A universe of letters in arrears

There has been a long wait for the volume containing Richard Wagner's letters from 1868. It is almost 800 pages long and is as much a testament to Wagner's diligence in writing letters as it is to the comprehensive editing work. The content ranges from simple tickets to order wine or silk fabrics to rants against competitors or situation reports on progress in his compositions. In other words, everything that interests the readership - or not.

The special feature of the publication of the letters from 1868 is that it comes after the publication of the volumes from 1869 to 1872. The delay also shows impressively how sensitive and time-consuming an edition of letters - whether by Wagner, Mendelssohn or whoever - can be. If publication comes to a standstill, thousands of pieces of information on the life and work of composers are lost.

Moreover, an edition of letters is not just about making the documents accessible, which often involves transcribing manuscripts that are difficult to read. In the case of the Wagner letters from 1868 in particular, the editor Margret Jestremski has done a truly great job of scholarship. The appendix contains a wealth of information with cross-references to other letters or details that can only be understood thanks to these explanations. The fact that new insights can be derived from this - even on the seemingly well-trodden subject of Wagner - is a further side effect of such editions. And the fact that previously unknown letters also appear adds to the value. Here, for example, there is a letter to the Munich artistic director Karl von Perfall dated February 1, which contains information about director Reinhard Hallwachs.

And as with every volume, you can spend hours reading it, because letter after letter is strung together, creating a microcosm of the thoughts and actions of Wagner and his circle like a jigsaw puzzle. It was well worth waiting for Jestremski's work, not least because the year 1868 is of particular significance for Switzerland due to the premiere of "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg", which was largely composed in Tribschen.

Richard Wagner: Complete Letters, Volume 20: Letters of the Year 1868, edited by Margret Jestremski, 760 p., € 68.00, Breitkopf & Härtel, Wiesbaden 2018, ISBN 978-3-7651-0420-6