Best Fellow and Friend!
A fair is being held in Zurich, and a foreign linen-merchant brought such excellent and ridiculously cheap linen to market, that the Wagner couple could not resist realizing a wish they had long, but vainly, cherished, to reform their very much-reduced washing. I had already done everything that appeared feasible to get in honoraria in arrears, but I so definitely counted on a prompt settlement on the part of the Leipzig S——, that, unsuspecting man as I am, I not only gave away my whole stock of louis d'or, but also gave my wife permission to spend all her housekeeping money, in order to make thorough use of the really unique opportunity for thoroughly fitting ourselves out with linen at an exceptionally cheap rate. Consider, then, what a crime you have committed by taking the Leipzig affair in so easy-going a manner! After I had waited a full week for the Leipzig money, amid ever-increasing lamentations on my wife's part over her empty housekeeping purse, there comes at last your letter of yesterday, treating this matter with such cold, calm composure, and opening up the prospect of seeing the matter settled in a week! Well, heaven will teach me how to bear even that! But may it enlighten you, and always keep you in the understanding that in money-matters I only recognize the equation: M. M. ♩ = 120. Besides Leipzig, I now definitely expect money only from Frankfort; excuses have been made to me from there on account of the change of directorship. Düsseldorf, in paying, announced to me that they had sent the postal receipt to Dresden for your inspection: I therefore held it quite unnecessary to say anything to you about the receipt of this money. Probably Riga also will give an order; Cologne appears unable to raise the ten louis d'or. For the rest, I am of opinion that the score-storm has come to an end for the present. If by Christmas Tannhäuser has succeeded in a few places, the opera will probably be wanted for other theatres during the second half of the winter. Previous to that I think you will have a little rest, on which I heartily congratulate you. I am sorry for X.: if I could suppose that my pamphlet had at the same time instructed him, the fright would have been only salutary for him; but as there is not the slightest hope of this, the whole thing must have appeared to him nothing but a humiliation that I caused him with a certain, and for him useless, cruelty, and for which I cannot for the life of me understand how he will set about forgiving me. For me, it was a necessity to protest against the Dresden performance of Tannhäuser, and against the opinion that it had satisfied me; this was still tingling in all my limbs.
Concerning Röckel, inquire of Härtels whether they have sent to Waldheim the things (three opera-poems, and pianoforte score of Lohengrin) ordered or asked for by R.'s sister? If they have, then inquiry would have to be made at W. as to what had become of them; and with this I have already commissioned R.'s wife, so that you would have nothing to do with it. Only if Härtels have not sent, I would ask you to see that Frau Röckel in Weimar receives the "three opera-poems" (for her husband): not the pianoforte edition, for I have already sent the score.
With regard to a notice about Berlin, do be most careful! The very passage from my letter to my brother, of which you wish to make public use, was one which my brother hesitated to communicate to v. Hülsen, through fear of offending him. How surprised would this intendant now be to learn of this suppressed passage through a public paper! It might appear more hostile than I had really meant it to be; I should therefore be glad to hear your notice were not yet printed, and that you could modify it in conformity with my communication.
Your last "Chamber- and Home-music" article I read with much interest: perhaps, though, you might have ventured to show up and call attention to some more foolish mannerisms, besides this certainly most characteristic cadence trick (Schlussmoment). When you attacked male part-singing, it was a great consolation to me: write something wholesale about it one day, and point out to the cunning blockheads that in modern male-singing there is revealed no momentum coming from below upwards, but one coming down from above, and indeed "coming down" in every sense of this word. In order to show what one may expect from this male musical mess, ask that one member should come forward and sing something: from the faint-hearted and pitiful bearing of this individual you may then conclude with what filth the whole thing is kneaded together, letting itself have howling à quatre drummed into it by schoolmasters, and thereby developing new art-germs for the future!
Pray do this. In consequence of a chill, I have been seized with a very bad catarrh: if I could properly nurse it, I might promise myself some good from it; but just now I am again saddled with a virtuoso, Vieuxtemps, whom I know and like well of old, and in his company I must daily spend my time. With him is Liszt's agitator, my Parisian acquaintance Belloni. From the latter I learn for the first time how it happened that the Parisian newspapers fell upon me in so solemn and so terrible a way. Belloni was ordered to spread broadcast in Paris Liszt's pamphlets on my operas, and naturally there arose a halloo in the camp of Israel. Belloni tells me now that my name at the present moment is famous in Paris beyond belief, and that I have only to go there to be certain that scandal would arise. I had really already conceived the idea of taking my wife to Paris this winter, if there were enough money for a few weeks' amusement, etc., and if I could manage the expense. I thought of engaging an orchestra for a while entirely for myself and a few friends, and having some things from Lohengrin played over, so that for once, at least, I might hear something from it. This fuss naturally makes the plan a doubtful pleasure.
Yesterday I saw a beautiful little estate: if I only could have it! Tell that to Lüttichau! I have sent a short answer to Franz. If I could only get a little agreeable rest! Yesterday a young lady told me what would cure me: she was very bold, and was right. Heavens, what a downright stupid fellow I am, to be such a crotchety beast! But so 'tis!
Farewell for to-day, Siegmund, father of Siegfried! Study Hafis! That is my advice to you!
Adieu.
Your
R. W.
Here you have a couple of epigrams, à la Schiller-Goethe, which might be used as mottoes:
I. This is music to think over. So long as one listens to it, one remains cold as ice; only four or five hours afterwards does it produce the right effect.
II. Superscription for melodies: "Chill and heartless is the song, but singer and player are politely requested to fill it to the brim with feeling!"
Source: Richard Wagner's Letters to His Dresden Friends, Theodor Uhlig, Wilhelm Fischer, and Ferdinand Heine, trans. J. S. Shedlock (Scribner & Welford, 1890), No. 82