Correspondence of Wagner and Liszt Volume II Part 30

I should, of course, not make this journey unless I could be certain of being a few days with you. Trips of pleasure or recreation are not my affair any longer, and I could not consent to one. On the other hand, I shall be genuinely pleased to see you again.

Your

F. LISZT.

August 6th, 1858.

265.

GENEVA, August 20th, 1858.

DEAREST FRANZ,

Kindly make inquiries whether I might stay a short time at Venice which does not belong to the German confederacy without being claimed, extradited and otherwise molested. The vise of my pa.s.sport I got from the Austrian minister without any difficulty.

I daresay the Saxon minister would have given me his vise too (in order to get hold of me).

If there is any danger, kindly let the Grand Duke intercede for me, so that I may stay at Venice without being bothered.

I should be very thankful to him, for that quiet, interesting city tempts me greatly. I shall delay my departure till I hear from you; in any case I must wait till the heat is over.

Farewell, and be thanked for all your friendship.

Your

R. W.

MAISON FAZY, 30 ETAGE.

266.

GENEVA, August, 24th, 1858.

DEAREST FRANZ,

Best thanks for your reply. It somewhat startled me, and I made inquiries through a friend in Berne of the Austrian minister there. I enclose his answer, from which you will see that for the present I have nothing to fear at Venice. Whether they will allow me to stay there for any length of time is a different question which is of great importance to me. I feel the necessity of living in strict seclusion for some considerable period, in order to devote myself entirely to my work. The country will not, in the long run, do for this, and in an indifferent town I might, at last, be reduced to making acquaintance with commonplace people-- the worst of all evils. One of the interesting, large cities of Italy is exactly what I want. In such surroundings one can most easily keep to oneself, for every walk presents objects of an important kind, and satisfies the want of men and things. But in large towns the noise of carriages is absolutely unbearable to me; it drives me wild. Venice is notoriously the quietest, i.e., most noiseless city in the world, which has decided me in its favour. Apart from this Dr. W. and K.R. have given me the most attractive accounts of life in Venice; the latter will spend the winter there. Finally, Venice is more convenient for my frequent communications with Germany than any other Italian town would be; by way of Vienna my letters, etc., will reach the centre of Germany in no time. In short, I am obstinately fixed on Venice, and do not want to think of any other choice, because it is not travelling about, but settling down as soon as possible that I care for.

Listen, therefore. Kindly ask the Grand Duke in my name, for the special favour of securing for me, by his intercession in Vienna, an undisturbed sojourn in Venice. This is indispensable for my future, for such a permission would permanently open to me Venice and Austrian Italy generally. Let therefore the Grand Duke show himself my well-inclined protector, and do all in his power to comply with my wish.

It will further be necessary that your friend should graciously take the necessary steps as soon as possible. If, in the meantime, I should get into difficulties, I should at once claim his protection.

Therefore, please, please go to court at once! Help me and do what I wish.

From Venice I shall write again; till then continue to love me.

Your

R. W.

VENICE, poste restante.--Depeche telegraphique.

BERNE, Le 24 Aout, Tuesday, 1858.

To RICHARD WAGNER,

Geneva,

Maison Fazy.

Austrian minister thinks you have nothing to fear if your pa.s.sport has the Austrian vise. He can guarantee nothing, but is morally certain that you will not be molested.

Telegraphic inquiry of the Gouverneur of Venice, he thinks imprudent because exciting attention and necessitating inquiry at Vienna. Answer would take too long. Dangerous refugees are notified to the emba.s.sy to prevent vise of their pa.s.sports, which is not the case with you. Minister thinks your journey quite safe, but cannot personally give you any further information.

Bon voyage, dear friend.

FROELICH.

267.

DEAREST RICHARD,

Bad news again! All the inquiries I have made agree on the point that your stay in Venice will by no means be secure. The Grand Duke, to whom I communicated the contents of your last letter, has commissioned me simply to advise you against the journey, and to recommend to you (as I have already done) Genoa or Sardinia.

From Dresden I hear that there is at present no hope of your amnesty, and that the statements to that effect in several newspapers have not been confirmed. Nevertheless, I hope that some "measure" in your favour, I mean the permission of staying for a time at one place or another in Germany, will be taken, through means of the Grand Duke of Baden or the Grand Duke of Weymar. The performance of "Tristan", at Carlsruhe or elsewhere, will offer the best opportunity, and as soon as you have finished the work, I beg of you to neglect nothing which may facilitate your return to Germany, although at first only for a few months for the special purpose of conducting "Tristan" in person. As far as I know your situation, or rather your connections and relations, I think you will have, in the first instance, to apply to the Grand Duke of Baden; the young Prince is much in your favour, as is also the Grand d.u.c.h.ess. With our Prince I have, of course, discussed the matter frequently and at great length. I have, it is true, not been able to get a positive promise from him, but I think it very probable that when the time comes for "Tristan" he will not fail to give you a proof of the interest in you which he has frequently expressed, and, as you know, has shown by several letters and intercessions in your favour.

I wish, dearest Richard, I could give you pleasanter and more desirable news, but certain things cannot be changed or broken through all at once. From Austria you cannot expect much for the recovery of your personal liberty. It would be half a miracle if anything of the kind should happen. Even the performance of your operas at Vienna is an example of exceptional toleration, considering the customs of the country. To demand more would appear to me illusory. Your POLITICAL expectations in Austria are as small as are your ARTISTIC expectations in Paris and Italy.

Performances of your works in the French or Italian language must for the present be looked upon as pia desideria, or else as newspaper canards.

I am sometimes surprised (forgive my candour) that you fail to perceive that if a performance of "Tannhduser" were given at Paris or Milan, it would take place in very unfavourable circ.u.mstances. (I do not speak of London, where a good GERMAN opera troupe might have a chance.) For several years to come the only true soil for your works is Germany; that soil they will occupy more and more firmly, and in advance of all other productions. Do not allow yourself to be led away by vague talking, and preserve your justifiable pride.................

I start to-night with the Princess and her daughter for the Tyrolese mountains. Address your next letter, "Hotel de Baviere", Munich, whence it will be forwarded to me. I cannot say, for the present, where we shall make a longer stay. About September 20th we shall once more pa.s.s through Munich, and shall be back here on October 1st at the latest.

When you can spare a quiet hour, let me know why you did not care to stay a few days longer at Zurich, where I intended to visit you on the 20th inst. at the latest. Several business matters (mostly in connection with the Grand Duke), and the University celebration at Jena, on August 15th (where I had undertaken to conduct some of my compositions), made it impossible for me to leave here sooner.

However that may be, I remain invariably your faithful and loving

F. LISZT.

WEYMAR, August 26th, 1858.