Wagner had telegraphed from Tribschen to the king, to tell him that
some French friends, who had arrived in Munich, would be happy to see
representations of Lohengrin, _Tannhäuser_ etc., while they waited for
the _Rheingold. Lohengrin_ had already been announced. But, further
than that, a servant in blue and gold livery brought us, each morning,
admissions to the _galerie noble_, sometimes for the Royal Opera,
sometimes for the Théâtre de la Résidence; it was by order of the king
that we were accorded this favour, and we had the great pleasure,
alas! for the French alone a rare one, of being present nearly every
evening at productions of the tragedies and comedies of Shakespeare,
alternating with operas of Wagner.
In its relation to the theatre, the love which the Bavarians feel for
reconstruction and imitation produces the best of results: the plays
are very carefully mounted, and the scenic effects very fine and exact.
We had the pleasure of seeing, in the space of a few weeks, _Richard
III., A Winter's Tale, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Two Gentlemen
of Verona, Lohengrin, The Flying Dutchman, Tannhäuser,_ and _The
Mastersingers_.