Volume II Part 24 (1/2)
Shall I soon see you? I live in the greatest retirement, and do as much work as my health will let me
Best remembrances from
Your
RICHARD WAGNER
238
You have given htful Easter Sunday, dearest,”Azymen” which you offer iven th, health, and total oblivion of all other leaven
Receive iven me so much and such heartfelt joy That joy shall not be disturbed by a fewis that you love me, and consider my honest efforts as a musician worthy of your sympathy This you have said in a manner in which no one else could say it I confess candidly that when I brought s to you at Zurich, I did not kno you would receive and like them I have had to hear and read so much about them, that I have really no opinion on the subject, and continue to work only fronition or approval Several of my intimate friends- -for example, Joachim, and fore, doubtful, and unfavourable towards e on that account, and cannot retaliate, because I continue to take a sincere and coine then, dearest Richard, the unspeakable joy which the hours at Zurich and St Gallen gave ly enco life and peace
In a few days I shall write to you at greater length about the Hartel affair, which unfortunately res are looking very sad
The Child has been somewhat seriously ill for the last three weeks, and cannot leave her bed The Princess also had to doctor herself, and is not yet allowed to leave her roo been in bed for quite six weeks, am only just able to hobble about the theatre and the castle In spite of this, I have better and best hopes for h place of
F LISTZ
April 19th, 1857
At the beginning of next season Dingelstedt will take the place of Herr von Beaulieu as our theatrical ht, and his position, although not yet officially announced, has been secured by the necessary signatures
By your reco Ortrud next Sunday Herr A, who at Weymar for the last month, but I doubt whether I shall be able to serve him in any particular way His vocal talent is said to be very small as yet Otherwise he i
Once more, my best, best thanks for today, when I did not want to write to you about anything else
239
Your ”Lohengrin” has once more pervaded my whole soul, and in spite of o to bed immediately after the performance, I am brimful of the sublime and tender char in F and E major ”A wonder!” just as you wrote it
The performance was the best which we have had so far, and the artists were most enthusiastic Next Saturday there will be a repetition, for which I shall get up again With Frau Milde you would be pleased; her singing and acting are full of es beautifully, and Milde is always noble and artistically efficient, although he does not quite possess the great volume of voice required for Telramund Frau X
did not come up to the mark, and Frau Knopp, our former Ortrud, was much more equal to the part Frau X had studied it conscientiously, but neither her voice nor her enunciation are particularly adapted to the style The th and fulness, and the declarooves, without individual and deeper pathos This is between ourselves, for I do not want to injure a good woement at the theatre here, and prefer to keep the place open which she would have to fill I believe I told you already that Dingelstedt will assueneral intendant at Weymar on October 1st
Perhaps we shall find, in the course of next season, an Ortrud whoer than Frau X
Froinal score of the ”Flying Dutchman” for Capellood authority as a sincere and energetic admirer of your works Fischer has the scores of ”Tannhauser” and ”Lohengrin” in HIS library, and is very desirous not to be without the ”Flying Dutcher I have been infor froet that of the ”Flying Dutchman,” but so far without success He would of course prefer the original to a copy, which he could take at any tiinal copy for hireed upon Although I do not like to ht show special attention to Fischer, who has prepared your three operas at Hanover with every care Write to me soon what I am to tell him I do not know him personally
After en”
question with Hartel (in which I throughout stuck to the chief point of Hartel's FIRST OFFER, without allowing hiue chance of some other and lower proposal), the matter has about reached this point, that I ative answer to a letter fro reference to his conversation with me, you should simply and a little politely ask him to carry out his former proposal On this first proposal, I think, the resumption of the transaction must necessarily be based, and I must tell you candidly that Hartel did not appear very ready to act upon it now, because the turn given by you to the matter in your second letter has almost offended him
Consider, therefore, whether you rite him to this effect, which I should advise you to do, for it cannot easily be anticipated that a better proposal will be made to you from another quarter, and yet it appears important tothe performance itself, I am still in hopes that the Grand Duke will supply the means to me, or rather to you, for in that case I should only act as your assistant