Volume II Part 22 (1/2)
229
MUNICH, December 12th, 1856
DEAREST RICHARD,
I have come to a close of my stay at Munich, and want to send you a few short notes of it before returning to Wey First of all about the performance of ”Tannhauser”, which took place last Sunday (apart frohts) for the benefit of the Munich poor The Princess had taken two boxes, which we occupied together with Kaulbach, E Forster, Liebig, Carriere, and others The scenery and dresses are brilliant, but probably you would not like them particularly, and I, for my part, think them mannered and pretentious In the orchestra the wind (especially flutes, clarinets, and bassoon) is excellent The violins and double basses (six in nuy, both in bowing, which is short and easy-going, and in rhythm The PIANOS and CRESCENDOS are insufficient, and for the same reason there is no fulness in the FORTES ”Lachner” has, no doubt, studied the score with the greatest accuracy and care, for which thanks and praise are due to him But in the drama, as you know and say best, ”we must become WISE by means of FEELING”
”Reason tells us SO IT IS, only after feeling has told us SO IT MUST BE;” and as far as I can tell, Lachner's feeling says little about ”TANNHAUSER”, although he was called several times before the curtain at the first perfor”, the husband of ”Lucile Gran” He succeeded, in my opinion, better than the public here seemed to think, which is, as a rule, soure and personality do not particularly fit her for ”Elizabeth”, sang the beginning of the second act with intelligence and feeling, but in the last act she was no longer up to the mark, and the prayer in the third act was applauded as if it had been ”The Last Rose of Summer” ”Kindermann's” voice is splendid, but there is no trace of ”Wolfram” about him Still less was ”Fraulein X” able to identify herself with Venus, whom she seemed to conceive as an ideal Munich bar; his voice is as powerful as ever, and he ht, later on, serve you as ”Fafner” or ”Fasolt”
”APROPOS”, your ”X” is a perfectto do with a man like him He asked me to attend a vocal practice of his pupils, when the poor people had to shout nothing but four or five notes do, de, da!
”X” has entirely surrendered himself to his monomania ofHis circumstances are in a very bad way, and I a as clerk in a tailor's business here This, of course, is by no means to his discredit, and I think, on the contrary, that he would doEX PROFESSO
Our concert at St Gallen has not been without an echo at Munich, and Lachner, hom I lived on friendly terms, proposed to me soon after my arrival to write for the parts of the two Sy my stay at the subscription concerts I thanked him politely for the distinction intended foruse of it another time At the theatre I heard CLEMENZA DI titO (the festival opera on the King's birthday), JESSONDA, THE PROPHET, and TANNHAUSER; at the subscription concert the D minor symphony by ”Lachner”, his fourth, if I am notabout it; but ast the present artists one would have to search for ”Ortrud” with a lantern The Munich public isthan syhtest interest inspoke to elstedt” co iives two or three operas every week for the sake of the receipts
”Kaulbach” and I have becoht sort of felloill please you too, for the very reason that many people call him intolerable As lately as yesterday I roared to him:
[Here, Liszt illustrates with a 2 1/2 bar musical score example with the words, ”He - da! He - da! He - do!”]
His designs for Shakespeare's ”Tempest” (Ariel as Capellmeister in the air) are splendid He must paint your portrait for me later on
Farewell, dearest Richard I must take care that we meet soon
Your
F L
230
ZURICH, December 16th, 1856
Several times, dearest friend, I made an attempt to write to you on serious, and to s to settle in my own mind first At last I feel sufficiently mature, and will tell you in plain words what is in my heart
Your last visit, much disturbed as was our intercourse, has left a decisive impression on me, which is this: your friendshi+p is the nificant event of my life If I can enjoy your conversation frequently and quietly, and in my oay, I shall have all that I desire, and the rest will be of subordinate value You cannot have a si, because your life is just the opposite of mine You love diversion, and live in it, and your desire of self-concentration is therefore temporary I, on the contrary, live in the most absolute solitude, and therefore want occasional diversion, which, however, inbut artistic stiive me; you alone can All that I lack, especially as ato nature and insufficient education, ive me Without this stimulus my limited musical capacity loses its fertility; I beco beco
I have therefore but one desire, that of being able to visit you when I wish, and of living with you periodically
Well, seriously speaking, how does this matter stand? This letter will find you at Weiive ently, let me have conclusive and definite information soon Much depends upon it Let , not to Wei to live there incognito As this will be iht be noticed by the Court If the Court wants anything ofments of my music, such as the first act of the ”Valkyrie,” in conjunction with you, and after our fashi+on I do not want to go before the public at all Can this be arranged, and can the possibility ofmy income and my recent hopes of a pension from the Weimar Court separately, or in conjunction with others, you have given me some important hints, which I have not left unnoticed or unconsidered I should prefer to remain without subvention from that quarter which would make any subsequent relation to the Weiive rather than receive
I do not deny it would be very desirable if you could soon en,” for which object, in accordance with your kind offer, I gave you discretionary power If you should succeed in this, it would certainly be advisable to interest the Weiht for soes on account of the honorarium which I should receive for the publication