Gracious me, dear Minnikins, I am quite hoarse from so much talking with - the - Queen! First she asked me what Peps has been up to? then, if Knackerchen was behaving himself? then, if I was taking anything back for my wife? - finally she asked after Sulzer, and whether Baumgartner had really come to grief the other day? and so it went on. Well, you can imagine all the answers I had to give her; in short, I’m incapable of uttering another word today.
Do not think that I am joking: I’m deadly serious - the Queen of England spoke with me at great length. And I can assure you that she is not fat, but very small and not at all pretty, with, I am sorry to say, a rather red nose: but there is something uncommonly friendly and confiding about her, and although she is by no means imposing, she is nevertheless a delightful and kind person. She does not like instrumental music, and whenever she attends such a long concert - which is certainly not the case every year - she does so only as a favour to her husband, who is rather more musical and who enjoys listening to German instrumental music. On this occasion, however, she really seems to have been impressed: Sainton, who was able to keep a constant eye on her from where he was sitting, assured me afterwards that she had followed my conducting and the performances with quite exceptional and intense interest: during the Tannhäuser Overture, especially, she and Prince Albert are said to have got quite worked up. But what is certain is that at the end of the Overture both of them applauded me most warmly when I turned towards them and that they smiled at me in a most friendly fashion; of course the audience followed their lead and honoured me on this occasion with a very marked and unanimous and prolonged round of applause. This was at the end of the first part of the concert, and the Court then withdrew to a refreshment room whither I was immediately summoned and where I was handed over to the Lord Chamberlain to be formally introduced. I treated His Lordship very triflingly; on the other hand, I must confess that I felt extremely touched when this friendly and homely Queen assured me in all confidence that she was pleased to make my acquaintance, because I was involuntarily reminded of the position in which she must have seen me, a position which could really not be more awkward or embarrassing. Here was I, a man pursued by the police in Germany like some common thief and who has had problems obtaining a passport in France, now being received in the presence of the most aristocratic Court in the whole world by the Queen of England herself and treated with the most uninhibited friendliness: that really is quite something! I did not scruple to tell her so, whereupon quite a lengthy conversation developed on the subject of my operas, a conversation in which Prince Albert - a very handsome man! - joined with the most gratifying interest. When the Queen ventured the opinion that my things could perhaps be translated into Italian in order to be given here at the Italian Opera, the Prince retorted, very sensibly, that my libretti were unsuited to this, and, in particular, Italian singers would have absolutely no idea how to sing them. In reply to this the Queen said, very naively - “but most of the singers at the Italian Opera are now German, so they would only need to sing in their native language.” We could not help laughing at this, and I retorted that, unfortunately, German singers had deteriorated a good deal, and that - if ever I planned to perform the great work on which I was now engaged - I should have to give serious thought to training my people first. I do not think they understood me entirely, but they expressed a concerned interest in what I was saying, and added that they were quite enchanted by the Overture; whereupon I thanked them for having asked to hear it, and assured them both that they had given me the liveliest pleasure through this demonstration of interest on their part. -
And so it was indeed: for although this evening can bring me no further outward success, it has given me a most agreeable sense of satisfaction, so that I can leave London feeling somewhat more reconciled than I did before. At the end of the concert both of them applauded me once again, in a most friendly fashion, directing their applause straight at me (they were sitting at the front, right next to the orchestra), and in that way encouraged the rest of the audience to add a fairly lengthy round of applause to their own. - My few friends here, who later joined me in my rooms, were beside themselves with delight. Prager had loaned me a white tie: he now intends keeping it as a memento of the occasion when a German demagogue wore it to conduct “God Save the Queen” in the presence of the Queen of England. You must understand that when the Queen entered the hall, the national anthem had to be played, and I had to beat time to it. It occurs to me that the German police should now let me in without a fuss! -
Basically, if this event has given me any pleasure, it is chiefly on your account, since I knew that my report of it would have a most cheering effect upon you: if you are eager for me to win honour, then on this occasion it has certainly been bestowed upon me in full measure, and there is no doubt but that I am much envied today. The press will not find it easy to swallow the idea that I have been revenged on them in this way: the critics’ fury may well know no bounds. I am making you a present herewith of this whole incident; do with it what you will; if it would give you satisfaction to do so, you may pass on some of the details of the report to Marschall or Spyri, so that they can put something about it in their newspaper. But I am inclined to doubt whether the papers will report much of what has happened. -
I am still planning to conduct my last concert (a hellish task on each occasion that I would not wish to go through again for all the money in the world.) - and then take my leave with the greatest possible sense of contentment. In 14 days’ time, at 8 o’clock in the evening, my train leaves London-bridge!!! May my journey’s end be a joyful reunion with you! Fare you well, Muzius; be of good cheer! Cordial greetings to all our dear friends from your
Knight of the Order of the Garter.
The Queen had already heard of my beautiful satin trousers: I’m having to send them to the Palace for her, so that she can have a pair made for Prince Albert. But I doubt whether they’ll turn out a success without Mistress Poseck.
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 188