Dear Friend,
I also recommend to you a choice book, Musical Letters, by a well-known man (Riccius), Part I., Letter 25, "Male and Female Vocalists," p. 224, and, moreover, Part II., p. 157.
As motto one might take: "One should be very clear oneself before making an assertion."
This book was sent me here from the publishers, and I must confess to you that I was seized with the weakness to do some more scribbling for the papers. I wanted to write an open letter to Riccius for the Zeitschrift, give free rein to my humour, and honourably explain that, having once set R. awry, and not being able to restore his reason, I now wished to make him thoroughly crazy (à la Röckel), etc. That this plan at once filled me with disgust again, I point out to you in the interest of truth, and look upon it as a good sign of my recovery.
You are really very lazy with your paper, and you might be a little quicker to hand with corrections, etc. Apropos! is your notice of Oper und Drama ready yet?
I have not learnt anything very new from Dr. Graban's pamphlet on diet: with his revelations of Rausse's exaggerations the author comes somewhat post festum. Any one who has read Rausse's last work, "Missgriffe," must find it precious cool of Graban — who has enriched himself in all positive matters at Rausse's expense — to make so much of the mistakes which Rausse himself had already corrected, and from which, by analogy, one may well conclude that Rausse, had he lived longer, would have accomplished far more in the way of correction than Herr Graban will ever succeed in doing. In Rausse the fresh touch of nature specially appealed to me: Graban takes a middle course between what we might be, and what we actually are. He justifies the existence of the medical profession, and in this at least he is right, for we shall stand in need of doctors and the science of medicine so long as we live in our present condition. Graban is often downright trivial. But what interested me most was his confirmation of a matter which, after discussions with Herwegh and others, had already become quite clear to me, namely, the exaggeration, founded on want of knowledge, in Rausse's views on heterogeneous substances, the so-called poisons: I confess that my former firm faith in Rausse had led me in this respect into ridiculous self-tortures and absurd assertions. Well, in that matter you had your good share of blame!
I will write to you about my state of health and about my future plans of cure as soon as I have come to a decision, the determination of which I am waiting to hear from an uncommonly gifted and (despite his youth) experienced hydropathist, Lindemann by name, now living in exile in Paris. Kietz could never say enough to me about him: by a marvellously mild water regimen he cured him of a very serious complaint. In France he is now making a sensation: his cures, to several of which Müller can testify from personal knowledge, are said to be extraordinary; he knows me through my Paris friends and from my writings; he is very fond of me, and wishes I would consult him. His speciality seems to be nervous complaints. On principle he is opposed to cures in hydropathic establishments; he shows that everything is done there by rule of thumb. For me this is of great importance; for although I have the best will to do everything which will help me to get well, yet I have an equally strong dislike to a prolonged stay in a health-establishment. To my disadvantage I have found out that only very mild treatment is of any avail to me: my cure, therefore, can only be effected very slowly, and can merely consist in suitable dieting. It is quite impossible for me to stay half a year in a hydropathic establishment: to bid farewell to intellectual life and active work is with me the surest source of fresh uneasiness and suffering. I am awaiting Lindemann's advice. If I had the money, I would go straight to Paris and see him. I cannot fully explain to you on what my great faith in Lindemann is founded; it has not sprung up in a night. I have got so far that I place no faith in any system, but only in a specially gifted and sound physician, in an individual. For such an one I long, not for any fads. Still, you shall soon hear more. Tell all this to the R.'s, however.
You wrote to me last on February 28th. Since then — on the 29th — you must have received a letter from me. I thought you would have answered this by now, and wait again to-day in vain for it.
I thank you for your communication respecting Gutzkow and D.; I scarcely know what use I can make of it. Gutzkow is cunning. D. makes a wretched impression on me: he is the very type of a mind fundamentally narrowed by its weakness. Where he cannot comprehend anything beyond his own weak reach, it is so convenient for him to despair, and to console himself with the "imperfection" of all earthly things! Really the man deserves nothing but contempt. You have attached too much importance to my inquiry concerning him.
B. writes me that he wishes to publish, through the Härtels, two paraphrases for pianoforte of a March from Lohengrin, and of one from Tannhäuser: concerning the latter he must first consult X. I naturally give my consent, and X., too, will surely not be so enterprising as to wish to publish the Tannhäuser March all by himself: this would certainly not please B., as he would much rather have the two pieces brought out by the same publisher. On the other hand, X. might perhaps make some profit out of the thing, and (in the interest of the creditors) I must leave entirely to X. the answer which he will give to B.
One thing more! A. Müller, of this place, who bought a pianoforte edition of Tannhäuser when it first came out, would like to have the new ending. Many, in fact nearly all, who possess the old pianoforte edition would be of the same mind, and I therefore think it would be quite the right thing for X. to bring out a separate copy of the new ending, from the corresponding page onwards, and offer it for sale as "Supplement to the first edition." He would then have to send this off to those libraries where he originally placed the pianoforte editions. Naturally he should not have too many struck off, at most perhaps fifty; if these should not prove sufficient, it could be easily remedied later on. Only it would have to be properly advertised.
Up to to-day I have not had any answer from the Leipzig theatre. Brendel received from me some time ago a notice about my position here, concerning which many false reports are circulated. He was to use it as a note to a report received by him from Lorenz of Winterthur, of a concert performance here. Why is this not done? Remind him of it at your convenience.
I have now spent five days over this letter: I was always expecting one from you in answer to my last. You seem, however, to have counted on receiving news from me first! So let these lines go off.
We are having a spell of bright sunshine, and my spirits are improving somewhat. Ah! if I could only have a pleasant journey this summer to Italy. I am always devouring capital: how unfitting that, on the other hand, I get foddered with bare interest!! Farewell.
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. 57