Wagner, Richard

Autograph letter signed ("R.Wagner"), 1 page (8 5/8 x 5 5/8 in.; 218 x 142 mm), in German, Bayreuth, 4 May 1872, to Carl Riedel; integral blank, light browning, splits to center horizontal fold.

Wagner on Beethoven. Wagner writes to the conductor Carl Riedel about issues of interpretation of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. He specifically focuses on the last five measures of the grand finale where the two themes "Freude schoener Goetterfunken" and "Seid umschlungen" become intertwined to build the final climax. He explains: "This is indeed a known devilish passage! That Beethoven wrote it like that is certain; however, that at the same time he was wrong is just as certain. He then reflects on his own work: "I am very precise in my finalizations; yet I have still been irked by the strangest quid pro quos in the final proofreading or play through, which arise in many cases from thinking the singing voice as not belonging to the orchestra." Wagner proceeds to provide his interpretation of the complex passage: "I believe that once second thoughts have arisen, and one does not completely suppress them right away, immediately with the fifth last measure A-minor has to commence, while it still seems unusual that the Alto rises to D and then does not drop to B. Nevertheless, something like that has usually a special reason with Beethoven and one has to leave it untouched."

On 30 April 1872, Wagner moved to Bayreuth to build the Festspielhaus. For its inauguration, which took place on Wagner's fifty-ninth birthday (22 May 1872), Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was performed. Shortly after Wagner wrote this letter to Reidel, the first rehearsal of the Ninth Symphony took place.