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Hans, who was in an equally happy mood for we all seemed to each other to be embarked on some Quixotic adventure called my attention to Brendel, who was sitting not far from us, and seemed to be expecting me to recognise him. I found it entertaining to prolong this suspense thus occasioned, by pretending not to know him, whereat, as it appears, the poor man was much offended.
The bust of Marat, the most loathsome of all the monsters engendered by the Revolution, was borne in solemn procession to the cathedral, before whose portals an immense fire was fed with pictures and images of the saints, crucifixes, priests' garments, and sacred vessels, among which Brendel hurled his mitre.
The three last numbers of my Symphonic Poems will appear by the end of this month, and I shall send them to you at once. A similar thing, "Die Hunnenschlacht," I completed last week. The Princess of Prussia has commanded "Tannhauser" for next Sunday. Please forward the enclosed proof to Brendel, so that the good man may get a notion of his bad editorship.
Brendel has grand schemes, which he will probably communicate to you. He is coming here for the next performance of Raff's opera "King Alfred," in order to talk to me about the new paper which he would like to bring out in the course of the summer. The enterprise is in itself good enough, but I have still my doubts as to the means at disposal.
Send your letter to Brendel, who will give it to Langer, and let me have without delay the designs for the "Flying Dutchman".
If Joachim would like on the same occasion to let me hear something, I could easily get him a regular engagement for the festival. To Brendel I have been owing a letter some time for his book; I don't know what to write to him. All that is very well, and those who cannot do anything better should do what these people do, but I have no inclination that way any longer.
The necessity for altering the finale by Mozart induced me to write an article for the Brendel musical journal on this artistic problem. These occupations did not, however, prevent me from working at the Rheingold score, which I quickly dotted down in pencil on a few single sheets. On the 28th May I finished the instrumentation of the Rheingold.
I am going to Canton Valais in a few days, but intend to be back soon. I have no money for roaming about, and while I am enjoying my work nothing else attracts me. The "Valkyrie" has been begun, and now I shall go at it in good style. How curious these contrasts are I mean, between the first love scene of the "Valkyrie" and that of the "Rhinegold." Brendel must have surprised you.
You will have to suffer much at the rehearsals, and have perhaps never undergone so hard a trial of patience as the re-writing and studying of this work, which to you is partly "ein uberwundener Standpunkt," as friend Brendel says. Through means of the "Presse Theatrale", which is kindly sent to me, I remain au courant of your exertions.
When Brendel published the notorious Judaism in Music it is true many Jewish journalists began to libel Wagner: it is true also that some Jewish professors in the Leipzig conservatoire petitioned that Brendel should be dismissed; but these were the shabby acts of individuals, and far too many shabby acts were perpetrated by Richard's partisans for it to be desirable for them to raise the cry of persecution.
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