P.S.—About two months ago I at last sent Schott the proofs of the second year of the "Annees de Pelerinage," together with the manuscript of Seroff's arrangement for two pianofortes of Beethoven's C-sharp minor Quartet. Will you be so good as to get Schott to let me know the fate of the C-sharp minor Quartet? Although two-piano arrangements are somewhat thankless articles of sale, yet perhaps Schott may manage to bring out this Quartet, of which I should be very glad.
Don't forget, dearest friend, to remind him that he has left my letter about this matter hitherto unanswered—and I should be glad to let Seroff know something definite.
198. To Dionys Pruckner in Munich
"Lohengrin" be thanked that I hear something from you again, dear Dionysius, and I give you my best thanks that you wrote to me directly after the first performance, and thus gave me fresh good tidings [Namely after the first performance of Lohengrin in Munich, on February 28th, 1858]. What criticism will emit about it by way of addition troubles me little—in our present circumstances its strength consists mainly in the fear which people have of it; and, as the Augsburg gentlemen renounce all claim "to wash to teach us," nothing remains for us but to teach ourselves better than they can do it.
Ad vocem of the severe gentlemen of Augsburg, I will send you in a few days Bronsart's brochure "Musikalische Pflichten" ["Musical Duties." Leipzig, Matthes, 1858] (in answer to the "Musikalische Leiden" ["Musical Sufferings." In Nos. 353-55 of the supplement to the Augsburg Allgemeine Zeitung, 1857.], etc.). The A[llgemeine]Z[eitung] only made a couple of extracts from it in its columns, and from these the point was missing. Bronsart exquisitely accuses our opponents of ill-will, unfairness, and calumniation. Since they have not succeeded in silencing us in a conspicuous manner, they would like to kill us insignificantly, for which, however, other weapons would be necessary than those which they have at their command.
Meanwhile Bronsart's form of argument will give you a pleasant hour, and if, as you tell me, you have found in Munich a few comrades of the same mind, let the "Musikalische Pflichten" be recommended in their circle.
Amongst other things the assumption of the reporter of the A. Z. that Wagner himself had never conducted his Lohengrin better than Franz Lachner, appeared to me very droll. It is well known that Wagner has never heard this work, let alone conducted it!— Ignorance of this kind is, moreover, not the worst on the other side, where intentional and unintentional ignorance and lies (not to mince the matter) are continually being directed against us.
But enough of that. Let us continue to go on our own way simply and honorably, and let the tame or wild beasts on our right and left behave as they like!—
I have not kept your last letter (during my stay in Dresden). Address, up to the 25th of this month, to Haslinger in Vienna. I shall get there by the beginning of next week, and shall conduct the Gran Mass in the Redouten-Saal [Ball-room] on the 22nd and 23rd. Next Thursday the "Dante Symphony" and the "Ideale" will be given here—and on Sunday "Tasso" (in a Conservatorium Concert). Tausig and Pflughaupt [A pupil of Henselt and Liszt (1833-71)] play my two Concertos.
In the E-flat major (No. 1) I have now hit on the expedient of striking the triangle (which aroused such anger and gave such offence) quite lightly with a tuning-fork—and in the Finale (Marcia) I have pretty nearly struck it out altogether, because the ordinary triangle-virtuosi as a rule come in wrong and strike it too hard.