My good Mutz,
I sent off the views of Venice yesterday; I hope you will find them on your arrival in Dresden, where I also hope you will come to a little rest soon. I've had no further tidings of you since your last; I should have been glad if Tröger had written me, but shall henceforth go by Pusinelli. — Everything within me is becoming so calm now, that I keep hoping you must also share that happiness ere long. —
To-day, however, I intended to amuse you a little with Venice. The pictures will do the best for that. I have sent the chief views coloured, although they're not exactly works of art; only, with Venice the vivid colouring has so much to do with the effect, that one can really form no notion of it from mere black outlines. The Doge's Palace and church of S. Mark look just as bright and dazzling in reality, as in the pictures. I have marked the photographs on their backs; a portion of my palace comes into one of them, though unfortunately not the part in which I dwell: still, it will give you some idea. On the big bird's-eye view of Venice I have made a red cross where my palace stands; going up the Grand Canal you must keep to the left, and at the first big bend you'll find it.
I also have enclosed a folk-group that pleased me most; these are the feminine water-carriers, who really have a very original look. The other women of the people do not shew up to their advantage, and in particular would be improved by some sort of head-gear, which I miss in them greatly. True, they expend very much art on their coiffure, and that is why they go about bare-headed; but unfortunately the good girls can't tidy up their hair except on Sunday, and never again in the week, so that of a Saturday they look like tousled hags. Among the men, the sailors are often very interesting; striking physiognomies, with red caps à la Stumme von Portici. But your subscriber chiefly mixes with the gondoliers, who naturally play a big rôle in Venice; they try to overcharge you when they can, but I am already well known in my district and no longer treated by them as a foreigner, which makes it easier and cheaper for me. They all have fine, clear, powerful voices. Nothing is more thrilling, than when one hears a solitary gondolier on the Canal at night suddenly begin with plaintive accent "O Venezia!" etc.; it's quite unique. Then one hears them answering one another from the distance with a kindred chant, until it dies away; which has quite an indescribable effect. Moreover, there is a regular Gondoliers' Vocal Union, with a workman at the Arsenal for conductor and composer; the voices are wonderfully sonorous and robust. For the upper part they have altos, which lends their singing quite a novel character; and then they sing the most diverse kinds of ballads in the folk-style, all with incredible precision, purity of intonation and nuance. They usually get hired by strangers to make a slow tour of the whole Canal on a gondola lit with coloured lanterns; which is followed by a lengthening train of boats with listeners, amid great silence, and actively applauded from the windows. They have often entertained me, on my balcony, very finely in this fashion. — That sort of thing here constitutes the limit of my enjoyment from without; otherwise I adhere to my retirement, and see no one but Karl. I have to keep off friends by force; the other day, however, a prince pursued me down the Square, and regularly buttonholed me. This time I didn't regret it: it was the Russian Prince Dolgoruki, who really is a very clever and highly-cultured man; he told me a lot about Lohengrin, which he had seen in Vienna, and gave me many very interesting details. As he is soon going away, I make an exception of him, and have allowed him to call. Otherwise I'm merciless; I have had a Count Kalenberg dismissed twice over. Already I am as well known to the Austrian officers as a spotted dog; they always make for Karl to get my news. Unfortunately I have been unable to avoid coming into contact with the local military bandmasters. Perhaps you know that the Austrian military bands are excellent? Well, there are three of them here, which take it in turns to play in S. Mark's square of an evening, when the whole of Venice is on its legs. One of these bandmasters got round my landlord, but I had him turned away. In the evening I heard the Tannhäuser march performed by him, however, and the dragging tempo vexed me; so I sent him word that the next time he gave anything of mine he must let me know first, that I might shew him the correct tempo etc. He promptly fetched me to a rehearsal of the Tannhäuser overture, for military band! That was in barracks, and all the officers dropped in. It really went quite well, against all expectation. — But then the bandmaster of the Royal Marines got hold of Karl, and begged him to persuade me just to honour him as well: he wanted to perform the overture to Rienzi. What else could I do? I had to go off to the Marine barracks, where a regular high-ceremonial reception awaited me, all the officers en masse. The overture went very well; I heard it from the restaurant with Karl, over dessert and half a bottle of champagne. — Next day the bandmaster of the Hungarian regiment announced himself, with pieces from Lohengrin: but I dismissed him for the nonce. —
There — those are about all my adventures; otherwise everything is going very uniformly. I am glad to be back at my work; I'm at it hard, and even take the evenings now for instrumenting. It is all becoming very beautiful! I have heard nothing decent from abroad for ever so long; for some time past no news at all, or else unfavourable. Unfortunately, things will not go so swimmingly with "your" Rienzi as could be wished. They all would prefer something new of mine; but the worst is, that the cursed subject gives such trouble. The day before yesterday I received a great shock through it; I was already expecting the fee from Munich, and rejoicing in the ability to forward Heim his cash at once, when Lachner writes me: Unfortunately the reading committee has decided that, in view of the present rigorously Catholic trend at Munich, the production of Rienzi would be quite out of the question on account of the religious topics occurring in it, and accordingly the score cannot be accepted. That was a knock-down blow, and I fear it will be exactly the same in Austria; even of Prague I've no more hope now. What makes things worse, is the subject's having a political, as well as an ecclesiastic splinter. That, at any rate, is to be feared no more with my poorer, later and latest works (a rub for you!). Even that wearisome dolt Ed. Devrient has treated me to a refusal; he is again on the eve — so he writes me — of breaking with Carlsruhe! What a chapter of absurd confusions! I must try and pull through, however, and so am very busy corresponding; but thus much is certain — I cannot count much on Rienzi, as you will see. My Tristan, on the contrary, will go off next year like hot cakes; even now I am continually having to mollify theatres all clamouring for the first performance. Thus Darmstadt, also Munich; I've had to promise Prague at least to give them second place with this opera's production. — For Rienzi my main hope now is Hanover; but I've had nothing from there as yet. Don't you get anxious, however, and deny yourself nothing; it will all come right! —
And now be heartily welcomed to Dresden! Lord, how delighted I shall be to hear that you're getting a little rest and some comfort in your provisional small abode! It will come for certain, poor dear Mutz; your health, so much dependent on your frame of mind, will gradually improve; the most distressing symptoms will vanish step by step, and you'll draw courage and pleasure from life again. I build great hopes on Dresden; much will suit you there, for sure, and if only you regain sufficient strength to pluck yourself from troubling fancies, you'll already have so much to reconcile you to the present, that at last you'll also pluck up courage for the future.
To begin with, give my heartiest greetings to Tichatscheck and Frau Pauline. Lord knows how gladly I'd be with you all! — You ought to be pitying me — and yet I have to keep consoling you! Tell Tschekel it's a bargain that we're to be chiselled for Dresden. And greet Heine and Fischer; I'm going to write to Pusinelli. And good, good Fipsel, greet him a thousand times; he's not to over-eat himself! A good thing the red-tail is coming — else!! —
Now adieu, farewell, good Mutz, and you shall have a thorough good buss for the first night's good sleep you can write me of; so do your best, and hold me dear!
Thy R.
Please tell me the house-number, and whether your lodging is left or right of the parterre. — A good thing you have no stairs to mount! —
Source: Richard to Minna Wagner: Letters to His First Wife, trans. William Ashton Ellis, Vol. 1 (H. Grevel & Co., 1909), No. 149