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Chapter 2 - 1866–1867: Tribschen

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2017

Christopher Fifield
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Summary

During the summer of 1866, having completed Act I of Die Meistersinger, Richard Wagner wrote to his publisher Schott to complain about the dirty, ink-stained condition in which the manuscript of the orchestral Prelude was returned to him by the engravers. On completion, the full score of the opera was destined to be donated to his patron King Ludwig of Bavaria, and so Wagner decided he needed a copyist to make a fair copy of what he had written and to keep pace with him as he composed and scored the remaining two acts. Schott could not help, but Wagner sent a letter on 16 August 1866 to Hofkapellmeister Heinrich Esser in Vienna which produced a different result. He specifically asked for:

a very intelligent copyist with a perfectly complete understanding of music. If you are able to recommend an individual from among the many younger or older needy musicians of Vienna, you would do me a favour by letting me know; I would then take this adjutant, initially for half a year, with full board and expenses paid, so that under my supervision … he could make an exact copy. Accordingly I would be glad to know his terms: this engagement would begin in October.

Esser recommended Hans Richter, but, as he told Schott, he ‘hoped in so doing for no retribution from heaven and prayed for forgiveness from God for sending such a young and unblemished soul to Wagner.’ Towards the end of October, Wagner wrote a letter to King Ludwig in which he informed him of the impending arrival from Vienna of

an able musician I have engaged as my secretary, because I need a very gifted, thorough person with enough understanding of a score to enable him to copy it correctly and at once. I have seen at first hand how disgracefully my original manuscript was treated by engravers and copyists, and as I now view my own handwriting with quite different eyes than before, because it all now belongs to my gracious king, I take the minutest precautions that it shall reach him in the purest state.

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Hans Richter , pp. 10 - 24
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer
Print publication year: 2016

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