rienzi in Dresden has been again put off, until 
 the summer. For I should like to make money out of 
 this opera as rapidly as possible, before my latest work 
 appears. In the hope that Rienzi might still come out 
 in February at Dresden, I had already invited Hanover, 
 Breslau, and Frankfort to produce it quickly. As 
 Rienzi is now practically a dead letter, these theatres 
 will naturally wait for the Dresden revival ; so my plan 
 has fallen through. According to it, I had intended to 
 seek out an agent to attend to the sale of the score to 
 the theatres. The present stock of scores was to be 
 given to him, with the right of making copies as soon 
 as it should be exhausted ; I also proposed to give him 
 an exact table of the charges to the different theatres, 
 which I should have appraised according to the scale of 
 payments made for Tannhciuser. Then the agent was 
 to sell the opera, according to the prescribed terms for 
 honoraria, and send me a quarterly account. In order 
 to secure myself (and because I am very much in
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 425 
 
 need of money !) he was to pay me at once 1,000-1,500 
 thalers in advance, in return for which I would not only 
 pay him interest on this advance until the honoraria 
 came in, but moreover (on condition of the advance), 
 would adjudge him twenty-five per cent, of the profits 
 as commission. This would certainly be a most advan- 
 tageous business for an agent ; but as I should have to 
 insist upon the advance, naturally the only person vuho 
 could be found ready to undertake the matter would 
 be one who was certain of the success of Rienzi, and 
 placed full faith in it. Now, as things have gone 
 hitherto with the opera, this could therefore only be a 
 Dresdener, because every Dresdener knows what there 
 is in Rienzi, and can be sure of his affair. Do you 
 perhaps know some one on whom one could rely ? 
 The best person would appear to me to be Herr M. 
 Naturally, as this concerns my reserved right of sale to 
 the theatres, it would remain a private matter of business 
 between myself and M. ; and, if he undertook it, it 
 would be wise to keep the affair, for the present, to 
 ourselves, at least as regards the advance ; the adver- 
 tisements and applications to the theatres he could 
 issue nevertheless, simply in a private way. If you 
 think he can scrape up the advance, do speak soon 
 with him. Will you be so kind ? 
 
 For the rest, I may inform you that I possess my 
 original score of Rienzi ; so it has not got lost. But 
 the library of the Dresden theatre certainly possesses 
 the first copy of the original score ; why did you not 
 let Apt of Prague have the information he wanted out 
 of that ? 
 
 Concerning Paris, I deem it possible that Rienzi may
 
 426 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 be given next winter in the Theatre Lyrique, yet nothing 
 is settled. I am waiting about Tannhauser. 
 
 What, then, is your Heine doing with the Dresden 
 Conservatorium ? Cannot I learn some more particulars 
 about it ? 
 
 And why have you not brought out Rienzi yet ? This 
 has put me very much out, and also is a hindrance to 
 my Paris prospects ! Oh, you dawdlers ! Well, about 
 this, as about so many other things, I must learn to be 
 patient. Good heavens ! who would have believed that 
 after nine years there would be no prospect for me of an 
 amnesty ! 
 
 Instead of that you must, in any case, pay me a visit 
 in the spring, however busy you may be as Manager ! 
 
 Greet Heine ! Farewell, and remain good to your 
 
 RICH. WAGNER. 
 
 ZURICH, February Jth, '58. 
 
 57- 
 
 DEAREST OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 To-day I come to you with a good strong pinch 
 of snuff. I beg you, right quickly either in person or 
 through Heine, but best of all through a well-disposed 
 and influential intermediate personage to have the 
 letter to Prince Albert, in which I make a last attempt 
 for my pardon through his intercession, delivered into 
 the hands of the addressee. 
 
 Turn and twist it as I may, without a speedy 
 prospect of an amnesty, it is all up with me : I must 
 have the refreshment of performing my works or I 
 must finally throw up the sponge.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 427 
 
 I say nothing more to you, and ever count on your 
 kindness and love ! 
 
 Cordial thanks for everything. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 (The address has not turned out very grand : if you 
 think so too, you might have a fresh one written.) 
 
 ZURICH, February igfh, '58. 
 
 58. 
 
 O, YOU GOOD, FATHERLY BROTHER ! 
 
 Best thanks for the news and the sign of life. 
 But how can you say that I would not wait for you in 
 Zurich ? I did not even know that you would really 
 come ; I only heard a little whisper, but then again, on 
 the top of that, that you had given it up and gone to 
 take the waters ! Besides, you would have come to 
 Zurich too late : I had waited nine years, and at last 
 lost patience. Solely for that reason did I go away. 
 That you warn me to rest at last is not to the point. 
 Heavens ! how I love rest for other people to take I 
 To be serious : my poor wife is suffering very much ; 
 she has heart-disease, and one must have experienced 
 that to know what it means ! There is no more rest 
 for the sufferer, nor for the persons in attendance. I 
 hope that she is improving now, in comfort among her 
 relatives at Zwickau. 
 
 In November she will I think go to Dresden, there 
 to dispose herself and our chattels for the present. 
 Where we shall finally settle down together after that 
 must still be uncertain ; but, in any case, I long for a 
 definitive stay in a large town with many art facilities,.
 
 428 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 in order from time to time to be able to hear, and 
 especially to conduct, a thing which has been wanting 
 to me so long. 
 
 For to-day, I have to thank you for your continued 
 friendly zeal in my behalf. I have written at once to 
 Darmstadt (Schindelmeisser) and to Munich, and in- 
 sisted that you should be paid for the pianoforte 
 arrangements. For the future I would advise you to 
 have nothing to do with pianoforte arrangements : how 
 the devil do they concern us ? Let people go to the 
 music-shops, and get their arrangements made from 
 their own notes according to the score. Concerning 
 the honorarium I have written to Munich. 
 
 Now, Heaven grant that Rienzi may bring me in 
 something ; I need it, and I shall have no new opera 
 ready before next year. Keep scores in readiness ; I 
 will settle with Tichatschek about the expenses. I have 
 written to all the good theatres, and hope you will soon 
 receive orders. I was delighted at your bringing Rienzi 
 out again in such a grand way, and the fact awakened 
 some of the pleasantest remembrances of my life. I 
 thank your Wilhelm heartily for the choruses, which, 
 as I hear, went so well. Concerning Tichatschek, one 
 must say that the fellow is a living wonder. But above 
 all, I rejoice that he is such an excellent fellow ! A 
 thousand greetings to him ! 
 
 What are Mamma and Papa doing in Little Oberseer 
 Street ? If I could only see you all soon again : I much 
 need such a cordial ! 
 
 Hearty greeting, dear old fellow. With sincere thanks, 
 
 Your 
 
 VENICE, October gth, '58. R. VV.
 
 TO WILHELM FISCHER. 429 
 
 59- 
 DEAR FRIEND ! 
 
 I beg you to confer at once in my name with 
 Herr Musikhandler M. on the following subject. 
 
 Some time ago the musician Mehnert discovered, after 
 a personal search, that there was still a supply of forty- 
 two copies of my score of Tannhauser in X.'s ware- 
 house. Of these he revised thirty-two. Herr M. should 
 now explain what has become of the other ten. At 
 that time I gave him instructions that no copy should 
 be sold any more through the music traders to private 
 individuals, as these copies were my private property, 
 and did not belong to the general body of publications 
 I had surrendered. I learnt also that my instructions 
 were carried out, since I received repeated proof that 
 private individuals had wished to buy the score from 
 the business, but had been there refused. Relying on 
 this, and firmly believing that my instructions had been 
 followed to the letter, I asked Hartels to engrave a new- 
 edition of the score, because all the copies were ex- 
 hausted ; all the same I was bound, in return for their 
 great sacrifice, to show them that the score was still, to 
 some extent, a source of profit, and I therefore men- 
 tioned that for the last five years no copies had been 
 delivered to private individuals through the music trade, 
 although there had been repeated inquiries for them. 
 Hereupon Hartels assure me, however, that I must 
 certainly be misinformed, as only last year they them- 
 selves obtained a score through the music business. 
 Herr M. might give me some explanation of this. If 
 he has been forced by the other side to go on selling 
 my scores, he ought at least to have given me notice of
 
 43 o RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS. 
 
 it; and if he has sold all the ten copies at present 
 missing, that is a point about which we must have a 
 settlement. Anyhow, I want in this case at least 
 and first, a formal declaration in writing from Herr M. 
 that he really possesses no more copies of the score, 
 and thus will not sell any more. I want this declara- 
 tion in order to induce Hartels to undertake the great 
 cost of the new edition of the score which has now 
 become necessary. I beg you to deliver the declaration 
 to my wife, for her to forward to Hartels. 
 Hearty greetings from your 
 
 RICH. WAGNER. 
 
 VENICE, March loth, '59.
 
 LETTERS 
 
 TO 
 
 FERDINAND HEINE, 
 18411868.
 
 LETTERS 
 
 TO 
 
 FERDINAND HEINE, 
 
 18411868. 
 
 i. 
 
 MOST ESTEEMED HERR HEINE ! 
 
 You cannot believe how much you have rejoiced 
 my hope-sick heart when, from time to time, in your 
 letters to my brave friend Kietz, you made mention of 
 me and of my affairs. They were hard times, and at 
 moments there was need of some upward impulse; 
 however vague and indeterminate your communications 
 might be, yet they were of the greatest importance to 
 me firstly, because they came from a sympathetic 
 man ; and secondly, because they were the only ones. 
 Since then I have certainly received a letter from 
 Councillor W., but as he referred to an official answer 
 which ought already to have been communicated to 
 me, in reply to my writing an answer, however, which 
 I have never received his letter contains nothing 
 
 28
 
 434 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 definite, and allows of little in the way of anticipation. 
 Only lately have I become acquainted, through my 
 friend Laube in Leipzig, with certain expressions of Mad. 
 Devrient, which mainly confirmed what was already 
 known to me through your last letter to Kietz, namely, 
 that she was exerting herself with the most amiable 
 sympathy in my behalf, but which showed me still 
 more decidedly that the religious-catholic part of my 
 libretto was a chief stumbling-block. On this hint, I 
 lost no time in communicating to Councillor W. all 
 the changes which I had already long prepared with 
 regard to this point. First of all, I called his attention 
 to the fact that this was more a question of the catholic 
 costume than of the catholic idea : I pointed out to him 
 that the Pope who, moreover, stands at a distance 
 from the scene of action appears in my book, not as 
 a spiritual power that sets up or casts down theses 
 and dogmas, but simply as a temporal prince who is 
 busied in protecting his earthly possessions against rob- 
 bery and anarchy, and only as such at last makes use of 
 his dreaded power in order to get rid of the too bold 
 defender of his worldly interests. That Rome, is, in 
 reality, the seat of action of the drama, makes it of 
 course historically impossible to substitute another 
 sovereign for the Pope ; but as he is only represented 
 by his Legate, his interference is already somewhat 
 toned down, and if I now leave it optional to change 
 this Legate and a Cardinal into one plain temporal 
 Envoy, then there would only 'remain the ban of 
 excommunication to which exception could be taken. 
 But was not the ban, though notably shortened in 
 form, still preserved in its essence and significance in
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 435 
 
 the performance of La Juive at Dresden ? Then why 
 not here also, where from the very first I considered it 
 advisable to make its proclamation as short as possible ? 
 There are, indeed, excellent means of substantially 
 allowing everything to be represented, if only certain 
 cclatanl externals and symbols be omitted. Les Hugue- 
 nots has been given what more would one have ?-^-for 
 in it, however much disguised the costume, the religious- 
 dogmatic tendency could now and never be expunged. 
 But if in my Rienzi the word Church is not allowed 
 to stand, well I suppose one must then have recourse 
 to the German Emperor, and beseech him to let one 
 thrust the whole affair into his satchel, and to himself 
 pronounce the excommunication as an Imperial ban. 
 Surely priests and clerics have before now passed in 
 solemn procession across the Dresden stage ? I should 
 be glad if you would confirm this for me. Moreover, 
 there is no man fitter than you, most worthy sir, to 
 give a certain medley to the costume, so that it will be 
 impossible for the Censor, for instance, to definitely 
 point out the Cardinal, although every one else will 
 recognize him. 
 
 Well, I will not trouble you any further with my 
 explanations ; so I will only add that I have expressed 
 myself fully on this matter to Councillor W. (and, 
 indeed, with the request to bring my remarks to bear 
 upon the right quarter). But of what avail is all this, 
 if these gentlemen do not send me a single word of 
 direct reply ? If they will only challenge me, I both 
 can and certainly will remove each stumbling-block. 
 But why, in the name of fortune, is this not done ? In 
 order to come to this decision, do they require a period
 
 436 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 of three months ? or is it true as I almost fear is it 
 true that the man who alone can be deputed to pass 
 judgment on my musical composition is a hindrance to 
 my cause ? 
 
 It is certainly of unmeasurable importance that Mad. 
 Devrient is interested in my opera, for on this circum- 
 stance alone rests the most favourable Chance for the 
 success of my project. Should she persist, and yield 
 herself with sympathy to my feeble inspirations, I shall 
 have to thank this grand woman for my All. How the 
 pygmies here disgust me, when I reflect on her creative 
 genius ! 
 
 I found an opportunity to respond to an invitation of 
 Councillor W., and to write some Correspondence for 
 his Abend Zeitung. In it you will find, among other 
 things, a notice, certainly only fugitive and superficial, on 
 Vieuxtemps but I promise you to send more elaborate 
 accounts to the Brockhaus paper shortly. Vieuxtemps 
 as well as friend Kietz greet you cordially, and will soon 
 write to you. The latter has lately been so engrossed 
 in a large oil-portrait, that he could not yet discharge 
 his duty of writing to you. He had sent to the exhibi- 
 tion a charming crayon-drawing, the portrait of my 
 wife, and has now the triumph of hearing that it is 
 accepted. 
 
 In conclusion : a request for your kind forgiveness, if 
 I presume herewith to send you such a hasty almost 
 slovenly, letter ; I hope you will forgive me, in remem- 
 brance of the " amusement " which I afforded you in 
 my youth, when in a certain " situation " I ran along by 
 the side of a certain carriage. If you will manifest your 
 forgiveness by a few lines, it only remains for me to
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 437 
 
 beseech you to be assured of my most cordial thanks 
 for your interest in me. 
 
 With sincere respect, 
 Your servant, 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 PARIS. 25, RUE DU HELDER, March iSth, '41. 
 
 2. 
 
 MY MOST ESTEEMED HERR HEINE, 
 
 It would indeed have given me immeasurable 
 pleasure to have been fortunate enough to receive a 
 few lines from your valued hand, informing me whether 
 you justify me or not in presupposing your sympathy 
 for me and my interests. But, on the other hand, I 
 know through our friend Kietz that at first you had 
 very great hindrances, and often, unfortunately, not 
 of the pleasantest, so that you could only bestow 
 scanty communications even upon him ; and as Kietz 
 moreover assures me that he observes how kindly and 
 sympathetically disposed you always are towards me, 
 I therefore, counting on this your favourable inclination, 
 forbear to woo afresh your friendship, and only wish 
 most ardently that I may not outweary it. 
 
 More than a month ago I received the desired formal 
 acceptation of my opera, on the part of the general 
 management of the Dresden Court Theatre. For the 
 hastening on of this decision I am certainly indebted 
 chiefly to the instigation of Councillor W., whom, by 
 an unimportant counter-service, I have been enabled to 
 win over to my interests. It is, however, obvious tha 
 even W. could not have given so fortunate a turn to
 
 this decision had not the votes of Reissiger and other 
 authorities concerned in the musical question been given 
 in my favour. Reissiger, who had already expressed to 
 me by letter his honest intentions towards me, has put 
 me under endless obligation to him. What deep apologies 
 have I to make to him, to you, and even to myself, for 
 the doubt which I expressed about his unselfish and 
 liberal intentions, a doubt which could only arise in me 
 through my complete ignorance of what it was proposed 
 to do in Dresden with my opera ! Heaven be praised I 
 Everything hitherto has shaped itself according to my 
 wishes ; for only in the past few days I received the 
 consent to my last desire, namely, the wish that my 
 opera should be put on the stage immediately, after 
 the appearance of the new opera by Reissiger. Thus 
 I have reason to hope that Rienzi will appear on the 
 Dresden boards the end of this or beginning of next 
 year ; at length a long-awaited, gracious prospect ! 
 
 The most important thing which now remains to be 
 kept alert is, without doubt, the good-feeling of the 
 noble Schroder-Devrient ; of what nameless weight is 
 this to me ! I have just written to her, as well as to 
 Herr Tichatschek. May my good angel make and 
 maintain both these persons well disposed towards me ! 
 Everything depends upon this ; and if you, my dear 
 Herr Heine, hold me worthy of some effort, you would 
 render me a priceless service if you would exert your 
 utmost friendly influence with these two celebrities 
 in my favour. 
 
 I am now most eager to know whether the manage- 
 ment will soon think of making preparations for the 
 scenic equipment of my opera. As Herr von Liittichau
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 439 
 
 wrote me, that only after most careful previous exami- 
 nation of the book and score had he given his consent 
 to the production of my opera, so I cannot entertain 
 a doubt but what he is fully acquainted with the heavy 
 expenditure which its equipment essentially demands. 
 Moreover, as I have never omitted to draw his special 
 attention to this point, I therefore feel confident that it 
 has already been decided that it shall want for nothing. 
 In this, my best Herr Heine, you are the most impor- 
 tant man, and with all insistence I therefore beg you to 
 bestow on me your whole good-will. As soon then as 
 the time of production of Reissiger's opera approaches, 
 I shall send you a detailed memorandum, containing 
 all my ideas and wishes with regard to decoration, 
 costume, and arrangement, as well as what concerns 
 the musical mise en scene. Meanwhile Kietz has already 
 offered, should you approve, to jot down here and there 
 a sketch and send it to you. Ah ! if I could only get 
 to hear something, and that right soon. 
 
 Kictz, as you know, is about leaving Paris. He is 
 always complaining but has certainly no right to do so; 
 if he will only give himself the trouble, he can quite easily 
 maintain himself for some time yet by work he has 
 some orders now. Besides, if he must leave Paris, he 
 can do it with the consoling conviction that he carries 
 away with him a good slice of what he has learnt here ; 
 even though the proof of this should consist in nothing 
 beyond the oil-portrait of Anna Zecher, to which he 
 can certainly point with pride. In this painting, I was 
 less struck at rinding Kietz' unrestrained conception 
 of a subject again displayed, in a sphere as yet so little 
 trodden by him ; but the thing that most surprised me
 
 440 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 was that he could so quickly become familiar with colour 
 and the brush, that in the matter of execution it is 
 scarcely possible to detect the novice. He has a 
 delightful talent and a splendid sensibility I should 
 like to write much more to you about him, if my space 
 had not unfortunately come to an end ; for I confess 
 that, purely out of consideration for yourself, I had no 
 intention this time of writing you a long letter. Let 
 me therefore with a brief sigh return to myself, and 
 beg you from the bottom of my heart never to 
 withdraw from me your friendly sympathy. In return 
 I may assure you, that it is my greatest pleasure to be 
 thankful ! With the best wishes for your prosperity, 
 I commend myself most thankfully and respectfully as 
 
 Your most obliged 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 MEUDON, September "]th, '41. 
 
 P.S. Would you have the great kindness to forward 
 the enclosed letter to its address ? R. W. 
 
 3- 
 ESTEEMED HERR HEINE ! 
 
 There is nothing else for it I must be as great 
 a burden as possible to you ! About a month ago I 
 took again the liberty to write you, and to load you 
 with various requests ; and without waiting to see how 
 you receive that letter, I feel constrained to take your 
 forbearance once more by storm. Will you be able to 
 forgive me ? I seek and seek for any possible pretext 
 that might give me even a shadow of right to lay such 
 claim to you and to your kindness, as in a certain 
 measure I feel compelled to do ! I find nothing, unless
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 44! 
 
 perchance it be the right of old family friendship, which 
 I here might seek to bring into force. You were the 
 friend of my family, of my departed father. You are 
 entwined in the earliest recollections of my youth, and 
 friend Heine appears to me so intimate, so long 
 familiar a name, that it seems to me at times as though 
 I needed no far-fetched excuses to lay claim to a 
 friendship on which as I, alas ! must tell myself in 
 sober moments I cannot have the slightest right to 
 count by reason of my own deserts. 
 
 In such moments, however, my friend Kietz con- 
 soles me ; for without ceasing he assures me that all 
 considerations for and against go for nothing with you 
 that wherever your powers permit you to be useful 
 you gladly offer your assistance, without any great 
 questioning " for whom ? " and, further, that he him- 
 self has often written you about me, petitioning you on 
 my behalf, so that I may well venture to throw myself 
 directly on your kindness and good-nature, confident at 
 the least of not meeting with a bad reception. There- 
 fore, as I have often ventured much before, neither will 
 I now lose courage, but act as though I were really 
 turning to a Friend. I hope one day to yet acquire the 
 right to call you by this name. 
 
 This, my dear Herr Heine, is what I so need at the pre- 
 sent time in Dresden a friend personally disinterested 
 in my affair. In spite of my relations with Councillor W., 
 which (thanks to the existence of the Abend Zeitung /) 
 are pretty frequent, I still lack news about the state of 
 my Dresden project. Winkler's news, of course, is 
 always of so official a character that the chief matter, 
 itself is only given me in a short and cursory way,
 
 44 2 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 while many incidental things, often of great importance, 
 are scarcely ever mentioned. Thus, the last letter of 
 W. certainly gives me the good piece of news that 
 Herr v. Liittichau has definitely consented to my opera 
 being put on the stage after Reissiger's. That is all 
 very good ; but how many questions does not this 
 answer suggest ! For instance : does the general 
 management propose to place my work upon the stage 
 with the outlay indispensable to a brilliant effect ? On 
 this point W. writes me : " The general management will 
 leave nothing undone to equip your opera in a suitable 
 manner." You will understand how terribly terse this 
 seems to me ! I am not greatly surprised at receiving 
 no letter from Reissiger since last March : he has 
 worked for me, that is the best and most honourable 
 answer; besides, it would be foolish on my part to 
 expect that Reissiger, now that his own opera must be 
 fairly engrossing his attention, should be much occupied 
 about me. But what alarms me is the absolute silence 
 of our Devrient ! I think I have already written a 
 dozen letters to her : I am not exactly surprised at her 
 sending me no single line in answer, because one knows 
 how terrible a thing letter-writing is to many people. 
 But that she has never even indirectly sent me a word, 
 nor let me have a hint, makes me downright uneasy. 
 Good heavens ! So much depends upon her it would 
 really be a mere humanity on her part if she, perhaps 
 through her lady's-maid, had sent me a message to this 
 effect : " Make your mind easy ! I am taking an interest 
 in your affair ! " Certainly everything which I have 
 learnt here and there about her behaviour with regard 
 to me gives me ever}' reason to feel comfortable ; for
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 443 
 
 instance, she is said to have declared some while ago in 
 Leipzig that she hoped my opera would be brought out 
 in Dresden. This token would have fully quieted me, 
 if it had only come directly to my ears or eyes : hearsay, 
 however, is far too uncertain a thing. 
 
 A month ago I likewise wrote to her, and earnestly 
 begged her to let me have only a line with the name of 
 the lady singer whom she would like to be cast for the 
 part of Irene, so that I might make a formal list to 
 propose to the management. No answer ! Oh, my 
 best Herr Heine, if your kindness would only allow 
 you a few words in which to make me acquainted with 
 the intentions of the adored Devrient ! Does she really 
 wish to sing in my opera ? That is the question. 
 
 Good heavens ! only to know how all this stands ! 
 I have written to Herr Tichatschek, and commended 
 myself to his amiability : shall I be able to count on this 
 gentleman ? 
 
 I have written to Herr Fischer, to-day I send off 
 a second, more circumstantial, letter to him. Can 
 I count upon his kindness, on his so exceptionally 
 weighty help ? 
 
 And lastly is my opera being seriously thought of? 
 Have the preparations, the costs of its equipment, been 
 pondered over ? I do not indeed yet know whether 
 Reissiger's opera has already appeared ; should this 
 still not have happened, I see right well that, for 
 the moment, there can be no material thought of pre- 
 paring for my opera. Meanwhile, unless they look on 
 Rienzi as an easy burden, they must already have 
 pretty well made up their minds in advance as to how 
 they intend to deal with it. And that's the very point
 
 444 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I am so anxious to see cleared up. If they merely 
 treat Rienzi as an opera about which one asks, a few 
 days before the performance, " What shall we get put 
 together for this ? " I should consider it a grave mis- 
 fortune. On the contrary, I have counted on the 
 probability that the direction would regard an opera 
 which is calculated throughout for the grandest and 
 most sumptuous proportions as an appropriate oppor- 
 tunity to show off the new theatre in all its splendour. 
 As you, dear Herr Heine, will take a principal part in 
 the solution of this question, I herewith apply to the 
 man best fitted to give me information on the point. I 
 therefore pray you most earnestly for an answer. 
 
 Concerning the cast of the chief characters in the 
 tragic pantomime in the second Act of my opera, I am 
 writing too to-day to Herr Fischer : to correspond to 
 my intention they must be represented by members of 
 the comedy-troupe who are accustomed to play similar 
 parts in spoken drama. It will be a troublesome 
 matter to carry this through, and yet it must be done 
 if the pantomime is to produce the desired imposing 
 effect. 
 
 Enough ! What should I not have to call to mind, 
 and what to ask, were I to pour out all that I have at 
 heart ! If you are willing, dear Herr Heine, to put my 
 thankfulness to the venture, you will have the infinite 
 kindness to give me the longed-for answer to the ques- 
 tions I here ask, and to tell me whatever else you may 
 consider of importance. If you would only put yourself 
 a little in my situation, you could easily picture to 
 yourself how greatly you would oblige me by satisfying 
 my request. If your certainly overloaded occupations
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 445 
 
 allow you before long to dispose of a free hour, I 
 beseech you to devote that hour to me : right willingly 
 shall I be ready to give you up whole days of my own 
 life, if ever I could be persuaded that they would be of 
 any value to you ! 
 
 My humble regards to Mad. Devrient. I hesitate as 
 to whether I should write to her again to-day. Good 
 heavens ! what could I write to her, except the same 
 thing as ever ever the same thing ! Must I not be 
 afraid of seriously wearying her ? 
 
 Kietz is very soon coming to you. He is an ex- 
 cellent fellow, and very dear to me ; he will certainly 
 always get on well, for no one can help being kind 
 to him. 
 
 By this letter I have indeed loaded myself with a 
 fresh debt : so please have confidence in me and my 
 integrity ! 
 
 With the most heartfelt respect and devotion, 
 
 Your most thankful and obliged servant, 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 MEUDO.V, October i^f/i, '41. 
 
 P.S. If you should find time, or feel inclined, to 
 honour me with a letter before the 25th of this month, 
 it will reach me at No. 3, Avenue de Meudon, a Meudon, 
 pres Paris. After that time you must please be kind 
 enough to address as follows : No. 14, Rue Jacob, a Part's. 
 
 4- 
 MY MOST HONOURED SIR AXD FRIEND, 
 
 You are silent, Herr Fischer is silent and I 
 almost fear that silence would reign everywhere, if I 
 did not write notices in the Abend Zeitung, and report
 
 446 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 French comedies ! What you would have had to 
 announce to me is, however, as I now perceive (thanks 
 to the Abend Zeitung and Councillor W.), so far from 
 pleasant, that I can easily understand that you are 
 silent out of consideration for me. I, fool that I am, 
 was only anxious as to how Herr Fischer would receive 
 my last letter with all its propositions, and about the 
 trouble and care which I was occasioning to him and 
 to my friends ; but now I must learn that there is 
 no present question of trouble and care, that not a 
 breath of thought is given to my opera, and that for 
 this I have to thank a whim of my high patroness 
 Mad. Schroder-Devrient, who yet had only lately 
 assured me, through you and through my Leipzig 
 relatives, that she had at heart the ultimate perform- 
 ance of my opera, and that she would joyfully do 
 for it all she could ! I confess that this came upon 
 me like a thunderbolt ; I had accustomed myself to 
 await the performance of Guitarrero, to watch the 
 " star " of Pixis ; but that it should suddenly occur to 
 Devrient to wish to sing Armida, and forsooth before 
 my opera that, in truth, I had not expected. Herr W. 
 merely writes me that it is decided, for the sake of 
 Mad. Devrient, to put Armida on the stage early in 
 February; but after that would come my Rienzi, so that 
 it could still be given before Easter. Now, if everything 
 goes off well and quickly, I might not have much to say 
 against it ; but if it should occur to any " star " or other 
 to come across my path, or if one thing succeeds another 
 with the customary slow progression, so that my opera 
 does not come out before Easter, I see beforehand, 
 with sad certainty, that the word will then be : " It
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 447 
 
 is too late now ! Next winter ! " But if you or any 
 other person exactly realized how my whole situation, 
 all my plans, and all my resolutions were destroyed by 
 such procrastination, some pity would be surely shown 
 me. 
 
 Should it really come to this, that my opera must be 
 laid aside for the whole winter, I should indeed be 
 inconsolable ; and he or she who might be to blame for 
 this delay would have incurred a grave responsibility 
 perhaps for causing me untold sufferings. I cannot 
 write to Mad. Devrient ; for that I am much too excited, 
 and I know too well that my letters make no impression 
 upon her. But if I have not yet worn out your friendly 
 feeling toward me, and if I can be assured that you 
 rely upon my fullest gratitude, I earnestly beg of you 
 to go to Mad. Devrient. Tell her of my astonishment 
 at the news that it is she who hinders my opera 
 from at length appearing; and that I am in the 
 highest degree disturbed to learn that she by no 
 means feels that pleasure in and sympathy for my 
 work which so many flattering assurances had led me 
 to believe. Give her an inkling of the misery she would 
 prepare for me, if (as I now have good reason to fear) 
 a performance of Rienzi could not after all take place 
 this year ! But, what am I saying ? Though you may 
 be the most approved friend of Mad. Devrient, even 
 you will not have much influence over her. Therefore, 
 I do not know at all what I should say, what I must 
 do, or what advise ! My one great hope I place in 
 you, most valued friend ! I have written to Herr v. 
 Liittichau, and herewith turn to Rcissiger. If Devrient 
 cannot give up her Armida, if she cannot accord me the
 
 448 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 sacrifice of a whim, then all my welfare rests only on 
 the promptness with which this opera is brought out, 
 and my own is taken up. I therefore fervently pray 
 Reissiger to hurry: and }-ou I beseech you do the 
 same with Devrient. By punctuality and diligence 
 everything can still be set right for me ; for the chief 
 thing is only that my opera should come out before 
 Easter (that is to say, in the first half of March). I 
 am truly quite exhausted ! Alas ! I meet with so little 
 that is encouraging, that it would really be of untold 
 import to me, if at least in Dresden things should go 
 according to my wish ! 
 
 Only write to me yes, at once my honoured friend, 
 and in your generosity do not again go so far as to frank 
 your letter : by that you put me to cruel shame ! On 
 the contrary, if you found matter to devote a few lines 
 to me every week, I would willingly pay for them in their 
 weight of gold however poor I am. 
 
 A thousand cordial greetings to Herr Fischer ! How 
 has he received my letter and proposals ? Please give 
 him my warmest thanks ! 
 
 And thanks, thanks to you ! Remain kind and 
 friendly to me, and God grant that I may some day 
 give you gladness. From my whole heart 
 
 Your faithfully devoted 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 PARIS. 14, RUE JACOB, January $th, '42. 
 
 Kindly transmit enclosed note through the town-post. 
 
 5- 
 
 Your kind letter I received six days ago through 
 Herr Lewy : so you will understand why it remained
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 449 
 
 unanswered. After all that has now taken place, I 
 have to-day only to answer the point concerning Frau 
 von Weber. What I have learnt concerning W., by this 
 occasion, shows me afresh how these ambiguous people 
 are often more honourable and better than one some- 
 times feels tempted to consider them. Immediately 
 upon the first news of the performance ofDer Freischutz 
 here, he inquired of me whether anything could be done 
 for Weber s widow ? At first I did not see much hope, 
 but I went to Fillet (the Director of the Opera) and 
 explained the state of affairs : he was surprised, and 
 gave me the hope that he would not be unwilling to 
 give a benefit performance in favour of Weber's heirs. 
 I announced this to W. in all haste, and pressed him 
 to urge Mad. Weber to write to Fillet. Then I re- 
 mained I think quite six weeks without news, and 
 so in astonishment wrote to W. He answered me, 
 that he perceived from my letter how for the first time 
 in his life a letter of his must have gone astray : that he 
 and Frau v. Weber had written at once. Thereupon I 
 begged him, as that letter had certainly not reached me, 
 to write once more ; which he accordingly did by return. 
 The enclosed letter from Frau v. Weber I at once 
 forwarded through Berlioz to Fillet, pressing the former 
 into the service as a suitable and useful confederate. 
 Then Fillet answered that he had already received a 
 similar letter. (How that fits in, I cannot conceive !) 
 He added that he was ready to give the benefit, only for 
 the moment had to struggle with pecuniary difficulties, 
 etc. In order to put more fire into the matter, I got W. 
 to invite Frau v. Weber to write to Schlesinger; that 
 also was done at once, and the letter was quickly 
 
 29
 
 450 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 attended to by me. Schlesinger was highly flattered 
 by the confidence of Frau v. Weber, and promised 
 zealously to urge on the matter ; so it is not his fault if 
 up to now no step has been taken. The new opera 
 by Hale'vy stops the way. Schlesinger has, however, 
 promised to make use of the first pause to bring his 
 energy to bear for which he is the very man : he has 
 influence, and gives up nothing which he has once 
 begun. But, to speak frankly, I nevertheless see no 
 prospect of the desired result : the best moment has 
 been missed, and this was in the first month after the 
 first performance of Der Freischutz. The fourth to 
 the ninth representations were those that enlisted the 
 sympathy of the public here: after these the perform- 
 ances became villainous, and were, moreover, but few 
 in number. For that reason I anxiously waited then 
 for a letter : as this got lost (as I certainly do not doubt) 
 and the second came so late after the favourable 
 moment it was really already too late for the whole 
 affair. Meanwhile, we do not despair : wonders happen 
 in Paris, and the immortal Freisdiiif-, after so many 
 mortal apparitions, may easily be recalled to life, and 
 for this contingency all measures are taken. My most 
 respectful greetings to Frau v. Weber ! 
 
 Herr Lewy will himself shortly give you news of his 
 journey : here he has only blown his horn at the Court, 
 in the concert of the Due cTOrle'ans. Unfortunately 
 we have not often seen each other. Also I have not 
 been able to show him any particularly great service : 
 however, we have made friends with one another, and 
 appear to be mutually satisfied. 
 
 In order not to commence a fresh page, and to compel
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 45 I 
 
 myself at last to bring this long letter to a close, I write 
 on the margin ; your patience will also have got already 
 to the edge. Therefore only this so far as it can be 
 done with words and strokes of the pen my thanks ! 
 How quickly this word is said, and yet how much it 
 takes to worthily fulfil it ! Shall I ever get so far ? 
 Ah ! if only a deep, strong will sufficed ! My dear 
 friend, you show your kindness to me, not surely to 
 gain thanks, still less reward for could the first 
 flatter, the second satisfy you, you should certainly have 
 bestowed your friendship on another ! Yet, I hope 
 from the future ! May it be favourable to you, and 
 preserve your dear family in wellbeing then has it been 
 a powerful help to me ! Farewell, and be assured of 
 the most faithful heart of 
 
 Your devoted 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 PARIS, 14, RUE JACOB, January iSth, '42. 
 
 6. 
 
 MOST HONOURED FRIEND, 
 
 I hope Herr Fischer has shown you my last 
 letter to him : for the chief part of it was at the same 
 time addressed to you, and I therefore considered it 
 unnecessary, and perhaps wearisome, to write also to 
 you in particular. You will have perceived from that 
 letter my state of mind with regard to the fresh great 
 adjournment of the performance of my opera. The 
 manner in which Herr Fischer informed me of this 
 excessively unpleasant decision was so convincing to 
 me, and at the same time it so clearly expressed a warm 
 interest for the success of my work, that I must have
 
 45 2 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 been more than a fool if I had chosen to reject the 
 reasons assigned. On the contrary, I owe my fullest 
 thanks to all who under such circumstances pressed for 
 a delay ; and for this fresh proof of friendly intention, 
 I should like to be able right soon to manifest my 
 deepest gratitude.-- 
 
 In any case, my worthy friend, I hope to see you 
 shortly : I cannot endure Paris any more, and I pant 
 for German soil. At the same time, the not altogether 
 satisfactory state of my wife's health makes it my duty 
 to conduct her this summer to the Teplitz baths, which 
 have been so universally recommended to her. Thus, 
 all things taken together, I am anxious to stay somewhere 
 more in the neighbourhood of Dresden ; for however 
 little weight I may ascribe to my personal influence in 
 my affair, yet it will be a great comfort to me to be 
 nearer to the whole thing. I hope, however, that the 
 last resolve, to put my opera into rehearsal immediately 
 after the return of Devrient, will be adhered to ! And on 
 this supposition I venture to assume that many things 
 will now be quietly attended to, which may render the 
 work easier later on ? Meanwhile, there is no necessity 
 for me to touch further on all these matters before the 
 proper time approaches, I shall have seen you, and 
 discussed everything with you by word of mouth. 
 
 How is your valued family, dear Herr Heine ? We 
 take for granted that the evil demon of sickness has 
 vanished from your hearth, and that little Marie is fully 
 restored to health. Friend Kietz, whose voluminous 
 letter I have to thank for the enclosure of these lines, 
 will probably give you much and sundry news about 
 himself: Delaroche's portrait shines at the exhibition
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 453 
 
 since yesterday may it only prove of some use to the 
 poor fellow ! We must have a good talk about him 
 and his interests, when we sit together in Dresden : 
 his position is none of the best ; and, considering how 
 hard he is now put to it, it would be far better for him 
 to be in Germany again. However, he does not wish 
 to return until he has somewhat perfected himself in 
 this and that in which he is right ; but without money 
 he can accomplish neither the one thing nor the other. 
 
 I am very uneasy about Reissiger : I have sent him 
 a number of letters, but he has not answered a single 
 word. I sent to him and Herr Lewy a copy of the 
 Gazette Musicale, in which I had managed to get in a 
 reclame about them both ; I presumed that would not 
 displease Reissiger, and would perhaps force him to 
 show a sign of life. However, he remains stone-dead ! 
 
 As to yourself, only remain alive and warm to me, 
 and Heaven grant you some little rest for your refresh- 
 ment ; perhaps near you I too might then partake 
 thereof. Councillor W. wrote me lately : " Every 
 one is rushing away from here Devrient goes to St. 
 Petersburg, Frau Schroder to Berlin, etc. Would that 
 one could take flight too ! I think of taking mine to Upper 
 Italy next May ! " (The Flying Councillor strikes me 
 as very comical.) 
 
 So I will fly to Saxony, and selfishly enough ! I 
 only hope that you may not fly away from there before 
 me. 
 
 Cordial greeting to Herr Fischer, and a thousand 
 good wishes for your prosperity from your grateful 
 friend, 
 
 PARIS, March l6th, '42. RlCHARD WAGNER.
 
 454 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 MY MOST ESTEEMED FRIEND, 
 
 For Heaven's sake do not be angry with me, if 
 I torture you with these lines ! But you will readily 
 understand the uneasiness which drives me to this 
 step ; and therefore, relying on your indulgent forgive- 
 ness, I burst on you with a question and a request that 
 come from my very heart. More than a week ago I 
 wrote to our excellent friend Herr Fischer, and begged 
 him to send me a few brief lines to let me know if 
 Mad. Devrient and Tichatschek were already back, 
 and whether, in consequence, the parts of my opera 
 were given out ? I could have received an answer as 
 early as last Monday, and as up to to-day I have 
 waited in vain for one, you can easily imagine that I 
 am not a little disquieted by it ; for I must necessarily 
 conclude from Herr Fischer's silence that he has 
 nothing consoling to announce to me. Notwithstand- 
 ing this, and as there is nothing more painful than 
 uncertainty, I am most anxious to learn definitely how 
 matters stand with my opera ; for if everything is in a 
 fair way, I do not see why I should cause desolation to 
 my Dresden friends, by burdening them with my tor- 
 menting self before the end of this month ; but should I 
 learn that through my personal presence I could in any 
 way be of advantage to my cause in Dresden, I would, 
 nevertheless, not stop a day longer here. Therefore I 
 entreat you, my most excellent friend, to have the great 
 kindness to write me this moment how matters stand. 
 No doubt I cause you some expense (which I beg you 
 at any rate to charge to me) by writing on this letter,
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 455 
 
 " To be delivered immediately ; " but please do the same, 
 and very large and clear, on the letter which I am await- 
 ing ; for to my horror I have observed that otherwise 
 a letter lies for more than twelve hours at the post, so 
 that I only receive letters here the third day after they 
 have been posted at Dresden. You see how I am 
 tormented by unrest, and of your philanthropy I there- 
 fore hope that you will not leave me long to pine. Here 
 I neither see nor hear the smallest atom of what is 
 going on in the world, whereby I am certainly becoming 
 somewhat fanciful. So listen to my prayer ! 
 
 Please give right hearty greetings from me and my 
 wife who commends herself in the most devoted 
 manner to you to the most esteemed Mad. Heine, 
 and assure her how much we rejoice at the thought 
 of sitting again with you in your garden ; give my 
 thankful greetings to Herr Fischer, and remain well 
 disposed to 
 
 Your ever-devoted 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 "ZUR ElCHE," SCHONAU, NEAR TEPLITZ. 
 
 8. 
 FRAGMENT. 
 
 [From this letter forward, Heine is addressed in the 
 second person singular. Tr.] 
 
 DEAR HEINE, 
 
 When I wrote my Flying Dutchman, it was in 
 the firm conviction that I could not write otherwise 
 than I did write. The raw material already long 
 known to me from the work of your namesake 
 acquired for me on my famous sea-voyage, and amid
 
 456 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 the Norwegian crags, a quite peculiar colour and indi- 
 viduality, gloomy no doubt, but borrowed from the 
 whispers of the Nature to which we all belong, and not 
 from the speculations of a gloom-sick enthusiast. But 
 the vast wild ocean, with its broadcast fables, is an 
 element that does not willingly and obediently permit 
 itself to be polished down to fit a modern opera ; and 
 the whole sea-blown Saga of the Flying Dutchman 
 which now seized my fancy so completely that it cla- 
 moured to me for artistic reproduction appeared to 
 need an utterly dreadful maiming and mutilation, if 
 it were to be forced to meet the requirements of a 
 modern opera-text, with its piquant suspenses and 
 surprises. I therefore preferred to modify the material 
 which lay to my hand of itself, in no way other than 
 the progress of a dramatic plot requires, but to leave 
 the full fragrance of the old tale to spread itself undis- 
 turbed over the whole. Thus only did I believe that I 
 could chain the audience to that rare mood in which 
 if only gifted with but a modicum of poetry one 
 even wins affection for the gloomiest of Sagas. It was 
 thus, too, that I fared in the creation of my music : in 
 order to attain my object, I needed not to look around 
 on my left hand and my right, nor to make the slightest 
 concession to modern taste ; for otherwise I should have 
 acted not only inartistically, but also unwisely. The 
 modern division into Arias, Duets, Finales, and so on I 
 had at once to give up ; and in their stead narrate the Saga 
 in one breath, just as should be done in a good poem. In 
 this wise I brought forth an opera, of which, now that 
 it has been performed, I cannot conceive how it could 
 have pleased. For in its every external feature it is so
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 457 
 
 completely unlike that which one now calls opera, that 
 I see indeed how much I demanded of the public, 
 namely, that they should with one blow disse\ 7 er them- 
 selves from all that which had hitherto entertained and 
 appealed to them in the theatre. Yet that this opera, 
 not only in Dresden, but especially in Cassel and in 
 Riga, has gained for itself so man} 7 friends, and even 
 won the favour of the larger public, appears to me a 
 finger-sign pointing to show us that we must only write 
 just as the poetic sense inborn in our German hearts 
 dictates, never making the least concession to foreign 
 modes, and simply choosing out our stuff and handling 
 it as it appeals to ourselves, in order to be surest to 
 win the pleasure of our fellow-countrymen. In this 
 way may we win for ourselves once more a German 
 School of Original Opera ; and all who despair of this, 
 and import foreign models, may take an example 
 from this Dutchman, which certainly is so conceived as 
 never a Frenchman nor Italian would have dreamt of 
 conceiving it. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 9- 
 
 Well, my good Heine ! how are you then ? 
 I have received some news of you ; Miiller who has 
 been visiting me had heard a great deal of good about 
 your performance, and I have also read your lines to 
 my sister-in-law. You are going to recoup yourself 
 that is capital and I have no doubt you mean it. I 
 shall now stay in the country until the end ofjtily, and 
 am therefore counting much on the fulfilment of your
 
 458 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 promise to spend a week with me. Believe me, that I 
 heartily rejoice at the thought of being together with you 
 so long as that under God's free sky ; and that I now 
 write to you is only with the view to impress upon you 
 your promise, and strengthen you in your purpose. 
 
 Well, I have actually managed for the last few weeks 
 to abide undisturbed in the country not counting the 
 interruption which my visit to Spohr in Leipzig neces- 
 sarily caused : I was delighted with the honourable, 
 genuine old man ; and he was evidently pleased that I 
 had accepted his invitation. More by word of mouth ! 
 
 The aim of these lines is fully attained if I soon see 
 you with me ! And Heaven grant that they find you 
 in good health ! 
 
 Best greetings to your folk from myself and Minna ! 
 Fare you well, and come soon ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 GROSS- GRAUPEN, y/v 6lh, '46. 
 
 IO. 
 
 DEAREST FRIEND! 
 
 Now at last to you ! News from you comes in 
 but seldom : Koch brought the last, and this was, to 
 our comfort, fairly good ; are you really unable to write ? 
 I have still not given up the idea of paying you a visit, 
 but see less chance than ever of carrying it out, as I 
 shall have to take a little conge this month, in order, 
 at Kiistner's request, to view by eye and ear the two 
 Berlin tenors. According to Koch's latest information, 
 it appears that reckoning from then you would need 
 six weeks longer to thoroughly establish the cure, but
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 459 
 
 that your brother-in-law was perfectly certain that you 
 would now recover. I cannot judge how far this will 
 influence your future position as actor : but if it lengthens 
 your acting career, I should always mournfully deplore 
 the cause though certainly not the effect. If we all 
 can be sure that in the event of a declaration of your 
 unfitness for active work, your income owing to the 
 Royal favour, on which we may certainly count, and to 
 the retention of your position as Costumier would not 
 be materially reduced, then I can only wish you from 
 the bottom of my heart the good-fortune to have nothing 
 more to do with the actual theatre from this time forth, 
 but to look forward to a long and cheerful evening of 
 your life, spent in the enjoyment of science and true 
 art. I have such deep contempt for the ruling spirit 
 of our Modern Stage, that since I now feel I cannot 
 improve it I have no more ardent wish than to be 
 in a position to cry off from the whole thing ; and I 
 consider it a real curse that my whole productive 
 impulse should have directed itself to the dramatic 
 form, for in the wretched condition of all our theatres 
 I can but see the thorough mockery of my endeavours. 
 Perhaps you have already heard something of my 
 having definitely broken off with X. about three weeks 
 ago, so that, on my side at least, there is no hope what- 
 ever of a reconciliation : G. was the occasion of it. The 
 details are really quite a matter of indifference : it is 
 the old, old strife of knowledge and conviction, as 
 against ignorance. Agreement is not to be thought 
 of; but when the conflict has reached such a pitch as 
 this last, even a modus vivendi is out of the question, 
 and so I adhere to my fixed resolve to put an end to-
 
 460 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 the matter. However, I took counsel of prudence, and 
 recognized that if I could only put a great Berlin success 
 into my side of the scale, this must but tell in my favour. 
 If therefore I can keep X. at arm's-length until I have 
 won that advantage, so as only then to approach the 
 King, I should much prefer it ; but if before that he 
 will not leave me in peace well, this step must be 
 taken sooner. Naturally, I have no inclination to make 
 a great sacrifice of my pay ; but if there's no other way 
 I must put up with even that. (Are you not filled with 
 envy to play a part in this long comedy also ?) 
 
 Now to more satisfactory news ! My life at Mar- 
 colini's suits me well : still sound in health, I have 
 now finished the two Acts of my Lohengrin, thus ending 
 the composition of this opera ; and am glad and happy 
 over it, for I am pleased with my work. If Rienzi goes 
 off in Berlin as well as I hope, Lohengrin will follow 
 there immediately afterwards. The King of Prussia 
 was a week in Pillnitz (an opportunity of which L. 
 unfortunately made no use !). The former, however, 
 must have spoken much about me to the latter, and 
 probably to the whole Court for on the day after a 
 great banquet, L. rushed into town, and ordered every- 
 thing else to be laid aside, and Rienzi at once put again 
 on the stage (mind you, all this after my catastrophe). 
 Last Sunday we had Tannhauser to an overflowing house ; 
 the new ending went well, for even the foreigners, who 
 on such occasions always gape, but do not stir their 
 hands, were quite lively. 
 
 Rienzi will come out at Berlin in November; the 
 hlegel, who is to sing Adriano, is engaged there from 
 the 1st of October.
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 461 
 
 There is my news for you, you poor Heinemannel ! 
 Let me, in exchange, soon hear something definite from 
 you, for till then I really cannot carry on a proper 
 conversation with you. Minna, who has thought it 
 necessary to keep on reminding me about writing, 
 most heartily wishes you speedy recovery, and showers 
 kind greetings all round : / follow her example. 
 
 Farewell, and soon send good news to 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 DRESDEN, August 6th, '47. 
 
 II. 
 
 MY DEAR OLD FRIEND ! 
 
 A line at last to you, of whom I have so often 
 thought, at once in joy and suffering. You poor, 
 good fellow, who gave yourself such endless trouble 
 to become a right-down Philistine, and yet now feel 
 compelled to the most un-Philistine resolves ! Could 
 one conceive that a life is so quickly outlived ! You 
 dear, good people you and your wife, the pair of 
 you, what are you living through now, joy or pain ? 
 Both together ! But that is right ; Life is the principal 
 thing, and life means to be joyful and sorrowful, to per- 
 ceive, to feel, to act, to do and strive ; and all this is not 
 thinkable apart from joy and pain. How is it with your 
 hearts, when you think of your Wilhelm ? Are you 
 bemoaning ? Not so for the dead alone should be 
 lamented and when one has a son so full of life as 
 yours, one laughs with him and rejoices over him. Go, 
 and leave the old mud, mud to remain ; is it so great 
 a misfortune not to stay glued to it ?
 
 462 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 I live through a whole world-history, each time I 
 realize that the Heinerei is about to migrate to America ; 
 and truly, the whole history of the world is at the 
 bottom of it ! Yet how simple and natural such an 
 event seems to us at times. When, at the end of June, 
 I had returned to Paris from the country, Wilhelm 
 came to visit me, an hour before my departure for 
 Zurich. I found the healthy, brave young fellow more 
 to my liking than ever, and was delighted with him. 
 When he bluntly told me that there was nothing more to 
 be done with Europe, that he was off to America, and 
 father, mother, brothers, and sisters would follow him 
 within two years, I thought it so natural and reasonable 
 that I calmly took a pinch of snuff and said, " That's 
 sensible ! " Look you, that was a moment of world- 
 history ! Then all personal, petty, miserable conscious- 
 ness of man stood still ; and great, naked, and open lay 
 at our feet the earth-ball which we call the world, while 
 with one glance we understood the whole carpentry of 
 this globe. But now too often this world-historical 
 consciousness passes from me, and an unspeakable 
 heartache seizes me at the thought, " The dear old 
 Heines are going also to America ! " Then I clench 
 my fists and gnash my teeth, and even an unearthly 
 <:urse escapes my lips ! Still, before you go away, let 
 us see one another once more ; we will make a rendezvous, 
 and I will keep it ! that I promise you ! ! Enough of 
 this ! 
 
 My better half has reached me safe and sound. 
 I went as far as Rohrschach, on the Lake of Constance, 
 to meet her. The bird and dog have also come, and 
 we are just settling down in a little abode. The
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 463 
 
 magnificent Swiss air, the grand fresh Alpine scenery, a 
 few staunch friends whom I have won here, the feeling 
 of freedom, uncribbed "activity, hearty pleasure in my 
 work, all these things together make me and my 
 good wife gay, and I think that this merry mood may 
 bring forth much that is worthy and good. Should we 
 be in bad humour ? No, even my wife cannot, after the 
 recent proofs that we have had of human nobleness ; 
 if they be few in number, yet they are of the right 
 sort, and we have learnt them at the right time ; 
 and thus it is, that the worst time is often the best. 
 Devil take it ! we shall not starve, if it comes to the 
 worst, I shall write to my patron, your Wilhelm in 
 America, and tell him to get me some kind of post, as 
 the last of the German Mohicans, then you shall pack 
 us up with you, and we will all sail off together. If I 
 still hold on with all my roots to Europe, it is because 
 I have work to do here, and with all my mind's 
 weapons ; but I cannot yet bring my heart to agree that 
 a portion of these weapons should be forged in the 
 French tongue, and it is at bottom a mad suggestion 
 that I, of all people, should compose a French opera- 
 book. Every one who indulges me with his intimate 
 sympathy, must understand that. My repugnance is 
 boundless, for it is really nothing but a question of 
 gaining fame ; and at whose hands this fame ? Great 
 heavens ! only of good-for-nothings, not of honest, 
 sensible folk ! Well, we shall see ! 
 
 At the moment, I look upon it as my duty to satisfy 
 an inner necessity, which impels to speak out once for 
 all, clearly and definitely, about our whole practice of Art. 
 There is already in the press in Paris and Leipzig a
 
 464 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 short treatise of mine: Art and Revolution. Presently a 
 second essay will follow this : The Art- work of the Future, 
 which will finally be concluded by a third : The Art-workers 
 of the Future. When you make their acquaintance, dear 
 friend, you will understand, I hope, that, not from 
 outside influence, but from deepest inner need, I have 
 evolved to what I am, and now proclaim the views I 
 hold. It seems to be the fancy of you all, that every- 
 thing which has failed to please you in myself, and 
 that, owing to the tendencies of the age in general and 
 to my nature in particular, you have not been able to 
 explain at once, must be set down to the evil influence of 
 another. The premisses of my creed, as you had known 
 them from my works and from my views, you admitted 
 to be right, but drew back in terror from the logically 
 necessary conclusions from these premisses. In this 
 you all were wrong, just as our whole so-called cultured 
 world is wrong, when it will not allow B, after it has 
 admitted A. But this B demands both courage and 
 conviction firm-set as a rock ; and these two have 
 nowhere a sure seat, hence we may explain the pre- 
 sent sorry outcome of great inceptions. Do you think 
 that my conviction will part me from my artistic pro- 
 duction ? Quite the opposite. For since I have clearly 
 seen that our whole public art is no Art, but only art- 
 journey manship, that it, with all the foundations on 
 which it is built, must go unpitied to the devil, only 
 since then have I at last found true joy in art-work, in 
 that art-work which shall spring of itself, by natural 
 laws, from the Future ; and at which, for my own part, 
 recognizing its conditionments, I now can and will toil 
 with liking and with love. This process, dear friend,
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 465 
 
 comes not about by eating of oysters and delicacies, in 
 comfortable sofa-corners ; but on the broadest market- 
 place of life, must one first sharpen his teeth by biting 
 stones, ere the eye shall become as clear as the inner 
 nature of this eye permits. For this reason, brother 
 Fischer, to whom I now write through you, inasmuch 
 as I pray you in my name to greet him with a fervent 
 brother-kiss for he has given me the great joy of at 
 last, and of his own accord, proffering me his brother- 
 ship, brother Fischer whom, as he is now my brother, 
 and this is permitted among brethren, I ought properly 
 to call an old fool for refusing brothership before on no 
 other ground than because our " position " ( ! ! ) did not 
 allow it, brother Fischer, then, will shake his head 
 violently and suspiciously, when he hears of these my 
 latest views on Art. Yet, do you assure him, the dear, 
 good, honest brother Fischer, that these latest views are 
 throughout but the old ones, only that they are clearer, 
 less bedizened, and therefore more humanized. He 
 can't help being glad when he once more sees some- 
 thing of my thoughts, how clear, precise, comprehen- 
 sible, and reasonable the whole thing shall look, for 
 my public of the Future cannot be composed of the 
 clever and would-be-clever ennuyes of our privileged 
 art-world of the day, but of all sound, uncrippled men, 
 who have as valiant a heart in their body as brother 
 Fischer himself has (I don't, of course, refer to you, 
 with my " uncrippled " ; I hope you will credit me with 
 sufficient delicacy of feeling not to have wished to play 
 upon your one-toned chime of bells). 
 
 Look now, good little Heinemann, we have fallen 
 upon our old ways, as though nothing had happened, 
 
 30
 
 466 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 and it seems to me as if we were our same old incor- 
 rigible selves ! So shall it be, and so remain ! If the 
 new comes forth from myself, yet, at the bottom, it is 
 ever the old, only made young again and beautified ; 
 but if the new comes from without to disturb us, we 
 thrust it one side as well as we can ; and if nothing 
 else is possible, at least we reach our hands to one 
 another across the ocean, even if you must needs stand 
 a wee bit on tiptoe. When you go to America, who 
 knows but that I may meet you from Kamtschatka, 
 through which country I may have got myself smuggled 
 from Siberia, as soon as the Russians have opened up 
 the route. You must then welcome me, and not, as 
 an American Republican, disown me because, forsooth, 
 I come to you in the ragged uniform of the Saxon 
 Court ! 
 
 But meanwhile, so long as we yet remain so near 
 to one another in Europe, we must hear one another 
 reasonably often, if only by letter. So, send me a right 
 good letter, and tell brother Fischer that he must also 
 write me, a hotch-potch of everything that occurs to 
 him, just as though we were chumming together in 
 the evening over our herring-pickle. That is the right 
 thing, and has the genuine homely scent. 
 
 One thing more ; greet Krieten for me, and give him 
 a good hand-grip ; do you hear ? He belongs to those 
 who in these latter times have taught me more and more 
 to love mankind. 
 
 Greet also X. ; I understand and value him, although 
 he may think his love of me a fault. 
 
 And you good wife, and Marie greet them from 
 me and my good wife, to the best of all your might;
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 467 
 
 for I mean it all and heartily. Greet Miiller too, and 
 tell him all about me. And now farewell ; keep a stout 
 heart ; you have good reason to, for many are worse 
 off than you, and they have no Wilhelm, to whom I 
 pray you commend my most obedient service, by letter. 
 Fare you well, and hold me dear. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD. 
 ZURICH, September, '49. 
 
 12. 
 
 DEAREST, BEST FRIEND, 
 
 I do not really write a letter to-day, but only 
 wished a short notice to reach Uhlig with regard to a 
 Wigand matter, about which he wrote to me lately. 
 Now that I have at last got into a quiet home here, my 
 fingers are absolutely burning to write my pamphlet, 
 Das Kunstwerk dcr Zitkitnft, the composing and issu- 
 ing of which have become for me a veritable heart- 
 need. The work is instinctively expanding itself under 
 my hands to the full and as I now see, to its necessary 
 proportions ; and I think you know me when I have 
 anything of this kind on my mind, I curse the time 
 which I must spend on eating, sleeping, and necessary 
 recreation, and for which I must twitch off a corner 
 from my appetite for work. For nothing in the world, 
 then, could I constrain myself to devote a morning to 
 letter-writing ; but I merely give up a few moments to 
 the settlement of other matters. That is why you 
 receive no letter from me to-day, but only a couple of 
 very hasty lines, as I cannot possibly post a letter to 
 Dresden without at least saying good-day or good-night 
 to you !
 
 468 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Do not be vexed with me for preferring to write 
 direct to Wigand in the " Nibelungen" matter, and not, 
 as you wished, through you ; for I could settle it in a 
 few words with Wigand but to you I should have had 
 to write quite a treatise, in order to quiet your scru- 
 pulous soul. But when I am occupied with anything 
 so engrossing as my present work, I like to be kept 
 from it for as short a time as possible. So do not be 
 vexed with me for this ! For, after so nice a letter as 
 the one I have just received from you, you would have 
 no right to be so. Be assured, I could wish for nothing 
 pleasanter than to receive such a letter every day, not 
 perchance on account of the flattery in it, but because 
 of the true heart-and-soul interest which it caused or 
 excited in me. 
 
 However, I did not mean to write you a letter at all, 
 and so you shall not even get so much as half a one ! 
 
 As soon as my work which is turning into quite a 
 book is finished, which I hope with the copy will 
 be the middle of November, I will write nothing but 
 letters for a whole week letters immense letters 
 and you shall receive an extra-special pleasant one : 
 also brother Fischer's letter shall not be so bad. Give 
 him one hundred thousand greetings, the good, ex- 
 cellent soul, and tell him how I am impaled on the 
 Work-of-the-Future. 
 
 If meanwhile you receive any news from Wilhelm, I 
 beg you, in the most pressing manner, to write to me 
 at once. Yet, apart from that, you would rejoice me 
 above everything if you would soon let me hear a trifle 
 again. 
 
 Best and heartiest greetings to wife and child from
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 469 
 
 myself and my wife ! Keep in good health, and do not 
 be such a cursed egoist as to complain about future de- 
 crease of ability to work, etc. What the devil have 
 you got your son for ? How we always look upon our 
 own powers as our only ones, while the glorious exten- 
 sion of our being through that of others, especially of 
 our own children, we contemptuously overlook : " We 
 all know nothing as yet of love ! " 
 
 More of this another time ! Farewell, and make 
 yourself familiar with the idea that we shall soon see 
 each other again certainly before the two years are 
 over ! Adieu ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD. 
 
 October 261/1, '49. 
 
 And was I not delighted with your family picture, 
 and Wilhelm's portrait in plaster, which both arrived 
 here safe and sound ? ! In thinking of what is far off, one 
 often forgets what is close at hand, so it was in my 
 last letter ! The best of thanks, and the assurance that 
 your emigration in effigie to Switzerland and under 
 my roof has made me ever so happy. You are all 
 hanging at full length on our walls, better, however, 
 than the Hungarian generals in Pesth and Arad ! 
 Kind thanks, old fellow ! 
 
 13- 
 
 DEAR LITTLE HEINEMANNEL ! 
 
 Here you have a living letter : a faithful, good 
 soul, who will give you news from myself and Minna, 
 a thousand times better than my poor pen could do.
 
 470 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Moreover, this letter will not strain your eyes. If you 
 can send me nothing of this living sort, be assured that 
 with immense delight I would accept, by way of com- 
 pensation, a pen-ink-and-paper-letter instead. Do not 
 keep me waiting for it, and believe me I ever and ever 
 think of you with faithful affection. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD. 
 
 14. 
 
 MY GOOD HEINE, 
 
 You will be more than surprised to have had no 
 letter from me for so long. The debt weighs heavily 
 on my mind, and for a long time I have thought of 
 paying it off. Latterly I really was uncertain as to 
 whether you were still in Dresden, or already in Berlin : 
 I waited therefore to receive news, and so the matter 
 got delayed. 
 
 I will be honest, and tell you that for some time I 
 would not write to you, because I knew not what I 
 could write. The great infatuation of a section of my 
 friends however easily explained is what has brought 
 me into this state of deepest distraction and melan- 
 choly : it was that unfortunate urging of me to Paris. 
 In the last months of the past year, I had already firmly 
 resolved to give up the Paris plan entirely : but such a 
 letter as yours, in which you suddenly painted so black 
 a picture of my past and future, was quite enough to 
 induce me half in despair to overthrow my resolution. 
 You, Fischer, and all of you had only one thing before 
 your eyes : the glories of Paris, of which you all knew 
 absolutely nothing. Well, I looked at my wife, and
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 471 
 
 saw that she also had the Parisian bee in her bonnet, 
 so I then resolved ill, very ill, as I was to go to 
 Paris in the devil's name, and indeed in the most 
 excellent temper in the world. My stay in Paris is one 
 of the most villainous things that I have ever expe- 
 rienced. Everything which I foretold and foresaw 
 came literally to pass. My sketch for an opera-poem 
 appeared ridiculous, and with good reason, to every- 
 body who knew anything of the French language and 
 the French Opera. The condition of this Opera itself, 
 the Prophet, No. 5, and all impressions connected 
 therewith, made me seem mad even to myself: and, 
 finally, the impossibility of getting so much as an over- 
 ture performed my frightful disgust at the banker's- 
 music, from which every decent person in Paris itself 
 turns away, all this brought me, suffering as I was 
 from terrible relaxation of the nerves, into a state of 
 mind not quite the best fitted for my turning with 
 apologetic explanations to those of my friends who 
 were now probably expecting nothing but news of 
 Parisian triumphs and successes. On the contrary, I 
 had got so far that I held it fitter to break with heaven 
 and earth ; to which I saw myself more pressed each 
 day. It was as though everything with which I had 
 any closer ties were now conspiring to drive me to 
 extremes. And I had really come to an extreme, for 
 anything was preferable to continuing this life, to con- 
 tinuing with those who held that the very thing most 
 repulsive to my nature was the best thing for me who 
 were all agreed, that in theory one should be an honest 
 fellow, but in practice a scoundrel ! 
 
 Enough ; that heavy time is over for me, the
 
 472 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 mephitic clouds of Paris have dispersed before me, and 
 since the last two or three months I have been back 
 again in my friendly, healthy Zurich, from which neither 
 god nor devil shall drive me any more. So now once 
 more I can look at you with the requisite cheerfulness, 
 and say in peace that I heartily and willingly forgive 
 you, if you laboured under a mistake with regard to 
 me ; while, on the other hand, I beg you to pardon me 
 for so long withholding from your sympathy its corre- 
 sponding nourishment. I was truly beside myself, and 
 have now returned to myself and this is the chief 
 thing I wished to point out to you. 
 
 For the rest, I have nothing particular to tell you 
 about myself. You know that Liszt has given my 
 Lohengrin at Weimar. The performance is said to 
 have been excellent in all secondary matters, but the 
 principal thing the actors on the stage feeble and 
 altogether unsatisfactory. Well, that explains itself; 
 Providence will not work private miracles for me, 
 neither will it make actors such as I want grow on 
 every tree ! Nevertheless, I am now thinking of writing 
 the music to my Siegfried. In order one day to be able 
 to produce it properly, I am cherishing all sorts of bold 
 and out-of-the-way plans ; to the realization of which 
 nothing further is necessary than that some old uncle 
 or other should take it into his head to die. Later on 
 you shall hear more about it ! If you feel inclined once 
 again to read something of mine, get the last numbers 
 of the Neue Zeitschrift fur Musik (Leipzig) : the article 
 " Das Judenthum in der Musik," by R. Freigedank, 
 is mine. 
 
 From certain preparations which have been made for
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 4/3 
 
 the purpose, it is possible that here in Zurich I may 
 from time to time do a little active work for art. Also 
 more of this later. 
 
 First of all, I am anxious for news about you, yours, 
 and my old Fischer ! May it be good news ! In order 
 that we may get into step once more, write to me soon, 
 tell me much, greet your folk and Fischer in a proper 
 manner, and keep me in kind remembrance. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 ZURICH, September i^th, '50 (ABENDSTERN, IN ENGE). 
 
 DEAR OLD FRIEND, 
 
 It is certainly right wrong of me not yet to have 
 answered your January letter. I will not excuse myself 
 by saying that I have been too deeply engrossed in my 
 work, but I must confess that for me in my own 
 peculiar mood it was most difficult to write to you ; 
 for your news of yourself was of a kind to fill me with 
 sighing and heaviness, but not with the strength to 
 console you. By chance I learn now that you are still 
 in Berlin, that your connection with the theatre will 
 not be definitely fixed until the new management starts, 
 and a report gives me reason to hope that you are in 
 better spirits than at first. 
 
 Now I should so much like to know how things 
 are with you, and I say this chiefly in the hopes of 
 hearing something more favourable than was the case 
 with your last letter. That is the real occasion of these 
 lines. May I not be deceived in my hope of at least.
 
 474 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 tolerable news. I cannot trust myself to say more 
 concerning your state at last described by you : I 
 could as I said only sigh, so mournful was every- 
 thing, and so powerless did I feel to help you ! 
 
 With me it fares both well and ill : it is only a matter 
 of the moods into which I am thrown, which with me 
 naturally fluctuate violently like ebb and flow. My 
 own courage I never completely lose ; I am so far at 
 one with myself and the moods of the world, that I can 
 explain to myself why everything is just as it is ; and 
 as it never occurs to me to wish to reverse the nature 
 of things, so I wait where I recognize my own powers 
 of activity avail not ; but where I see that my activity 
 might have any success, I grapple with all my available 
 force, and content myself with the smallest result. I 
 have thus the conscious knowledge of doing what I can, 
 and, on the other hand, of calmly giving up that which 
 I must give up. Thus I maintain myself now in sounder 
 health than, for example, was the case last year. That 
 I often have bad times is easily understood; but I am in 
 all respects candid beyond measure ; I complain when 
 I have occasion to complain, and rejoice when I have 
 reason for joy. Our dear little Papo died this winter ; 
 I put no restraint on my heartfelt, bitter mourning for 
 the sad loss of our little whistling, chattering, household 
 fairy, that clung to me with such endless love. With 
 this open-heartedness, I have at least won this much, 
 that I am no longer surprised at any outward misfortune ; 
 .a dash of irony also helps me over all such things 
 for I know that it cannot be otherwise. 
 
 As for money, it so happens with me that whenever 
 my purse is dry and Minna already begins to look
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 475 
 
 black, straightway a fresh supply comes in. This is 
 how it comes about : I have few friends, but these 
 few love me ; any one of them who can, always does 
 help me. The most active in this respect is Frau 
 R. in Dresden ; from time to time Liszt also does his 
 share. I live in completely communistic fashion, but 
 only with those who fully know me, and are heartily 
 devoted to me. From no one else would I take a penny. 
 So understand me well : only one who respects and 
 loves me would I permit to help support me. Now 
 and then, too, I earn a trifle. This winter I have 
 written a fairly large book : Oper und Drama. J. J. 
 Weber was willing to pay 100 thalers ; A. offered 75 
 thalers more after the sale of 400 copies, so it will 
 shortly be published by the latter. You have probably 
 heard, and especially read, something about Lohengrin 
 recently Breithopf & Hartel are now engraving the 
 pianoforte score of it; and probably will publish the 
 full score later. This will bring me no money, but merely 
 
 wipe off a c d old debt to that firm. Uo you see ? 
 
 I am even paying off debts : what more do you want ? 
 During the winter I practised here a few of Beethoven's 
 Symphonies, with a mixed orchestra of amateurs and 
 professionals. The thing got talked about : now they 
 are about to engage for me a good standing orchestra. 
 I declined to have anything to do with the theatre. 
 But shortly a pamphlet of mine will appear under the 
 title, Ein Theater in Zurich in which I shall open 
 people's eyes a bit, and show them what they should 
 do, if they wish to have anything of value. You shall 
 soon receive the pamphlet. 
 
 In May I set to the composition of Siegfried. For a
 
 4/6 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 change I shall sometimes climb the Alps. Ah ! if no 
 one would pity me any more on account of my loss 
 of my Dresden position ! How little they know me, 
 who look upon this loss as my misfortune ! Were I 
 amnestied to-day, and were I again appointed Chief 
 Court Capellmeister at Dresden, you would see how 
 calmly I should remain in my Switzerland, and perhaps 
 scarcely even put my feet on the blessed soil of the 
 German confederacy ! Yes, that is how I feel ! Here- 
 with I give you good news of myself: as to my gloomy 
 days, I can the rather keep silence, as they mostly come 
 from overwork and nervous exhaustion ; for then I cer- 
 tainly look with an eye of despair on the wretchedness 
 of the present order of things. But is one not lucky 
 enough if able from time to time to conquer these 
 moods ? So now give yourself the trouble to write 
 something good about yourself, and let your Wilhelm 
 serve as theme : your living, moving work, far better 
 than my paper works. Give me good news then : greet 
 wife and child, and keep me in kind remembrance. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 ENGE, NEAR ZURICH, April '51. 
 
 Peps is still alive, but fearfully lazy whenever he is 
 not barking. 
 
 1 6. 
 BEST HEINEMANN ! 
 
 Hearty thanks for your kind letter ! But unfor- 
 tunately the big one, promised to me through a certain 
 lady I have not received. I waited until to-day in 
 the hopes of getting it. Still, above all, I express to
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 477 
 
 you my very great joy in that you (and others also) 
 tell me of your good state of health : certainly that 
 was the pleasantest thing which you could write to me ! 
 Now, as I cannot answer you anything about your 
 own affairs as I have not received the letter in ques- 
 tion and as everything which I could tell you about 
 myself has already been put into my letter to Fischer, 
 I limit myself for to-day to a cordial greeting to you 
 and yours, while I beg Fischer to let you have my 
 letter to him. What I write to him is nearly all for 
 you as well. So let me know more about yourself 
 and Wilhelm, and thus I shall have better occasion 
 for a special answer ! Once again, best and most 
 heartfelt thanks for your friendship, and for the con- 
 tinued proofs of the same ! Farewell, and let me soon 
 have further particulars. 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 
 September '51.. 
 
 From the I5th onwards, at Albisbrunn, near Hausen, 
 in the Canton of Zurich. 
 
 Milller is going with me to the hydropathic establish- 
 ment ; your old and faithful doctor has got him into a 
 nice state. O you unhappy men, with your poison- 
 dosing doctors ! You are all wretched, and no one 
 believes it ! It's terrible ! 
 
 17- 
 DEAREST HEINEMANN, 
 
 I have kept on thinking it was your turn to write 
 to me, as you owe me news about yourself and family,
 
 478 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 since as you know the letter per the famous Fraulein 
 E. (or somehow) has not reached me. So I only write 
 to-day to remind you about writing. Especially do I 
 beg for news about Wilhelm ; I should also particularly 
 like to have his address. 
 
 Before I know from yourself how you are, I will just 
 tell you this about my doings : that I have become a 
 complete water-man. This time I was ten weeks in 
 the hydropathic establishment ; only on account of the 
 winter setting in early and with great severity, have I 
 given up the cure for the present. However, it was 
 sufficient to give me the clearest foretaste of perfect 
 health, a new and indescribable feeling of comfort, 
 of which not one of us has any idea until he has 
 experienced it : (for it is well known that we are made 
 ill from youth upwards, so that we have absolutely no 
 consciousness of health !) and this complete health I 
 will win for myself next spring, when I shall go again 
 to the hydropathic establishment. I shall pass the 
 winter in comfortably lounging about as much as 
 possible the only thing which I find somewhat irk- 
 some in order when summer comes to set to the 
 greatest work of my life in full harness and restored to 
 health. Concerning that work I tell you nothing here, 
 because you will shortly read more about it in an 
 " Address to my Friends," which I shall put as " Pre- 
 face " to the edition of my Three Opera-poems (Flying 
 Dutchman, TannJiiinser, and Lohengrin}. So enough 
 for the present ! 
 
 Do }'ou know where the Frommanns live ? If so, 
 please send them the enclosed lines ! 
 
 So, Nante, write ! To your wife and child heartiest
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 479- 
 
 greetings from myself and Minna, who is quite well and 
 cheerful ! Farewell, old fellow ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH (ZELTWEG), December zofh, '51. 
 
 1 8. 
 
 DEAR NANTE ! 
 
 Do not take it amiss that I only to-day send you 
 news ! But even to-day I merely write you briefly, to- 
 tell you that to-day I shall not write you at length, 
 because I can only do this after some little time. 
 Why ? you shall learn that at once. You know what 
 an obstinate beast I am ; well, I have just finished my 
 great Nibclungen poem, and I mean to make a clean 
 copy of the stuff, so that my friends, too, may be able 
 to taste as much as possible of it. This will take a full 
 month of my time away, for at present I can at most 
 spend three hours on such work : but it must be done 
 before I go to anything else ; otherwise I shall have no 
 rest. Now, I cannot write as I ought to you, without 
 thoroughly acknowledging your amiable care about 
 Lohengrin. But I see again, especially from your 
 letter, that I must express myself very clearly and in 
 detail with regard to my wishes for the staging of 
 Lohengrin, before I can be certain not to be misunder- 
 stood on any point. For this purpose I shall have to 
 bring my unfortunately somewhat neglected painting 
 talent into service ; but in any case I see a work before 
 me that cannot be dashed off in a moment : I therefore 
 save it until I have finished what I have immediately in 
 hand. Fortunately this matter does not press : I have
 
 480 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 withdrawn Lohengrin everywhere for this winter, and 
 shall not open the doors for it until the next. The 
 Flying Dutchman is being given in place of it at 
 Schwerin and Breslau. I rejoice at the thought of the 
 work which we shall both do presently : something 
 " orderly " will come out of it. You have already given 
 me most " disorderly " joy by your ready consent, as 
 well as by your preliminary designs. You will receive 
 the pianoforte score at the same time as my sketches : I 
 have a copy for you. I doubt whether we can persuade 
 Hartels to publish the scenarium : I shall probably have 
 to pay the costs myself, but sha'n't make anything 
 by it. 
 
 The visit of yourself and Fischer to Weimar sur- 
 prised me very much : how the deuce do you old-young 
 fellows come to take such a jaunt ? There must be 
 some witchcraft in it ! Your notes about the Weimar 
 performance were of the highest interest to me : I saw 
 everything vividly before me, and, so far as I can 
 conjecture, agree with you as to the character of the 
 performance. Hearty thanks ! The small attention 
 which G. paid to all my hints and directions appears 
 to have made your hair stand on end ! And yet Papa 
 Fischer blames me so much for my Guide to Tannhauser 
 he always imagines it to be my sole concern to see 
 my operas performed, and that it is therefore " unwise " 
 to make so many out-of-the-way demands ! ! I have 
 indeed good ground for shame, to have been misunder- 
 stood on the most important points even by you and 
 him. I care absolutely nothing" about my things 
 being 1 given : I am only anxious that they should be 
 SO given as I intended ; he who will not and cannot
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 481 
 
 do that, let him leave them alone. That is my whole 
 meaning and has Fischer not yet found that out ? O 
 you hardened sinner ! ! Na, greet him heartily. Best 
 thanks for his letter : answer anno 1853 ! 
 
 Give greetings to good Aunt Heine and Marie : in his 
 sail round the world I hope Wilhelm will meet you again 
 in Japan, and, to be sure, stuttering. Many hearty greet- 
 ings and good wishes from myself and Minna : to- 
 morrow we give our Christmas-boxes. Farewell ! 
 Your soon forty-year-old 
 
 RICHARD. 
 
 December '52. 
 
 P.S. As to the Flying Dutchman, I have referred 
 .Breslau and Schwerin to Berlin for the scenarium (it was 
 not at all bad there !) : perhaps with your acquaintances 
 you could help them ? 
 
 19. 
 DEAR NANTE ! 
 
 Would it be possible to lend the costume-pictures 
 for Tannhauser to the very small (but well-disposed) 
 theatre at Freiburg (Baden) ; or if not to let it have 
 them as cheaply as possible ? The people there have 
 arranged the rest as well as they could. If you can, 
 then do it quickly ; for they have been doddering, and 
 are now in a desperate hurry. I shall soon set to the 
 Lohengrin work, which I shall then send you at the same 
 time as the pianoforte score. 
 Hearty greeting from 
 
 Your 
 
 R. WAGNER. 
 
 February yd, '53. 
 
 31
 
 482 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 20. 
 
 DEAREST BROTHER, 
 
 It was very kind of you to take such interest in 
 the Freiburg people : it has borne very good fruit. From 
 all reports I learn that in this small nest through the 
 uncommon zeal of all, and particularly of the young but 
 extremely talented musical director an exceptionally 
 good performance of Tannhcinser has taken place. The 
 singer of the principal role, a young man of twenty-two, so 
 interests me that I have made an appointment with him, 
 in order to make his acquaintance. Eduard Devrient 
 was also there (at the third performance). I tell you 
 this in reward for your friendliness toward these people. 
 
 The long letter which I owe you I cannot write to- 
 day. I have for the present knocked myself up with 
 many and various things : especially have I a wretched 
 lot of letters to answer, and indeed to persons who are 
 not so indulgent as you and Fischer. But I shall soon 
 settle to the Lohengrin work : Hartels will publish it 
 provided the matter is made easy for them. With the 
 pianoforte score I will then send you also my recently 
 finished great poem (Der Ring des Nibdungeri). In 
 the course of the next few days I hope, too, to manage 
 to write to P : kind greetings to him for to-day, and 
 announce my letter to him, which certainly will contain 
 much business-stuff (for we must take X. by the nape 
 of the neck !). 
 
 For to-day, only one further question and request. 
 The Leipziger Illustrirte again wishes to make a fuss 
 about me (in connection with Tannhduser) : for that 
 purpose they wished to give my portrait, and from a
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 483 
 
 new photograph. I tried it, but the weather was so 
 bad that it turned out a failure. So at last with my 
 great dislike to a sitting I yielded to the request of a 
 lady portrait-painter here, who is really a most intelli- 
 gent and practised water-colourist, and am now having 
 my portrait taken : the Illustrirte will receive a photo- 
 graphic copy of it. But the picture, in the opinion of 
 all who have watched its growth, has turned out so 
 exceptionally good, that we have now come upon the 
 idea of having a portrait so like my present self at 
 last and indeed for that very reason lithographed 
 for my friends in Germany. The artist is not satisfied 
 with the lithographers here ; and she would only permit 
 it to be lithographed abroad, provided there were some 
 one in the place who was well acquainted with me, and 
 who could therefore supervise the copy in the interest 
 of the likeness. So I thought of Hanfstangl as litho- 
 grapher and you as supervisor. Please then speak 
 soon to Hanfstangl, and see if he will undertake the 
 stone-drawing : any one who cares may see about 
 publishing it. I should think no one would do badly 
 with it ; but if there is any difficulty, Hartels will take 
 it up at once. If you agree, I will send you the portrait 
 next week ; but the lithographing must be first-rate ! 
 
 Well, as this is not to be a proper letter, you've had 
 enough for to-day ; besides, I am rather more in the 
 dumps than usual. Yesterday I worried the members 
 of our orchestra out of their lives, and into quite a mag- 
 nificent performance of the Eroica : I feel some of the 
 effects of it now. 
 
 You appear to be going on fairly well ! Heaven 
 knows ! you will come out of it in grand style at the
 
 484 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 finish ! Excuse me this superficial scribbling but 
 greet wife and child, with Uncle Fischer, most heartily 
 from both of us ! 
 
 Farewell ! Soon more from your 
 
 Veery gude 
 
 RICHARD W. 
 
 ZURICH, March <)th, '53. 
 
 (Do not frank letters to me ! I get quite enough now 
 to pay for that, although in my other money-matters I 
 shall always be a good-for-nothing.) 
 
 21. 
 
 DEAREST OLD FELLOW ! 
 
 Many thanks for your letter, to which I at once 
 answer in the briefest way just what is absolutely 
 necessary ! About the portrait you have made a silly 
 mistake : the water-colour drawing is the original, and 
 the phototype is taken from the water-colour drawing. 
 This by way of rectification. It would be only fair to 
 the lady artist, if she were named on the lithograph : 
 her name is Clementine Stockar-Escher. 
 
 I know Hartels are slow, and wish first to see the 
 original : you ought certainly to have been able to 
 manage that at once. But now in a word : let Hanfstdngl 
 commence immediately, and for the present directly to 
 my order and at my cost. If the plates are ready, send 
 Hartels an impression, and ask if they will publish it, 
 provided the costs be made good. If they will not, / 
 will pay, and you must think of some one to whom you 
 could give the sale on commission : perhaps one could
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 485 
 
 try again with the good M. The principal thing is 
 for the plate to be ready : the caricatures of me, which 
 are now bought, annoy me much. (Apropos ! Let the 
 R.'s see the original at once.) 
 
 For your willingness to attend to the Lohengrin work, 
 in spite of your suffering, I heartily thank you ; if you 
 soon get it done well and good ; but one must not 
 flog a willing horse. 
 
 Good heavens ! if only there were an end to these 
 misunderstandings of Fischer's ! What you again re- 
 proach me with is really absolute nonsense ; I never 
 said anything of the sort. Leave the whole bother 
 alone ; there's nothing in it but empty straw. We 
 know, I think, how we stand with each other ! 
 
 I was very sorry to hear you had been bad again for 
 three months : I hope you are better now. 
 
 You are probably quite clear now about the copy of 
 my new poem : in ordering the number, I certainly 
 thought of you and Fischer, but not exactly about P. ; 
 so that came casually betwixt and between. You 
 old discontented doubters, you ! ! 
 
 I was quite astonished about Wilhelm's route to 
 Japan : I always thought it went from North America 
 round Cape Horn. Well, that's all right ! but it's a 
 capital joke after all. Dearest friend, in future we 
 shall bring up our sons by first sending them on a 
 journey round the world. What miserable toads are 
 we ! for we spend our dear lives in dreaming of heaven, 
 and never get the least glimpse of earth ! 
 
 M.'s sisters grow younger every day. Minna is 
 quite pleased with our lovely new home. Greetings 
 to your household and to our friends ! Take care of
 
 486 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 yourself, and cure your stomach for the sake of your 
 eyes ! Again, many thanks for your letter ! 
 Farewell ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, April 3Ctf//, '53. 
 
 The phototypist who made the copy was stupid 
 enough to leave the water-colour drawing exposed to 
 the sun, and it became quite faded, etc. Hence, the 
 Stockar's request to take more care of it. 
 
 I am now up to my ears in muddle, on account of 
 my musical performances. I am getting my orchestra 
 from Switzerland, France, and Germany : it makes a 
 lot of correspondence! So forgive this hasty scrawl ! ! 
 
 22. 
 GOOD NANTE ! 
 
 The story of the portrait is becoming quite 
 tedious. If only you had not been so conscientious, 
 and had sent the portrait at once to Hartels, in the 
 devil's name ! If they wish to have it lithographed in 
 Berlin, it's all the same to me in the end ; only I request 
 that a proof-print be sent to you, so that you may keep 
 a control over the likeness, which no one, I should say, 
 can do as well as you. But if, in accordance with my 
 last letter, you have given over the matter to Hanf- 
 stangl, then he may keep it, and we will stick to what 
 I settled in that letter : I pay Hanfstangl, and X. 
 receives the commission. Why do -Hartels drag on so 
 long ? So you are now provided with instructions for 
 every event ! Do as you like, only take care that the 
 phiz soon comes out. You have not yet sent us the
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 487 
 
 lithograph of yourself ! Do't ! I have terrible work 
 with my music sheets ! 
 Excuse haste ! Good-bye ! 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, May yd, '53. 
 
 I can write no more to Hartels about the portrait 
 affair. 
 
 23- 
 DEAR FELLOW ! 
 
 Many thanks for your letter ! I can't see any 
 good reason why I should not send you just a scrap 
 of answer ! You are right, quite right ! Yet I must 
 excuse Schindelmeisser somewhat : for months back 
 he had repeatedly begged me for designs for the mise 
 en scene ; I always put him off, and at last left him quite 
 in the lurch. The fault was with me : I naturally 
 thought nothing of the whole tale. So you ought to 
 have devoted a good part of your reproaches really 
 to me, and not to him. Moreover, I am convinced 
 that Sch., ever since he undertook the Tannhduser, 
 has meant honourably with me ; that notwithstanding 
 this he has so carried out his task that I should pro- 
 bably shake my head considerably at the results, I can 
 also well imagine ; still, it is not ill-will and intentional 
 superficiality, but insufficient knowledge of the matter, 
 combined with the depravity into which nowadays 
 every routinier falls, after long practice in the ordinary 
 rut of our operas. The light would only break in 
 upon him and such as him, if they were once to see 
 the opera given under my direction : with them, their 
 blindness is their ruin ! !
 
 488 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Do you then think after all, dear Heine (and dear 
 Fischer, to whom I also address these lines ?), that I set 
 any value on the present performances in Germany ? 
 that I persuade myself that they answer in any way to 
 my demands? Ah ! great heavens ! I certainly thought 
 I might do some good by my Guide ; but as I have 
 already told you both only in the sense that, at least, 
 something of it would catch hold. But that this Guide 
 could only be an embalming of my own intentions, that 
 it could thus be only a protest uttered in advance 
 against the bad performances that we might expect, 
 I felt all this quite clearly when I wrote it ; and that 
 gave me, too, the despairing mood in which I became 
 so inconsiderate toward friends. It was a true cry 
 of anguish, was " this guide" Well, well ! the thing is 
 taking its own course, in my despite ; but I can only 
 say that I am glad to see nothing of these performances. 
 Now, when I am in a better humour toward this or 
 that success, toward this or that conductor, it is merely 
 because I fancy I see at least a little good-will displayed 
 (as, for instance, was not the case with R. of Leipzig, 
 for which reason I have no intention of giving him the 
 Lohengrin /). Then, also, I am more indifferent toward 
 smaller places : with more important places, such as 
 Berlin, I am (as you have seen) more outspoken. 
 
 There is one young conductor who gives me great 
 pleasure : that is Schoneck, formerly of Freiburg, now 
 of Posen. I have learnt to know him thoroughly here 
 in Zurich, and have trained him in my method ; he 
 has a very good young tenor with him, about whom I 
 have heard wonderful things. I am naturally anxious 
 that he, who has given at Posen the Tannhduser five
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 489 
 
 times within nine days, should let his light shine else- 
 where than under these bushels; and therefore /, as 
 well as Liszt, have agreed that he and his company 
 shall give Tannhduser for a couple of months at KrolVs 
 Theatre in Berlin. The only thing I had to find fault 
 with was the smallness of the theatre ; but during the 
 coming summer it is to be rebuilt, enlarged, and speci- 
 ally arranged for the Tannhduser. Even should Liszt 
 manage to get called to Berlin later on, through the 
 Princess of Prussia, for the conducting of our two 
 operas, this forerunner does not the least harm, and 
 puts a lot of money into my pocket. 
 
 Talking of much money, brings Fischer to my mind, 
 who wanted an, advance from me : I thought then that 
 matters would be arranged through Genee in Dantzig. 
 Up to now nothing has come of it, and I have already 
 been mean enough to refer a couple of new orders to 
 myself for payment, as for the moment I am cleaned 
 out. The Theatre-Jew M. in Berlin will make an 
 advance for Genee, so as to get the score at once from 
 Fischer, to whom he will send as quittance the postal 
 slip recording the payment, whereupon the score is to 
 be sent to him. Again, director Hein of Stettin applies 
 to me ; I have also directed him to send the honorarium 
 to me, and only to deliver the postal slip to Fischer, 
 by way of receipt. Now Uncle Tom I meant to say, 
 brother Fischer will make an astonished grimace, 
 because nothing falls to him ; in return I assure him, 
 that within the space of a month he shall be with me 
 in Paradise, i.e., he shall have money, notwithstand- 
 ing. But he must keep scores in readiness ; Konigsberg 
 threatens, and Darmstadt likewise (for Schindelmeisser
 
 49Q RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 will enter upon his duties as Capellmeister there on 
 the 1st of August). It would be as well if you, too, 
 could have scenarium and sketches ready for Tannhduser; 
 for that purpose I think to be able to provide you with 
 money for expenses, likewise within the space of a 
 month ; so don't let the little painter stop making his 
 little figures. 
 
 H artels wrote to me lately about the portrait, and 
 thereupon I wrote to them about the sixty copies. 
 They also advised me that their pianoforte arrange- 
 ment (without words) of Lohengrin, for two and four 
 hands, had now appeared. However absurd are such 
 pianoforte arrangements without words of my operas, 
 yet I must confess that for the publisher they have a 
 great value. The regular herd of pianoforte-playing 
 diletantti naturally wants nothing but this sort of score, 
 which, after all, suits their silly purpose better than 
 the vocal score. Here, for example, there are endless 
 demands for the pianoforte score without words of the 
 Dutchman and Tannhauscr. Of the latter, at least, X. 
 really ought to get such a score made and published ; 
 it is a real treachery to the business if this is not 
 done, and I cannot help my creditors if they neglect 
 such a source. X. ought to ask Liszt as to who 
 should arrange the pianoforte score. Ah me ! if men 
 only knew how to help themselves ! 
 
 Once more : my musical festival was splendid, and 
 gave me great hopes of accomplishing wonderful things 
 here in the future. One day I shall certainly myself 
 give performances here of my operas, and also of the 
 Nibelungen; but naturally only under quite exceptional 
 circumstances. For that I shall require (ut semper)
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 491 
 
 the services of Wilhelm. Within three or four years 
 Wilm must really come to Switzerland : write him 
 that to Japan ! 
 
 Now, enough chattering for to-day ; more another 
 time ! Greetings right and left from 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 June lofh, '53. 
 
 Lately I received an engagement proposal from 
 Bremen : ah ! how pleased I was ! How have things 
 gone off at Cassel ? I fancy wretchedly ! No one 
 sends news. Does F-ff-fischer know nothing ? Is his 
 Wilhelm already in Drrresden ? 
 
 (Veronika Amerika !) 
 
 " Als zullendes Kind zog ich Dich auf " ; Mime. 
 
 If you could only succeed in bringing T. some com- 
 mon sense ! Good gracious ! there was no intention of 
 any slight on him ; when he begins to be sensible, I 
 will write to him. He is really the man I should like 
 best for Lohengrin. 
 
 So K-k-kietz has become an irreclaimable Plastiker ? 
 I am glad of it ! but he must really write to me : gr-r-reet 
 him heartily ! (I am thinking too much about Japan, 
 and that's why I st-st-stutter ! ) 
 
 Here the selections from Lohengrin pleased best. 
 The Prelude impresses me very much. 
 
 24. 
 
 Your silence, dear Heinemannel, almost makes 
 me melancholy. Either you are very ill, or you are 
 angry with me. Say, have you taken anything amiss ?'
 
 49 2 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Perhaps my last remarks on your communication 
 respecting the scenarium for Lohengrin ? This I must 
 almost believe, especially as the scenic indications have 
 been entirely omitted from the little work that has 
 appeared. Certainly that annoyed you with me, and 
 you thought, "If he knows better, let him do it himself." 
 If I were right ? Then you were wrong! Well, I will 
 say no more about it, for perhaps I am altogether in 
 the wrong with regard to the whole suspicion, so truly 
 painful as it is to me ! Please inform me soon ! 
 
 I have now received the scenarium : you have done 
 your work well yes, in many ways too well ! I owe 
 you so many thanks for it, that I should feel quite 
 inconsolable if I had to think that in reward for your 
 friendly trouble I had hurt your feelings on this occa- 
 sion ! Do set my mind at rest about it ! 
 
 Everything as I said answers perfectly to my 
 wish : where you have differed somewhat from me in 
 the scenery as in the lay of the river in the First Act 
 I fully acknowledge that your corrections are right. 
 I should only have liked, in the Castle courtyard, the 
 balcony and stairs from the Kemenate down to the 
 Palace brought somewhat more into view, which could 
 have been very well done by shifting the palace-tower 
 more to one side to the right. But perhaps that could 
 not be easily arranged otherwise especially on small 
 stages. In short, the whole is so good, that I must offer 
 you my heartiest thanks for it in every respect ! ! 
 
 I need scarcely tell you, moreover, how unhappy I 
 now feel at not being able to produce the work myself. 
 To bring me into this deep discontent about the whole 
 thing, it hardly needed the latest Leipzig outrage on
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 495. 
 
 my Lohengrin. As far as that goes, Fischer will laugh 
 his fill at me, and will contrast my scruples regarding 
 Dresden with my Leipzig levity. I must just put up 
 with it, if he does not understand the state of matters. 
 I only consented to the performance in Leipzig on 
 condition that Liszt should represent me if not as con- 
 ductor, still as superintendent of the whole production ; 
 and he was to have the right to stop it, if he saw there 
 was no reasonable expectation of a favourable result. 
 Now, first do I learn that R. quite set up his back against 
 this, and that the whole thing would long ago have 
 come to a rupture had it not been that Hartels effected 
 a prudent compromise through Liszt's complaisance, 
 whereby the latter was only to come occasionally to 
 the general rehearsals, and perhaps give a few friendly 
 hints to R. Now, no single notice seems to have been 
 given to Liszt of the rehearsals, and he has had the 
 somewhat too diplomatic weakness of leaving the affair 
 to take its own course for good or bad. 
 
 But that was certainly not my intention, and so the 
 performance has taken place entirely against my will. 
 I shall take other precautions for the future. Fischer, 
 besides, is quite out of temper with me : I have corre- 
 sponded with him all the summer on mere matters of 
 business, and it were high time to let him have some 
 little news as friend. But I tell him and you, that of 
 late I have written to almost no one, so up to my 
 ears was I with composition. Since I returned from 
 Paris beginning of November I have written the 
 music to Rheingold ; I got so enthusiastic over it, that 
 until it was finished I had neither ears nor eyes for 
 anything else. Give heartiest greetings to my dear
 
 494 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 old friend, and make my excuses also to his Wilhelm ; 
 in the matter of letters one must not be too hard on me 
 just now, when I have really a fearful amount of corre- 
 spondence. But this very month I will write to our 
 plump friend : if he wishes meanwhile to heap coals 
 of fire upon my head, let him revise a score of the 
 Flying Dutchman, and send it to the management at 
 Wiesbaden. Tannhduser must also be kept ready : 
 orders are again drawing on. I shall not begin a fresh 
 sheet until I get news again from thee and you. Very 
 soon ! And now best greetings to yours, and keep 
 in kind remembrance 
 
 Your 
 R. W. 
 
 ZURICH, January igth, '54. 
 
 25. 
 
 MY DEAR, GOOD HEINE ! 
 
 If I were not really driven to it, I certainly 
 should not get so far as writing to you ! Excuse me 
 all protestations about being so continually plagued 
 with letter-writing and bothers of the kind, that I 
 absolutely find no time for anything else. 
 
 I really believe that I shall soon be able to see you 
 and Mamma Heine again : then we will set everything 
 properly to rights. 
 
 Meanwhile, for to-day a piece of business, for which 
 I must take refuge in you. Our Tannhduser costume- 
 and scenery-sketches are wanted. Desplechin no longer 
 possesses the latter, and for the former we wish to have 
 recourse to your work. So be good enough to see to 
 the French sketches (if only in copy) being sent here 
 again : if things were really more successful in Berlin
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 495 
 
 than in Dresden, you might perhaps manage to get the 
 sketches from there. The Tournament-hall is said to 
 have turned out very fine in Berlin : I certainly do not 
 believe it answers to my scenic demands (for I cannot 
 consent to give up the open arch with the stairway and 
 tower) still it probably contains interesting sugges- 
 tions of which we could make use. The costume- 
 pictures you have entirely in your power. So send 
 everything as soon as possible, for Tannhduser is to 
 be taken in hand at once. Make an account of the 
 whole expenses, and draw a bill for the amount, or 
 simply charge it to the management : it will be sent 
 you by return. Address the whole to 
 
 Mr. Alphonse Rqyer, 
 Directeur de V Academic Imperiale de Musique, 
 
 3, Rue Drouot, Pan's. 
 
 Now, do this very nicely, right quickly, and let me 
 know beforehand when you hope to send it off. 
 
 It must surely seem a good joke to you, that your 
 costume-designs should be wanted in Paris as models ! 
 
 I regret not to be able to do anything for my health 
 this summer : I cannot get away from Paris for a single 
 day. Heaven knows how I shall feel this winter ! My 
 wife has gone off to the baths at Soden, as P. wished. 
 Altogether, she feels fairly well, although my recent life- 
 adventures have not been exactly of a kind to make me 
 good-tempered and patient. I am now heavy, very 
 heavy at heart, and the only thing which at all enlivens 
 me is, that from a distance I am always looked upon as 
 one who does not know which way to turn for good- 
 fortune and prosperity.
 
 496 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS 
 
 Now, let me have good news from you : greetings to 
 Mamma and Maria, and the Emperor of Japan into the 
 bargain ! 
 
 Farewell, dear old friend ! 
 
 Your 
 
 RICHARD WAGNER. 
 PARIS, July loth, '60 (16, RUE NEWTON, BARRIERE DE L'ETOILE). 
 
 26. 
 
 MY DEAR OLD HEINEMANNEL ! 
 
 Thanks for the friendly sign of life, and be 
 forbearing if I only reply to you with a like sign of life. 
 I still intend to pay a more agreeable visit soon to my 
 old home, friends, and connections ; but for that I must 
 wait until a time when many things shall have been 
 definitely, publicly settled, and till I no longer have 
 reason to fear exhaustion through constant narration 
 and answering of questions. My future and final 
 welfare depends upon whether I can bring my manner 
 of life, and consequently my whole disposition, to a 
 state of greater quietude and freedom from excitement. 
 Talking, letter-writing, business complications these 
 are my life-foes : undisturbed, peaceful creation and 
 work are, on the contrary, my life's preservers. As a 
 matter of fact, I have only wrested to myself this 
 benefit under the escort of unspeakable torments : my 
 settling in' Lucerne, where I find a home in the most 
 absolute stillness and retirement, has this for aim. 
 Here I always am only " en visite" and I run off the 
 moment the " entertainment" and "distraction " become 
 too much for me.
 
 TO FERDINAND HEINE. 497 
 
 It would be fine if you came here for the Meister- 
 singer; I would willingly pay the cost of this expe- 
 dition. Within the next few days it will, at all 
 events, be definitely settled whether we are to 
 have the performance in May, or not till the 
 autumn : this depends upon the hitherto very clum- 
 sily negotiated acquisition of the Dresden tenor, 
 Bachmann, who is certainly not my ideal ; but, 
 when all is said and done, is still the most pro- 
 mising substitute for the singer I should wish for 
 Walther. 
 
 You are altogether in the wrong to write me so 
 many details about a lady singer whom you wish to 
 recommend to me : you assume on my side an in- 
 terest in these affairs which certainly shows your 
 good opinion of my tenacity. I have nothing what- 
 ever to do with the theatre, and this is the funda- 
 mental basis of the peace which I have conquered. 
 So long as my nerves hold out, 1 am present at 
 important rehearsals of my works ; but I never attend 
 a performance, and by the time it occurs I am al- 
 ready back among my mountains. In order, how- 
 ever, to appear a wee bit mannerly to you, you good 
 old fellow, I may tell you, with regard to Frln. 
 Blume, that we here have also heard nothing but good 
 of her. But really the more she answers to your 
 description of her the less do we need her ; for we 
 already possess in a certain Frln. Mallinger an artist 
 endowed with great talent, while a general utility 
 hack, with staying power, would be a most desirable 
 acquisition. 
 
 Greetings to Mamma Heine, and thank her for 
 
 32
 
 498 RICHARD WAGNER'S LETTERS. 
 
 the delicate herrings and potatoes in Campo vac- 
 chino ! 
 
 Good-bye ! dear old fellow ! Come to the Meister- 
 singer. In any case, I will come soon and visit the 
 one-chime-of-bells coasts.* 
 
 Your true friend, 
 
 RICH. WAGNER. 
 
 MUNICH, March 28th, '68. 
 
 * Kiister = also " Sacristans." 
 
 THE END.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 IN this index an attempt has been made to classify the more important passages, 
 to trace some of the bare initials by following the clue afforded through 
 the occasional appearance of corresponding proper names in full, and also 
 to group the indefinite allusions to "X." under different headings sug- 
 gested by the subject-matter. For this endeavour to throw a little light 
 on obscure hints, recourse has been made to nothing beyond internal 
 evidence and that offered by the Wagner-Liszt Correspondence and C. 
 F. Glasenapp's Richard Wagner's Lebcn u. Wirken. 
 
 In consequence of the large number of references noted, the following plan has 
 been adopted in cases of more frequent occurrence viz., the cyphers 
 denoting tens and hundreds are not reiterated each time those numerals 
 recur under the same heading, excepting where the indexed numbers 
 run into a fresh line of type ; thus 12, 16, 81, 84, 105, no, 154, 231, 276, are 
 printed : 12, 6, 81, 4, 105, 10, 54, 231, 76. W. A. E. 
 
 A. 
 
 A. (R. W.'s brother-in-law, a pub- 
 lisher at Leipzig), 96, 102, 
 
 135, 475- 
 
 Abend Zeitung, 436, 445. 
 Abstract Music and Poetry, 23. 
 "Achilles' (a contemplated drama), 
 
 35, 52. 
 
 Actor," " If I had been an, 22. 
 " Adolph von Nassau " ( ? play by 
 
 W. Fischer, junior), 379, 383. 
 Albert (R. W.'s brother), 343. 
 Allgemeine Zeitung, 29. 
 Alps, The, i, 35, 63, 88, 131, 81, 
 
 235- 42, 5. 87, 354, 463, 76. 
 America, Invitation to, 406. 
 Amnesty, I, 3, 132, 42, 283, 392, 
 
 403, 14, 6-7, 26, 76. 
 Animals, love of (see also Peps 
 
 and Papo), 94, 246, 404. 
 Apologies to friends, 102, 207, 
 
 365, 412, 438. 
 
 Apt, Anton (Prague), 375, 378, 
 
 415, 425- 
 
 Art, 172, 209, 13, 338, 45, 463-5. 
 Privilege and Prerogative, 
 
 61-3. 
 
 Art-criticism, 21, 237, 252. 
 Art-movement, 15. 
 Artists, 20, 27. 
 Artists, Special training of, for 
 
 R. W.'s dramas, 49, 395. 
 Augsburger Allgemeine Zeititng, 
 
 76, 163. 
 
 B. 
 
 B., 202. 
 
 Bachmann (tenor), 497. 
 Baden, Grand Duke of, 417. 
 Bakunin, 3. 
 Ballenstedt- Festival-Programme, 
 
 268. 
 
 Ballet, 1 8. 
 Basle Festival, 234, 241.
 
 5oo 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Baumgartner, Wilhelm (pfte.- 
 
 teacher), 32, 153, 164. 
 Baumgartner's Songs, 152, 181-4. 
 Bayer (lady singer), 199. 
 Beethoven, 53, 171, 231. 
 
 ,, Interpretation of, 184 
 
 et seq., 196. 
 Beethoven's Symphonies, I, 27, 
 
 95, 152, 75, 87, 91, 3, 243, 92, 
 
 396, 401, 75, 83. 
 Belloni (Liszt's Secretary), 33, 
 
 38, 272-4 
 Berlioz, 33, 449. 
 Berlioz' Cellini, 231. 
 Biedenfeld, 88. 
 Bischoff/priginator of cry : " Mu- 
 
 ^Pfef'the Future "), 102, 295. 
 Blechschmidt (Dresden lawyer), 
 
 343- 
 
 Bonaparte, L., 172. 
 Bote u. Bock (Berlin), 113. 
 Bohm ('cellist), 194, 221. 
 Breitkopf u. Hartel, 99, 107, 21, 
 
 135.45, 74,296,421,9, 82,4, 
 
 493 et passim. 
 Brendel, 47, 69, 93, 160-1, 5, 7, 
 
 219 et passim. 
 Brendel's Journal (see also 
 
 Z. f. M.), 98, 133, 46, 5, 252. 
 Brockhaus, H., 149, 177, 357. 
 Busybodies, 124, 29, 77. 
 " Butterbrodt," 116. 
 Biirck, August, 276. 
 Byron, 176. 
 
 C. 
 
 Cause, The, 88, 253, 338. 
 Celebrity, 3, 171, 404, 463. 
 Censorship, The, 148, 192, 323, 
 
 435- 
 
 Chaff, Humour, and Playful Allu- 
 sions, 5, 7, 42, 5, 83, 149, 
 
 Chaff, etc. continued. / 
 
 158, 80, 233, 40, 57, 70, 5, 
 
 298, 334, 40, 50, 64, 70, 4, 6 r 
 
 377,9,80, 90,8, 407, 8,9,11, 
 
 419, 20, 2, 3, 7, 53, 61, 3, 5-6, 
 
 469, 8 1, 5, 9-90, i. 
 Children, 158, 72, 4, 97, 219, 29, 
 
 233, 4, 50, 6 7, 461, 7, 9, 76, 
 
 485. 
 
 Chorus, Unaccompanied, 313. 
 Cities v. Towns, 299, 427. 
 "Civilised Barbarism," I, 82, 161. 
 Collaboration, 2, 19. 
 Communistic mode of life, 2, 55 
 
 210, 278, 475. 
 Conducting (see also Zurich), 179, 
 
 184 et seq., 396, 400, 2, 17, 90. 
 Constitutionalists, 63, 66. 
 Conventionalism, 224, 353, 400, 
 
 487. 
 
 Co-operation, 15, 83. 
 Copyright in three early operas 
 
 for France, 419-23. 
 Crazy," " We are both, 54. 
 Creditors, 2, 44, 163, 203, 92, 369, 
 
 380,92,7,9,404-5, 18,21,90. 
 Critics, Hostile, 14, 9, 5J, 102, 60, 
 
 234-7, 72, 400. 
 Culture, 82, 464. 
 "Cuts," 67, loo, 13, 267, 316-7, 
 
 319, 24-6, 49, 422. 
 
 D. 
 
 D., E., 1 66, 202, 24-5, 38, 413. 
 Despleschin (Paris), 494. 
 Deutsche Museum, 243. 
 Devrient, Edward, 91, 173, 199, 
 
 374, 414, 482. 
 Difficulties in R. W.'s operas, 308, 
 
 3", 4, 9, 95, 4H- 
 Dingelstedt (Munich), 76, 389. 
 Doctors, 134, 200, 2, 79, 80, 477.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Drama, The, 190, 208, 301. 
 Drawing, R. W.'s own, 247-8, 
 
 479- 
 
 Dresden Catastrophe, 3, 4, 30, 334. 
 Dream about, 409. 
 Orchestra, I, 3, 4, 6, 7, 
 
 1 6, 43, 55, 60, 193, 346, 
 
 382. 
 Theatre Officials, 113, 
 
 328, 45, 52, 6, 60-1. 
 Treasury, Debt to, 349, 
 
 416-7. 
 ,, Wagner's opinion and 
 
 recollections of, 178, 97, 
 
 281, 98-9, 328, 34, 54, 
 
 382,417, 55, 76. 
 Drinking, 146. 
 Due d'Orleans, 450. 
 
 E. 
 
 E., Fraulein (Elberti),43, 354, 478. 
 Edele (Berne Musikdirector), 373. 
 Eisold, 4. 
 Elsa Marie (Uhlig's child), 46, 
 
 130, 2, 5, 7, 49. 
 Emilie. See Ritter. 
 Empress of Russia, 232. 
 Engelmann, 10. 
 Enjoyment, True, 82, 280. 
 Ernst (violinist), 211, 219. 
 Europa, 88. 
 
 F. 
 
 Faust, Compositions for Goethe's, 
 
 392. 
 
 Faust Overture, 284, 300-1. 
 Feen, Die, 392. 
 Fetis pere (critic), 235, 268. 
 Feuerbach (Philosopher), 25, 46, 
 
 57, 69, 119, 152. 
 " Figaro," 121, 37, 49, 207, 260. 
 
 Fischer, 4, 22, 34, 40, 90, 101, 13, 
 
 I3 2 . 49, 75, 2 39, 9i, 3 OI > 
 
 443, 5, 8, 51, 4, 65-6, 85, 
 
 488, 93, et passim. 
 
 as Theatre-Manager, 356, 
 
 379, 3, 5, 407, ii, 26. 
 Fischer's nephew, 359, 361. 
 
 son, Wilhelm, 363, 7, 
 
 374, 6, 9, 83, 491. 
 proposed visit to R.W., 
 
 415, 6, 26, 7. 
 Flotow, 394 ; Flotow's Indra, 370 ; 
 
 Martha, 4, 343, 395. 
 FLYING DUTCHMAN, 220, 301, 455-7. 
 Negotiations, etc., for ; Bres- 
 lau and Schwerin, 302, 4, 
 363-7, 480; Carlsruhe, 413 ; 
 Mainz, 388; Wiesbaden, 
 378, 82, 494. 
 
 Performances at : Berlin, 481 ; 
 Weimar, 173, 211 ; Zurich, 
 173,5,9, 94, 206, 15,9-22, 
 226, 356-62. 
 
 Production at Dresden, Ori- 
 ginal, 360. 
 Revision of Score, etc., 192, 
 
 2 1 1-2, 6-8, 26,44, 363-7. 
 Success in Cassel, Dresden, 
 
 and Riga, 457. 
 
 Form and Contents, 145, 208. 
 Formes (Tenor), 239. 
 Franck, Albert (Paris bookseller), 
 
 22, 8, 44. 
 
 Dr. H. (critic), 127. 
 Franz, Robert, 257, 68, 73, 82, 90, 
 
 414 ; Franz's Songs, 292. 
 Free entree, 68. 
 Freedom, 8, 18, 336, 417. 
 Freizchiitz, Der (in Paris), 449- 
 
 450. 
 
 French Language, etc., 2, 26, 37, 
 42, 463.
 
 502 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Friends, I, 56, 249, 334, 54, 463, 
 
 466, 70-1, 5. 
 Friendship of opposites, 336-9, 
 
 4I3- 
 
 Fromanns, The, 478. 
 Future, Drama of the, 93 ; Public 
 
 of, 465; Work of, 53, 334, 
 
 464, 8. 
 Fiirstenau (Dresden), 4, 13, 1 6, 
 
 407. 
 
 G. 
 
 G. 480 (?Genast). 
 
 G. 459(?Gutzko\vorG. Reissiger). 
 
 Garcia, 343. 
 
 Gazette Musicale, 235, 453. 
 
 Gegenwart, The critic of, 160, 167. 
 
 Genee (Dantzig Din), 37*, 373, 
 
 489. 
 
 " Genius," Article on, 21. 
 German v. French, 35, 41, 329, 
 
 457- 
 
 German v. Italian music, 209, 457. 
 Germany, 21, 354, 86, 92, 410, 52, 
 
 476. 
 
 Glasbrenner, 180, 214. 
 " Good-bye, Author ! " 52, 99, 102, 
 
 341. 
 
 Capellmeister ! " 223. 
 Graban, Dr., 200. 
 Greek Art, 25, 160. 
 Grenzboten, 165, 80, 91, 7. 
 Gumprecht, Otto, 243, 292. 
 Gutzkow (Dresden playwright), 
 202, 459. 
 
 H. 
 
 H. (? Heine), 4, 9. 
 H. (Prague composer), 343, 345. 
 H. "aus Zurich," 141, 173. 
 Hafis (Persian philosopher), 265, 
 268, 73, 85. 
 
 Hagen, 276. 
 
 Hagenbusch (Dep. Town Clerk, 
 
 Zurich), 33. 
 Hahn, Dr., 157, 229. 
 Halevy, 450; Lajuive, 307, 318, 
 
 435- 
 
 Hanfstangl, 483-6. 
 Hans Heiling, 379. 
 Hanssen (Brussels Dir.), 89. 
 Harmony, 213, 230-1. 
 Hahnel (Dresden Scene-Mana- 
 ger), 16, 233, 9, 41-2, 343, 60. 
 Handel, 333. 
 
 Hartel's. See Breitkopf u. Hartel. 
 " Heaven and Hell," 16. 
 Heidenreich, 126. 
 Heine (Poet), 284, 455-6. 
 
 F., 12, 3, 22, 9, 31,2, 4, 41, 
 66, 241, 51, 62, 6, 91, 
 309, 14, 30, 5, 41, 4, 
 362, 85, 403, 9, 1 6 et 
 passim. 
 Eye-Malady, 376, 80, I, 
 
 458, 9, 7, 3-4, 85. 
 , Proposed visit to R. W., 
 
 415. 58. 
 Marie (F. H.'s daughter), 
 
 330, 452, 66, 81, 96. 
 Wilhelm (F. H.'s son), 352, 
 359, 62, 75, 461-3, 8, 76, 
 481, 5, 91, 6 et passim. 
 Heines, Emigration of the, 406, 
 
 462, 6. 
 Herwegh, 152, 80, 218, 26, 32, 
 
 274, 9, 89 et passim. 
 Heubner, 3, 30 
 Hiller, Ferdinand, 77, 211. 
 Hirzel, Frau, 71. 
 i Hitzschold, 230. 
 Hoffmann (Pub. Stuttgart), 73. 
 (Frankfort Theatre 
 Dir.), 264, 296.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 503 
 
 Honoraria for operas and writings, 
 20, 8, 9, 31, 41, 4, 
 66, 91, 100, 2, 13, 21, 
 126,44, 204, 15,8,43, 
 248-52, 6-8, 6 1, 70, 96, 
 35i, 7i, 3. 6,409,89 
 et passim. 
 Compounding, 405, 
 
 424-5- 
 Horack, 4. 
 House, Wish for one of his own, 
 
 136, 249, 65, 72, 93, 7, 414, 85. 
 Huguenots, The, 315, 8, 95, 435. 
 Humour. See Chaff, 
 v. Hiilsen (Berlin), 258, 62, 6, 71, 
 
 283. 
 
 I. 
 
 Illness, 37, 407, 8, n, 71. 
 Individualism v. Universalism, 53. 
 Iphigenia in Aulis, W.'s revision 
 
 of, 287, 93, 6, 388, 411. 
 " Irony," 44, 277, 474. 
 Italy, 245, 381, 428. 
 
 J. 
 
 Jessonda, 323. 
 
 Jesus of Nazareth, 2. 
 
 Jews, The, 47, 69, 97, 192, 222, 
 
 398. 
 Johanna (R. W.'s niece), 266, 
 
 275, 6, 82. 
 "Jokes, Make," 54, 223-4, 37, 
 
 275- 
 Journal contemplated " For Art 
 
 and Life," 17, 20-1, 30. 
 Journal des De'bats, 76. 
 
 K. 
 
 K. See Ritters. 
 
 K. (Dresden Conductor, ? Krebs), 
 291, 412. See also X. 
 
 K., L., 208, 10, 3, 24. 
 Keller, Gottfried (Poet), 183. 
 Keys," " Individuality of, 230-1. 
 Kietz (Painter), 41, 151, 201, 331, 
 
 433. 6, 9, 45, 52-3, 91. 
 King of Prussia, 460. 
 King of Saxony, 30, 60-2, 113, 
 
 142, 291 (?), 403, 12, 4, 7, 60. 
 Kirchner (Leipzig Print Agent), 
 
 153- 
 
 Koch, 458. 
 Kolatschek (see also Monats- 
 
 schrift), 54, 70, 3, 5, 85, 91. 
 Kori (Pub.), 66. 
 
 Kr. (? Krieten), 369, 78, 88, 415. 
 Kramer (Dusseldorf), 252. 
 Krebs (Dresden Capellmeister) 
 
 (see also K.), 36, 41, 102, 346. 
 Krieten, 466. 
 Kruger, 1 1 6. 
 
 Kummer, 57, 220, 7-8, 85. 
 Kiihtmann (Pub. of Monatsschrift), 
 
 92. 
 Kustner, 458. 
 
 L. 
 
 L. = v. Luttichau, 4, 76, 101, 3, 
 176, 97, 240, 59,81, 91,3, 6, 
 328, 48-50, 4, 64, 6, 70, 41 1-2, 
 438, 42, 60 et passim. 
 
 L., F, 34. 
 
 L., Fr. v., 30. 
 
 Lachner (Munich), 282, 299 ; 
 (Mannheim) 387. 
 
 Laube (Author), 91, 434. 
 
 " Leathern Armour," 58, 65. 
 
 Lehrs (Paris friend), 279. 
 
 Leipziger Illustrirte Zeitung, 96, 
 99, 125, 482. 
 
 "Letter about R. Wagner," 134. 
 
 Letter-violation, Fear of, 37, 71, 
 90, 107, 36, 41.
 
 504 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Letter-writing, 266, 77, 82, 94, 
 384, 404, 8, 42, 67, 82, 93, 
 
 494, 6. 
 
 Lewy (or Leury), 314, 448, 50, 3. 
 Liebesverbot, Das, 392. 
 Lies v. Truth, 75. 
 Life. See Philosophy of. 
 Lindemann, 201, 16, 79-80. 
 Lipinski (violinist), 240. 
 Liszt, 2, 33, 8, 49, 56, 76, 89, 115, 
 124-5,31,41, 57,69, 255, 
 257, 72, 84, 300, 35, 416, 
 475, 89, 93 et passim. 
 at Dresden, 416; jealous, 
 391 ; visits R. W., 376, 
 403, 10, II. 
 
 LITERARY WORKS, R. W.'s, 
 In general, R. W. on his 
 Works, 7, 14, 9, 50, 4, 69, 
 99, 102, 47, 223, 353, 
 464-5, 76. 
 Address to my Friends. See 
 
 below, Mittheilung. 
 Art and Climate, 29, 36, 42. 
 Art and Revolution, 2, 7, 15, 
 
 1 60, 192, 464. 
 
 Art-Work of the Future, 7, 
 1 1 -5, 20, i, 5-6, 8, 30, 5, 
 74, 91, 464, 7. 
 Autobiography, 248. 
 Coriolanus Overture, 179, 84, 
 
 189, 96. 
 Dresden National Theatre, 57 
 
 et seq., 66, 71-2, 4, 93. 
 Ein Theater in Zurich, 102, 
 
 475- 
 
 Eroica, 179, 189. 
 Goethe-Stiftung, 150, 61, 5, 
 
 1 68, 73. 
 Guide to Performance of 
 
 Tannhduser, 255-9, 73, 5, 
 
 291, 365, 8, 89, 480, 8. 
 
 Literary Works, continued. 
 
 Judenthum in der Musik, 47, 
 
 69, 161, 3, 472. 
 Mittheilung (referred to also 
 as "Preface to three Opera- 
 Poems ") 91, 112,7,35,41, 
 145,8, 56, 64-5, 8, 73, 211, 
 
 236, 353, 478. 
 
 Ninth Symphony, 153, 276. 
 
 Opera and Drama (see also 
 Wesen d. O., below), 84, 
 87, 90, 2, 4, 6, 109, 30, 5, 
 145, 8, 80, 224, 30, 8, 345, 
 353, 475 ; payment for, 91, 
 
 102, 5. 
 
 "Preface." See Mittheiliuig, 
 above. 
 
 Tannhduser Overture, 1 95, 
 206, 299. 
 
 Wesen der Oper (Embryo 
 of O. u. D.}, 74, 80. 
 
 Wibelungen, 6, IO, 30, 468. 
 
 Works contemplated : Ar- 
 tists of the Future, 7, 
 464 ; The Monumental, 52 ; 
 Redemption of Genius, 52 ; 
 Unlovely Civilization, 52. 
 Loans, f, 46, 248, 267. 
 LOHENGRIN, 
 
 Article by Liszt on, 76, 91, 6, 9. 
 
 Article by Uhlig on, 73, 5, 7, 
 
 85- 
 
 Composition of, 460. 
 
 Contemplated for Paris, 34, 
 
 Longing to hear Music of, 
 154, 171, 272, 426, 492. 
 
 Negotiations, etc., for per- 
 formance at : Berlin, 283 ; 
 Brussels, 89, 159, 167, 348 ; 
 Hamburg, 49 ; Leipzig, 49, 
 112, 352; Schwerin, 194, 
 268. ~
 
 INDEX. 
 
 505 
 
 Lohengrin, continued. 
 
 Opinion of, R. W.'s, 3-4, 1 66, 
 
 460, 491. 
 Production at Leipzig, 493 ; 
 
 Weimar, 49, 67, 472, 480. 
 Prohibition of Dresden per- 
 
 mance, W.'s, 119, 49, 291, 
 
 299, 352.4,6,411,93. 
 Rejection at Dresden, 412. 
 Sketches for (Heine's), 376, 
 
 380, 479-82, 5, 92. 
 Success at Weimar, 67, 76 ; 
 
 Wiesbaden, 376. 
 Unlicensed Performance at 
 
 Bremen, 408 (see 491). 
 
 LOHENGRIN-SCORES. 
 
 Autograph, 101. 
 
 Dresden cop}', 76, 101,348-50. 
 Full Score, to be engraved 
 by B. M. H., 101, 51, 4, 67, 
 366, 475- 
 
 Pianoforte Score, 4, II, 99- 
 
 ioi/7, 33,63, 74,257,475; 
 without words, 490. 
 London, 389, 395-402, 405. 
 
 R. W.'s operas thought 
 of for, 389, 396, 402. 
 Loneliness, 16, 32, 51. 
 Longevity, 45, 82, 288. 
 Love of Humanity, 9, 54, 463. 
 LQwe (Zurich Theat. Dir.), 217, 
 
 221, 356, 368. 
 
 Lucerne, 496. 
 
 Lumpaci vagabitndus, 26, 35. 
 
 v. Luttichau. See above, L. 
 
 M. 
 
 M. (Dresden Merchant), 41. 
 M. (Successor to X. in Wagner's 
 
 publishing business), 415, 
 
 417-8, 23-4, 9. 
 Mallinger, Frln. (singer), 497. 
 
 Mangold's opera (on same subject 
 as Tannhaitser), IO2. 
 
 Marie. See Heine. 
 
 Marschner's operas, 209. 
 
 Mehner (copyist), 367, 376, 429. 
 
 Meistersinger, Die, 497. 
 
 Mendelssohn, 190-1. 
 
 Meser (publisher of Tannhduser, 
 etc. ; see also X., Music- 
 seller), 126, 163, 352. 
 
 Meyerbeer, 33, 9, 47, 69, 96, 102, 
 235,395. 
 
 Michaelson (Berlin theatrical 
 agent), 254, 64, 86, 373, 485, 
 489. 
 
 Michalesi, 41. 
 
 Milk-diet, 279. 
 
 Misprints, 15, 20, 36, 41, 90. 
 
 Mitterwurzer (Dresden singer), 
 36i. 
 
 Monatsschrift, Deutsche (see also 
 Kolatschek), 29, 36, 42, 51, 4, 
 72, 88, 92. 
 
 Money-difficulties, 16, 24, 31, 91, 
 99, 126,78,204, 35, 57,67, 9, 
 274, 339, 80, 4, 97, 404-5, 48, 
 484, 9. 
 
 Money-help, 2, 9, 17, 22, 46, 99, 
 1 1 8, 26,44, 78, 205, 335, 42, 
 
 475- 
 
 Money-needs for carrying on art- 
 work, 19, 140, 144, 249. 
 
 Moods bitter, 98, 207, 267; buoy- 
 ant, 8, 144, 240, 5, 336 ; calm, 
 50 ; cheerful, 2, 22, 147, 358; 
 deprecatory, 100, 207, 421, 
 451, 4 ; despondent, 169, 243, 
 249, 385. 446-7 ; interjectory, 
 121,7; irritable, 43, 177,253, 
 401 ; melancholy, 16, 34, 7, 
 93, 396 ; solicitous, 277-9, 
 3i, 473-
 
 506 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Moritz, Mdme. (singer, Rockel's 
 sister),ii3,232,9,5i, 95,351. 
 
 Moscheles, 131. 
 
 Mosevius, 287, 294. 
 
 Motive, Thematic, 166. 
 
 Mozart's Don Juan, 10; R. W.'s 
 
 revision of, 195. 
 Symphonies, 197. 
 
 Music, 26, 84, 187, 209, 31, 8, 68; 
 instrumental, 301; "school- 
 master's," 271-2. 
 
 Musical Journals, 97-8, 135, 161, 
 224. 
 
 Musicians, " Absolute," 53, 185, 
 
 244- 
 
 Muhling (Frankfort theatre), 264. 
 Muller (Dresden Music-Din), 43, 
 
 276, 457T 67. 
 
 ,, Alex. (Music-teacher, Zu- 
 rich), 5, 10, 33, 164, 203. 
 Lieut. H., 121,2, 98, 201, 
 477- 
 
 N. 
 
 Natalie. See Planer. 
 National, 2, 7, 90, 237. 
 Nature, Beauties of, 123, 31, 235, 
 
 242, 45- 
 Nervous Exhaustion, 28, 9, 57, 
 
 146, 64, 70, 201, 7, 19, 43, 
 
 253, 8, 60, 77, 80, 8, 471, 6, 
 
 496-7. 
 New Year's Prologue (music by 
 
 R. W.), 392. 
 Newspapers, 15. 
 Ney, The (soprano), 396, 8, 9, 403. 
 
 NlBELUNGEN, DER RlNG DES,-- 
 
 Drama as a whole (see also 
 Siegfried's Death and The- 
 atre), 284-5, 382, 394-5. 
 478. 
 
 First idea of, 127, 36, 8-9, 44. 
 
 Nibelungen, etc., continued. 
 
 Method of instrumentation 
 
 390- 
 
 Pianoforte score, 390. 
 Poem of, 176, 207, 14,35.77, 
 297 ; private issue of, 234, 
 246, 52, 479, 82. 
 Rheingold: poem, 286; scor- 
 ing, 382, 3, 6, 7, 493. 
 Siegfried: poem, 304 ; music, 
 
 404, 414. 
 
 Walkiire : poem, 229, 33, 40 ; 
 scoring, 386, 9, 92, 404, 10; 
 home performance, 410. 
 Noack, 385. 
 Norway, 456. 
 Notices. See Press. 
 " Now do likewise," 68. 
 
 O. 
 
 Oberlander, Martin (Saxon Mini- 
 ster of Interior), 59, 66. 
 
 Offence to Friends, 207, 365, 71, 
 381,3,90,411, 85, 91-3. 
 
 Offence to theatre officials, 59, 
 62, 74, 258, 271, 459. 
 
 Offer my works," " I will not, 
 
 49- 
 Ollivier, F. (Liszt's son-in-law), 
 
 419, 21. 
 
 Onslow's overture, 401. 
 
 " One-toned chime," 465, 497. 
 
 Open air, 13, 229, 232. 
 
 Opera, 209, 220, 236, 456-7. 
 
 Opera-public, 76, 106, 140, 220, 
 
 351; 
 
 Operas," " I shall be compelled 
 to pass judgment on 
 my early, 80. 
 
 Order of performance of, 
 as desired by R. W., 
 352.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 SO/ 
 
 Operas, R. W.'s repugnance to 
 performances of his, 125, 
 386, 94, 420, 2, 80, 8, 
 
 493- 
 Orell and Fiitzli (Zurich firm), 
 
 44, 153- 
 Otto (Composer, ? Gumprecht), 
 
 77- 
 
 P. 
 
 P. (of Dresden, ? Richard Pohl), 
 17, 22, 4, 369, 99, 415, 82, 5, 
 
 495- 
 
 P., Madame, 117, 35, 43, 8. 
 Pabst's opera, 127. 
 Palestrina's Stabat Mater as 
 
 revised by R. W., 385, 
 
 410. 
 Papo (R. W.'s parrot), 93-4, 462, 
 
 474- 
 
 Paris, 2, 1 6, 8, 20, 4, 8, 31-5, 
 38-41, 4, 90, 272, 4, 307, 
 342, 90, 419-23. 33. 52, 
 462, 95. 
 
 Opera-plan, 2, 3, 7-8, 24, 
 28, 34, 7, 334, 40, 463, 
 470-2. 
 
 Conservatoire, 16, 38. 
 Patriotism, German, 21. 
 Pecuniary success, 249, 78, 90, 
 
 379, 80, 2, 406, 1 8, 95. 
 Peps (R. W.'s dog), 13, 48, 246, 
 
 257, 75, 354, 404, 62, 76. 
 " Permits " for scores (Zwangs- 
 pdsse), 258, 62, 4, 8, 70, 5, 
 371, 8 et passim. 
 Philharmonic Society Concerts, 
 
 389, 396-402. 
 Philistines, 43, 56, 1/2, 225, 46, 
 
 2 96, 338, 406, 61. 
 Philosophy and Ethics, 8, 53, 8l, 
 246, 84, 5. 
 
 Philosophy of Life, I, 8, 26, 37,. 
 45, 57, 82, 95, 172, 249, 77, 
 288-90, 8, 341, 461-2, 5-6, 9, 
 
 474, 8, 85- 
 
 Pianoforte arrangements and 
 scores, 3, 132, 54, 63, 
 202, 26, 428, 90. 
 
 strumming, 42. 
 Pichon (Zurich Barytone), 361. 
 Fillet (Dir. of Paris Opera), 449-50. 
 Piris (actress), 446. 
 Planers, The (Parents of R. W.'s 
 
 first wife), 204, ^74, 83, 371, 
 
 375, 8, 86. 
 Planer, Natalie (Sister of ditto), 
 
 12, 71, 143- 
 
 Plastic Art, 25-6, 50-1. 
 Poetry, 84, 230. 
 
 Polemics, 96, 8, 102, 223-4, 298. 
 Police, 3, 12, 39, 193, 375, 399. 
 Politics, 15, 21, 75, 157, 344, 5, 54. 
 Portraits of R. W., 41, 151, 3, 
 
 208, 10, 9, 372, 5. 483-6, 90. 
 Portrait of wife, 436. 
 Postal Receipts. See " Permits.'' 
 Posthumous Fame, 284. 
 Potpourris, 154, 227. 
 Practice and Theory, 58, 210, 24, 
 
 231. 
 Prager, Ferdinand (of London), 
 
 393, 4i4. 
 Prejudice, 50. 
 " Present state of things," 65, 75, 
 
 125- 
 Press. See Critics. 
 
 notices, 14, 200, 30, 48, 87, 
 
 2 9, 5, 7 et passim. 
 Prince Albert, 402. 
 
 ( ? of Saxony), 426. 
 Eugen, 351. 
 ,, of Prussia, 370. 
 Princess, A., 5.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Princess of Prussia, 283, 489. 
 Professors of Art, etc. (see also 
 
 Musicians), 14. 
 Programme-Music, 188. 
 Propaganda, 208. 
 Prophete, etc., 33, 9, 395, 471. 
 Prophetess, The (Die Sarazenin, 
 
 drama by R. W.), 379. 
 Publishers' predilections, 91. 
 Publishing business. See X., 
 
 Music-seller. 
 
 * ft 
 
 Queen of England, The, 399, 
 
 401-2. 
 Quotations and plagiarism, 92. 
 
 R. 
 R. See Reissiger, Ritters, and 
 
 Rockel. 
 Rausse (writer on water-cure), 
 
 "5. 2I 3 1 - 98,200,47, 68. 
 Reform (see also Literary Works, 
 
 Dresden Theatre, and Theatre 
 
 in Zurich), 64, 213, 225. 
 Reimann, 251. 
 Reinecke, 77. 
 Reissiger (Dresden Capellmeis- 
 
 ter), 175,231,40, 67,91,309, 
 
 310, 9, 24, 33, 8, 47, 54, 79, 
 
 412, 36, 8, 42, 53. 
 Reissiger's opera (Guitarrerd), 
 
 310, 9, 438, 42, 6, 7-8. 
 Religion," "A new, 14. 
 Reminiscences of youth, 436, 441. 
 Renown (see also Celebrity), 8. 
 Repertoire, Choice of, 80, 395. 
 Reports, False, 141, 203, 19, 31, 
 
 400-1, 18. 
 Republic in France, 19, 157, 176. 
 
 340. 
 Rest, 427. 
 
 Retirement and quiet, 414, 18, 
 
 496-7. 
 
 Revolution in Art, 19-20. 
 Rheinische Musikzeitung, 97. 
 Rheumatism, 25. 
 Riccius, 103, 199, 223. 
 RIENZI, 375, 8, 415, 60. 
 
 Autograph Score, 425. 
 Choir, Grouping of, 309, 1 1-2, 
 
 318, 20-4. 
 
 Dresden Acceptance, 437. 
 Production, 308-32, 
 416, 25, 33-48, 
 
 451-5- 
 
 Revival, 424, 428. 
 Negotiations, etc., for: Berlin, 
 460; Breslau, 424; Frank- 
 fort, 424 ; Hanover, 419, 
 424 ; Paris, 425. 
 Nights with Fischer and 
 Heine in Dresden, 410, 412. 
 Pantomime and Ballet in, 312, 
 
 318, 22-3, 5, 444- 
 Playing length, 314-7. 
 Religious obstacles to, 434-5. 
 Sketches for scenery, etc., 439. 
 Rietz (Leipzig conductor ; see 
 also Lohengrin and Tann- 
 hauser), 194, 204, II, 61, 74, 
 296, 488. 
 Rigi, The, 48. 
 Risse (Dresden opera-singer), 
 
 320, 360. 
 
 Ritters, The, 28, 36, 55, 124, 6, 9, 
 140, 4, 99, 205 et passim. 
 Emilie, 130, i, 2, 43, 75. 
 Frau, 22, 46, 70, 99, 160, 
 
 178, 475 et passim. 
 Julie, 115. 
 
 Karl, 13, 22, 3, 7, 8, 36, 
 41,51,6, 71, 102, 15,33, 
 147, 74 et passim.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 509- 
 
 Roger (French tenor), 150, 274. 
 
 Rossini, 69. 
 
 Royer, Alphonse (Paris), 495. 
 
 Rockel, August (Dresden Musik- 
 Dir., and editor of Volksblatt), 
 3, 4, 104, 13, 9, 29, 52, 65, 
 200, 8, 63, 5, 70, 414 et 
 passim. 
 
 Ruhlemann, 135, 59, 75. 
 
 S. 
 
 S, 55- 
 
 Sarcasm, 32, 9-40, 61 et seq., 75, 
 
 93. I7*i 329, 344,404- 
 Sattler, 136. 
 Schaffer, Julius (Lohengrin article 
 
 in Xette Berliner Musik Zei- 
 
 tung), 230, 6 1, 82, 5. 
 Schindelmeisser (formerly rival 
 
 candidate for post of Dresden 
 
 Capellmeister), 222, 41, 75, 
 
 291, 5, 48/, 9- 
 
 Schirmer (Dresden lawyer), 369. 
 
 Schladebach (a persistently hos- 
 tile Dresden critic (Vide C. 
 F. Glasenapp's Life ofR. IV.), 
 197. 
 
 Schlegel (contralto), 460. 
 
 Schlesinger (Pub. of Gazette Musi- 
 cale de Paris), 449-50. 
 
 Schlick, 5. 
 
 Schlurk, 284. 
 
 Schmidt, Gustav (Frankfort Ca- 
 pellmeister), 206, 242. 
 
 Schmidt, Dr. (formerly Leipzig 
 Theatre Dir.), 216. 
 
 Schnorr (painter), 276. 
 
 Scholl, 161. 
 
 Schoneck (Musik - Dir.- Zurich, 
 etc.), 175, 217, 357, 488-9. 
 
 Schroder-Devrient, Mme., 320, 9, 
 434, 6, 8, 42-3, 5, 6-8. 
 
 Schulze, Dr. Fl., 104, 1 19, 227, 303. 
 
 Schumann, 54, 102, 150, 212, 232. 
 
 Scores, Sale-complications (see 
 also X.), 113-4, 18-9, 24. 
 
 Seidelmann, 251, 299. 
 
 Semper, Gottfried (architect of 
 Dresden Theatre, in exile), 
 29, 30. 
 
 Shelley, 176. 
 
 Siegfried (Siegfried's Death), 2, 
 7> S 6 > 93, 297, 342 ; contem- 
 plated for Weimar, 49, 52, 
 67, 125, 31, 40-1 4-5, 8: 
 honorarium for, 46, 67, 105 
 (see also Nibelungen). 
 
 Siegfried (Young Siegfried), Io6 r 
 1 10, 297, 353 ; music for, 115, 
 472, 5- 
 
 Siegfried, Special rough Theatre 
 for, at Zurich (see also- 
 Theatre), 68, 223. 
 
 Signale, 116. 
 
 Silver-plate, Present of, 160, 168. 
 
 Singing, R. W.'s, 22, 410. 
 
 Sleeplessness, 29, 223, 80, 8, 304. 
 
 Snuff, 378, 462. 
 
 Songs, Modern, 181 et seq., 213,. 
 
 273- 
 
 Spohr, 363, 458. 
 
 Spontini, 10. 
 
 Spring. See Winter. 
 
 Spyri (Zurich advocate), 32. 
 
 Steche (Leipzig lawyer), 275. 
 
 Stockar-Escher, Clementine (por- 
 trait painter), 484, 6. 
 
 Stoicism, 208. 
 
 Stoger, J. A. (Prague Dir.), 256. 
 
 Sturm Koppe (Leipzig Theat- 
 rical Agents), 194, 211, 5. 
 
 Sulzer, Jacob (Zurich Town- 
 clerk), 32, 46, 248, 67, 75. 
 
 Swiss citizenship, 36, 86, 142.
 
 5io 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Switzerland, 4, 36, 56, 198, 335, 
 
 340, 2, 96, 476. 
 " Sympathy," 169. 
 
 T. 
 
 T. See Tichatschek. 
 TANNHAUSER, 
 
 Dresden production, original, 
 129, 236, 70, 8 1, 
 298, 460. 
 
 revival, 179, 259,65, 
 267, 81, 7, 90, 4, 9. 
 Negotiations, etc., for : 
 Ballenstedt, 378, 80; Basle, 
 413; Berlin, 239, 50, 3, 
 258, 62-3, 6-7, 83, 370; 
 489, 95 ; Breslau, 239, 25 1 ; 
 Brunswick, 379 ; Carls- 
 ruhe, 374, 6; Cassel, 367, 
 374, 49i; Coburg, 383; 
 Cologne, 268, 70, 5, 376; 
 Dantzig, 254, 371, 489; 
 Darmstadt, 374, 9, 489; 
 Dusseldorf, 252, 58, 70; 
 Frankfort, 206, 40, 2, 64, 
 270, 96, 35 i J Freiburg, 
 292, 371, 481; Gratz, 375; 
 Hamburg, 373, 4, 7 ; Han- 
 over, 254, 379, 387; K6- 
 nigsberg, 254, 373, 489; 
 Leipzig, 194, 203, II, 5, 
 239, 4i, 4, 7, 55. 61, 7, 9, 
 
 273, 5, 83, 93i 6 ; Magde- 
 burg, 376 ; Mannheim, 
 387; Munich, 239, 295, 
 389 ; Olmiitz, 379 ; Paris, 
 
 274, 420, 6, 94-5 ; Prague, 
 252 ; Ravel, 376 ; Riga, 
 254, 70, 86 ; Schwerin, 113, j 
 351; Stettin, 254, 489; ! 
 Stuttgart, 379; Wiesbaden, 
 222, 239; Wurzburg, 256, 8. 
 
 Tannhauser, continued. 
 
 Score, Engraving of, 429. 
 Pianoforte, 153, 63, 
 
 380, 92, 3, 415, 23. 
 Revision of, and new 
 ending, 113, 20, 8, 34, 
 214, 42, 53, 8l. 
 Sketches for scenery and 
 costumes, 239, 42, 4, 373, 
 481, 7, 90, 94-5. 
 Success, 299 ; at : Breslau, 
 281, 295 ; Cassel, 379 ; 
 Frankfort, 368 ; Freiburg, 
 482 ; Munich, 404 ; Posen, 
 488; Schwerin, 179, 94, 
 268, 356; Weimar, 76 
 (mutilations, 134) ; Wies- 
 baden, 295. 
 Text-books, 262-3. 
 Unlicensed performance at- 
 tempted at Pesth, 382-3. 
 TANNHAUSER OVERTURE, 
 
 Performances in London, 401-2. 
 Munich, 299- 
 
 300. 
 
 Zurich, 179, 
 
 205-6, 358. 
 
 proposed in Paris, 
 33, 5, 8, 40, 5, 
 89, 98, 340. 
 
 Theatre, Special, for the Ring (see 
 also Siegfried and Zurich), 
 67-8, 127, 40, 382, 94-5, 406. 
 Theatres, German, etc., 60, 80, 
 127, 40, 75, 35 6 > 82, 94, 414, 
 459, 88. 
 
 Theatrical managers, 78, 209, 487. 
 
 Theory. See Practice. 
 
 Tichatschek (Dresden tenor), 22, 
 
 78, 194, 320, 9, 32, 
 
 348, 57, 82,411, 4, 
 
 428, 38, 43 et passim.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Tichatschek as " Lohengrin," 409, 
 
 491. 
 
 Tieck (Poet), 276. 
 Tietze (memberof Dresden band), 
 
 5- 
 
 Times, The, 401. 
 "Tone-poetry," 185, 301. 
 Tragedy, 25. 
 Translations of R. W.'s works, 19, 
 
 28, 35, 9, 76, 89, 274, 422. 
 Travel, 28, 204, 18, 35, 42-9, 77, 
 
 283, 7, 380. 
 "Trifles," 147. 
 Tristan H. Isolde, 414, 5, 8. 
 
 U. 
 Uhlig, Theodor, 344, 7, 53, 7, 467 
 
 e t passim. 
 
 reproached, 43. 
 Wagner's intellectual in- 
 debtedness to, 86. 
 Uhlig's ill-health, 55, 86, 116, 20, 
 
 162, 250, 77, 89-90, 7. 
 last illness, 301-4, 63 ; 
 
 death, 365. 
 musical compositions,282, 
 
 292. 
 ,, Promotion to leadership 
 
 of band, 158, 62, 77. 
 Promotion to music-direc- 
 torship, 197, 240. 
 Reserve, former, 16. 
 Visit to R. W., 88, 109, 
 
 III, 58, 2IO, 53. 
 
 Visit to Weimar, 71. 
 Writings, 10, 5, 52-3, 70, 
 72, 5, 88, 92, 7, 104 (ar- 
 ticle on Tannhdnser), 
 121, 7, 80, 231, 7-8, 52. 
 Union Musicale (Paris), 38, 40. 
 "Uniform," Dresden, 63, 157-8, 
 466. 
 
 V. 
 
 Vaez, Gustave (French librettist), 
 
 1 8. 
 Verse, 213. 
 
 alliterative, 224, 230. 
 Vestri (Dresden opera-singer), 246. 
 Vieuxtemps, 272, 436. 
 " Villa Rienzi/' 88. 
 
 W. 
 
 W. "enthusiast," 224. 
 
 W. See Councillor Winkler and 
 Wirsing. 
 
 "War to the knife," 14. 
 
 Water-cure, 74, 80, 6, 9, 93, 115, 
 122, 30, 3, 42, 6, 201-2, 9, So, 
 353. 78, 478 et passim. 
 
 Wachter (Dresden opera-singer), 
 320, 360. 
 
 Weariness, 16. 
 
 Weber, J. J. (Pub. of Opera u. 
 Drama), 66, 74, 87, 91, 5, 6, 
 101, 5, 30, 475 et passim. 
 
 v. Weber, Caroline (widow of the 
 composer), 449-50. 
 
 " Widows' Committee," 43, 44. 
 
 Wife, R. W.'s (ne'e Minna Planer;, 
 3,6, 8,24, 31,48, 86,94,131, 
 134, 42, 72, 204, 69, 74, 330, 
 304-5, 40, 86, 462-3, 70, 95 et 
 passim. 
 
 illness of. 379, 403, 27, 52. 
 Wigand (Publisher), 2, 7, 10-3, 
 
 15, 20, 2, 8-31, 41, 4, 52, 66, 
 
 91, 467 et passim. 
 Wiland der Schmied, 18, 35, 7, 41, 
 
 1 80. 
 
 Wilhelm. See Fischer and Heine. 
 Will," " Force of, 19. 
 Wille (Hamburg), 287. 
 Winkler, Councillor (Dresden), 
 
 3io, 30, 433-7, 41, 6, 9, 53.
 
 512 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Winter, spring, and summer, 16, 
 68, 136, 62,204, 7, 14, 344, 478. 
 
 Wirsing, Rudolf (Theatrical Di- 
 rector, Leipzig), 241, 7, 51, 
 261, 7, 75, 96. 
 
 Wwman, 17, 44, 198, 205, 7, 10, 4, 
 220, 9, 43, 73, 300. 
 
 Work, 6, 1 6, 23, 68, 87, 9, 90, 
 in, 47, 68, 201, 29, 56, 66, 
 279, 94, 340, 86, 404, 63, 8, 
 493, 6 et passim. 
 
 Wolfel (Dresden copyist), 1 13, 54, 
 167, 78, 254, 350, 87, 90, 9, 
 407 et passim. 
 
 Wolsunga-Saga, 137, 40, 50, 62. 
 
 X. 
 
 X. (author), 134, 6, 60- 1, 3, 213, 
 
 241, 466. 
 X. (benefactor, ? Frau Ritter), 9, 
 
 17, 8, 24. 
 X. (Krebs or v. Luttichau ?), 162, 
 
 270, 284, 459-60. 
 X. (Music-Director at Zurich : 
 
 Hans v. Billow ?),69, 74, 78. 
 X. (Music-Publisher at Dresden ; 
 
 Meser ?), 113, 9, 24, 62, 202, 
 
 241,59,62,92,346,53,69,77-8, 
 
 380, 92-4, 9, 404-7, 19, 82, 
 
 X., etc, continued. 
 
 490 (see also M.); X:'s death, 
 408. 
 
 Y. 
 
 Youth and age, 14, 224, 416. 
 
 Z. 
 
 Zeitung (or Ncue Zeitschriff) fur 
 Musik (see also Brendel), 
 22, 47, 52, 4, 66, 70, 6, 92, 
 13. 5, 6 4, 5, 84, 90, 268, 
 292, 7, 472 et passim. 
 Zigesar (Weimar Intendant), 67. 
 Zurich, " Dear," 399, 472. 
 
 Friends, 32, 44, 48, 56. 
 Idea of special Theatre at 
 (see also Siegfried, 
 etc.), 102, 410, 72, 90. 
 Offer to R. W. of post of 
 Theatre-Conductor, 78. 
 Orchestra at, 27, 45, 69, 
 72, 4, 9, 152, 75, 9, 93, 
 475, 83, 6. 
 
 Wagner Concerts at, 155, 
 156, 67, 71, 3, 9, 94, 
 335, 340, 74, 490. 
 ,, Wagner's efforts for the 
 Theatre at, 79.
 
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