Volume I Part 36 (1/2)

Your

RICHARD W

ZURICH, September 13th, 1853

129

CARLSRUHE, September 19th, 1853

At last, dearest, unique friend, I ahteen days we shall meet either at Basle or Paris As soon as I know myself I shall send you particulars

Today I only ask you to send me your passport by return of post, so that I may transact the affair with the French minister here in case you have not yet received a definite answer from Berne

The French minister at Weymar, Baron de Talleyrand, is unfortunately at present in Scotland, but I think it will require no special patronage to get the necessary vise Send me your passport by return of post, and I will take care of the rest

At Dresden I stayed lately for ht About Tichatschek, Fischer (now operatic stage-er), and the theatrical affairs there I s when I see you, also aboutI have settled with Rietz that I shall be present at the final rehearsals and the first perforive you an accurate account of it When I carin” performance current there But now it has probably ceased, and you will hear no iven in the course of November, and, in my opinion, a very warm reception of your work on the part of the publichas been conquered for your name and your cause, and even the ”Wohlbekannte” inforrin” finale If things go on in this way, Leipzig will soon ”Lohengrinize” If there should be a delay of the performance, it will do no harossip was not unfavourable I shall tell you about all this at length The el I shall settle tomorrow, and shall write to you at once; I aht to accept or not

Conradi, the Capell comes of the matter, I shall put myself in communication with him He has known ”Tannhauser” ever since the year 1849, when he was staying at Weyely upon the manner of execution For the present I a our consent; a concert perforainst it, and e performance which must of necessity follow Leave the whole ood idea; he thinks that if E is so favourably inclined towards spreading your works in Berlin, or rather towards e a repetition of your Zurich concerts with the identical programme

But about this also there is no hurry On certain conditions I should be prepared to go to Berlin and undertake the direction of the three Zurich concerts I should probably employ the Male Choir association which Wieprecht conducts, and of which I have had the honour of being honorary conductor ever since the year 1843

More about this on an early occasion In the meantime I think you will do well to write to E that you cannot accustom yourself to the idea of a concert perforh for the present

Your

F L

CARLSRUHE, September 20th, 1853

130

DEAREST FRANZ,

Very angry as I a, you shall have a rose-coloured sheet today in return for the excellent news of your proxi By return of post I was unable to answer you, because your letter had to be forwarded to me at Baden, where I stay at intervals witha cure there Enclosed is the passport Salignac-Fenelon, the French minister at Berne, has sent me no news up to date, and it will therefore be well if you can settle the matter with the iven up for the present, which must entirely depend on you, it will be of importance to me to have the French vise, so as not to be shut out from Paris and France for the future You uarantee, and promise that I shall not mix myself up with any political matters I know that this will satisfy the French Government

They may, moreover, be certain that I shall not permanently stay in France, but without fail return to Switzerland For your co and Berlin I thank you cordially; as to Berlin it shall be exactly as you say

What will happen at Carlsruhe? D again left me recently without an answer, probably because I asked him to advance me the honorarium for ”Tannhauser,” as I had reason to be anxious aboutof the very difficult male chorus ”Im Fruh'n versaers for it

For the piano passage (A ht soloists were to sing about eight bars by thee chorus (This is a ood spirits; you are a happy man

From Dresden Julia wrote to me in ecstasy about you; youI was not there and remained alone instead