fmb-1838-02-12-05

            Leipzig 12 Febr 1838. Dear Sir
I was very happy to receive the information in your letter of the 31st l. m. that you had kindly consented to write the Opera which I am going to compose for the English stage. A good, truly poetical libretto, which inspires me at once, was since long the great object of my wishes & I may now look forward to its speedy realisation, as you have undertaken it. I dislike the 5 acts as you do; it should be 3 or 2; I prefer 3 acts, but think there could be a subject which would require to be divided into 2, & then I should have no objection. I wish it, as you already know, to be a kind of historical opera serious, but not tragical, at least not with a tragical end, but as for dangers, fears, & all sorts of passions I cannot have too much of them; I should also like to have some persons, if not comical, yet of a gay & lively character in it, & last not least I wish for as many Choruses, & as active ones, as you may possibly bring in. I should like to have a whole people, or the most different classes of society & of feelings to express in my Choruses, & to have them as a kind of principal person opposed to the Solo singers. Could such a subject be found? Before all I wish the subject had no likeness whatever to any of the now popular opera’s; they have something so exhausted in them, which I dislike. As you ask me to name a model I should say a subject between Fidelio & les deux journées of Cherubini would suit me most, more like the first with regard to the internal plot, to the developement of passions, & like the second in the historical basis, the activity of the Choruses, & the serene atmosphere which breathes throughout the whole, notwithstanding all the perils & the narrow escape which occur in it. In short could you find me a subject in which some virtuous, heroical deed was celebrated (as it is in Fidelio) which, (as Fidelio is the triumph of faithful love) represented the triumph of some noble, striking feeling, equally known to every one of the hearers who knows at all any feeling & who could then see his own internal life on the stage but more concentrated; in short translated into poetry, (of course it ought not to be a common or base feeling, as they have now so often in the Opera house – for of this every one has quite enough at home, & should not find it elsewhere at least not in act) and if that same story happened in a country, a time & a people which could give a lively background to the whole (be it dark or not), which in reminding us of history could in the same time remind us of our present times, (as for instance the dark figure of Cardinal Mazarin forms a background in the deux journées, but it could be more prominent still) & if every act of the Opera had its own effect, its own poetical point which came to issue in the Finale (as also in les deux journées, at least in the 1st & 2d acts) – if you could find such a subject, that would be the one I wish for, & if ever I can succeed I should be sure to do it with such a subject. Query can it be found? And to this question I most anxiously expect your answer. Excuse my confused description I would hardly be able to give a good one in my own language; till now it is more a matter of feeling than of knowing with me, but of this I am sure, if such a subject as I think of, should be found, it would force me at once to compose the music, I could not do otherwise & that, I think, would be the best & most promising way of beginning my task. Your assistance, I trust, will lead to the realisation of this long felt wish of mine & thanking you for your kindness & hoping to receive a speedy answer I am, my dear Sir
very truly yours
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
I have to add that I should be at liberty to begin the music about the end of summer whether I shall be able to bring it to England myself is very uncertain, as I have now an idea in what time I shall finish a work, & wether my engagements will then allow me an absence from my country, I hope so however.          

            <TEI xmlns="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0 ../../../fmbc_framework/xsd/fmb-c.xsd" xml:id="fmb-1838-02-12-05" xml:space="default"> <teiHeader xml:lang="de"> <fileDesc> <titleStmt> <title key="fmb-1838-02-12-05" xml:id="title_3e5558ab-8a77-4a1c-9b09-311bb1db150e">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy an James Robinson Planché in London, adressiert an William Chappell <lb></lb>Leipzig, 12. Februar 1838</title> <title level="s" type="incipit" xml:id="title_54ffa4aa-8597-4a2a-a53d-435d2a89fdaa">I was very happy to receive the information in your letter of the 31st l. m. that you had kindly consented to write the Opera which I am going to compose for the English stage.</title> <title level="s" type="sub" xml:id="title_fe1781e7-0d03-4dc3-bbc2-17cbc0138b9a">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online (FMB-C)</title> <title key="not_yet_determined" type="precursor">noch nicht ermittelt</title> <title key="not_yet_determined" type="successor">noch nicht ermittelt</title> <author key="PSN0000001">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</author><respStmt><resp resp="writer"></resp><persName key="PSN0000001" resp="writer">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</persName></respStmt><respStmt resp="transcription"> <resp resp="transcription">Transkription: </resp> <name resp="transcription">FMB-C</name> </respStmt> <respStmt resp="edition"> <resp resp="edition">Edition: </resp> <name resp="edition">FMB-C</name> </respStmt> </titleStmt> <publicationStmt> <publisher>Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online-Ausgabe (FMB-C). Institut für Musikwissenschaft und Medienwissenschaft. Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin</publisher> <address> <street>Am Kupfergraben 5</street> <placeName> <settlement>10117 Berlin</settlement> <country>Deutschland</country> </placeName> </address> <idno type="URI">http://www.mendelssohn-online.com</idno> <availability> <licence target="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)</licence> </availability> <idno type="MSB">Bd. 6, 1903</idno></publicationStmt> <seriesStmt> <p>Maschinenlesbare Übertragung der vollständigen Korrespondenz Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys (FMB-C)</p> </seriesStmt> <sourceDesc source="edition_template_manuscript" xml:id="sourceDesc_ca13ea76-3eea-42aa-a783-e8349941603e"> <msDesc> <msIdentifier> <country>USA</country> <settlement>Washington, DC</settlement> <institution key="RISM">US-Wc</institution> <repository>Washington, DC, The Library of Congress, Music Division</repository> <collection>Whittall Collection</collection> <idno type="signatur">Box 2, folder 23.</idno> </msIdentifier> <msContents> <msItem> <idno type="autograph">Autograph</idno> <title key="fmb-1838-02-12-05" type="letter" xml:id="title_f73daff1-73c7-46ca-aaa0-f01aa9ebe475">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy an James Robinson Planché in London, adressiert an William Chappell; Leipzig, 12. Februar 1838</title> <incipit>I was very happy to receive the information in your letter of the 31st l. m. that you had kindly consented to write the Opera which I am going to compose for the English stage.</incipit> </msItem> </msContents> <physDesc> <p>4 beschr. S.; Adresse, mehrere Poststempel.</p> <handDesc hands="1"> <p>Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy</p> </handDesc> <accMat> <listBibl> <bibl type="none"></bibl> </listBibl> </accMat> </physDesc> <history> <provenance> <p>-</p> </provenance> </history> <additional> <listBibl> <bibl type="printed_letter">Planché, Recollections and Reflections, Bd. 1, S. 281-283.</bibl> </listBibl> </additional> </msDesc> </sourceDesc> </fileDesc> <encodingDesc><projectDesc><p>Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online-Ausgabe FMB-C: Digitale Edition der vollständigen Korrespondenz Hin- und Gegenbriefe Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys auf XML-TEI-Basis.</p></projectDesc><editorialDecl><p>Die Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online-Ausgabe FMB-C ediert die Gesamtkorrespondenz des Komponisten Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy 1809-1847 in Form einer digitalen, wissenschaftlich-kritischen Online-Ausgabe. Sie bietet neben der diplomatischen Wiedergabe der rund 6.000 Briefe Mendelssohns erstmals auch eine Gesamtausgabe der über 7.200 Briefe an den Komponisten sowie einen textkritischen, inhalts- und kontexterschließenden Kommentar aller Briefe. Sie wird ergänzt durch eine Personen- und Werkdatenbank, eine Lebenschronologie Mendelssohns, zahlreicher Register der Briefe, Werke, Orte und Körperschaften sowie weitere Verzeichnisse. Philologisches Konzept,  Philologische FMB-C-Editionsrichtlinien: Uta Wald, Dr. Ulrich Taschow. Digitales Konzept, Digitale FMB-C-Editionsrichtlinien: Dr. Ulrich Taschow. Technische Konzeption der Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence FMB-C Ausgabe und Webdesign: Dr. Ulrich Taschow.</p></editorialDecl></encodingDesc> <profileDesc> <creation> <date cert="high" when="1838-02-12" xml:id="date_8d104f87-cccb-45d0-8ebe-1a8a6061d9fa">12. Februar 1838</date></creation> <correspDesc> <correspAction type="sent"> <persName key="PSN0000001" resp="author" xml:id="persName_b49f444a-1a70-4987-a97d-24301a94aaa0">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</persName><note>counter-reset</note><persName key="PSN0000001" resp="writer">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</persName> <placeName type="writing_place" xml:id="placeName_1dd43b8d-4b66-49c6-a171-5c8b77664560"> <settlement key="STM0100116">Leipzig</settlement> <country>Deutschland</country></placeName></correspAction> <correspAction type="received"> <persName key="PSN0113896" resp="receiver" xml:id="persName_d7d160a0-c3e3-4abe-99a3-bde111ea728b">Planché, James Robinson (1796-1880)</persName> <placeName type="receiving_place" xml:id="placeName_b9126a18-3ad0-4281-8e3b-063bf981ad80"> <settlement key="STM0100126">London</settlement> <country>Großbritannien</country> </placeName></correspAction> </correspDesc> <langUsage> <language ident="en">englisch</language> </langUsage> </profileDesc> <revisionDesc status="draft">  </revisionDesc> </teiHeader> <text type="letter"> <body> <div type="address" xml:id="div_7dc87df1-db17-40d9-a4d2-84dd5a8d98cc"> <head> <address> <addrLine>J. R. Planché</addrLine> <addrLine>esqures</addrLine> <addrLine>Mr. W<hi rend="superscript">m</hi> Chappell, musicseller</addrLine> <addrLine>50 New Bond Street</addrLine> <addrLine><hi n="1" rend="underline">London</hi>.</addrLine> </address> </head> </div> <div n="1" type="act_of_writing" xml:id="div_24209abe-e770-4e4d-b474-0bb1bcbcc842"><docAuthor key="PSN0000001" resp="author" style="hidden">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</docAuthor><docAuthor key="PSN0000001" resp="writer" style="hidden">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</docAuthor> <dateline rend="right">Leipzig <date cert="high" when="1838-02-12" xml:id="date_776bf40b-83be-4220-a519-70755809d2da">12 Febr 1838.</date></dateline> <salute rend="left">Dear Sir</salute><p style="paragraph_without_indent">I was very happy to receive the information in your letter of the 31<hi rend="superscript">st</hi> l. m. that you had kindly consented to write the <title xml:id="title_a782a11b-a39b-4f28-b82c-4866ea0c0cfd">Opera<list style="hidden" type="fmb_works_directory" xml:id="title_wvpiwln5-j8bj-qjcm-zdob-wqdkxqr0gc64"> <item n="1" sortKey="musical_works" style="hidden"></item> <item n="2" sortKey="works_not_executed" style="hidden"></item></list><name key="PSN0000001" style="hidden" type="author">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</name><name key="PRC0100703" style="hidden">The Brothers (auch: Edward III and the Siege of Calais / Eduard III. und die Belagerung von Calais)<idno type="MWV"></idno><idno type="op"></idno></name></title> which I am going to compose for the English stage. A good, truly poetical libretto, which inspires me at once, was since long the great object of my wishes &amp; I may now look forward to its speedy realisation, as <hi rend="underline">you</hi> have undertaken it. I dislike the 5 acts as you do; it should be 3 or 2; I prefer 3 acts, but think there could be a subject which would require to be divided into 2, &amp; then I should have no objection. I wish it, as you already know, to be a kind of historical opera serious, but not <hi rend="underline">tragical</hi>, at least not with a tragical end, but as for dangers, fears, &amp; all sorts of passions I cannot have too much of them; I should also like to have some persons, if not comical, yet of a <hi rend="underline">gay &amp; lively</hi> character in it, &amp; last not least I wish for as <hi rend="underline">many Choruses</hi>, &amp; as active ones, as you may possibly bring in. I should like to have a whole people, or the most different classes of society &amp; of feelings to express in my Choruses, &amp; to have them as a kind of principal person opposed to the Solo singers. Could such a subject be found? Before all I wish the subject had no likeness whatever to any of the now popular opera’s; they have something so exhausted in them, which I dislike. As you ask me to name a model I should say a subject between <title xml:id="title_3f46543b-726c-4e9a-aa8b-78ffbac1fc5b">Fidelio<name key="PSN0109771" style="hidden" type="author">Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827)</name><name key="CRT0108010" style="hidden" type="music">Fidelio op. 72</name></title> &amp; <hi rend="underline">les deux journées</hi> of <title xml:id="title_b044626d-d380-4d4f-b67f-d796aacc47d9">Cherubini<name key="PSN0110361" style="hidden" type="author">Cherubini, Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore (1760-1842)</name><name key="CRT0108366" style="hidden" type="music">Les Deux Journées, ou Le Porteur d’eau</name></title> would suit me most, more like the first with regard to the internal plot, to the developement of passions, &amp; like the second in the historical basis, the activity of the Choruses, &amp; the serene atmosphere which breathes throughout the whole, notwithstanding all the perils &amp; the narrow escape which occur in it. In short could you find me a subject in which some virtuous, heroical deed was celebrated (as it is in <title xml:id="title_56828be3-e7cb-4062-861a-22d9ce21bb95">Fidelio<name key="PSN0109771" style="hidden" type="author">Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827)</name><name key="CRT0108010" style="hidden" type="music">Fidelio op. 72</name></title>) which, (as Fidelio is the triumph of faithful love) represented the triumph of some noble, striking feeling, equally known to every one of the hearers who knows at all any feeling &amp; who could then see his own internal life on the stage but more concentrated; in short translated into poetry, (of course it ought not to be a common or base feeling, as they have now so often in the Opera house – for of this every one has quite enough at home, &amp; should not find it elsewhere at least not in act) and if that same story happened in a country, a time &amp; a people which could give a lively background to the whole (be it dark or not), which in reminding us of history could in the same time <hi rend="underline">remind us of our present times</hi>, (as for instance the dark figure of Cardinal Mazarin forms a background in <title xml:id="title_f922ee2c-6db3-4562-88f5-c71bc524f268">the deux journées<name key="PSN0110361" style="hidden" type="author">Cherubini, Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore (1760-1842)</name><name key="CRT0108366" style="hidden" type="music">Les Deux Journées, ou Le Porteur d’eau</name></title>, but it could be more prominent still) &amp; if every act of the Opera had its own effect, its own poetical point which came to issue in the Finale (as also in <title xml:id="title_b797416b-0508-4274-ae5d-78a1972b35dd">les deux journées<name key="PSN0110361" style="hidden" type="author">Cherubini, Maria Luigi Carlo Zenobio Salvatore (1760-1842)</name><name key="CRT0108366" style="hidden" type="music">Les Deux Journées, ou Le Porteur d’eau</name></title>, at least in the 1<hi rend="superscript">st</hi> &amp; 2<hi rend="superscript">d</hi> acts) – if you could find such a subject, that would be the one I wish for, &amp; if ever I can succeed I should be sure to do it with such a subject. Query can it be found? And to this question I most anxiously expect your answer. Excuse my confused description I would hardly be able to give a good one in my own language; till now it is more a matter of feeling than of knowing with me, but of this I am sure, if such a subject as I think of, should be found, it would force me at once to compose the music, I could not do otherwise &amp; that, I think, would be the best &amp; most promising way of beginning my task. Your assistance, I trust, will lead to the realisation of this long felt wish of mine &amp; thanking you for your kindness &amp; hoping to receive a speedy answer <seg type="closer" xml:id="seg_05a29b5c-a2fa-48b0-989b-6afc41d3ed2c">I am, my dear Sir</seg></p> <signed rend="right">very truly yours</signed> <signed rend="right">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.</signed></div> <div n="2" type="act_of_writing" xml:id="div_f3e63bb5-a982-4c54-b0f2-0971cdcfb92e"> <docAuthor key="PSN0000001" resp="author" style="hidden" xml:id="docAuthor_a5715b67-b000-4d46-a1b8-bed43e5116a8">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</docAuthor> <docAuthor key="PSN0000001" resp="writer" style="hidden" xml:id="docAuthor_76f25eb2-660e-40e8-aa27-8bebd31c2140">Mendelssohn Bartholdy (bis 1816: Mendelssohn), Jacob Ludwig Felix (1809-1847)</docAuthor> <p style="paragraph_without_indent">I have to add that I should be at liberty to begin the music about the end of summer whether I shall be able to bring it to England myself is very uncertain, as I have now an idea in what time I shall finish a work, &amp; wether my engagements will then allow me an absence from my country, I hope so however.</p> </div></body> </text></TEI>