Volume II Part 7 (1/2)

Zurich, Septee some concerts at Brussels and perhaps two Dutch towns, such as I gave last year at Zurich, and do you think that by such an undertaking I eramme may be translated into French and Dutch? If you can answer these questions satisfactorily, kindly take the matter in hand as soon as possible I must earnis stirring; I seeiuht probably resume my work

For the present all music has been laid aside

Yourelse, and for good reasons

Always your faithful

Richard 167

DEAREST FRANZ,

My wife is going to Germany, in the first instance on a visit to her parents At present she is with Alwine Frommann, Berlin (10, Linden) In a week's tiasse) From there she will return via Frankfort If she could hear one of rin” of course in preference--at Weie this, kindly write to her at Berlin or Leipzig, or, in case you can let me know BY RETURN, write to ME at Zurich, so that I can advise her in time

Froold”, which I sent to hi a copy made at Dresden But as I have recently finished a clean copy ht that the work should not yet be in YOUR HANDS I did not want to let you have the fragnificant event to place the WHOLE in your hands Keep it for a month, to have a look at it occasionally; after that I shall ask you to return it for a tiet the complete copy done

My best love to Daniel, the foolish boy

I write nothing else, either about an about these two things, I should not knohere to stop It is a great pity that I did not see you this year

Altogether I feel so boundlesslythis h Farewell

The worker in plaster-of-Paris has not yet returned your ed Why do you keep the ”Indian fairy tale” to yourself? I have plenty of prosaic things around me, and could find a place for it

My best remembrances to the Princess

Your

RICHARD

ZURICH, Septein to find out reat philosopher, while I appear to ressing with my music, I have of late occupied ift froh only a literary one, into reatest philosopher since Kant, whose thoughts, as he hiht out to the end The Gernored hirace of Gerels, etc, are charlatans by the side of hiation of the desire of life, is terribly serious, but it shows the only salvation possible To ht was not new, and it can indeed be conceived by no one in whom it did not pre- exist, but this philosopher was the first to place it clearly before me If I think of the storainstto the hope of life, and if even now I feel this hurricane within hts helpsfor death, for absolute unconsciousness, total non-existence; freedom from all dreams is our only final salvation

In this I have discovered a curious coincidence with your thoughts; and although you express theious, I know that youHow profound you are! In your article about the ”Dutch While I read Schopenhauer I ith you, only you did not know it In this manner I ripen more and more I only play with art to pass the time In what manner I try to amuse myself you will see from the enclosed sheet

For the sake of that fried,” I shall have to finish the ”Nibelungen” pieces after all; the ”Valkyrie” has taken so ot as far as the second half of the last act The whole will not be finished till 1856; and in 1858, the tenth year of ira, the performance may take place, if at all As I have never in life felt the real bliss of love, I must erect a monument to theto end, that love shall be thoroughly satiated I have in my head ”Tristan and Isolde,” the simplest but ” which floats at the end of it I shall cover old,” send it to Chorusive it to the copyist Wolfel, so that hewords about the ”Rhinegold” were splendid, and it has really turned out well I hope there will be enough counterpoint in it to please Raff My anxiety as to this troublesto help her? She should co, on the lake of Lucerne It is the dearest discovery I have made in Switzerland; up there all is so joyful, so beautiful, that I long to return--to die there

There we fried”

there, and you must assist me Perhaps I shall assist you too

How full my heart is when I think of it! Many thanks to the Princess; at her desire, I send the enclosed autograph Nothing about business! What do we care about such s? When shall I see your symphonic poems, your ”Faust?”

Farewell, my Franz