Wagner's Letters

Correspondence by, to, and around Richard Wagner

Wagner’s letters form one of the great documentary records of nineteenth-century artistic life. They reveal the practical, intellectual, emotional, and ideological world behind the works: artistic plans, financial crises, theatrical battles, friendships, quarrels, patronage, exile, revolution, Bayreuth, family life, philosophical reflection, and the shifting circle of figures who helped shape Wagner’s public and private destiny.

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Date	From	To	Place	Words	Subject
February 2, 1858	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	51	No summary available.
February 5, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	31	No summary available.
February 8, 1858	Richard Wagner	Princess Marie Wittgenstein	Zurich	1,387	Writing to Princess Marie Wittgenstein, Wagner says Paris left him unexpectedly reassured through sympathetic French contacts, Ollivier's help, the Hérold and Erard families, a promised Erard grand piano, and signs of renewed interest in Tannhäuser. He contrasts Liszt's inspiring, formative influence and their rare friendship with Berlioz's loveless, self-deluding artistic nature, while also reflecting on Calderón, Spanish honor, Catholicism, and his own unitive artistic power.
February 10, 1858	Richard Wagner	Hans von Bülow	Zurich	480	Writing to Hans von Bülow, Wagner warmly describes Blandine and Ollivier, says his Paris affairs are well handled, and celebrates obtaining an Erard grand piano. He longs for intelligent visitors, denounces Berlioz's operatic libretto and Dorn's Nibelung music, worries that Johanna Wagner's association with such work clouds his Brünnhilde hopes, and admits uneasy jealousy over Cosima's interest in Herwegh.
February 20, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	85	No summary available.
March 10, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	30	No summary available.
March 31, 1858	Richard Wagner	Otto Wesendonck	Zurich	59	No summary available.
April 4, 1858	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	79	No summary available.
April 5, 1858	Richard Wagner	Breitkopf and Härtel	Zurich	213	Writing to Breitkopf and Härtel, Wagner revives the question of publishing his revised Gluck Iphigenia in Aulis, noting its Hanover success, Viennese interest, his reorchestration, and Bülow's nearly finished piano arrangement. He offers the firm first refusal out of preference and courtesy, while acknowledging they may hesitate to take on another Wagner publishing venture.
April 5, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	29	No summary available.
April 6, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	25	No summary available.
April 8, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	103	No summary available.
April 10, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	81	No summary available.
April 13, 1858	Franz Liszt	Richard Wagner	Zurich	1,279	Wagner sets out a detailed new plan for securing amnesty, including the possibility of Swiss citizenship and the more important aim of obtaining permission to return to Germany temporarily for performances and for closer life with Liszt. He begs Liszt to seek a personal audience with the King of Saxony and plead on the basis of Wagner's artistic nature, changed political outlook, and willingness to avoid public demonstrations, since he expects more from Liszt's spoken advocacy than from any letter of his own.
April 15, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	59	No summary available.
April 23, 1858	Richard Wagner	Minna Wagner	Zurich	431	Writing to Minna, Wagner pleads for patience and trust during her cure, saying her accusations and suspicion torture him but are partly excused by her poor health. He defends the purity of the relationship troubling her, notes that the lady's husband has reproached him only for failing to make that innocence clear to Minna, and insists his lifelong concern remains fixed on Minna's welfare.
April 27, 1858	Richard Wagner	Minna Wagner	Zurich	416	Writing to Minna, Wagner responds with bitter irony and desperation to her continued suspicion, saying that whether he is silent or open he only creates misunderstanding and unhappiness. He offers hyperbolically to submit every word, thought, composition, and action to her approval if that will convince her of his love, gratitude, loyalty, and desire to calm her fears.
May 1, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	86	No summary available.
May 3, 1858	Richard Wagner	Minna Wagner	Zurich	361	Writing to Minna, Wagner rejoices in the newly arrived Erard piano, whose soft and responsive tone promises practical help for composing, and says her recovery would be his remaining great joy. He urges her not to torment herself with suspicions or isolated phrases, asks her to focus on her cure and trust his actions, and calls for mutual patience in bearing their difficult life together.
May 4, 1858	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	117	No summary available.
May 7, 1858	Franz Liszt	Richard Wagner	—	427	Liszt tells Wagner that he is still trying to help from various quarters, reports encouraging interest from the Baden court, and strongly advises him not to abandon Tristan, suggesting Carlsruhe or Prague rather than Weimar for the premiere and asking for the score as soon as it is finished. He also gives practical updates on why Rienzi cannot yet be staged in Weimar, notes prospects for Lohengrin in Vienna, and ends by urging Wagner to let Tristan lead him back victoriously to Siegfried.
May 11, 1858	Richard Wagner	Julie Ritter	Zurich	254	Writing to Julie Ritter, Wagner thanks her warmly for her letter but hints at severe recent suffering, chiefly Minna's distressing health and the domestic sorrows of the winter while she is now under Dr. Erismann's care at Brestenberg. He also reports an unanswered request to Dresden for temporary permission to return to Germany, hopes the Saxon amnesty question may be settled next year, and resumes Tristan Act II while longing for undisturbed work.
May 18, 1858	Franz Liszt	Richard Wagner	Weimar	55	Liszt sends Wagner the young pianist Tausig with the highest recommendation and asks that he be warmly received. He suggests Wagner let Tausig work on the Erard piano, perform for him, and be introduced to the circle of mutual friends in Zurich.
May 22, 1858	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	67	No summary available.
May 31, 1858	Richard Wagner	Hans von Bülow	Zurich	434	Writing to Hans von Bülow, Wagner hesitates to hold him to the promised piano arrangement of Tristan, fearing that the work would further steal time from Bülow's own creative duties. He proposes that the young Tausig might instead prepare the arrangement quickly under Wagner's supervision, asking Bülow to decide frankly and not suspect any motive beyond friendship and concern.
May 31, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	23	No summary available.
June 3, 1858	Richard Wagner	Minna Wagner	Zurich	240	Writing to Minna, Wagner urges peace, an end to brooding, and trust that his intentions and actions will remain open and steady. He reports that the Wesendoncks have returned and that he has delicately informed Otto they should remain friendly but cease personal intercourse, insisting Minna must not interfere because he sees this as the only way to avoid further trouble while staying in Zurich.
July 2, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Zurich	1,299	Wagner explains that Tristan is being pushed forward largely for financial reasons through Hartel, clarifies that stories about a Prague premiere are misunderstandings, and says he has become largely indifferent to the external fate of his works so long as he may be present when they are performed. He then gives Liszt an affectionate, amused portrait of the young Tausig in his household, reports serious concern and partial recovery in his wife's health, and ends by once more pleading for Liszt to visit him despite past disappointments.
July 2, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Zurich	712	Writing to Liszt, Wagner recounts a cordial visit from the Grand Duke and says any German amnesty would chiefly let him use Liszt's house as his base for visits rather than seek a new position. He vividly describes the gifted, unruly young Tausig as a stimulating burden, anticipates the Bülows' visit, notes Cosima's greater attraction to Herwegh, and reports Minna's approaching return after a long cure.
July 2, 1858	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	47	No summary available.
July 3, 1858	Franz Liszt	Richard Wagner	—	198	Liszt reports that the Grand Duke spoke at length about Wagner's visit at Lucerne and says the impression left is strong enough to make him hopeful that Wagner will at least be present in Weimar for the first performance of Tristan. He adds that Rienzi is now planned for the next season and urges Wagner to write soon.
July 6, 1858	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	1,296	Writing to Mathilde Wesendonck, Wagner frames their recent emotional crisis as a necessary renunciation in which personal desire must yield to a purer, selfless love after his decision to end personal intercourse with her. He links this sacrifice to Minna's grave illness, the threatened loss of the Asyl, his rejection of worldly dependence, and a longing for inward rest, imagining future absences from Zurich and occasional returns as a sanctified victory over desire.
July 6, 1858	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	1,300	No summary available.
July 8, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Zurich	325	Wagner says a dispute involving Tausig and another friend has deeply shaken him because it shows how even among friends good intentions can be distorted into their opposite. He pleads Tausig's case by pointing to the young man's profound devotion to Liszt and genuine warmth toward the other party, while reflecting gloomily on how such episodes further estrange him from the world.
July 8, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Zurich	612	Writing to Liszt, Wagner explains the misunderstanding around Tausig and Bülow over the Tristan piano arrangement, insisting that his proposal to use Tausig arose from concern that Bülow was overburdened and losing time for original composition. He rejects suspicions of financial importunity or Altenburg intrigue, defends Tausig's reluctance to cross Bülow, and says Bülow kept the work once Wagner saw how much value he attached to it.
July 18, 1858	Franz Liszt	Richard Wagner	—	285	Liszt replies that if he has hurt Wagner he does not understand how, insisting that his warning to Tausig came from a sincere sense of duty and not from intrigue or influence by others. He admits both affection and high expectations for the gifted young pianist, and thanks Wagner for caring for him in the hope that closeness to Wagner will help mature him as both artist and man.
August 1, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	6	No summary available.
August 6, 1858	Franz Liszt	Richard Wagner	—	162	Liszt says he cannot leave Weimar before the Jena University centenary and another expected visit of consequence, though he is willing to come to Zurich a few weeks earlier than first planned. He asks Wagner to confirm by return whether he will still be in Zurich on the 20th, since Liszt will only make the trip if he can be sure of spending several days with him.
August 11, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Zurich	87	Writing to Liszt, Wagner says his situation can only be understood by someone present and that he has longed for weeks to leave Zurich. He plans to depart on August 14 and confesses the pain of not having Liszt beside him during this important crisis.
August 17, 1858*	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Zurich	16,819	No summary available.
August 20, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Geneva	141	Wagner asks Liszt to find out whether he could safely spend some time in Venice, which lies outside the German Confederation, without risking arrest, extradition, or other harassment. If any danger exists, he wants the Grand Duke to intercede on his behalf, since the city strongly attracts him and he plans to delay departure until he has Liszt's answer.
August 24, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Berne	542	Wagner thanks Liszt for his answer about Venice and says fresh inquiries reassure him that he presently faces no immediate danger there, though the crucial question is whether he may remain undisturbed for a longer stay. He passionately argues that Venice is the ideal place for the seclusion, silence, and practical accessibility he needs for work, and urges Liszt to have the Grand Duke intervene in Vienna at once to secure that protection.
August 26, 1858	Franz Liszt	Richard Wagner	Weimar	674	Liszt reports that every inquiry has produced bad news about Venice, and even the Grand Duke advises Wagner against going there, recommending Genoa or Sardinia instead while holding out only limited hope for some future permission to stay temporarily in Germany. He urges Wagner to focus on finishing Tristan and use its eventual performance, perhaps through Baden or Weimar, as the best route toward a partial return, while also cautioning him not to indulge unrealistic hopes about Austria, Paris, or Italy as immediate artistic or political solutions.
September 12, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Venice	114	Wagner says Liszt's delayed letter has just reached him and notes with pleasure that Liszt is now geographically close. He urges him to come down from the Tyrol and visit at once, preferring to answer in person all that Liszt has written, especially his notions about Wagner's Italian plans.
September 27, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Venice	676	Wagner complains that Liszt's promised visit has not materialized and says he can no longer expect the personal conversation he wanted, so he explains in writing that his move to Venice was never meant as an artistic or political maneuver but purely as a search for secluded, negative, undisturbed conditions in which to work. He reports with satisfaction that Venice has met those needs, that the authorities have allowed him to remain unmolested, and that he hopes soon to resume work on Tristan with complete concentration.
September 30, 1858	Richard Wagner	Mathilde Wesendonck	Venice	1,996	No summary available.
October 9, 1858	Franz Liszt	Richard Wagner	Salzburg	1,183	Liszt says confusing reports had made Wagner's movements hard to follow, but now that Venice seems possible he sincerely hopes Wagner will find peace there to settle and complete his work, while still admitting lingering doubts about the security of that refuge. He then defends his earlier caution about foreign-language performances and his inability to visit Zurich sooner, reaffirms their inseparable friendship, and closes with travel, performance, and publication news while asking when he may finally read Tristan and hoping it will end Wagner's exile.
October 19, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Venice	436	Wagner thanks Liszt for a letter whose friendship deeply moved him, says that patience, pity, and quiet work now guide him, and reports that Tristan is flowing forward again in the peaceful retirement of Venice. He notes that the first act is complete and in proof, hopes to finish the second and third acts on schedule for a possible Easter performance, and says that if the Grand Duke of Baden can secure permission, the premiere may take place at Carlsruhe.
October 23, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Venice	99	Wagner reports that after a mutual plan to congratulate Liszt on his birthday was preempted by a telegram from another friend, he celebrated in Venice with a dinner of oysters and champagne in St. Mark's Square. A military band played the Rienzi overture, he drank Liszt's health, and he sends the letter as proof of the cheerful tribute.
October 26, 1858	Richard Wagner	Franz Liszt	Venice	128	Wagner reports that Munich has abandoned plans for Rienzi on religious grounds, leaving him once again searching urgently for income. He asks Liszt to help him place Lohengrin, and possibly The Flying Dutchman as well, with the Cassel or Coburg managements so he can earn money and relieve his difficult position.
No letters found.

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