Please
Make My Excuses To Him If I Do Not Answer His Letter Other Than
By A Silent Condolence (In German Beleidsbezeugung!).
- It has
become horribly difficult nowadays to make a footing on the
boards - "which signify the world" - especially for writers of
classic tragic-plays, whose lot is far more a tragic than a
playing one!
- Things certainly are not much better with most of
the Opera composers, although that genre is the most thankful one
of all. Without a strong dose of obstinacy and resignation there
is no doing anything. In spite of the comforting proverb
"Geduldige Schafe gehen viele in den Stall," [The English
equivalent seems to be "Patience and application will carry us
through."] there is for the greater number and most patient of
the sheep no more room in the fold, to say nothing of food! - Thus
the problem of the literary and artistic proletariat becomes from
year to year more clamorous.
Your orchestral concert plan has surprised me very much, and I
thank you from my heart for this fresh proof of your energy and
goodwill. Yet for this year I think it would be more judicious to
pause, for several reasons which it would lead me rather too far
to explain, and which, therefore, I prefer to reserve for a viva
voce talk. They relate to (A) my personal position and something
connected with it socially; (B) the position of musical matters
among artists and in the Press, which not only influence but
intimidate the public, disconcert it, and palm off upon it ears,
with which it cannot hear. This temporary very bad state of
things I think I have, alas! at all times quite rightly
acknowledged, and, if I do not greatly mistake, it must surely
soon perceptibly modify in our favor. Our opponents "triumph far
more than they conquer us," as Tacitus says. They will not be
able to hold their narrow, malicious, negative, and unproductive
thesis much longer against our quiet, assured, positive progress
in Art-works. A consoling and significant symptom of this is that
they are no longer able to support their adherents among living
and working composers, but devour them critically while the
public is so indifferent. The resume of the whole criticism of
the opposition may be summed up in the following words: "All the
heroes of Art in past times find, alas! no worthy successors in
our day." But our time will not give up its rights - and the
rightful successors will prove themselves such!
More of this when we have an opportunity. You have doubtless
heard that a similar plan to yours is in progress in Leipzig. My
friend Bronsart undertakes the direction of the Euterpe concerts
for this winter, and there will be some rows about it. We will
await the result; if it should not be satisfactory, yet the
matter is so arranged that it cannot do us any great harm. As
regards Vienna I think it would be wisest to let this winter pass
by without troubling ourselves about it.
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