Volume II Part 8 (1/2)

Do not forget Joachie the matter

It is splendid that you have finished ”Faust,” and you ine that I am most anxious to see it; on the other hand, it is a pity that you will not show it h it WITH YOU at the piano, and tothat ood performance under your direction is for the present out of the question The vivid idea which you kno to convey cannot even approxi else; and I aht ireatly distrust acquaintances made by means of the abstract notes

It is an absurd coincidence that just at this time I have been taken with a desire to remodel my old ”Faust” overture I have made an entirely new score, have rewritten the instruiven more expansion and iive it in a few days at a concert here, under the title of ”A 'Faust' Overture” The motto will be--

”Der Gott, der en; Der uber allen en; Und so ist mir das Dasein eine Last, Der Tod erwunscht, das Leben mir verhasst!”

but I shall not publish it in any case

I was at first startled at your new year's article, but soon perceived that here again I a sy colossal, you mistake, in my opinion, the standard of measurement; to me our artistic publicity, the spirit of our means of representation, etc, appear to be very small and miserable, while my work is just in accordance with ordinary huantic only e try to confine it to those unworthy conditions When therefore we call our plan chimaeric and eccentric, we in reality flatter the actual worthlessness of our artistic publicity, and in a manner ive that wrong impression to people Every one of your letters is worth to old, and more, but ANSWERS in the proper sense I scarcely ever receive from you, and you treat many of my questions as if they had never been asked Instead of that you always givenew; that is splendid, but an answer also would soood of you soon, and in London let me SEE you I shall take my ith me, and hope to finish the instrumentation of the ”Valkyrie” there

Adieu, dearest Franz

How are you? Best res from me to you all

Your

R W

ZURICH, January 19th, 1855

172

DEAREST RICHARD,

The London Philharhted

As lately as six o people used to shake their heads, and some of them even hissed, at the performance of the ”Tannhauser”

overture, conducted by Costa Klindworth and Ree to applaud and to beard the Philistines who had made their nests of old in the Philharmonic

Well, it will now assuland and the Old Philharnerian DE LA VEILLE He is an excellent musician, who forave a performance of the ”Prophet” at the Tivoli Theatre, of which the newspapers were full sohteen months with me at Weymar, and you must allow me to send Klindworth a few lines of introduction to you As far as I know, there is in London no pianist like him; but, on account of his determined and open sympathy with the so-called ”music of the future,” he has placed himself in a somewhat aard position towards the Philistines and handicraftsmen there

I was present at the first performance of ”Tannhauser” at Gotha

Capellmeister Lampert had taken much trouble, as had also Beer (Tannhauser), and the perfor, very satisfactory The musical part is better with us, but it is different with the dresses and scenery, which are much more tasteful at Gotha than at Weyly on that point here; and as my prayers and admonitions in this respect have so far been of little avail, I aain until the necessary iative measure, which I had kept in reserve, will probably be effective

In the nant condition Since the last performance of ”Tannhduser” (December 10th), I have not been at my desk, neither shall I conduct the festival perfor can be done till after the confinement of Frau Milde

APROPOS, what do you think of Meffert, the tenor? Would he be any good to us, and how old is he? Write to me about this

You accuseyou an answer

This alludes, I presus: Berlin and Dresden Alas!