fmb-1839-04-23-05

            Leipzig 23 April 1839My dear Sir
I am excessively sorry to see that the affair of the Opera has turned out as I anticipated when you were here, and I cannot tell you how deeply I regret it. Mr. Planché in his last letter declines those alterations which I thought so necessary to the success of the work, and says that this subject could not be treated differently in his opinion, that it had light and shade enough, and that I was to dismiss all my fears on that subject. After having perused the poem once more with the greatest care and anxiety I am not only still of my former opinion but begin to fear that we both may be right, that the subject is treated by Mr. Planché as it ought to be, but that in itself it does not afford me those advantages which I consider as essential to the success of a dramatic piece: that variety of human characters, of situations, of feelings. – You tell me you are pledged to take the Opera beforehand; but I would not do you a service if I composed it under the impression which I have of it at present; and I cannot therefore do anything else than send back the M. S., which I hereby do, and promise that nobody shall hear a word of it from be till it is brought out and set to music by another composer: I adopt that course rather than to try, lose time and produce a work which would neither content you nor Mr. Planché nor myself, and by which every one of us three would be injured more or less. You know how deeply I wished to compose some of Mr. Planchés beautiful verses, & you may form an idea with how great a reluctance I came at last to the conclusion which I now have communicated to you.
Recollect the promise you gave me here at my German stove, not to give up this idea even if the first attempt should fail. Believe me that I consider it as very important to me, that I donot wish anything more anxiously than to compose a good dramatic music to a good dramatic poëm; and that I should be extremely sorry if I must give up the hope of seeing this wish realized by you. I must leave off writing to-day; I am going to Frankfort a m to-morrow, at which place all communications will reach me till the end of June, directed poste restante.
Believe me alwaysmy dear Sir
yours very truly
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.          

            <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-1839-04-23-05" xml:space="default"> <teiHeader xml:lang="de"> <fileDesc> <titleStmt> <title key="fmb-1839-04-23-05" xml:id="title_fa87507e-d5af-4887-8d15-77dae66101bc">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy an William Chappell in London <lb></lb>Leipzig, 23. April 1839</title> <title level="s" type="incipit" xml:id="title_00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000">I am excessively sorry to see that the affair of the Opera has turned out as I anticipated when you were here, and I cannot tell you how deeply I regret it. Mr. Planché in</title> <title level="s" type="sub" xml:id="title_010ef05f-178a-4646-860c-64887abd0ecc">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy Correspondence Online (FMB-C)</title> <title key="unknown" type="precursor">noch nicht eingetragen</title> <title key="unknown" type="successor">noch nicht eingetragen</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, 2340</idno></publicationStmt> <seriesStmt> <p>Maschinenlesbare Übertragung der vollständigen Korrespondenz Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys (FMB-C)</p> </seriesStmt> <sourceDesc source="edition_template_manuscript" xml:id="sourceDesc_f686546b-341f-4284-a9f9-7716415016dd"> <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 3, folder 3.</idno> </msIdentifier> <msContents> <msItem> <idno type="autograph">Autograph</idno> <title key="fmb-1839-04-23-05" type="letter" xml:id="title_c5493f81-47c4-46f5-95c7-b43f6620f8de">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy an William Chappell in London; Leipzig, 23. April 1839</title> <incipit>I am excessively sorry to see that the affair of the Opera has turned out as I anticipated when you were here, and I cannot tell you how deeply I regret it. Mr. Planché in</incipit> </msItem> </msContents> <physDesc> <p>4 beschr. S.; Adresse, Zusätze von fremder Hand auf der Adressenseite: »[London.]«, von zweiter Hand: »23d of April 1839.«</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. 291-293.</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="1839-04-23" xml:id="date_9a478e44-844a-43bd-919a-897ef98362a5">23. April 1839</date></creation> <correspDesc> <correspAction type="sent"> <persName key="PSN0000001" resp="author" xml:id="persName_9296f5c5-923e-46ce-b573-5c49cb78b79c">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_ed4a5af7-80b1-48d8-82f8-62862f5f97c8"> <settlement key="STM0100116">Leipzig</settlement> <country>Deutschland</country></placeName></correspAction> <correspAction type="received"> <persName key="PSN0110351" resp="receiver" xml:id="persName_292204c1-4da6-4fab-976d-def0e456e172">Chappell, William (1809-1888)</persName> <placeName type="receiving_place" xml:id="placeName_d0f24e2d-8ee0-4994-828e-a08d801a6655"> <settlement key="STM0100126">London</settlement> <country>Großbritannien</country> </placeName></correspAction> </correspDesc> <langUsage> <language ident="de">deutsch</language> </langUsage> </profileDesc> <revisionDesc status="draft">  </revisionDesc> </teiHeader> <text type="letter"> <body> <div type="address" xml:id="div_6f15aec9-c86c-4b50-a5be-97d368b222c6"> <head> <address> <addrLine>W<hi rend="superscript">m</hi> Chappell</addrLine> <addrLine>Esqure</addrLine> <addrLine>music publisher</addrLine> <addrLine>Bond S<hi rend="superscript">tr</hi></addrLine> <addrLine>Oxford S<hi rend="superscript">tr</hi></addrLine> </address> </head> </div> <div type="annotation" xml:id="div_a22c29c8-9812-4df0-a516-27a95a60ca61"> <note type="other-third-party-annotation" xml:id="note_aabba5de-bb6e-48e6-b875-7daee45a34d2">Zusätze von fremder Hand auf der Adressenseite: »[London.]«, von zweiter Hand: »23<hi rend="superscript">d</hi> of April 1839.«</note> </div> <div n="1" type="act_of_writing" xml:id="div_05a618a5-5e7d-4e39-b453-fedc29581db9"><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="1839-04-23" xml:id="date_733844bc-bcce-4375-afa4-5e95829f8c57">23 April 1839</date></dateline><salute rend="left">My dear Sir</salute><p style="paragraph_without_indent">I am excessively sorry to see that the affair of the <title xml:id="title_f0562da8-1776-43aa-a29c-faab8f9ceaea">Opera<list style="hidden" type="fmb_works_directory" xml:id="title_ofdcusxr-lqog-sjvs-lohx-ccqlspq5b93c"> <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> has turned out as I anticipated when you were here, and I cannot tell you how deeply I regret it. <persName xml:id="persName_b6eaed17-2735-4a5c-a3ca-d4c2ba329e2d">Mr. Planché<name key="PSN0113896" style="hidden">Planché, James Robinson (1796-1880)</name></persName> in his last letter declines those alterations which I thought so necessary to the success of the work, and says that this subject could not be treated differently in his opinion, that it had light and shade enough, and that I was to dismiss all my fears on that subject. After having perused the poem once more with the greatest care and anxiety I am not only still of my former opinion but begin to fear that we both may be right, that the subject is treated by <persName xml:id="persName_757da7b8-9099-4526-9f5c-5ee656cd39c0">Mr. Planché<name key="PSN0113896" style="hidden">Planché, James Robinson (1796-1880)</name></persName> as it ought to be, but that in itself it does not afford me those advantages which I consider as essential to the success of a dramatic piece: that variety of human characters, of situations, of feelings. – You tell me you are pledged to take the Opera beforehand; but I would not do you a service if I composed it under the impression which I have of it at present; and I cannot therefore do anything else than send back the M. S., which I hereby do, and promise that nobody shall hear a word of it from be till it is brought out and set to music by another composer: I adopt that course rather than to try, lose time and produce a work which would neither content you nor <persName xml:id="persName_d2137f99-d5d0-45a9-8113-af233d0fe362">Mr. Planché<name key="PSN0113896" style="hidden">Planché, James Robinson (1796-1880)</name></persName> nor myself, and by which every one of us three would be injured more or less. You know how deeply I wished to compose some of Mr. Planchés beautiful verses, &amp; you may form an idea with how great a reluctance I came at last to the conclusion which I now have communicated to you.</p><p>Recollect the promise you gave me here at my German stove, not to give up this idea even if the first attempt should fail. Believe me that I consider it as very important to me, that I donot wish anything more anxiously than to compose a good dramatic music to a good dramatic poëm; and that I should be extremely sorry if I must give up the hope of seeing this wish realized by you. I must leave off writing to-day; I am going to Frankfort <formula rend="fraction_slash"> <hi rend="supslash">a</hi> <hi rend="barslash"></hi> <hi rend="subslash">m</hi></formula> to-morrow, at which place all communications will reach me till the end of June, directed poste restante.</p><closer rend="left" xml:id="closer_b58a610d-e825-401b-8e8c-9f820d043e5d">Believe me always</closer><signed rend="right">my dear Sir</signed><signed rend="right">yours very truly</signed><signed rend="right">Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy.</signed></div></body> </text></TEI>