The Diary of Felix Mottl

Levy gives us conducting lessons. Upbeat, alla breve, etc. Wagner praises Kater Murr! “I am, along with Bismarck, the only living German worth his salt!” He praises the talent of the French. Wilhelmy gave the orchestra a feast at the Restoration these days. It was an afternoon in the sweltering heat. He had ordered magnificent wine from Wiesbaden for the occasion, and the revelry became so boisterous that towards evening several musicians had to be carried down in wagons, like wounded soldiers after a battle. The trumpeter Kühnert was found the next morning in the woods above Bürgerreuth, where he had slept through his drunkenness!

During a Siegfried III rehearsal, he encouraged the singer Unger not to merely mime Brünnhilde’s kiss, but to embrace her wholeheartedly! I not only deeply revered the master, but passionately loved him. Had he so desired, I would have leapt into the fire for him!. –  He complains about his bad teeth. – After Brandt demonstrates Siegfried III’s transformation into the Fire Mountain, he henceforth calls him his “Fire Master”.

Night journey to Fantaisie. Very exuberant. When, during an orchestral rehearsal of “Die Walküre,” I had bright tears in my eyes at the passage: “A noble troop of fallen heroes embraces you there,” Wagner noticed this, came up to me, jokingly gave me a nudge in the chest, and said: “What sentimentality! We, here on stage, know that it’s all an illusion!” Those out there (the audience!) are to be duped, but we remain completely cold!”!!!

Rehearsals on stage! – Wilhelmj plays Bach’s Chaconne magnificently. Wagner says about Seidl’s carelessness: “If I could give others something of my being, I would probably be healthier and the others would be worth something more! That’s what we men are for, not women!” He talks about Reisinger, Esser, Richard Levy (horn player, Freischütz Overture), Röckel, Schnorr, and others. “If I need something while composing, it’s always there!”

The two Brassius brothers. The brother lets his brother, who has no house key and is waiting, somewhat tipsy, on the steps in front of the house, sit quietly, unlocks the house quietly, and goes to sleep!

Wagner often spent evenings at the restaurant, where he drank his grog. He was annoyed with Levy because of the altered passage in the “Eroica.” Levy wept and behaved childishly. Wagner said, “Someone offered me an excellent cigar. It doesn’t bite, stink, or burn.” He raved about the Magic Flute overture, which perfectly captured the fairytale tone.

Frau Jaide is a highly gifted artist. Fantaisie with Levy, Lehmann. Lammert. Friendship with Brandt sen. and jun. Fun evenings at the “Sonne”.

A walk with Minna to the Rollwenzelei. Music director Eckert with his wife.

Good camaraderie with Wilhelmj and Döpler. The master doesn’t know his own poetry and always lets us young people prompt him. Meanwhile, I was gushing about Minna Lammert.

Rehearsal with Schefzky (Sieglinde). To Fantaisie with Betz, Niemann, Lammert, Richter, and Mannstädt. On the way home, a ghostly cat! – Wagner is ill. I strongly courting Marie Lehmann and behave very badly towards Elise Wiedermann by simply not writing to her anymore and not letting her hear anything from me, after having taken the most tender farewell in Vienna with a thousand assurances. The poor woman is said to have been so offended by my irresponsible behavior that she became ill because of it, and I remained completely indifferent to the news.

At Materna, I played Tristan with Niemann. He’s very nice and enthusiastic. He says: “The others are piano stallions, but you’re a pure soul.”

The Duchess leaves. With Richter and Niemann in the Winehouse. Kühnert plays the trumpet. Professor Döpler.

Niemann Siegmund rehearsal, phantastic. His conscientiousness. With father, Fritz and the duchess to Jean Paul House, Old Theatre, City.

The duchess is here. Breakfast with father. ^[1]

^{[1] Peter Mottl, Felix’s father, was a valet and steward to Duke Palm. The “Duchess” is presumably Leopoldine von Palm-Gundelfingen.}

Fritzl arrives. To the rehearsal with him.

Dinner at Wagner’s. Asparagus soup. Fish. Roast beef. Chicken. Cream with sponge cake. Dessert. Malaga. Red and white wine. Rhine wine. Champagne. Wagner is very nice. He says that Slavic culture has the greatest future and will take over the culture when Germanic culture has died out. To me, “cosmopolitan” or “internationalist” is synonymous with “scoundrel”!

The master is making a terrible fuss about the hashish nonsense. Wilhelmy’s big wine festival on the hill! The musicians are getting terribly drunk.

Hashish. Soirée at the Nibelungen Chancellery. It doesn’t affect me at all. But Seidl and Zimmer are quite ill.

Rehearsals with Betz, Vogl, Eill.

Rehearsals with Frau Grün (Fricka.) – Wagnerrehearsal with Rhinemaidens. – Richter jokingly asked me if I would like to conduct. My heart stands still at the bliss of such a thought! Drank to close friendship with Runkwitz …

Continuing rehearsals. Wagner is in a cheerful mood. He thinks it wouldn’t be so bad if a few tough guys wanted to give Mr. Hanslick a good thrashing here in Bayreuth.

Rehearsal with Hill and Schlosser. He says to Schlosser: “Everything strictly in time! No recitative, that doesn’t exist with me!” Nothing but “arias”! It is said that King Ludwig, after a meeting of many German princes, told him he could not tolerate the company of his tasteless princely colleagues. He tells stories about Berlioz and Meyerbeer. He calls Virginia cigars rat tails. He refers to Pollini as: Director Pollutioni!

Piano rehearsal Siegfried, 1. Act. He is very pleased with us young people. he calls us “diligently subservient”. Levi is here from Munich. Rehearsal with the swim carts; the master very kind. Invites us to the restauration. Richter and Levi. Christ and Jew! Stark contrast.

Rehearsals: Unger, Reichenberg, Schlosser, Rhein maidens. Seidl, Fischer and Mottl drive the carts. Wagner says: “Seitl”, Fischer “in the water” and “Mottulations!”. Frau Grün, Kühnert. Brucks. Jaide.

In the morning rehearsal of the forge-scene with Unger and Schlosser. In the afternoon swim-rehearsals with the Rhine maidens in the theatre. In the evening supper with Wagner, Brand, Richter in the restauration.

The artist arrive one after the other. Niering, architect Runckwitz. Courtgarden. Rehearsal with the gymnasts. Fricke shows the movements for the Nibelungs in Rheingold to them. We all participate enthusiastically.

On the Master’s birthday I arrived. I threw myself into tailcoat and white cravat and appeared thus, to Wagner’s great amusement at Wahnfried! “Here comes Count Almaviva!” he cried in greeting. 

Cold sweat stood on my brow from anxiety, all the more because he said, apparently in complete seriousness, that one had to be careful with me, since I came from Vienna and wanted to report everything from Bayreuth back to Hanslick. This threw me into such embarrassment that Wagner noticed it and at once became so kind and cordial that I soon overcame my fright and gradually became conscious of the extraordinary happiness of being allowed to work with him.

I drank champagne to his health, and the morning soon ended cheerfully and merrily. Seidl, Fischer, Kapellmeister Riemenschneider (a fabulously fat man!), Zimmer, a sickly, lanky fellow who had just sought a cure for a lung ailment in Egypt, and a Greek named Lalas, now director of the Conservatory in Athens, with whom I had eaten lunch at Schürbaum’s wine tavern, accompanied me on a carriage excursion to the Hermitage.

In the evening, in the Master’s presence, the inauguration of the restaurant on the Festival Hill took place. Ballet master Fricke from Dessau, a cheerful, intelligent, somewhat overly talkative old gentleman. The Giessel family. Wagner delivered a witty speech in honor of the restaurateur, for whose benefit he declared himself willing to renounce his fame. Later he appeared on the gallery of the restaurant with spear and lantern and sang the Night Watchman’s Song from Die Meistersinger, while comically imitating the F-sharp of the bullhorn.

Late-night drinking party at Angermann’s. I am staying at the “Sonne.” Visited the theater.

The Bayreuth Year! It has been the most momentous in my artistic development and has impressed its stamp upon me for all time. I had the good fortune to stand for 3 months in personal intercourse with Richard Wagner and to learn from him what an enthusiastic disciple may learn from the greatest of masters. All that I am able to accomplish I owe to that Bayreuth apprenticeship. From that time forward I begin also to regard Art as the chief concern of my life. My strong sensuous inclinations, it is true, remain unchanged. Yet ultimately they are directly related to every artistic activity!

On the 2nd of March Richard Wagner personally conducted his “Lohengrin” at the Opera House. Richter and Sucher were at first apprehensive lest, since the Master had for so long a time refrained from directing theatrical performances, something might go awry; and they planted themselves to right and left in the orchestra, in order to assist in case any variations occurred. However, they soon abandoned their concerns after seeing how he—apart from the wonderful, suggestive power of his personality—guided the whole thing with the utmost technical perfection. It was a magnificent evening!

Müller sang Lohengrin; Kupfer-Berger, Elsa; Scaria, König; Nollet, Telramund; Materna, Ortrud. Choirs and orchestra splendid! Prelude: very, very slow, and of infinitely broad. Prelude in A-flat minor to “Du trugest ihm meine Klage,” very broad and full of expression. Swan Chorus trumpets begin pianissimo. The tempo to commence calmly, then greatly to increase! At the close (A major) very fiery and animated. No portamenti from the singers! Everything strictly in time! The recitative “Viel lieber todt als feig” not hurried; the orchestra subdued in “fp”. Procession of the knights to form the circle of combat fairly animated. Heerufer: all in tempo. Prayer in E-flat major, not too slow. The combat very rapid! Close of Act I not fast at the outset, but only gradually quickened.

Prelude to Act II. Cor anglais (short notation) once “mf”, the second time almost inaudibly soft! After “Gott!” (Ortrud) a fearfully long pause! Likewise before “Du wilde Seherin.” Bass clarinet for the F-sharp minor motto very slow; thereafter the dialogue flowing. “In Liebe” (B-flat major) sustained, then A to C-sharp (Hob.Nr.+) immediately connected. Oboes at “ins fernste Elend schickt” with a very strong crescendo. The figure (notation) very calm!

Invocation to the gods very rapid, vehement, and without pause before the entrance of the triplets. (D) “Nur eine Kraft” rather slow. Interlude quick (as notated). The choruses pianissimo very important! “Von ihm wird keine”—the crotchets marked slowly, yet without ritardando. Act III. Prelude not fast, yet fiery. At the Bridal Chorus, “Rauschen des Festes, seid nun entronnen,” a strong holding back of the tempo—