Bayreuth, July 27th, 1882
305. To Madame Malwine Tardieu
Weimar, September 12th, 1882
Dear Madame and Friend,
How I reproach myself for the delay in my written thanks! Those preceding my letter have not been wanting, and your friendly kindness touches me deeply. Lassen assures me of your indulgence. He has lately heard at Brussels "l'hymne a la beaute," [By Benoit. Performed at the Brussels Musical Festival in August 1882] and (between ourselves) did not think it particularly beautiful. In this kind of music even the greatest masters have seldom succeeded in freeing themselves from lukewarm conventionality. This [conventionality] affords matter for academical prizes such as have been carried off several times by Madame Louise Collet of inglorious memory.
Our friend Benoit shall follow his vocation of musical "Rubens".
And Gounod's "Redemption"! Ought one to speak of success or non-
success in a work of that kind? Gounod has always kept the
Catholic religious incentive with a turn towards the sublime. His
"Polyeucte" is a witness for him.
May that abominable quibbler and bloodthirsty "doctrinaire," Henry VIII., be the means of a brilliant and lasting success to St. Saens, who richly deserves it; but in the matter of serious opera the public has reached that blase point which is explained in the words of Ronge, a naive German reformer:—
"What we have we don't want any more; and what we would have we don't quite know." Wagner has known how to want and to act— gloriously, although and because. [Wagner a su vouloir et perpetrer—glorieusement, quoique et parce que.] His work is already becoming immortal.
Let us speak of some modest things, concerning your humble servant. The three Psalms have been admirably translated into French by Mr. Lagye; I will write my thanks to him fully, as soon as I have entirely finished the work of adapting the text to the music. For this it is necessary to modify and rewrite about fifteen pages, a dozen of which are ready. I shall send the whole to Kahnt, the publisher, on Sunday next, and shall inform Lagye, in whose debt I am, of the remainder of the arrangements.
His translations appear to me really excellent, very carefully made, and prosodically well suited to the music. I only regret to have to give him so much trouble, but I hope that in the end he will be satisfied with me. He shall have the second copy of my "Lieder;" if he succeeds as well in putting them into French as he has done with the three Psalms, they may with advantage make their way in Belgium and still farther.