Dear Cosima,
The beautiful letter you wrote to me in French and for which I must thank you most warmly has aroused in me a new reproach. You claim to like me and to wish to be of help in whatever way you can, yet it occurs to none of you that, if an attempt is to be made to perform Tannhäuser in Paris, no one who is a Frenchman through and through can possibly understand the poem and translate it properly. I have heard both from the Altenburg and from the Anhaltstrasse that some Pole or other was intending to translate my operas, or Tannh. in particular. Now that I am in a position to take the matter more seriously, I find myself standing here utterly helpless, although I know of a young and enthusiastic female friend who has produced a very fine translation of Hebbel’s Magdalene, but who has of course never given a thought to translating Tannhäuser. And so I sit here abandoned by all who claim to be my friends. -
As you know, a young French aspirant by the name of de Chamal has set about the task of translating Tannh. I read through the first act, and my first thought on doing so was - : it’s impossible! The young man has a female relative who knows German, and who has provided him with a literal translation; it is on the basis of this that he has produced the French verses which in themselves may not be at all bad. He did not have a vocal score. A year-and-a-half ago, shortly after my last visit to Paris, I asked Blandine to buy a vocal score on my account and to give it to de Chamal; I received the reply that this had been done, and so I assumed that the poor man had been adequately provided for in his work. This, however, was not true. Blandine lied to me, which now explains various other statements in your recent letters where certain things were claimed to be true. At all events, the Olliviers have done nothing for me, nothing at all: well, I cannot force them against their will. - But back to the point! - I am persevering with a translation of Tannhäuser. What has persuaded me to do so is less the consideration of any financial advantages than the fear that it will presumably be possible only after my death to transplant my operas to France, but that by that time I shall no longer be in a position to exert any influence on the translation, which I know would be exposed to the most absurd distortions. And so, as a good father, I am making provision for my children in perpetuity. For my own part, I intend, with the help of my little author, to attempt to beat some sense into the translation, but I am bound to doubt in our success. That is why I am now inviting you, my dear child, to set about producing your own translation of Tannh., as you ought to have done long ago. You and Hans together are bound to produce the best version. In doing so, you would, I believe, do well to observe the following maxims. It will be quite impossible to produce a translation which follows the nuance of expression from phrase to phrase if, in doing so, you intend to retain the rhyme throughout. De Chamal’s work has convinced me that the greatest evils are due to this, and this alone; the use of rhyme serves no purpose whatsoever and is completely inaudible in my music, which is why it is now disappearing; worse than that, it generally distorts the structure of the free periods. The French of course cannot conceive of a line of verse that does not rhyme: very well! The unrhymed lines can be published as prose, and an explanation can be appended to the libretto - to forestall any possible criticism - announcing that, at the composer’s insistence, the translator, when confronted by a choice between rhyming verse which does not conform to the music and unrhymed lines which fit the music perfectly, decided in favour of the latter. It would, moreover, be a matter of complete indifference to me if these “verses” were to be criticized, providing that the dramatic effectiveness of the music, together with the words, turned out a complete success. - Furthermore: wherever the rhythm of the melody is of decisive importance, as in the Pilgrims’ Chorus etc., you must try as far as possible to adapt the words to the musical phrase: where, by contrast, the delivery is freer, I am perfectly prepared to conform to the verbal phrase in the musical declamation, too. I insist only that you follow the exact nuance of the phrase, since there can never be inversions of this nuance without destroying the character of the music. - Now see what you can produce. But work hard, and then I shall be satisfied!
Daniel’s illness worries me very much. Tell him to look after himself. Give him my very kind regards and every good wish for his recovery.
All my acquaintances are still à la campagne. Only Mme. d’Agoult was there, but could not receive me since she was just on the point of leaving pour chercher le soleil d’Italie. - I am now looking for an apartment where I can stay for some time, and I am feeling tolerably well. Give my regards to Hans, remember me with affection, believe in my friendship, and work hard, so that I can believe in yours!
Yours,
Richard Wagner
Source: Selected Letters of Richard Wagner, trans. and ed. Stewart Spencer and Barry Millington (W. W. Norton & Company, 1988), No. 247