Dear Friend,
I really cannot imagine that you will again have to send packing-canvas to me at Zurich: in all probability the matter is now at an end. But keep the material, nevertheless: perhaps you will soon have to send it off in some other direction for me. The Leipzig people (in a foolish manner, through Sturm and Koppe) inquired about the honorarium for Tannhäuser. I have replied to Rietz, and promised the score, but only on condition that Rietz would answer for the quality of the performance. Within a very short space of time Tannhäuser has been given four times in succession at Schwerin, the subscription list being withdrawn, and with crowds from all parts (even by rail): the success is so great that they might soon try Lohengrin. Anyhow, they have commenced well there: for instance, they were very firm with the singers, who at first had to learn all the recitatives in strict time, and thus find out that they could not possibly declaim them better than as I had prescribed; only after that were they allowed a little liberty, etc.
Nothing will come of the Dutchman here this time: the manager wished to have the decorations painted at Munich, and for that it is now too late. Heaven be praised! So for the present I am rid of this martyrdom: Fischer and Tichatschek must hold that matter of the parts in suspense: after all they might be wanted.
Make your mind easy about the Tannhäuser overture! The Musical Society will send for the best fiddlers, etc., from Basle, Aarau, Schaffhausen, etc., nearly all of them German-born musical directors. I shall have eighteen to twenty violins, six violas, and five 'cellos, including a great virtuoso, Böhm (from the Hechingen orchestra). And then our little orchestra has made wonderful progress: the wind-players — clarinets, oboes, and horn — are first-rate. The Egmont entr'acte I had practised with the oboist, in my own room, as if he were a lady vocalist: the fellow could not contain himself for joy at what he at last produced.
At the first rehearsal of the Tannhäuser overture (which, contrary to all my expectations, went off exceedingly well) the orchestra begged me to give them an explanation of the contents, after the fashion of the Coriolan overture, because then they would be able to "play better." The explanation is ready: I enclose you two copies (one of them for the R.'s). The performance is announced for March 16th; item, the Pastoral Symphony, as a good contrast.
I have not kept my Don Juan arrangement (Bearbeitung). I had done nothing more than carefully shade the orchestration, translate the dialogue afresh, and condense some of the scenes so as to avoid scene-shifting; to that end I specially modified the scenes, and finally wrote a recitative for Donna Anna and Octavio, so as to connect the churchyard scene with the Donna Anna aria, likewise to avoid scene-shifting. After Don Juan and Leporello have gone over the wall, the orchestra softly prolongs the chord of F major; the two mourners (accompanied by servants with torches) come to place wreaths on the grave of the Commendatore; it is here that a short dialogue commences — mezzo recitativo — leading directly to the aria, which latter, when sung in the churchyard, gains a very noble and plaintive colour. Besides certain trifling changes, I did not, for instance, allow the great Quartet to commence with the stupid solo B flat in the bass while Elvira softly utters her complaint, but made Elvira sing the introductory words from the preceding recitative, "Treff' ich dich wieder, treuloser Heuchler," accompanied by the full volume of the string quartet, so that the B flat (full chord) is merely the close of that phrase, whereas it is generally placed (in ridiculous fashion) at the commencement.
That's enough about this patch-work! If you wish to give the article prompted by me a title and a name, I cannot — considering the purport of my remarks — I cannot at all see how you could call it "R. W. on the tone-poet B." I should think the following more suitable: "On the conducting of Beethoven's instrumental works"; or, if you wish to honour me also in the title: "R. W. as conductor of Beethoven's instrumental works."
A subject is here touched upon truly fatal to our post-Beethoven musical doings: in my opinion, nothing less than the proof that Beethoven, in his true essentials, is universally and absolutely not understood. I, at least, cannot view the matter otherwise, as I myself have become convinced that I, too, have only understood Beethoven since I sought for the poetical subject of his tone-utterances, and at last found it: Coriolan proves this clearly to me. I maintain that until now people, when they performed the real Beethoven, have only imitated and listened to a language of which they perceived only the outward sound, which indeed they only understood as you perchance understand sonorous Greek verse when you hear it recited; i.e., you take pleasure in the sound, now soft, now strong, now muffled, now clear, but you do not perceive the sense which is conveyed in this verse. Is it otherwise? What now is all our idolatry of Beethoven? Answer!
I have already countermanded my order to Brendel about the note (concerning the Grenzboten): it must be entirely omitted. They have attacked me with the commonest of critical blackguardism, and I should have had to take notice of Schladebach and company, if I had referred to them. They scent out death, and in dying show their real nature: base churls, that is what they are — F. at the head. If you doubt this, I will prove it you to a hair. So nothing more of this!
I do not advise you to take the post of musical director: you would become much more of a slave, and have many more disagreeables, than is now the case. If the post should be offered to you, you will completely crush L. if you tell him this straight out, and such an effect could only be an advantage!
I am heartily glad that your godfather-and-baptism-business is happily over. Luxurious being! I have never spent anything for the baptism of a child.
(I have procured four of the Mozart symphonies which I wished to produce at Dresden gradually; among these, the one in D major.)
I thank you for your garden-concert propaganda of Lohengrin: do as you like in it. Unfortunately all this is quite indifferent to me, especially everything connected with Dresden. That is really the most miserable nest which I have come across on my earthly path.
Do not think it necessary to send me water-warnings: in Albisbrunn I followed the cure, and tried to get quite rid of my eruption. Here I am living according to Rausse's "Missgriffe, etc."
A morning wash of sixteen, now as much as twenty, degrees of heat comprises all. No compresses whatever. For the rest I am now passing through a crisis with regard to my future cure-plans, the result of which I shall shortly be able to let you know.
H. Müller has returned from Paris: he is now trying for a staff-appointment in the confederacy.
Some new acquaintances have forced themselves on me: the men are highly indifferent to me, the women less so. Thus it is with some Swiss families of the aristocracy here (I refer only to the women!). I am astonished to find so much vivacity and even charm amongst them. On this occasion I take the liberty of advising you: do not be alarmed on my account! There will be no "scandal"! I can no longer take pleasure in men, nor even in women: yet this last element is the only one which now and then helps me to an illusion, for concerning men I can no longer cherish any. Thus I often play here with quite brilliant soap-bubbles; when our soft atmosphere in a moment causes one to burst, it amuses me to send another aloft at once.
Besides, Zurich is rapidly increasing in size: hundreds of elegant residences are being built this year, on account of the ever-growing crowd of well-bred, well-to-do foreigners who settle down here to escape from the worries of the rest of Europe.
Farewell for to-day! What is the matter with your letters? You dwell at length on trifles, and then when I am expecting something, hey presto! the paper is at an end!
Are you again domiciled in Dresden? Well, take this not as a reproach, but as a request.
Greetings at home and to the R.'s! They need not be anxious, they will not lose me! Adieu!
Your
R. W.
I should like to have the Wiland for my will: I think daily of death.
Ask the R.'s to salute the Bayer for me: I have a great liking for her, on account of her courageous behaviour in the eventual theatre conspiracy against E. D.
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 56