Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt Volume II Part 3

152.

For five days, dearest Richard, I have been in bed suffering from catarrh and intermittent fever, and shall probably have to be very careful till next week.

I wrote to Dingelstedt long ago, and asked him to reply to you direct and make the contents of his letter as weighty as possible. Dingelstedt is a gentleman, and will no doubt behave in such a manner as will satisfy you.

"Lohengrin" and "Tannhauser" were given here last week. On the first occasion the house was illuminated, because the Grand d.u.c.h.ess visited the theatre for the first time since her confinement. Gotze (at present professor at the Leipzig Conservatoire, previously for fifteen or twenty years tenor at our theatre) sang "Lohengrin," and gave the lyrical portions of the part with much greater effect than had previously been the case. He had studied the part thoroughly at numerous performances, both here and at Leipzig, and therefore sang the music with absolute certainty. "Tannhauser" drew, as usual, a full house; at the "Lohengrin" performance many strangers who had only arrived in the afternoon had to be refused admission.

Pohl's wife played the harp part very well, and I asked him to write to you about the performance. Pohl is a zealous and warm adherent of yours.

The newspapers announce that you are going to conduct the impending Musical Festival in Canton Valais. Is there any truth in it? What part will Methfessel take in the direction? Let me know about this, as I have been asked several times.

I had got so far in my letter when yours was brought to me.

That is once more a dark, hopeless complaint! To help or to look on calmly--the one is almost as impossible to me as the other.

After the experiences I have had, and of which I told you only the smaller part, I can scarcely believe that the King of Saxony will perform the act of grace desired by us. However, I will try again. Send me your letter to his Majesty. I hope it will be placed before him soon and in the best possible way. Our Grand Duke is for the moment absent, and I shall not be able to see him before next week. Write to me at once, and concoct your letter for Dresden, which you must send to me open.

I have looked out for the copyist you require for your "Nibelungen." It is difficult to find the proper individual who could undertake such a task. I know several young men who would willingly try, but they are not sufficiently skilful and competent. I have sent a message to one of my former friends at Berlin asking him whether he could place himself at your disposal. With him you would be quite satisfied. In case my inquiry leads to a favourable result, I will let you know. You ask me how I am ...

"When need is highest, G.o.d is highest."

Do not be anxious about my indisposition; it will soon be over, and my legs have to carry me a good way further still.

Your

F. LISZT.

153.

DEAR, DEAR FRANZ,

I can never complain to you again. I go on worrying you with my confidences in a sinful manner, while you keep your own grief to yourself. My troublesome candour knows no bounds; every drop of the fount of my sorrow I pour out before you, and--I must hope that that is the very reason why you are so silent as to your own circ.u.mstances. But I begin to feel that the best remedy for our sufferings is sympathy with those of others. My only sorrow today is that you hide your grief from my sympathy. Are you really too proud to let me know, or do you refrain from giving me back the painful impression I made on you with my complaints, because you were unable to a.s.sist me? Be it so, dear friend; if you do not feel the want of making a clean breast of it all, be silent! But if you do feel such a want, then esteem me worthy of listening to your grief. Do not think me as weak as I may appear to be. My difficulty lies in the abominable meanness of my situation; but of that I can take a larger view if some strong sympathy induces me to break with my habit of thought. I think I have said enough.

If more were needed, even this would have been too much.

a.s.sume henceforth that all is right with me; that I have no other care but that which your troubles give me.

The letter to the King of Saxony I shall leave alone; I should not know how to utter any truth in it that he would comprehend, and to tell lies I do not care; it is the only sin I know. I shall finish my "Nibelungen;" after that there will be time to take a look round the world. For "Lohengrin" I am sorry; it will probably go to the d-- in the meanwhile. Well, let it go; I have other things in my bag. Well then, I have once more needlessly troubled you.

Dingelstedt has not replied to me yet; he will have difficulties; it is not the custom to pay decently for dramatic work. Neither do I know how to oust X. from "Tannhauser." He is said to be a complete a.s.s and a blackguard to boot. Hartinger, the tenor, is very good and full of his task; but it was just he who told me that he did not see how X., even with the best intentions, could execute such music. You of course I cannot expect to venture into this wasp's nest of Philistines.

The Konigsberg manager has replied to me, saying that he has no idea of producing "Tannhauser" at Berlin. What nonsense Herr H.

has been talking to you! Do you care to write to him about it?

Do not misunderstand me if now and then I leave something concerning myself unmentioned to you. The cause generally is that I attach no importance to it. The truth about the Valais Musical Festival is as follows. The committee asked me some time ago to conduct that festival, which I flatly declined, declaring, however, my willingness to undertake a symphony by Beethoven (that in A) if they would appoint for the festival proper another conductor who would agree to that arrangement. This they readily accepted, and engaged Methfessel, of Berne, who is quite devoted to me. In their announcements they think it useful to put the matter in such a way as to make it appear that I have undertaken the direction of "the Musical Festival" conjointly with M.

Perhaps it was this that surprised you. Altogether not much that is "musical" can be expected from this gathering. People frighten me about the orchestra they are likely to bring together, but there are even greater doubts as to the collection of a decent chorus. As, moreover, they are going to have only ONE rehearsal, you will easily understand why I did not want to have much to do with the affair, and especially had no thought of making propaganda. Latterly, it is true, they have asked me to produce something of my own, and I have given up to them the "Tannhauser"

overture, but with the condition that I must see myself whether they can manage it; after the rehearsal I shall be at liberty to withdraw it. The whole thing attracts me only because it gives me an opportunity for an Alpine trip (by the Bernese Oberland to Valais). In the same sense I have sent out invitations right and left, especially to Joachim, who had already promised me his visit for the summer, and whom I have asked to arrange so as to be here about that time; he might in that case do a little in the "festivalling" line in Valais. B. I also invited, but to YOU I had so many other things to write at the time that I forgot about this invitation, and the same might easily have occurred again today. However, how do matters stand? You are sure to come to me, are you not? And will you follow me across the Alps? It is to be at the beginning of July.

If Joachim would like on the same occasion to let me hear something, I could easily get him a regular engagement for the festival.

To Brendel I have been owing a letter some time for his book; I don't know what to write to him. All that is very well, and those who cannot do anything better should do what these people do, but I have no inclination that way any longer.

By your activity, however, I am delighted. What a lot of things you do! Do not think I am indifferent because I keep silence; no, I am really glad! May you succeed in all you do! About this another time.

The clean copy of my scores I shall, after all, have to make myself. It would be difficult to compile it to my liking, especially as the sketches are frightfully confused, so that no one but myself could make head or tail of them. It will take more time; that is all. Many thanks for your trouble in this matter also. We may perhaps talk about it; and if it tires me too much, I may still make use of your Berlin friend.

G.o.d bless you, dear Franz; you must soon let me hear MUCH, ALL!

Have confidence in your devoted

RICHARD.

ZURICH, MAY 2ND, 1854.

While I am composing and scoring, I think only of YOU, how this and the other will please you; I am ALWAYS dealing with you.

154.

(FROM HERR VON HULSEN.)

MUCH-ESTEEMED DOCTOR,

In reference to our conversation when I had the honour of seeing you at Gotha, I beg to ask,--

If I should wish to produce "Tannhauser" at the beginning of next winter, what would be the conditions?

Be kind enough, dear sir, to let me have your answer as soon as possible.

With the greatest esteem,

Your obedient servant,

HULSEN.

BERLIN, May 17th, 1854.

[MY ANSWER.]

DEAR SIR,

I have the honour to return the following answer to your question as to the "conditions" of the performance of Wagner's operas in Berlin:--

It need not be explained at length that the performances of "Tannhauser" and "Lohengrin" which have so far been given by theatres of the second and third rank, satisfactory and creditable for them though many of them have been, cannot be accepted as a standard for the performances contemplated at Berlin. For the very reason that Wagner attributes special importance to the Berlin stage, he has asked and commissioned me to a.s.sist him in this matter as a friend and an artist, and has given me unlimited power to act for him. The conditions are really none other than a dignified and adequate representation, which would guarantee a more than ordinary success for these works. The latter result is not doubtful to me provided that the representation is worthy of the Berlin stage, and I venture to think that you, dear sir, would share this opinion after the final rehearsals. But in order to arrive at rehearsals at all, I consider it necessary that a conclusive and brief conversation should without delay take place between you and me to settle the following points:--