Dear Heinemann,
I’ve just been to Paris - but only for a rendezvous with Liszt; when he left, I sent for my old woman to join me, and spent eight days entertaining her at the scene of our former sufferings. She brought your letter with her; I am most grateful to you for writing. You poor brute, you must really have toiled and sweated over the work - I can well imagine! As a reward you shall one day join me in Paradise! -
Even without having seen the results, I can well believe them to be wholly admirable, and I am certainly looking forward to seeing your work with my own eyes, since it has already so bedazzled Härtels that they intend publishing it against your will in a luxury edition.
Your remarks on the Weimar production showed me that on that occasion you had understood me perfectly in every instance: I have no doubts on that score. But there were a couple of occasions in your recent communication when it seemed as though you had lapsed into your old stage-costume mannerisms, causing me to shake my head in lively disagreement.
You think my stage directions are inadequate to depict Elsa’s bridal procession in the 2nd act, given the length of the music (and the artistic effect I aim to achieve here), and you suggest - as a prelude to the actual bridal procession - some kind of courtly ceremony, an idea with which I simply cannot find myself in agreement. There is far too much ceremonial here for the noble and naive simplicity of that period: Henry the Fowler knew nothing of marshals etc. in the sense in which they are later found: with him a “marshal” is the actual stablelad and so on; it was his son Otto I who (on accepting the Imperial crown) first introduced all this business associated with the Frankish-Byzantine court; he appointed princes as his marshal, butler etc. But what constitutes the local colour of my Lohengrin is precisely that we should see before us an old German kingdom, in its most beautiful and most ideal essence. Nobody does anything here out of mere routine or courtly custom, rather do the participants take a direct and heartfelt interest in every encounter; there is no despotic ostentation here, with its “bodyguards” (oh! oh!) “forcing the populace back” to form a “guard of honour” for their lordships. No, they are simple boys who provide an escort for a young lady, boys before whom the others all yield cheerfully and entirely of their own accord. I beg you, my dearest Heinemannel, for God’s sake get rid of all that dreadful stuff with the masters of ceremony, marshals, bodyguards etc; they must have no further place here. Let my Lohengrin be beautiful, but not ostentatious and - silly. Look at my “herald”, how the fellow sings, as though everything were a matter of personal concern to him: no machines!
It must be said that only a very large stage will be wide enough to allow the bridal procession the architectonic nuances I have in mind: in Paris it would take care of itself. In the case of smaller stages - since the music must not be cut - there is nothing for it but to delay the actual appearance of the main characters who make up the procession. However, on page 130 of the vocal score Elsa must actually pause - on the high ground in front of the knights’ quarters: she is touched and moved, and can lean for support on a lady-in-waiting - as though overcome by her feelings of happiness; only after eight bars does she then proceed slowly towards the minster, frequently stopping on the way, returning the greetings of the individual onlookers in her sincere and simple fashion. - In this way, not only will this fill out the scene, it will also turn it into what I really intended; namely, not a marchlike procession but Elsa’s infinitely rich and significant progress to the altar: during the music she herself has an uncommonly significant silent role to play, and this must hold our undivided attention.
I know - you will now understand me, and would have understood me at once if I had played over the music to you. Do it as best you can: but your gentlemen bodyguards etc. must go. -
Tomorrow I shall begin composition of my Nibelung dramas: I’m all ready for it now. Otherwise things are tolerable here: I spent a delightful few days with Liszt and his entourage! -
I have bought Wilhelm’s book: I am now in the process of reading it, and I must say that it gives me a great deal of pleasure to observe this man’s development. Give him my best wishes if ever you write to him; give your regards to Mama and Marie; and to the royal producer of the Dresden Opera I would ask you to convey my most brotherly gratitude for his loyalty. Fare you well, dear old fellow: write again soon!
Yours,
R. W.
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 167