Thomas Carlyle - "History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 9"

Anthony Trollope - "Miss Sarah Jack, of Spanish Town, Jamaica"

Helen Bannerman - "The Story of Little Black Sambo"

Kathleen Norris - "Undertow"

My Life, Volume II

R >> Richard Wagner >> My Life, Volume II




I had very bad news from Vienna. Standhartncr, to make sure of
the furniture I had left in the house, sold it to a Viennese
agent, with the option of re-purchase. I wrote back in great
indignation, particularly as I realised the prejudicial effect of
this on my landlord, to whom I had to pay rent within the next
few days. Through Mme. Wille I succeeded in getting placed at my
disposal the money required for the rent, which I forwarded at
once to Baron Raokowitz. Unfortunately, however, I found that
Standhartner had already cleared up everything with Eduard Liszt,
paying the rent with the proceeds from the furniture, and thereby
cutting off my return to Vienna, which they both considered would
be positive ruin to me. But when I heard at the same time from
Cornelius that Tausig, who was then in Hungary and who had added
his signature to one of the bills of exchange, felt himself
prevented by me from returning to Vienna as he desired, I was so
sensibly wounded that I decided to go back on the spot, however
great the danger might be. I announced my intention to my friends
there immediately, but decided first to try and provide myself
with enough money to be in a position to suggest a composition
with my creditors. To this end I had written most urgently to
Schott at Mayence, and did not refrain from reproaching him
bitterly for his behaviour to me. I now decided to leave
Mariafeld for Stuttgart to await the result of these efforts, and
to prosecute them from a nearer vantage-ground. But I was also,
as will be seen, moved to carry out this change by other motives.

Dr. Wille had returned, and I could see at once that my stay at
Mariafeld alarmed him. He probably feared I might rely on his
help also. In some confusion, occasioned by the attitude I had
adopted in consequence, he made this confession to me in a moment
of agitation. He was, he said, overpowered by a sentiment with
regard to me which amounted to this--that a man wanted, after
all, to be something more than a cipher in his own house, where,
if anywhere, it is not pleasant to serve as a mere foil to some
one else. This sentiment was merely excusable, he thought, in a
man who, though he might reasonably suppose himself of some
account among his fellows, had been brought into close contact
with another to whom he felt himself in the strangest manner
subordinate. Mme. Wille, foreseeing her husband's frame of mind,
had come to an agreement, with the Wesendonck family by which
they were to provide me with one hundred francs a month during my
stay at Mariafeld. When this came to my knowledge, I could do
nothing but announce to Frau Wesendonck my immediate departure
from Switzerland, and request her in the kindest possible way to
consider herself relieved of all anxiety about me, as I had
arranged my affairs quite in accordance with my wishes. I heard
later that she had returned this letter--which, possibly, she
considered compromising--to Mme. Wille unopened.

My next move was to go to Stuttgart on 30th April. I knew that
Karl Eckert had been settled there some time as conductor at the
Royal Court Theatre, and I had reason to believe the good-natured
fellow to be unprejudiced and well disposed towards me, judging
by his admirable behaviour when he had been director of the opera
in Vienna, and also by the enthusiasm he exhibited in coming to
my concert at Karlsruhe the year before. I expected nothing
further of him than a little assistance in looking for a quiet
lodging for the coming summer at Cannstadt or some such place
near Stuttgart. I wanted, above all, to finish the first act of
the Meistersinger with all possible despatch, so as to send
Schott part of the manuscript at last. I had told him that I was
going to send it to him almost immediately when I attacked him
about the advances which had so long been withheld from me. I
then intended to collect the means wherewith to meet my
obligations in Vienna, while living in complete retirement and,
as I hoped, in concealment. Eckert welcomed me most kindly. His
wife--one of the greatest beauties in Vienna--had, in her
fantastic desire to marry an artist, given up a very profitable
post, but was still rich enough for the conductor to live
comfortably and show hospitality, and the impression I now
received was very pleasant. Eckert felt himself absolutely bound
to take me to see Baron von Gall, the manager of the court
theatre, who alluded sensibly and kindly to my difficult position
in Germany, where everything was likely to remain closed to me as
long as the Saxon ambassadors and agents--who were scattered
everywhere--were allowed to attempt to injure me by all kinds of
suspicions. After getting to know me better, he considered
himself authorised to act on my behalf through the medium of the
court of Wurtemberg. As I was talking over these matters rather
late on the evening of 3rd May at the Eckerts', a gentleman's
card with the inscription 'Secretary to the King of Bavaria' was
handed to me. I was disagreeably surprised that my presence in
Stuttgart should be known to passing travellers, and sent word
that I was not there, after which I retired to my hotel, only to
be again informed by the landlord that a gentleman from Munich
desired to see me on urgent business. I made an appointment for
the morning at ten o'clock, and passed a disturbed night in my
constant anticipation of misfortune. I received Herr
Pfistermeister, the private secretary of H.M. the King of
Bavaria, in my room. He first expressed great pleasure at having
found me at last, thanks to receiving some happy directions,
after vainly seeking me in Vienna and even at Mariafeld on Lake
Zurich. He was charged with a note for me from the young King of
Bavaria, together with a portrait and a ring as a present. In
words which, though few, penetrated to the very core of my being,
the youthful monarch confessed his great partiality for my work,
and announced his firm resolve to keep me near him as his friend,
so that I might escape any malignant stroke of fate. Herr
Pfistermeister informed me at the same time that he was
instructed to conduct me to Munich at once to see the King, and
begged my permission to inform his master by telegram that I
would come on the following day. I was invited to dine with the
Eckerts, but Herr Pfistermeister was obliged to decline to
accompany me. My friends, who had been joined by young Weisheimer
from Osthofen, were very naturally amazed and delighted at the
news I brought them. While we were at table Eckert was informed
by telegram of Meyerbeer's death in Paris, and Weisheimer burst
out in boorish laughter to think that the master of opera, who
had done me so much harm, had by a strange coincidence not lived
to see this day. Herr von Gall also made his appearance, and had
to admit in friendly surprise that I certainly did not need his
good services any more. He had already given the order for
Lohengrin, and now paid me the stipulated sum on the spot. At
five o'clock that afternoon I met Herr Pfistermeister at the
station to travel with him to Munich, where my visit to the King
was announced for the following morning.

On the same day I had received the most urgent warnings against
returning to Vienna. But my life was to have no more of these
alarms; the dangerous road along which fate beckoned me to such
great ends was not destined to be clear of troubles and anxieties
of a kind unknown to me heretofore, but I was never again to feel
the weight of the everyday hardships of existence under the
protection of my exalted friend.

Copyright (c) 2007. topbookz.net. All rights reserved.