Annals for 1850:
Liszt points to Paris. Idea for ‘Wieland the Smith’ — for Paris. (G. Vaéz) — Jessie Laussot’s letter from Bordeaux. Frau Ritter sends me via someone 500 thalers from Dresden. Decide to travel to Paris. Very ill. Nerves overwrought, loss of voice: wrong treatment. Minna refuses to agree to abandoning Paris: nasty presentiment of the futility, the useless sacrifice of money; great weariness. Minna inconsolable over Zürich future. Set out in profoundly bad humour. Travel beginning February. — Paris. Rue de Provence. Very ill. (Dr Meding). Seghers about Tannh. overture. Comes to nothing. Belloni. Semper. Kietz, Anders. Agent from Ministry. — Wieland elaborated in greater detail. — ‘Art and Climate’ (Art-Work of F. published. Only half my payment.) Greatest aversion to any Paris undertaking. Ambigu comique: 4 fils d’Haimon. Notre Dame. (Genre premier). Another letter from Laussot. Pour out my troubles to her. Invitation to Bordeaux; revelations concerning Ritters’ interest in me. Mid-March by diligence to Bordeaux. (Orléans. Tours. Angoulême: — Gironde steamer.) Eugene Laussot. Cours du 30 juillet. Jessie: Mama Taylor. Relief. Sympathetic element. Become aware of marital dissension. Inquire of J.: — whether I ought to depart? ‘No’ — Music. B major Sonata (Beethoven). Lohengrin. Acquaintances. Wieland received with sympathy, Siegfried’s Death with horror. 12 Muses. Frau Taylor reveals agreement with Frau Ritter to provide me with constant financial aid. Very uneasy farewell after three-week stay. — Back to Paris: much troubled by nerves. Hotel Valois. Not sleeping and filled with despair. Minna’s last letter to Bordeaux: beside herself at my wanting to return to Zürich without having achieved object. Whole affair brought up. Mid-April told Minna of decision not to return to Zürich at all: assign to her half the aid guaranteed me by Taylor and Ritters. Inform Bordeaux of this. At same time Jessie responds with decision to leave Bordeaux and put herself under my protection. Struggle to compose myself. To Montmorency: ‘Homo’ — family of hens. Letter to Liszt about Lohengrin. Minna said to be in Paris looking for me. Kietz as axis of world’s misfortune. (A. Franck.) Departure. (Clermont Tonnére.) Beginning May in Geneva. Villeneuve: Hotel Byron. Karl Ritter looking for me in Lausanne: get him to come and see me. Letter from Bordeaux reporting tragedy there. Decide at once to travel there: Letter to Eugene L. that I’m coming, and at same time to Jessie but saying nothing of my arrival. Mid-May three days by diligence via Lyons, Auvergne (Puy) (Dordogne) to Bordeaux (where fire burning). Passport difficulties at frontier. Hotel Quatre Soeurs. Wait in vain for Eugene. Summons to police station. Situation understood. Two days’ stay to recover from dreadful weariness. Letter to J. — now vigorously advising her to break with Eugene. House deserted: Leave letter in work basket in boudoir. Evening star anxious too. Back same way. Lyons. At Hotel Byron, K.R. waiting. 37th birthday. Frau Julie Ritter comes to Villeneuve with daughter Emilie. Great, new impressions of high-minded interest. Week of excursions. Part, after the leaving of assistance. Beginning June, with Karl to Valais, Vispertal, Zermatt, Matterhorn. Lengthy stay abandoned. After two days (Corpus Christi) by way of Lausanne — Geneva — Bern to Thun: attempted to settle. Karl melancholy. Odyssey gives great pleasure. Letter from Liszt: Lohengrin performance decided. Much Proudhon: propriété. End June, Jessie L. to K.R. about me. Very bad feeling. Hear at same time of Minna’s receiving ill-natured report about me from Madame Taylor: furious, decide to explain. Karl sent to Zürich: returns and reports in good, conciliatory terms. Leave for Z. Villa ‘Evening Star’ at Enge, by the lake, with Frau Hirzel. Minna in bed in morning: ‘Not out of pity?’ — Papo, Peps, cheerful accommodation; garden. (Beginning July.) Old acquaintances: Sulzer superb. Money returned to Madame Taylor. — Kolatschek. Holzer. — Herwegh. — Attempts at composition of Siegfried’s Death. — Very loyal and intimate correspondence with Uhlig. Brendel: Zeitschrift für Musik — ‘Judaism in Music’. Dreadful sensation. — K. Ritter staying: moves out; goes to Weimar to Lohengrin. — With Minna. Rigi, Lucerne; 28 Aug: days of Lohengrin performance. — K.R. back. Wants to become music director. Engagement with Kramer. (September: ‘Opera and Drama’ begun.) October: Theatre. K.R. at Piano and conductor’s rostrum. Enormous spectacles. Freischütz. Send off for abduction of Hans Bülow. Both walk from Lake Constance in storm and rain. Hans reports for work: vaudeville. Good mood. Papa Eduard: avoids seeing me. (La Dame Blanche. Zauberflöte.)