dearest Richard; a la bonne heure, he is one of the right sort in
whose society one may forget many blackguards and blackguardisms.
Unfortunately I know him only very superficially, and have not
yet succeeded in making him part of myself. Grillparzer used to
tell me wonderful things about him, and if you remain much longer
in this element I shall have to read some of his things after
you. Let me know on occasion which are the pieces I ought to
begin with. His two chief elements, CATHOLICISM and HONOUR, are
both dear to my heart. Do you think something musical might be
made of this? I once read the translation by Cardinal Diepenbrock
of a wonderful sacred drama, in which heaven, and air, and earth,
with all their powers, are set in motion. I forget the title at
this moment, but shall find out.
Perhaps you may tell me, some day, how to mould and handle this
subject-matter for musical purposes.
I shall have to postpone "Rienzi" till May. We shall invite
Tichatschek for it. All that IS POSSIBLE will be done, but I am
annoyed that the result will again be very small. Fischer of
Dresden writes me a very sad letter about the frustration of his
hope of producing "Reinzi" there in the course of the winter. He
and Tichatschek and many others are cordially devoted to you, and
we shall certainly not fail to do our duty as far as in us lies.
"Lohengrin" will be given here very shortly; I have already had a
few rehearsals, because Ortrud, the Herald, and the King will be
in new hands. I cannot tell you how deeply the work moves me
every time. The last time we performed it I felt proud of my
century, because it possessed such a man as you show yourself to
be in this work. With "Lohengrin," the old opera world comes to a
close; the spirit moves upon the face of the waters, and there is
light.
As to your chances in Paris I have not much to say. It is true
that "Rienzi" is amongst your works the most congenial to the
Parisians. But whether they will take you up in earnest, and
whether in that case you will be able to count upon the sympathy
of the manager, the artists, and the press, appears very
questionable to me. Nevertheless you have done well to go to
Paris yourself. Go on reading Calderon industriously; it will
help you to bear the state of things there, which are in glaring
contradiction with your genius and your nature.
Keep me au courant of your Paris adventures, and if I can be of
any service to you, I need hardly say that you may freely dispose
of
Your faithful
FRANCISCUS.
257. DEAREST FRANZ,
People take care to give me plenty of diversion. From the
enclosed letter, which please seal before you forward it to the
person in question, you will see that in addition to other
troubles I have been robbed. The thief is near you at Jena, where
he has had to go for a short time on military duty. You will, I
hope, find no difficulty in finding a person attached or semi-
attached to the police, who could deal with E. W., late waiter at
the hotel here, in the manner indicated by the letter. I think it
will be best to frighten the fellow into restoring the money. If
we were simply to put him in prison he would deny the charge in
order to save himself, and it is always difficult to prove a
money robbery in legal form.
Show me your practical wisdom as a police agent. But it must be
done very quickly, as the fellow will stay at Jena or Weimar for
a little time only. As I start the day after tomorrow, and shall
therefore not be in Paris when he comes back, it would be
difficult to lay hold of him here. So much for today. I hope I
shall find time to write you a rational letter from Paris. A
thousand thanks for your faithful love.
Your
R. W.
The money, if recovered, should be sent to Zurich.
258.
If it were given to me, dearest friend, to give you comfort and
strength, I should joyfully make any sacrifice. From Dresden
nothing much can be expected as yet, but I shall make another
attempt soon. At Carlsruhe they are well inclined towards you,
and the day before yesterday I had a long conversation about your
sad position with the Grand Duchess of Baden, who, like the Grand
Duke, seems to take a lively interest in you. Do not neglect your
"Tristan." For the first performance I should advise you to
choose either Carlsruhe or Prague. Weymar would of course follow
at once; for the moment, however, I think it more advisable that
another stage should take the initiative, and have spoken in that
sense to Thome in Prague. In any case I shall not fail to attend
the first performance, and you will oblige me by sending me the
score as soon as you have finished it. I intend to lay the work
before the Grand Duke, and to ask him earnestly that he may get
you from Dresden the permission of conducting the opera here. May
God grant that this step will, at last, lead to a favourable
result.
"Rienzi" cannot be given here this season. Frau von Milde is
expecting her confinement, and has not been singing these two
months, besides which, we are at present unable to fill some
other parts properly, and must wait till the end of the year,
when several new engagements come into force. I had, as you know,
proposed "Rienzi" as gala opera for February 16th; but a light
opera was preferred, and, as such, your tribune of the people
would scarcely pass.
You are probably in direct correspondence with Eckert concerning
the performance of "Lohengrin" at Vienna. He informed me that the
work would be given this autumn. The principal parts will be
splendidly cast: Ander (Lohengrin), Meyer (Elsa), and Csillagh
(Ortrud), and if Eckert throws his heart into the thing, a great
success is beyond all doubt.
Of my performances at Prague, Vienna, and Pesth, you have
probably heard from others. Although I have no reason to
complain, I am very glad that they are over, and that I may stop
at home again; for I must candidly confess that the wear and tear
connected with similar occasions is very unpleasant to me, and
becomes almost unbearable if it lasts more than a few weeks.
Do not desert "Tristan"; he is to lead you back soon, and
VICTORIOUSLY, to Siegfried.
Your
FRANZ
May 7th, 1858.
259.
I send you today a WONDERFUL FELLOW, dearest Richard; receive him
kindly.
Tausig is to work your Erard thoroughly, and to play all manner
of things to you. Introduce him to our mutual friends at Zurich--
Herwegh, Wille, Semper, Moleschott, Kochly--and take good care of
him.
Your
F. LISZT.
WEYMAR, May 18th, 1858.
260.
ZURICH, July 2nd, 1858.
At last, dearest Franz, I have once more got so far as to be able
to carry out my long-delayed intention of writing to you.
I have to thank you very much for your last letter, to which I
thought, upon the whole, silence was the best answer. I hope you
understood me rightly. I am generally too talkative, and chat
about many things which it would be better to keep to myself.
This would be more advantageous to others also, for he who
refuses to understand a silent friend will find a talking one
troublesome.
Cordial thanks also to the good Princess for her letter.
Of "Tristan" I have sketched the second act; whether I have
succeeded I shall see when I come to work it out. It was amusing
to me to see you treat this peculiar affair as a matter of
literary business in your letter. I explained to the Princess
some time ago that the belief of the Prague manager, that I was
writing this opera for a first performance at his theatre, was a
pure misunderstanding. I could not help smiling at your believing
in the assertion of this odd man sufficiently to speak to me
seriously of the matter, and to offer me your amiable assistance.
You must, of course, have been puzzled at my having the score
engraved in this early stage of the proceedings. But there is a
very simple reason for it. I had, as you know, no money, and, as
"Rienzi" came to nothing, I saw no other way except "doing
business" with the Hartels. For that purpose I chose "Tristan",
then scarcely begun, because I had nothing else. They offered to
pay me half the honorarium of 200 louis d'or, i.e., 100 louis
d'or on receipt of the score of the first act, so I hurried to
get it done head over heels. This was the reason of my business-
like haste in finishing this poor work. Altogether, the fate of
my works, including "Tristan", has become a matter of great
indifference to me; as to how, where, and when, I care little, as
long as I may be present.
The Grand Duke has probably given you my greetings, for which he
asked me in a very amiable manner. I did not think it proper to
charge him with such a message. H. R. H. wanted to know whether,
in case I were permitted to return to Germany, I should go to
Weimar, or whether I should prefer another "engagement," and I
explained to him that the only advantage I expected from my
amnesty was, to be able to visit Germany periodically, and that
for that purpose I had chosen your house, because it was your
house, as my pied-a-terre. That house, fortunately, being at
Weimar, the only danger would be that you might refuse to receive
me, and his wish of having me at Weimar would entirely depend
upon your friendship, which, therefore, he should try to
perpetuate. With that he was quite satisfied.
You have given me great pleasure with little Tausig. When he came
into my room, one fine morning, bringing your letter, I shook you
cordially by the hand. He is a terrible youth. I am astonished,
alternately, by his highly developed intellect and his wild ways.
He will become something extraordinary, if he becomes anything at
all. When I see him smoking frightfully strong cigars, and
drinking no end of tea, while as yet there is not the slightest
hope of a beard, I am frightened like the hen, when she sees the
young ducklings, whom she has hatched by mistake, take to the
water. What will become of him I cannot foresee, but whisky and
rum he will not get from me. I should, without hesitation, have
taken him into my house, if we had not mutually molested each
other by pianoforte playing. So I have found him a room in a
little hole close to me, where he is to sleep and work, doing his
other daily business at my house. He does, however, no credit to
my table, which, in spite of my grasswidowerhood, is fairly well
provided. He sits down to table every day stating that he has no
appetite at all, which pleases me all the less, because, the
reason is, the cheese and the sweets he has eaten. In this manner
he tortures me continually, and devours my biscuits, which my
wife doles out grudgingly even to me. He hates walking, and yet
declares that he would like to come with me when I propose to
leave him at home. After the first half hour he lags behind, as
if he had walked four hours. My childless marriage is thus
suddenly blessed with an interesting phenomenon, and I take in,
in rapid doses, the quintessence of paternal cares and troubles.
All this has done me a great deal of good; it was a splendid
diversion, for which, as I said before, I have to thank you. You
knew what I wanted. Of course the youth pleases me immensely in
other ways, and, although he acts like a naughty boy, he talks
like an old man of pronounced character. Whatever subject I may
broach with him, he is sure to follow me with clearness of mind
and remarkable receptivity. At the same time it touches and moves
me, when this boy shows such deep, tender feeling, such large
sympathy, that he captivates me irresistibly. As a musician he is
enormously gifted, and his furious pianoforte playing makes me
tremble. I must always think of you and of the strange influence
which you exercise over so many, and often considerably gifted,
young men. I cannot but call you happy, and genuinely admire your
harmonious being and existence.
My wife will return in a fortnight, after having finished her
cure, which will have lasted three months. My anxiety about her
was terrible, and for two months I had to expect the news of her
death from day to day. Her health was ruined, especially by the
immoderate use of opium, taken nominally as a remedy for
sleeplessness. Latterly the cure she uses has proved highly
beneficial; the great weakness and want of appetite have
disappeared, and the recovery of the chief functions (she used to
perspire continually), and a certain abatement of her incessant
excitement, have become noticeable. The great enlargement of her
heart will be bearable to her only if she keeps perfectly calm
and avoids all excitement to her dying day. A thing of this kind
can never be got rid of entirely. Thus I have to undertake new
duties, over which I must try to forget my own sufferings. Well,
and how about you? Will you come to my assistance again this
year? Your kind heart promises me to do so every year, but,
during the nine years of my exile, I have succeeded only twice in
tearing you away from your great dense world. Although you have
promised me your visit for this year, you will find it natural if
I am not too certain of seeing my wish fulfilled. I must add
several marks of interrogation and of prayer.
Cordial thanks to the dear, heavenly Child for her last letter; I
hope my silence was eloquent.
A thousand greetings and cordial responses to you three dear
ones! I also wish to be remembered to F. Muller, who sent me a
beautiful letter of congratulation on my birthday. I shall write
to him soon, without fail.
Farewell, dear Franz. You can imagine how often I am with you,
especially when Tausig is sitting at the piano. Between us, all
is one. Farewell, and continue to love me.
Your
R. W.
261.
DEAREST RICHARD,
When I saw the Grand Duke last night for the first time after his
return, he told me much about the visit you paid him at Lucerne.
I do not know what impression your acquaintance with him has left
on you, as we have had no news from you for such a long time, but
from what I have heard, and what has already happened, I conclude
with tolerable certainty that we shall see you here for the first
performance of "Tristan", AT THE LATEST. May God grant that it
will be sooner; and I need not tell you that nothing I can do
will be left undone.
Dingelstedt will shortly write to you about "Rienzi", which is to
be performed next season, in December or January. Last winter we
were unable to get on with the work for reasons which, as they
exist no longer, are not sufficiently important to be discussed.
Let me soon hear from you.
Your
F. L.
July 3rd, 1858.
I enclose a letter to Tausig, which you will be kind enough to
hand to him.
How is he getting on at Zurich, and what do you think of him?
262.
ZURICH, July 8th, 1858.
This affair of T. and X., dearest Franz, has become very
significant to me. It has shown me most clearly and definitely
that even amongst the best of friends a certain mode of action
may be perverted beyond recognition into its very opposite; and I
look with horror upon the cares of this world, where everything
is ruled by confusion and error to the verge of madness. It was
absolutely terrible to me to read your charges against T. What I
felt is difficult to describe; it was like a longing for death.
About this young T. I recently wrote to you in a very
unconventional manner. Two things make me overlook all his
shortcomings, and attach me to him to such a degree that I feel
inclined to place much confidence in him. One of them is his
boundless love for you, the absolute abandonment of his
impertinence as soon as you are mentioned, his most tender and
deep reverence for you; the other, the beautiful warmth and
genuine friendship which he shows at every moment for X. In the
present case also he defended the latter in a really touching
manner, and speaks of him always with enthusiastic praise of his
heart and his intellect. Were it not for these two traits I
should not know what to think of this young man, who speaks of
God and the world in the most ruthless manner. Curiously enough,
your reproach hit him in this particular point, and when he
showed me your letter there was a peculiar desperate question in
his glance. With such experiences the boy will become quickly,
almost too quickly, mature.
My words will show you how deeply this matter has affected me; it
is one of the thousand things which, when they occur to me,
estrange me more and more from this world.
Farewell, and write to me again soon.
Always cordially your
R. W.
263.
I cannot understand in what manner I have caused YOU grief, but I
feel the painful rebound of your wounded heart. My admonition to
T. proceeded from a pure cause. X. himself knew nothing of it,
and T. would have done well if he had kept silence towards you.
"Insinuations" and "diplomacy" are surely out of the question. I
greatly dislike mixing myself up with other people's affairs, and
if I have done so this time, it was certainly not because I was
led to it by others (I give you my word, that not a word has been
said or written about the whole matter), but merely because it
had been imposed upon me as a kind of duty to act as guardian to
T., and it appeared only too probable that his conduct had not
been very correct. The young Titan sometimes gives way to an
absence of mind and a state of overexcitement, against which
those who wish him well should warn him. His exceptional talent
and his genial and prepossessing manner generally incline me
towards being overindulgent with him, and I do not deny my
genuine love and partiality for this remarkable specimen of a
"Liszt of the future," as T. has been called at Vienna. But for
that very reason I expect him to be a good and steady fellow in
all respects.
Be thanked for the kindly friendship and care you bestow upon
him. I hope he will not only profit by them, but honour them. The
rare happiness of living near you, and of being distinguished by
you, should form and mature him as an artist and as a man.
Ever thine,
F. L.
July 18th, 1858.
264.
DEAREST RICHARD,
Before the 18th inst. I cannot get away from here; the centenary
celebration of Jena University will take place on the 15th, 16th,
and 17th, and I have promised to take part in it. Apart from
this, I expect in a few days a visit, which is of importance to
me.
It was my intention to see you at the beginning of September, but
I will gladly undertake the journey a few weeks sooner. You on
your part must delay your journey by a fortnight, and write to me
by return whether I shall find you at Zurich on the 20th instant.
I should, of course, not make this journey unless I could be
certain of being a few days with you. Trips of pleasure or
recreation are not my affair any longer, and I could not consent
to one. On the other hand, I shall be genuinely pleased to see
you again.
Your
F. LISZT.
August 6th, 1858.
265.
GENEVA, August 20th, 1858.
DEAREST FRANZ,
Kindly make inquiries whether I might stay a short time at Venice
which does not belong to the German confederacy without being
claimed, extradited and otherwise molested. The vise of my
passport I got from the Austrian minister without any difficulty.
I daresay the Saxon minister would have given me his vise too (in
order to get hold of me).
If there is any danger, kindly let the Grand Duke intercede for
me, so that I may stay at Venice without being bothered.
I should be very thankful to him, for that quiet, interesting
city tempts me greatly. I shall delay my departure till I hear
from you; in any case I must wait till the heat is over.
Farewell, and be thanked for all your friendship.
Your
R. W.
MAISON FAZY, 30 ETAGE.
266.
GENEVA, August, 24th, 1858.
DEAREST FRANZ,
Best thanks for your reply. It somewhat startled me, and I made
inquiries through a friend in Berne of the Austrian minister
there. I enclose his answer, from which you will see that for the
present I have nothing to fear at Venice. Whether they will allow
me to stay there for any length of time is a different question
which is of great importance to me. I feel the necessity of
living in strict seclusion for some considerable period, in order
to devote myself entirely to my work. The country will not, in
the long run, do for this, and in an indifferent town I might, at
last, be reduced to making acquaintance with commonplace people--
the worst of all evils. One of the interesting, large cities of
Italy is exactly what I want. In such surroundings one can most
easily keep to oneself, for every walk presents objects of an
important kind, and satisfies the want of men and things. But in
large towns the noise of carriages is absolutely unbearable to
me; it drives me wild. Venice is notoriously the quietest, i.e.,
most noiseless city in the world, which has decided me in its
favour. Apart from this Dr. W. and K.R. have given me the most
attractive accounts of life in Venice; the latter will spend the
winter there. Finally, Venice is more convenient for my frequent
communications with Germany than any other Italian town would be;
by way of Vienna my letters, etc., will reach the centre of
Germany in no time. In short, I am obstinately fixed on Venice,
and do not want to think of any other choice, because it is not
travelling about, but settling down as soon as possible that I
care for.
Listen, therefore. Kindly ask the Grand Duke in my name, for the
special favour of securing for me, by his intercession in Vienna,
an undisturbed sojourn in Venice. This is indispensable for my
future, for such a permission would permanently open to me Venice
and Austrian Italy generally. Let therefore the Grand Duke show
himself my well-inclined protector, and do all in his power to
comply with my wish.
It will further be necessary that your friend should graciously
take the necessary steps as soon as possible. If, in the
meantime, I should get into difficulties, I should at once claim
his protection.
Therefore, please, please go to court at once! Help me and do
what I wish.
From Venice I shall write again; till then continue to love me.
Your
R. W.
VENICE, poste restante.--Depeche telegraphique.
BERNE, Le 24 Aout, Tuesday, 1858.
To RICHARD WAGNER,
Geneva,
Maison Fazy.
Austrian minister thinks you have nothing to fear if your
passport has the Austrian vise. He can guarantee nothing, but is
morally certain that you will not be molested.
Telegraphic inquiry of the Gouverneur of Venice, he thinks
imprudent because exciting attention and necessitating inquiry at
Vienna. Answer would take too long. Dangerous refugees are
notified to the embassy to prevent vise of their passports, which
is not the case with you. Minister thinks your journey quite
safe, but cannot personally give you any further information.
Bon voyage, dear friend.
FROELICH.
267.
DEAREST RICHARD,
Bad news again! All the inquiries I have made agree on the point
that your stay in Venice will by no means be secure. The Grand
Duke, to whom I communicated the contents of your last letter,
has commissioned me simply to advise you against the journey, and
to recommend to you (as I have already done) Genoa or Sardinia.
From Dresden I hear that there is at present no hope of your
amnesty, and that the statements to that effect in several
newspapers have not been confirmed. Nevertheless, I hope that
some "measure" in your favour, I mean the permission of staying
for a time at one place or another in Germany, will be taken,
through means of the Grand Duke of Baden or the Grand Duke of
Weymar. The performance of "Tristan", at Carlsruhe or elsewhere,
will offer the best opportunity, and as soon as you have finished
the work, I beg of you to neglect nothing which may facilitate
your return to Germany, although at first only for a few months
for the special purpose of conducting "Tristan" in person. As far
as I know your situation, or rather your connections and
relations, I think you will have, in the first instance, to apply
to the Grand Duke of Baden; the young Prince is much in your
favour, as is also the Grand Duchess. With our Prince I have, of
course, discussed the matter frequently and at great length. I
have, it is true, not been able to get a positive promise from
him, but I think it very probable that when the time comes for
"Tristan" he will not fail to give you a proof of the interest in
you which he has frequently expressed, and, as you know, has
shown by several letters and intercessions in your favour.