Dear Friend,
I am expecting a letter from you, but cannot wait for it, as I have to ask you about something ("Keine Ruh' bei Tag und Nacht") which must be attended to at once.
In the first place (en passant) there is an inquiry to be made at Leipzig of Heinrich Kirchner, the bookseller's agent, about the portrait. One hundred copies were sent to him some time ago by Füssli of Zurich (certainly more than will ever be sold, however famous you make me!).
Then I beg you to send me as soon as possible a score of Tannhäuser according to the original edition — without any changes, just as you find it. I specially want it — of course nicely bound (that's the main point!) — to give for a Christmas present to Baumgartner, as I have learnt that it will afford him great pleasure; and besides, he buys all my things out of his hard-earned savings. If you would put me under great obligation, you would send me this by post, please — and, at least this time, unpaid — and also half-a-dozen copies of those Palm-Sunday-concert-programmes to which my analysis of the Ninth Symphony is attached. I have always forgotten to ask for them; this time I made a note of it. If a copy of the new edition of the pianoforte score of Tannhäuser can be had already, I should be glad if you would send that too.
And further!
Get Wölfel likewise to prepare for the private library of my most illustrious self a copy of the Tannhäuser full score. Nothing is to be changed from the original score, except the ending of the Third Act and the introduction to the same! (1) Wölfel must alter the introduction according to the abbreviated form, so that the new manuscript may join on to a corresponding page of the original score; he must write the new on the same sort of paper, and with the same distribution of space, as in my score. The pagination, which through this will get out of order, he must set right by, for example, doubling or trebling the page number on the new leaves (190 and 191), etc. (2) He must copy the ending as he has already copied it for the score of the Dresden Court Theatre (I mean so far as paper and writing are concerned). I only wish the new ending to be made complete, exactly as I asked you to do for the pianoforte score, i.e., with the song of the younger pilgrims — well, you know; but it will be difficult to make this clear to Wölfel.
In this way I should especially like to possess a score of my Tannhäuser which would contain it just as I want it to be. The cuts which I only arranged on account of insufficient means of representation must naturally not be made here. Send this score to me when it is ready.
Concerning Lohengrin, I am really curious to hear from Härtels whether they will quickly take the score in hand. I specially need — and, indeed, very soon — a score for myself. If Härtels are willing at once to engrave it, they shall have of course the original score; and in this case I beg that Wölfel's copy — which, I think, must now be ready — be sent quickly on to me. But if Härtels delay, and only want the score for their stupid arrangements, etc., they must be content with the copy (a mistake or two will not matter), and then I beg for the original as soon as possible. So, best of men, reflect! Why should I want it? I will tell you; I am up to a bit of fun! I should very much like for once to hear the Vorspiel well performed by an orchestra. To manage this I must proceed most carefully, and in the following manner, as has been arranged and firmly settled. The theatre here closes at the end of June. For the first week in July I shall engage the theatre orchestra for an eight-days' rehearsal; for this very time I shall engage (or maybe only invite) the best musicians from Berne, Basle, St. Gall, etc., in order to gather together a good orchestra of from twenty to twenty-four violins, etc. I shall send on the parts beforehand to be studied. With this orchestra, and a body of singers selected from the best sources here, I shall rehearse for a whole week, morning and evening, so as then to give (i.e., to repeat) on two successive evenings the following performance. [N.B. The costs of this undertaking, to be recouped by raised prices, etc., have been guaranteed to me by connoisseurs of this place.]
Programme.
By way of introduction: Festal March and Chorus from Tannhäuser.
1st Part (The Flying Dutchman). I. (a) Ballad. (b) Sailors' chorus. II. Overture.
2nd Part (Tannhäuser). I. (a) Introduction to the third act. (b) Song of the returning pilgrims. II. Overture.
3rd Part (Lohengrin). I. The great instrumental prelude. II. (a) Scene for chorus from the second act (all the D major, beginning with the watch-tower song). (b) Wedding music (Introduction to the third act); bridal song; and then wedding music repeated.
This programme pleases me immensely: it presents chronologically the growth of my poetic instinct, in musical — so to say, plastic — outline. The ballad from the Dutchman at the beginning — the wedding music with the bridal song at the close: from the most visionary longing to the chastest realization; and everything between these two, just as it follows in the great process of our development. You quite understand my programme, do you not? It is a musical working-out of my preface to the three opera poems, which I imagine will be read beforehand by all who take an interest in me. In the programme I shall not hesitate clearly and directly to give everything necessary for comprehension; but I shall put the following explanation at the head:
If I wished to present myself completely as a dramatist, I could only do this now in an incomplete appearance: I therefore purposely show myself incompletely, displaying merely one side of my nature, so as thus at least to escape appearing full of gaps and void of clearness. If you want the whole of me, then do your part to make it possible.
I will tell you another time how I think it possible to give a performance of those three operas — perhaps in the summer of 1853 — in an equally thorough fashion as I am now attempting with these mere musical excerpts. Anyhow, my friends ought not to sit anxiously by and brood over interest and compound interest. For once, a few wretched shillings capital must be risked. However, enough of this for to-day! It will be a pity if I give my whole soul to the matter, and have always to hear a groaning hm! hm!
You have probably read Liszt's letter which I sent to Frau R.; is he not a noble-hearted, unprejudiced fellow? Even where he does not as yet understand me, he makes up for it by a grand enthusiasm.
K. is back again in Zurich: he will not go on with the cure (and in winter time I think he acts wisely: I also must seriously break off, as of late I went in for it too eagerly). At the beginning of the spring we are both going to Hahn at Horn. I can no longer trouble about a doctor, and I am bound to have one if I go on with my cure! End of March, April, May — I think by the beginning of July I shall be all ready for my rehearsals!
You probably do not expect me to say specially what I think of the latest Paris news! Are we both agreed that those were in error who wished to give to that circumstance an importance which it could not possibly have? It was the result of the previous reactionary conditions; thus, in my opinion, only a chronic symptom of illness, and in no wise a decisive, acute attack. (Are you aware, too, that the socialists did not once come to blows?)
So a struggle between two reactionary forces, which rightly (and fortunately) could but end in favour of the open, free force as against intrigue!
Farewell, good, dear fellow! Best greetings, and write to me soon!
Your
R. W.
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 48