Your faithful

F. L.

Weymar, July 10th, 1857.

247.

You have not come, after all, dearest Franz; without a word of explanation, simply remaining silent, you have not come.  In two letters you had given me hope of your visit, and I wrote to M. that I had thought of a way of receiving you under my roof.  Has my message been given to you?  Perhaps not.  M. was kind enough to write to me some time ago, but my last invitation was not mentioned with a single word.  You wrote to me a few lines, but not a word as to whether you were coming or not.  My dearest Franz, whatever there may have been in my conduct to make you angry with me, you must, I pray you, forgive me for the sake of our friendship, while I, on my part, am quite willing to forgive the person who may have set you against me.

B. will bring you a copy of the poem of “Tistan,” which I wrote during his absence.  While I was at work, and had a visitor, I found it impossible to make a copy and send it to M. Kindly excuse this.

Farewell, dearest Franz, and let me hear soon that you still think of me in a friendly way.  The successful performance of your “Faust” has pleased me immensely.  I wish I could have heard it.

Farewell.

Your R. W.

248.

Hotel de Saxe, No. 17, November 3rd, 1857.

DEAREST RICHARD,

How could I think of you otherwise than with constant love and sincerest devotion in this city, in this room where we first came near to each other, when your genius shone before me?  “Rienzi” resounds to me from every wall, and when I enter the theatre I cannot help bowing to you before every one, as you stand at your desk.  With Tichatschek, Fischer, Heine, and others of your friends in the orchestra here I talk of you every day.  These gentlemen appear well inclined towards me, and take a warm interest in the rehearsals of the “Prometheus” and “Dante” symphonies, which are to be given next Saturday at a concert for the benefit of the Pension Fund of the chorus of the Court theatre.  The Princess and her daughter will arrive this evening.  The Child is mad about your “Tristan,” but, by all the gods, how can you turn it into an opera for Italian singers, as, according to B., you intend to do?  Well, the incredible and impossible are your elements, and perhaps you will manage to do even this.  The subject is splendid, and your conception wonderful.  I have some slight hesitation as to the part of Brangane, which appears to me spun out a little, because I cannot bear confidantes at all in a drama.  Pardon this absurd remark, and take no further notice of it.  When the work is finished my objection will, no doubt, cease.

For February 16th, the birthday of the Grand Duchess, I have proposed “Rienzi,” and I hope Tichatschek will sing in our first two performances.  The third act will necessarily have to be shortened very much.  Fischer and some others even thought that we might omit it altogether.  The Weymar theatre, like the Weymar state, is little adapted to military revolutions; let me know on occasion what I am to do.  The rehearsals will begin in January.