Volume II Part 28 (1/2)

What this possible ”attainment” may be I can only briefly indicate to you The object of hts of property inexcept what is freely offered to me, and the only person who seeer of the ”Theatre Lyrique” I saw his theatre; it pleased me fairly well, and a new acquisition he had made, a tenor, pleased me very much In case he is prepared for more than ordinary efforts, as to which of course I ive hih intercession of the Grand Duke of Baden with the Ee of having my opera performed at this theatre WITHOUT SPOKEN DIALOGUE

”Ollivier,” who to dine en garcon today, received ined I had arrived at ”Altenburg” He er of the Theatre Lyrique, a personal friend of his, ast other people

Well, we must see ill come of it; in any case, I should surrender, without ain me an entry, but of course only on the supposition that considerable pecuniary advantages would accrue to ot so far when Berlioz called on o out, and found soon that I was not well, the cause probably being a cold, which pulls me down more than usually, because as I re feeble and very thin in consequence I had to make my excuses to Ollivier and stop at home in bed In consequence of this prudentOllivier, ill call for me at two to take o on talking to you a little about practical things

It was a real shame that I was once more compelled to take money from you, but this time it is quite certain to be a loan, which I shall repay to you in any circumstances From the letter of the Princess, I see that you have to use all et ”Rienzi” accepted at the Weirieves me very much, and I aement will be the result If this should be the case, the repayment of the thousand francs would become more difficult, but by nothe money to you by ”Easter” As to the employment of what you sent to me, and for which also I thank you cordially, you ood Princess at rest I am sorry that this also should trouble her

Apart frolance at the first act of ”Tristan,” which I have brought with me, has roused me wonderfully It is a re desire to communicate some of it to some one, and I fear I shall be teh ust him Could I only be with you! That, you know, is the burden ofmore about business The Hartels have replied toWhatever I may do, the Philistine will think more or less impossible; to that I am accustomed, and must comfort myself with the success achieved so far by my impossible creations To sureat doubts, the publication of the work, with a reduction, however, of reat sacrifice to me, but they say that they are prepared to have the full score engraved at once, and I think that I cannot do better than accept their offer

I am always loth to write to you about business, and have done so only when I expected you to help h This tiive you a short synopsis of the state ofof the winter a M Leopold Amat, Chef or Directeur des Fetes Musicales de Wiesbaden, wrote to me from Paris, and set forth the results of his voluntary exertions for ”Tannhauser” (at Wiesbaden with Tichatschek and in the French press) He asked me to authorise him to take the necessary steps for the performance of ”Tannhauser” at the Grand Opera I informed him that my only and indispensable CONDITION would be that an exact translation of the opera, without oiven Soon afterwards a M de Charnal, a young litterateur without reputation, applied to ood translation in verse of the poem of ”Tannhauser,” in one of the first Revues de Paris That perranted him, on condition that the publication in the review should not i the pianoforte arrangehts, which will be of importance, whether I want my operas to be perforement of the Grand Opera has made no move, but M Carvalho, of the Theatre Lyrique, see with him, I am determined, as I said before, to leave ”Rienzi” to his tender mercies, first because that work causes no anxiety to rified a little for all I care; second, because the subject and the e to the Paris public than arewould be purely an affair d'argent, and as such it would no doubt turn out well

Here you have plenty of business, but Imore

I have lately laid your poor Vienna cousin under contribution As er, on the strength of your friendshi+p, to enforceprevented by illness, as I afterwards heard) did not reply, I hunted up the address of your cousin (fro your sacred naer

That had the desired effect, and to both I owe it thatYou see, it is always ”Franz Liszt,” even if he knows nothing about it

Here you have a very long letter fro; I am deeply in her debt The practical Princess also shall have a regular professor's letter fros to you all from the bottom of my heart Be assured of !

Farewell, you dear unique one

Your

R W

HOTEL DU LOUVRE, No 364

256

January 30th, 1858

You have struck up a regular friendshi+p with Calderon in Paris, dearest Richard; a la bonne heure, he is one of the right sort in whose society one uardisms

Unfortunately I know him only very superficially, and have not yet succeeded inhis about hier in this eles after you Let in with His two chief elements, CATHOLICISM and HONOUR, are both dear to ht be made of this? I once read the translation by Cardinal Diepenbrock of a wonderful sacred drama, in which heaven, and air, and earth, with all their powers, are set in et the title at this moment, but shall find out

Perhaps you may tell me, some day, how to mould and handle this subject-matter for musical purposes

I shall have to postpone ”Rienzi” till May We shall invite Tichatschek for it All that IS POSSIBLE will be done, but I aain be very small Fischer of Dresden writes me a very sad letter about the frustration of his hope of producing ”Reinzi” there in the course of the winter He and Tichatschek and many others are cordially devoted to you, and we shall certainly not fail to do our duty as far as in us lies

”Lohengrin” will be given here very shortly; I have already had a few rehearsals, because Ortrud, the Herald, and the King will be in new hands I cannot tell you how deeply the work moves me every time The last time we performed it I felt proud of my century, because it possessed such a rin,” the old opera world comes to a close; the spirit ht

As to your chances in Paris I have not st your works the enial to the Parisians But whether they will take you up in earnest, and whether in that case you will be able to count upon the syer, the artists, and the press, appears very questionable to o to Paris yourself Go on reading Calderon industriously; it will help you to bear the state of things there, which are in glaring contradiction with your genius and your nature