Volume II Part 13 (1/2)

R W

LONDON, June 7th, 1855

191

ZURICH, July 5th, 1855

DEAREST FRANZ,

Your late servant Hermann called on me today and told me that I should have a letter from you one of these days, that you and the Princess would cos

I a for direct news from you I have been back in Zurich since June 3Oth, after having conducted my last London concert on the 25th You have probably heard how charly Queen Victoria behaved to me She attended the seventh concert with Prince Albert, and as they wanted to hear so of mine I had the ”Tannhauser” overture repeated, which helped me to a little external amende I really seem to have pleased the Queen In a conversation I had with her, by her desire, after the first part of the concert, she was so kind that I was really quite touched

These tere the first people in England who dared to speak in uisedly, and if you consider that they had to deal with a political outlaw, charged with high treason and ”wanted” by the police, you will think it natural that I arateful to both

At the last concert the public and the orchestra roused theainst the London critics I had always been told that my audiences were very much in my favour, and of the orchestra I could see that it was alwaysto follow my intentions, as far as bad habits and want of time would allow But I soon saw that the public received impressions slowly and with difficulty, and was unable to distinguish the genuine fro worth, while the orchestra--out of regard for its real master and despot Costa, who can dis to his will--always li h all restraint The ether with the whole thickly packed hall, began a storm of applause so continuous that I really felt aard After that the band crowded round entlemen of the public held out their hands to me, which I had to press warmly In this manner my absurd London expedition finally took the character of a triumph for me, and I was pleased at least to observe the independence of the public which this time it showed towards the critics A triumph in MY SENSE was, of course, out of the question In the best possible case I cannot really be known in the concert room, and that best possible case- -Iprincipally to want of tiradation, increased by the fact that I was coth, and put together in the most tasteless and senseless manner That I did conduct these concerts to the end was done entirely out of regard for rieved very much by the consequences of lad that the h, at least with favourable appearances; with the Queen I was really pleased, and to individual friends I have given great pleasure; that must suffice The New Philharmonic would like to have ain I bring back froenuine friendshi+p which I feel for Berlioz, and which we have mutually concluded I heard a concert of the New Philharmonic under his direction, and was, it is true, little edified by his performance of Mozart's ”G Minor Symphony,” while the very imperfect execution of his ”Romeo and Juliet” symphony uests at Sainton's table; he was lively, and the progress in French which I have made in London, permitted me to discuss with him for five hours all the proble conversation In that ained a deep sympathy for my new friend; he appeared to me quite different from what he had done before We discovered suddenly that ere in reality fellow-sufferers, and I thought, upon the whole, I was happier than Berlioz After my last concert he and the other few friends I have in London called on ether till three o'clock in the , and took leave with the war to visit me in September, and asked him to meet you at my house The money question seemed to be his chief difficulty, and I am sure he would like to come Let him know exactly when you will be here

Klindworth was to play a concerto by Henselt yesterday at the last New Philharmonic concert, conducted by Berlioz I ood man, and was able to be of some use to Klindworth in that small matter I sincerely pity hih-minded man, not to be and always re else

On oncethe Continent I felt a little better The air here suits ave up in London altogether Of the ”Valkyrie” you will find little ready

But when are you coo to Seelisberg till then, starting next Monday, but if, as Hermann ledyour immediate arrival, I shall of course be very happy to remain at Zurich

Therefore let , which indeed I ht have expected after my last letter from London, for to communications of this kind your reply has always been silence But now you must relieve me of my uncertainty as to your visit, which may at last be expected shortly onceforward to it with great pleasure, and that ourtrouble

I areetings in advance from your

RICHARD 192

Welcome in Zurich, dearest Richard, where I hope to see you at the end of Septearian journey is still so to the latest news, the cathedral will probably not be quite finished this year But in any case I shall come to you this autumn, and shall let you know my arrival in Zurich a feeeks in advance The satisfactory close of your stay in London has pleased me very much, and, as I know London, I think it would be well if you were to go there again next season About this and some other business I shall tell you hted at your friendly relations with Berlioz Of all contemporary composers he is the one hom you can converse in the si manner Take him for all in all, he is an honest, splendid, treether with your letter, I received one froner will, no doubt, tell you all about his stay in London, and what he has had to suffer from predetermined hostility He is splendid in his ardour and warhtshis last compositions The day when, at the demand of Prince Albert, he conducted his 'Tannhauser' overture at the Hanover Square Rooms, I was compelled at the same hour to attend a horrible choral rehearsal for the New Philharmonic concert which I had to conduct two days afterwards,” etc

And lower down: ”Wagner has soularly attractive to me, and if we both have asperities, those asperities dovetail into each other:”

[drawing]

(Berlioz's drawing is more brilliant than mine)

Many thanks for your Dante letter By way of answer, I hope to show you the first half of s which will illustrateI could tell you

During the next feeeks I shall have to work at my ”Prometheus”

choruses, which I want to publish soon, and for that purpose I must write an entirely new score For in the year 1850, when I composed this work, I had too little time (scarcely a rin” rehearsals to give it the necessary finish I have now kept in view the n and the conception re will have a better appearance It is a similar process as in sculpture, when the artist works in marble Before the performance a symphonic, and still more, a dramatic work exists, so to speak, only in CLAY I could easily illustrate this comparison by the new score of your ”Faust” overture, and by so Dutchman” Wait a little, dearest Richard, and you will see what a lot of stuff, and howwith me The end of last week I spent in Dresden, where I called upon our friends, the Ritters Sascha Ritter, our Weyhter, whose God-father I shall have the honour to be Hishere for soner is expected in September