SALZBURG, October 9th, 1858.
The news about you, contained in the papers during last month, was so different and so contradictory that I did not know where to write to you. At last your arrival at Vienna was announced, and when this premature statement was contradicted, some one wrote to me that you had gone to Florence or Paris. By your last letter, which reached me on the day of my departure from Munich, I see that for the present you intend to remain in Venice, and that the Government does not object to your stay there. I wish with my whole heart that you may find rest at Venice, and be able to settle comfortably, and to resume and complete your works. Fiat pax in virtute tua is a prayer in the service of the Mass, which I repeat to you from the bottom of my heart. The information which I received as to the security of your stay at Venice was not of a kind to make me think your domicile there, even for a short time, an advisable thing. Even now I entertain some doubts, which, however, I hope will prove futile. It is a great pity that we cannot live together, and I long unspeakably for the day when this will be possible. Lately, again, I spoke to the Grand Duke about your situation, and conjured him to set everything in motion in order to open your return to Germany. He promised that he would do so. The remarks in my last letter in reference to the performances of your works in the French or Italian language you seem to have misunderstood. By several things which you had previously written to me, and by your last journey to Paris, this possibility was suggested to me for discussion, and my only intention was, of course, to explain my view of the matter to you, without in the least wishing to prejudice you. The Queen of England had told you that an Italian performance of your works would be desirable; of Roger's "Tannhauser" we had spoken several times, and you had also come to an understanding with Ollivier as to the droits d'auteur. My expectations of all this are small, and I cannot agree with others of your friends as to the opportuneness and desirability of performances in a foreign language; indeed I should think it more advisable not to attach any importance to them for the present, and to make no attempt in that direction. But you must not charge me with having evolved the whole matter from my imagination. In the worst case, my view would simply be an erroneous one, but you should not misunderstand or disapprove of my intention of saving you unnecessary trouble. You have struck your roots entirely in German soil; you are, and remain, the glory and splendour of German art. While theatrical affairs abroad are in their present condition, while Meyerbeer and Verdi reign supreme, while theatrical managers, singers, conductors, newspapers, and the public are under their immediate influence, there is no need for you to mix yourself up with this muddle.
Another point in your letter, dearest Richard, has almost hurt me, although I can well understand that you think the official impediments which prevented my journey to Zurich trivial, and that you fail to give due importance to the University Jubilee of Jena, and to the many considerations which I have to observe, were it only in order to be occasionally useful to you in small matters. In a calmer mood you will easily understand that I cannot and dare not leave Weymar at every moment, and you will surely feel that the delay of my journey to Zurich was caused by no kind of TRIVIALITY. When I wrote to you that I should be with you on August 20th, I made no doubt that even in case of your earlier departure from Zurich you would appoint another place, Lucerne or Geneva, for a meeting. As you failed to do so, I came to a conclusion which I am only too happy to abandon on your word.
Enough of this, dearest Richard: we shall remain what we are— inseparable, true friends, and such another pair will not be found soon.
During the first half of September I roamed about the Tyrolese mountains with the Princess and her daughter, and we stayed a few days quite alone in the Otz-valley. Driven away by bad weather, we returned to Munich, quietly witnessed the festivities, and saw our friend Kaulbach every day. Lachner told me that he had had some correspondence with you about an early performance of Rienzi. "Tannhauser" I heard again at Munich, but "Lohengrin" had to be postponed owing to the sudden indisposition of Herr Lindemann. Since I heard some passages of it from you, I know more of it than all the performances can teach me.
In order to carry out our original plan, and assert our rights even against the bad weather, we have come to Salzburg, and shall be back at Weymar in about a week. Probably I shall find there the proofs of my "Dante" symphony, which I shall send to you at once, as the true child of my sufferings.
When shall I have the joy of reading "Tristan?" The Hartels informed me that the pianoforte score was in print. Have you quite settled as to where the first performance is to take place? According to all accounts the Carlsruhe people reckon upon it for certain. May God grant that "Tristan" will put an end to your exile. This is my hope.
"Rienzi" with Tichatschek is to be given at Weymar in the course of the winter. Previous to that I shall go to Dresden, where I have promised Rietschel to pay my OLD debt to Weber, and to make ONE exception by playing several of Weber's pianoforte compositions at a concert for the benefit of the Weber monument, the model of which Rietschel has executed with incomparable mastery. On that occasion I shall ask for a performance of "Rienzi" at the theatre, in accordance with which I shall arrange that of Weymar, so far as our means will allow us. If I had a little more money I should have preferred to pay the balance which is still due on the subscription for the Weber monument in hard cash, instead of playing to the people a few hackneyed pieces. Weber must forgive a poor devil like me that I can do nothing better for him. You wrote to me about this matter many years ago, and now that the model of the monument is ready, it is a point of honour to make an end of the matter and commence casting it in metal. Write to me at Weymar how you like the city of the Lagunes. I presume that C. R. is with you. Remember me to him kindly, and tell him that I sincerely approve of his sonatas published by Hartel.
With invariable friendship, I remain cordially and sincerely
Your