Dear Minna,
I cannot write you much to-day, as I must soon go out, and probably shan't have another opportunity all day.
I received your letter last evening, and thank you for having so stuck to sending me a greeting here! I can tell you little cheering as regards myself. I bitterly repent having let myself be lured here; how I wish I had followed my instinct, and calmly stayed at work in Zurich! In the first place, they ordered me here much too early; since the day before yesterday have I been in this tiny hovel to no purpose at all, and mostly in bad weather. The real rehearsal doesn't take place till tomorrow, most of the bandsmen not arriving till to-day. Next, it isn't even a genuine Federal music-feast at all, but merely for the district; they will be glad to get an audience of 500. A poor orchestra has been run up in a small church: the whole thing as pitiful as possible. About 35 bandsmen are coming; the rest are nondescripts one had best not let join in at all. In short, this pickle makes me feel as if at a country fair where I had to masquerade as Kapellmeister, and I have a very good mind to decamp. I'll just hear how the church behaves to-day; if the echo is too great, and the orchestra, as I much fear, sounds mixed and indistinct, I shall transfer the whole mess to Herr Methfessel, who will lick his every finger for it, and get away. It is a pure effrontery, to expect me to deal with such rubbish; I am greatly put out at not having followed my own inclination and stayed at home. —
The Karls are very prettily lodged on the Lake of Geneva; I spent a day with them — unfortunately in pouring rain. He came hither with me; she — most sensibly! — remained behind. For the nonce I return to them: if the weather turns fine, I shall stay there; I've brought my work. Then I should tranquilly abide the time for fetching you. That part I've reckoned out with Sulzer: on the 25th we mean to reach you together at Seelisberg — he coming from Graubünden, I from the Oberland. Should the weather favour me, I shall cross the Gemmi — with Karl — and march through the Oberland; should it not, I shall simply come by Thun: all which will decide itself later. Then we should arrive in your exact 4th week of cure, and you would return with us to Zurich. —
Lord knows, I know of nothing else to tell you; beyond my journey, absolutely nothing has occurred to me, and I'm as put out as a devil at being here. The Karls have provisionally installed themselves quite daintily; she hasn't made at all a bad housewife. But the whole thing seems so curious to me! —
From Dresden I have heard nothing at all; consequently I know nothing definite about Fischer either, whether he has merely had a stroke — or really is dead. Therefore I shall not give way to the worst apprehensions even yet. — Your dream has no significance; Karl knows all about that. That you otherwise seem in fairly good spirits, as your letter bears witness again, rejoices me heartily; I am sure I shall find you in very good form. — Peps turned quite lively again, at the last, when he remarked that I was starting. The bachelors kept up the farewell fete until 3 in the morning! I had gone home already at 11. The savages!! —
Na, I must dress now, to take stock of the church. — I'll just wait for my verdict, before closing this letter. — Adieu for the moment.
6 P.M.
I will just conclude by telling you, I shall probably give in and remain after all; some of the Berne musicians would have been greatly disappointed. For the rest, I have been unable to take anything in hand to-day again; consequently I shall be sleeping the 3rd night in this hovel for nothing. Catch me doing it another time! — Presumably you will receive my next letter from Vevey; so, if you're writing at once, write me there:
Vevey, poste restante, Canton de Vaud.
Farewell, old Muzius; to a speedy, hale and hearty meeting! In worse humour I can never be, than here and now! Farewell, have your spit at the Grütli house, and hold dear
Thy faithful spouse R. W.
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 1 (H. Grevel & Co., 1909), No. 63