314 - WAGNER (Richard), 1813–1883.

WAGNER (Richard), 1813–1883. Autograph letter signed “Richard Wagner,” Paris, 19 Quai Voltaire, December 8, 1861, 2 pp., large 8vo, in German, to Joseph Tichatschek. A very fine musical letter in which Wagner, deeply discouraged by his setbacks in Vienna, announces that he is resuming work on *Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg*. No sooner had he returned to Paris than Wagner resumed contact with his “dear old friend,” the famous tenor Joseph Tichatschek (1807–1886), one of his most loyal performers, who notably premiered the roles of Rienzi and Tannhäuser in Dresden. He first discussed with him his plans regarding Alois Ander, a tenor at the Vienna State Opera, whom he was considering sending to Dresden, perhaps to sing *Lohengrin* there. Wagner asks Tichatschek if it would be possible to set the terms of a six-month engagement for the following winter in advance. But his immediate concerns were far more somber. His journey had left him in a state of extreme uncertainty: “It goes round and round in my head; I am ill, without the slightest comfort, constantly in a state of precariousness and insecurity [...].” Wagner had in fact just left Vienna following the failure of his long-standing project to stage *Tristan und Isolde* there, the rehearsals for which had ultimately led to the cancellation of the premiere. The year 1861 had already been marked by the resounding Parisian fiasco of *Tannhäuser*. It is precisely in this context that the letter takes on its full significance. Wagner informs Tichatschek of his decision to seek a way out of his difficulties through creative work: “Now I want to undertake a new work [The Mastersingers of Nuremberg]; this should distract me and give me confidence.” He adds that he plans to see his friend again during the summer. This statement comes at the very beginning of the definitive genesis of *The Mastersingers*. Wagner had conceived an initial sketch of the work as early as 1845, but it was not until late 1861 that he truly resumed work on the project. His autobiography recounts that, during his recent stay in Venice and subsequent trip to Vienna, the music for *The Mastersingers* had taken shape in his mind with renewed clarity. He would now devote himself to it in Paris, completing the libretto in early 1862. The letter was also written from 19 Quai Voltaire, an address of particular significance in the history of the work: Wagner stayed there in December 1861 and January 1862 and worked specifically on the libretto for *Die Meistersinger* while there. He concludes by conveying to Tichatschek greetings from Peter Cornelius, who was then in Vienna, and by warmly thanking the recipient, a “remarkable and indomitable singer and friend.” An important transitional letter, linking *Lohengrin*, the failure of *Tristan* in Vienna, and the revival of *Die Meistersinger*, and documenting, day by day, the period when Wagner sought in this new work a way out of one of the most difficult periods of his career.