I have come to a close of my stay at Munich, and want to send you a few short notes of it before returning to Weymar, which will happen tomorrow evening.  First of all about the performance of “Tannhauser”, which took place last Sunday (apart from the subscription nights) for the benefit of the Munich poor.  The Princess had taken two boxes, which we occupied together with Kaulbach, E. Forster, Liebig, Carriere, and others.  The scenery and dresses are brilliant, but probably you would not like them particularly, and I, for my part, think them mannered and pretentious.  In the orchestra the wind (especially flutes, clarinets, and bassoon) is excellent.  The violins and double basses (six in number) are a little hazy, and lack the necessary energy, both in bowing, which is short and easy-going, and in rhythm.  The pianos and CRESCENDOS are insufficient, and for the same reason there is no fulness in the Fortes.  “Lachner” has, no doubt, studied the score with the greatest accuracy and care, for which thanks and praise are due to him.  But in the drama, as you know and say best, “we must become Wise by means of feeling.”  “Reason tells us so it is, only after feeling has told us so it must be;” and as far as I can tell, Lachner’s feeling says little about “Tannhauser”, although he was called several times before the curtain at the first performances.  The part of “Tannhauser” was sung by “Herr Jung”, the husband of “Lucile Gran.”  He succeeded, in my opinion, better than the public here seemed to think, which is, as a rule, somewhat lukewarm and stolid.  “Frau Dietz”, whose figure and personality do not particularly fit her for “Elizabeth”, sang the beginning of the second act with intelligence and feeling, but in the last act she was no longer up to the mark, and the prayer in the third act was applauded as if it had been “The Last Rose of Summer.”  “Kindermann’s” voice is splendid, but there is no trace of “Wolfram” about him.  Still less was “Fraulein X.” able to identify herself with Venus, whom she seemed to conceive as an ideal Munich barmaid.  “Lindemann”, the Landgrave, you know, from Hamburg; his voice is as powerful as ever, and he might, later on, serve you as “Fafner” or “Fasolt.”

“Apropos”, your “X.” is a perfect madman, and I should certainly not advise you to have anything to do with a man like him.  He asked me to attend a vocal practice of his pupils, when the poor people had to shout nothing but four or five notes do, de, da!  “X.” has entirely surrendered himself to his monomania of method, which to him has become a kind of dram-drinking.  His circumstances are in a very bad way, and I am told that he keeps himself alive chiefly by acting as clerk in a tailor’s business here.  This, of course, is by no means to his discredit, and I think, on the contrary, that he would do much better to give up his method, and take to tailoring ex PROFESSO.